Job description for STP assessment lead roles

Background

The School has national responsibility for the management of the educational framework for training and development of healthcare scientists across more than 40 specialties in the NHS, from apprentices to consultant grade.

Our programmes focus on practical learning in the workplace coupled with academic learning at University to equip our trainees with the knowledge and skills to engage at the forefront of healthcare science practice. We are responsible for development of new and review of our existing curricula including the Echocardiography Training Programme, Scientist Training Programme and the Higher Specialist Scientist Training programme (ETP, STP and HSST).

The education and training is delivered by scientists working across the NHS and beyond, and has pioneered national scientist training in UK, producing scientists who are changing patient and clinical outcomes, contributing to multi-professional working and leading in many areas of innovation and translational research in the NHS.

More information on the School can be found at https://nshcs.hee.nhs.uk/about/.

About the roles

The purpose of the roles is to provide scientific leadership to the STP Final Year Assessment to ensure the assessment is valid, reliable and fit for purpose. Role holders will be required to engage with School assessment processes to ensure the assessment can be delivered.

Roles could be shared between 2 candidates and for some specialties where the specialty curriculum includes distinct areas of practice, the role will be shared between individuals with expertise in each area.

Lead Assessment Content Editor

Lead Assessment Content Editors will be responsible for developing and maintaining a bank of content required for the STP Final Year Assessment. It is expected that Lead Assessment Content Editors will undertake both development and maintenance tasks within the tenure of their role.

Lead Assessment Content Editors will be required to draw on their own practice expertise and knowledge of the specialty STP curriculum, as well as the expertise within the wider specialty community where needed. Lead Assessment Content Editors will provide scientific leadership to ensure the assessment content bank enables robust, valid, appropriate assessment of the specialty STP.

Lead Assessment Content Editors are encouraged to participate in the delivery of the STP Final Year Assessment, so they have a full understanding of the assessment delivery model and experience of using assessment content to inform the execution of the role.

Lead Assessor

Lead Assessors will be responsible for facilitating and resourcing each specialty sitting of the STP Final Year Assessment. This will include working with assessors and selecting assessment content to enable delivery of a robust, reliable, appropriate assessment of the specialty STP.  The School will run a summer and winter sitting of the STP Final Year Assessment including specialties as required.

Lead Assessors will be required to draw on their standing in the specialty community and knowledge of the specialty STP curriculum to fulfil their role. The purpose of the Lead Assessor role is to provide scientific leadership to ensure reliable and effective delivery of the STP Final Year Assessment.

Lead Assessors are encouraged to participate in the development of assessment content, so they have an understanding and experience of how content is developed to inform the execution of the role.

Criteria

Skills and experience

Lead role holders for the STP Final Year Assessment should:

• be currently practicing in the specialty with significant post registration experience in the specialty (a minimum of 3 years), or have been actively practicing within the last 2 years of appointment
• have contemporary knowledge of practice in the specialty, in particular the standards and expectations of practice for a newly registered Clinical Scientist
• have experience of assessing healthcare professionals at this level both in the workplace and in structured high stakes assessments
• be involved in the delivery of the programme they are being engaged to represent
• have knowledge of School programmes and career pathways for Healthcare Scientists
• have demonstrable ability to influence and motivate others with experience of leading collective decision-making groups such as boards or committees
• have a flexible and co-operative approach to work and working with colleagues and stakeholders

Qualifications

Lead role holders for the STP Final Year Assessment should:

• hold appropriate registration such as Clinical Scientist or be of equivalent standing within the profession
• have completed training in equality, diversity and inclusion, as a minimum the School’s Conscious Inclusion training

Essential job functions

Lead Assessment Content Editors will:

• take overall scientific responsibility for the development and maintenance of specialty assessment content, ensuring the content is consistent with the requirements of the assessment and the STP specialty curriculum, and scientifically and clinically appropriate
• make judgements on assessment content and evidence their judgement, where required, discussing judgements with Assessment Content Writers to achieve consensus
• maintain confidentiality of assessment content
• ensure timely development and maintenance of assessment content
• work in accordance with School assessment processes to develop and maintain assessment content
• work with the Lead Assessor to set the mark scheme for assessment sittings
• attend meetings and events as agreed, either online or in person
• provide joint chairmanship of assessment content meetings alongside the School
• where required, invite suitably qualified professionals to engage in the development of assessment content according to the requirements of the School assessment processes
• seek additional expert advice where required

Lead Assessors will:

• take overall responsibility for ensuring the availability of assessors and selection of specialty content for each sitting of the STP Final Year Assessment
• make judgements on the application of resources to ensure the STP Final Year Assessment is robust, valid, reliable and appropriate for the specialty STP evidencing their judgement where required
• work with the Lead Assessment Content Editors to set the mark scheme for assessment sittings
• represent their specialty at STP Final Year Assessment Exam Boards
• maintain confidentiality of assessment content
• ensure timely completion of tasks required to deliver of the STP Final Year Assessment
• work in accordance with School assessment processes to support delivery the STP Final Year Assessment
• attend meetings and events as agreed, either online or in person
• seek additional expert advice where required

Time committment

Lead Assessment Content Editor

The estimated time commitment for Lead Assessment Content Editors will typically be, but is not limited to the following.

For assessment content development, expected to be completed periodically:

• between 3 and 5 days to meet with Assessment Content Writers
• additional time to write and review assessment content
• additional time to seek additional expert advice where required

For assessment content maintenance, expected to be completed annually:

• between 2 and 4 days to review assessment content and feedback, make judgement and attend meetings according to School Assessment processes

Per assessment sitting for the specialty:

• half a day to set the mark scheme for the assessment sitting

Lead Assessor

The estimated time commitment for Lead Assessors will typically be, but is not limited to the following.

Per assessment sitting for the specialty:

• between 3 and 5 days to prepare and allocate resources required for the sitting
• additional time to seek additional expert advice where required

For other activities, expected to be completed annually:

• between half and one and a half days per year
• additional time to support assessor recruitment

For assessment content development, expected to be completed periodically:

• between 1 and 2 days

Expenses

Where role holders are expected to attend in-person meetings hosted by the School, the School will reimburse travel in line with the School expenses process and policy.

Tenure

It is appropriate that these services, which are required on an ad hoc and intermittent basis, are provided by Lead role holders for the STP Final Year Assessment on a contractor basis, through an agreement for services, and that Lead role holders are not employees of NHS England. The initial agreement will be offered for a period of 3 years and may be extended for a further 3 years. Lead role holders for the STP Final Year Assessment will not be expected to continue in the role for more than 6 years.

Benefits of the roles

• Professional development.
• An opportunity to influence and play a key role in Healthcare Science Training.
• Contribute to the future of the specialty and the Healthcare Science workforce.

An opportunity to work with colleagues across the Healthcare Science system.