Message from your STP Training Programme Directors, Jane Lynch and Namir Al Hasso
We are in our second month of this new year, and it has been a cold month. We appreciate that life is still challenging for all of us at home and in the workplace in one way or another. However, the UK COVID-19 vaccines delivery plan is underway which brings hope that life will return to normality.
We appreciate the hard work you are putting in during this challenging time. We are on this journey together to train you as the future Healthcare Scientists and aim to provide our NHS with highly skilled Clinical Scientists. The National School would like to understand the impact of COVID-19 on our current STP trainees and their department. Therefore, we have devised a survey that will be open from today until the end of March. We encourage every STP trainee to participate in this survey.
The Midterm Review of Progression (MRP) is closing today. We hope that all trainees and training officers have succeeded in completing their part of the process to ascertain if your training journey requires support or guidance from the School. We do expect that trainees and training officers will complete and submit their respective evaluation forms independently. This provides an opportunity to alert the School to any barriers, concerns or issues to progression that they may wish to share in confidence. We are here to support as much as we can.
Next month we will celebrate Healthcare Science Week. Although we live in a pandemic, Healthcare Science Week is an excellent chance to inspire the younger generation and educate them about Healthcare science and your role as a Healthcare Scientist.
If you still have some concerns or queries, please do not hesitate to contact us by email.
Take care,
Jane and Namir
Training during COVID-19 survey
In response to the training challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, last Spring we asked all trainees to complete a short questionnaire to allow us to better understand the disruption they faced. We would like to repeat this survey now to understand the challenges trainees are currently facing.
Understanding the variability in training disruption is essential to allow us to respond appropriately, adapting our numerous processes, including the MRP and completion, to ensure no trainees are inadvertently disadvantaged.
We appreciate you taking the time to fill this in.
Click here to complete a short survey about your training during COVID-19
2021 completion criteria
We have reviewed the completion requirements for 2021 and have maintained many of the changes applied to last year’s process in order to provide more flexibility and to facilitate completion for trainees safely and on time.
The completion deadline is 5pm on Monday 20th September 2021. The minimum requirements for STP Completion include:
- Completion of the work-based assessments and competences on the e-portfolio. For 2021 the requirements for the completion of the e-portfolio have been adjusted to take account of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on training but as a minimum will require:
- 100% completion of the Professional Practice module competencies with a satisfactory outcome
- 100% completion of the rotation modules assessments (x 1 CBD and x 1 DOPS or OCE per module) and competencies with a satisfactory outcome
- Two MSF exercises
As previously announced – completion of the elective module on the e-portfolio is optional.
For the competencies and assessment for the specialist modules, all trainees are encouraged to complete 100%. However if this is not achievable, they can still complete the programme as satisfactory completion will be determined through the requirement to attain sign off for clinical competence from a registered HCPC Clinical or Biomedical Scientist.
- Successful completion of the Independent Assessment of Clinical Competence (IACC)
- Successful completion of the Master’s (MSc) in Clinical Science.
- A declaration by a HCPC registered Clinical or Biomedical Scientist of the trainee’s scientific specialty competence if the specialist modules are not completed on the e-portfolio.
Further information will be released in relation to the sign off process for training officers in the next Monthly Memo and the revised guidance for 2021 completion is available on our website.
We will also be offering an opportunity for trainees and training officers to discuss completion with the School at the upcoming webinar on 25th February 2021.
Click here to view the information you will need to achieve to complete the Scientist Training Programme
Further information about the final assessment for trainees completing in 2021
Further details about the format of the final assessment for trainees completing in 2021 will be published on the School website on February 18, one week prior to the webinar we will run on February 25 on the final assessment and completion requirements.
Click here to view the details about the format of the final assessment
Upcoming webinars
On Thursday 25th February at 2pm we are holding a Q&A webinar for final year trainees and their training officers on the 2021 final assessment and completion processes and criteria.
Our STP training programme directors Jane Lynch and Namir Al Hasso will briefly talk through the requirements of final assessment and completion before talking your questions.
Click here to find the details of the Q&A webinar on STP final assessment and completion (Expired link)
On Thursday 11th March at 2pm our STP training programme directors Jane Lynch and Namir Al Hasso are holding a webinar for all STP trainees in which they will be providing you with advice and information about the ways in which you can access training support during this difficult time. There will there will be an opportunity for you to ask questions too.
Click here to find the details for the webinar for STP trainees on accessing training support
Train the Trainer events
We are running more virtual STP Train the Trainer events in March and June 2021. If you are interested in attending these events, please email the team on nshcs.assessment@hee.nhs.uk with your specialty area.
Dates for Series 1
- Webinar 1: Wednesday 17th March 2021: Introduction to STP Train the Trainer at 11:30am to 1pm.
- Webinar 2: Wednesday 24th March 2021: Assessing Work-place Evidence at 11:30am to 1:30pm.
- Webinar 3: Monday 29th March 2021: Training Support at 11:30 to 1pm.
Dates for Series 2
- Webinar 1: Wednesday 2nd June 2021: Introduction to STP Train the Trainer at 11:30am to 1pm.
- Webinar 2: Wednesday 9th June 2021: Assessing Work-place Evidence at 11:30am to 1:30pm.
- Webinar 3: Wednesday 16th June : Training Support at 11:30am to 1pm.
Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis.
Click here to find out more about the STP Train the Trainer events
Trainee equality and diversity data
We are committed to advancing equality and building an inclusive workplace culture, where everyone is treated with respect and dignity and everyone feels valued, across all our commissioned training programmes.
It is necessary to regularly update our data systems, in line with the most up-to-date national guidelines on collection of equality and diversity data. This occasionally means having to ask our trainees to confirm information they may have already given us.
Last month we emailed all STP trainees a unique survey link to collect equality and diversity data. We are asking you to please take a few moments to fill in this questionnaire regarding your ethnic origin, faith, gender, marital status and sexual orientation.
If you have not received your survey link or have any questions please contact the NSHCS Digital Servicedesk on nshcs.digital@hee.nhs.uk
If you have any questions please email the NSHCS Digital Servicedesk on nshcs.digital@hee.nhs.uk
Training Officers: Is our website working for you?
We are conducting a research project to help us to understand how well our website meets the needs of different types of visitor, amongst whom Training Officers are a key group.
Follow the link below to express an interest in participating in a remote, observed usability testing session which will be conducted for us by an independent user research company, Lagom Strategy.
Click here to express an interest in participating in a testing session
STP curriculum review open
Throughout February, we’ll be asking stakeholders for feedback on the drafts of the new curriculum content. Currently open for review are:
- Reconstructive Science
- Clinical Bioinformatics – Physical Sciences
- Radiotherapy Physics
- Diagnostic Radiology and Radiation Safety
- Nuclear Medicine
- Imaging Non-Ionising Radiation
- Clinical Biochemistry
- Haematology & Transfusion
- Clinical Immunology
- Histocompatibility & Immunogenetics
- Gastrointestinal Physiology
- Urodynamic Science
- Clinical Bioinformatics Genomics
- Genomics
- Genomic Counselling
- Cancer Genomics
- Histopathology
We’ll be asking stakeholders to take a look at the curriculum and provide feedback through a survey. The whole process should take around an hour. Feedback will inform the final curricula and will help to shape the future of the Scientist Training Programme.
Click here to find out more about how your can provide your feedback
HCPC temporary register
We have received confirmation from the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) that the COVID-19 temporary register is not going to be re-opened in 2021.
If this status changes in the future, we will inform trainees straight away.
Joint bursary scheme launched
Alongside the Faculty of Clinical Informatics (FCI) we are pleased to announce a joint venture to fund Faculty membership for healthcare scientists working in clinical informatics.
To apply, please complete the FCI application form by midnight on 22nd March.
New blog series: mental health
STP Perspectives have started publishing a blog support series.
It is a series of honest accounts from STP trainees who have had issues or difficulties either with training or their own mental health, and their tips on what they did to try to resolve this.
MRP closes today at 5pm
The Midterm Review of Progression (MRP) closes today (Monday 15th February) at 5pm. Please make sure you submit your information in time.
Outcomes will be released week commencing Monday 22nd March with support meetings held in April.
Healthcare Science Week
Healthcare Science Week is your chance to tell the local community and other health professionals first-hand about how science and technology are vital in modern patient care and change lives for the better.
Healthcare Science Week 2021 will take place from the 5th – 14th March 2021.
Click here to find out what you can do during Healthcare Science Week
STP applications close this month
Applications to the Scientist Training Programme opened last month. We just wanted to remind you that applications for direct entry close on Monday 22nd February and applications for in-service entry close on Friday 26th February.
Click here to find out more about the 2021 application process