Message from your STP Training Programme Directors, Jane Lynch and Namir Al Hasso
Welcome to the September issue of the STP memo. This will be the first memo for our new first year trainees, congratulations! We are delighted to have you joining the programme and wish you all an exciting and enjoyable time as you progress through your training. It is also the last for many of you, as our final years complete the programme and move on to the next stage in their careers. We wish you all the best. Hopefully we will see many of you again as training officers, assessors for the exit assessment or in any of the other roles that our alumni fulfil so well.
We are also very excited to welcome our three new TPD/Regional Deans to the School. Aarti Makan, Emma Bowers and Jo Horne have now all joined us, expanding our team so that we can work at a regional level as well as nationally. Many of you will know them already, or have met them at our STP Induction Event and will be aware of the strengths they bring to the School.
Information for third years
Completion data audit
Just a reminder for anyone completing the STP this week, please make sure you’ve responded to the Data Audit so we have your up-to-date contact information. We can’t send you your completion certificate without this information.
Any trainee on an agreed extension or resitting the IACC 2021 does not need to give us this information yet, only trainees expecting to complete this week. Please check your emails for your individual link to give us your information. If you cannot find your link please contact nshcs.digital@hee.nhs.uk immediately.
Information for second year trainees
Guidance for trainees and training departments on STP completion 2022
In response to the challenges posed by the very variable disruption to training caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the School has liaised with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), Health Education England (HEE) and trainees and training officers to ensure that completion pathways are attainable and that all trainees are treated fairly and not disadvantaged.
Following this year’s Midterm Review of Progression (MRP) and discussions with trainees and training officers, we have considered the completion requirements for those graduating in 2022. For this cohort, rotations were badly disrupted by the pandemic.
For many trainees access to some competencies has not been possible to date, and completing these in the final year will come at the expense of the specialist training. We have considered this in our discussions around completion 2022 and have amended the process accordingly.
Click here to view the full guidance statement on completion for the Scientist Training Programme 2022
Completion criteria for 2022
In deciding on completion requirements for 2022, we worked with colleagues in professional bodies and lead station/curriculum writers where appropriate and considered whether all competencies in modules were a) accessible and b) essential for performance of the specialism, and have come to the following decisions.
For 2022 completion, trainees should complete as much of their One File portfolio evidence as possible, but where the pandemic has made this impossible we will accept the following as a minimum:
- 100% completion of the trainee’s own specialist-related rotation modules assessments and competencies. This rotation is considered essential as a foundation for the specialism, and as it does not require attendance at an external department it is considered achievable. Completion of the other 3 rotations is encouraged but will not be mandatory. The HCPC registered Clinical Scientist or Biomedical Scientist sign-off will be extended to include this. The details of which rotational modules are considered mandatory for each specialism are available on our website.
- 100% completion of ‘SCC110: Introduction to Healthcare Science, Professional Practice and Clinical Leadership’.
- 2 x Multi Source Feedback (MSF), completed on Clarity and uploaded and signed off on OneFile.
- Successful completion of the Independent Assessment of clinical Competence (IACC) exit assessment.
- 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 or the rotational modules are not fully completed on the e-portfolio.
Click here to view the completion criteria for the Scientist Training Programme (2022)
Information for first year trainees
Sign up for a webinar introducing OneFile, your e-portfolio
Your e-portfolio in OneFile is absolutely central to your STP and to your training and assessment in the workplace. It will be important that you learn about and master OneFile early on in your programme. So … sign up for one of our introductory webinars to learn more about how to use OneFile. Each of the webinars listed below will be identical. Members of the National School’s Digital Team will walk you through some of the key features and functions that you will need to master.
Learn how to complete common tasks in OneFile
There is an extensive collection of guidance about how to use OneFile available on the National School website. We have a playlist of videos about how to complete common tasks in OneFile in our YouTube channel and a series of downloadable guides which step you through how to complete key tasks.
Preparing as a new trainee
We have a number of online resources and tools available to support new trainees and their training officers. They are also helpful for existing training officers who would like a quick refresher.
- Guidance for STP training officers
- Good training planning
- Guide to producing good competency evidence
- Good STP competency evidence resources
- Series of Train the Trainers podcasts
Click here to find all the supportive resources available to you
Information for all trainees
University careers fairs outreach work
We are looking for volunteers to represent us at University careers fairs and talk to students about the STP this Autumn.
If you are yet to complete OneFile competencies in professional practice and clinical leadership then representing the School at these events could be used as evidence towards fulfilling some of them.
Further bursaries available to fund Faculty of Clinical Informatics membership for healthcare scientists
Following the successful bursary scheme in 2020, where a total of forty seven bursaries for Faculty of Clinical Informatics membership were awarded, including two Fellows, seventeen Members and twenty eight Associates, the Faculty of Clinical Informatics (FCI) and Health Education England’s National School of Healthcare Science (NSHCS) are pleased to announce further bursaries are available to fund Faculty membership for healthcare scientists working in or interested in clinical informatics.
We will fund a year’s membership of the FCI to successful applicants. The bursaries are initially aimed at those who are enrolled on, or are alumni of, the National School of Healthcare Science Scientist Training Programme or Higher Specialist Scientist Training Programme, but there will be funding for other NHS Informaticians to take up membership, including Topol Fellows.
The application deadline has been extended to 30th September.
Click here to find the Faculty of Clinical Informatics Membership or Associate application form
STP Tea Break Chats new series
Megan, a 2nd year Genomics trainee started a video series called STP Tea Break Chats this year, aiming to speak with trainees from different specialisms to help applicants and the public understand what healthcare scientists do and how you help patients.
Megan is starting a new series and is hoping to speak with trainees with disabilities/long-term health conditions about their experiences during the application process and their training. This could be physical, mental, cognitive etc. For example, current plans include speaking with trainees who have endometriosis, ADHD, deafness, amongst others.
If you would like to take part, you would have control over what is discussed. You can discuss both positive and negative experiences, with the hope of improving the support trainees receive. Megan will send draft questions and you can let her know if there’s any that you don’t feel comfortable speaking about.
If you would like to take part, or want to know more before deciding, please email Megan at megan.horton-bell@nhs.net.
Information on training support for all trainees and training officers
We offer regular drop-in sessions which provide a means through which trainees and training officers can speak to members of the School directly to access their expertise and guidance.
The drop-in sessions are offered on a regular basis and are themed to maintain focus for particular areas of support or guidance.
The discussions are confidential and usually offered on a 15 minute basis per person. Any issues not resolved or requiring follow up will be logged and further meetings arranged to address unresolved issues.
Click here to find out more about our drop-in sessions
Below are the dates for our upcoming drop-in sessions:
- 29th September – Training support, scientific support – including assessment support: STP IACC 2021 resits for October 2021 Interviews and HSST interview6th October – Support for IACC, ASP PDs and IAPS assessment
- 13th October – STP/HSST OneFile support
- 27th October – Training support, scientific support
- 11th November – STP planning for new trainees with new curriculum
- 24th November – Training support, scientific support
Click here to find our drop-in sessions timetable and event joining links
Meet the School's training support team
Our Head of Programme Support has written a blog post all about how we can help, our purpose and why we want you to talk to us when you are having problems.
“Trainees are the reason why we come to work every day, the reason why we strive to improve our services and the reason why, when you struggle, we want to help. We would like to think that every training experience is good and that every trainee sails through the programme with no significant issues but that’s not our reality or yours.
On some occasions, life can deal you a difficult and unexpected blow or becomes hard to deal with for all sorts of personal reasons. Our purpose is to be here when that happens, and as far as we possibly can we want to guide trainees and training departments through their training, to signpost to services that can help or to actions that may make a difference to improve things.”
Click here to read the full blog post from our Head of Programme Support
Information for training officers
Training Officers – sign up for a webinar introducing you to OneFile
Your trainee’s e-portfolio in OneFile is absolutely central to your training and assessment of them. Sign up for this webinar to learn more about how to use OneFile as a Training Officer.
Click here to register for the webinar on Friday October 8 13.00-14.00
OneFile guidance for Training Officers
There is an extensive collection of guidance for Training Officers about how to use OneFile available on the National School website – from videos about how to complete common tasks in OneFile to a series of downloadable guides which step you through how to complete key tasks.
Click here to view the OneFile ‘How to’ guidance and videos for Training Officers
Future Train the Trainer events
Are you interested in attending the next series of Train the Trainer events?
Please complete our short survey to register your interest in attending one of the future events.
Click here to express your interest in joining the waiting list
Commissioning now open for STP 2022 intake
Health Education England (HEE) has announced that the commissioning process has opened for the Scientist Training (STP) for trainees commencing training in 2022.
These are the key dates for the 2022 commissioning cycle for the STP.
- w/c 26th July 2021 – Application portal opens
- 1st October 2021 – Application portal closes
- October 2021 – Local Health Education England office reviews applications
- November 2021 – Moderation by National School of Healthcare Science
- w/c 23rd November 2021 – Letters to organisations confirming commissions
If you have any questions regarding the commissioning process, please email healthcarescience.commissioning@hee.nhs.uk
Curriculum launch for 2022 and what you need to know now
Last month we launched the new STP curriculum which will start to be delivered from September 2022.
The curriculum review project involved over 400 healthcare scientists and healthcare professionals, seven universities, over twenty-five trained patient and public representatives, representatives from professional bodies and royal colleges and input from over 1,000 stakeholders.
As part of the launch event we held a webinar with Dr Navina Evans, HEE’s CEO, Professor Berne Ferry, Head of the National School, and Dr Chris Fisher, Head of Curriculum at the National School.
We spoke about:
- what you need to know now
- where to find the new curriculua
- where to find the stakeholder feedback from the review process
- our schedule of communications going forward and how we will support you
- what information is needed for the 2022 expressions of interest
Click here to watch the webinar
As part of our plan to communicate the changes with you we are holding a number of drop-in sessions for employers looking to take on a trainee in 2022.
Training officers, training leads and employers can speak to members of the School directly to access their expertise and guidance. The next drop-in session is:
- Thursday 11th November 12-2pm
Click here to find the drop-in session joining link
Missed a previous edition of the STP Monthly Memo?
We’ve published copies of the Monthly Memo for STP trainees and training officers on our website.
Click here to view previous editions of the STP Monthly Memo