Information for year one trainees
New progression requirements guidance
Earlier this year we communicated to you the new progression requirements for the programme which are aligned to the new curriculum. These will apply to all trainees entering the programme from 2023 onwards.
Please ensure you review the information so you understand the requirements and can plan accordingly.
We will be in touch again soon for your 6 monthly check-in, so please look out for emails from the School in the coming weeks.
Click here to view our guidance, resources and FAQs on the new progression requirements
Information for year two trainees
Training activity and competency submissions in OneFile
As part of the work to update OneFile in line with the new curriculum and the transition from ‘competencies’ to ‘training activities’, in January we introduced ‘Training activity’ as a submission method/type in OneFile.
All new training activity submissions should now be made using the ‘Training activity’ submission method. In order to enable the sign off of existing submissions that have used the ‘Competency’ submission method we will leave the ‘Competency’ submission method open until 5pm on Wednesday 4 September 2024.
However, please ensure that any new submission is now created using the ‘Training Activity’ submission method. The ‘Competency’ submission method, while still available, should no longer be used to create new submissions.
Please get in touch with us on the Servicedesk at nshcs.digital@hee.nhs.uk if you have any further queries about this issue.
Information for year one and two trainees
Preparations for the work-based assessment standards discovery sessions
We’re in the process of selecting a random sample of departments to invite to a discovery session focusing on the application of the Schools work-based assessments. We will be in touch with selected trainees and training officers shortly to invite them to join a session in May 2024.
The standards were launched in September 2023 and we are now following up with work to understand and check how they are being applied. We intend to sample approximately 10% of departments delivering the STP and conduct structured discovery sessions with trainees and separate sessions with training officers. The aim of the sessions is to understand what the experience is of the application of standards, the extent to which they are valuable and the extent to which they are being followed.
The work-based assessment standards are a new development and so we want to take this ‘discovery approach’ to understand how the standards are being used. This work will help us to develop a future QA strategy based on evidence. We will publish what learn from these discovery sessions and update any guidance about the use of the standards that we find is necessary.
Click here to view the NSHCS work-based assessment standards
Information for all trainees
Northern Ireland clinical scientist trainee network
Calling all STP trainees in Northern Ireland. We are setting up a new Northern Ireland trainee clinical scientist network open to trainee clinical scientists in Northern Ireland from all specialties. We hope that this network will provide an opportunity for trainees in Northern Ireland to meet trainees from other specialties, share ideas and support the completion of training activities.
We will be organising a number of events during the year aimed at helping trainee’s complete Professional Practice competencies as well as a STP Research Day planned for November and a few informal social events throughout the year. These will be a mix of in person and online events.
Please email northernirelandcstn@gmail.com for further information about this network.
New learning module to support trainees to develop evidence for training activities
One of the most frequent requests that we receive at the School is for more guidance about how trainees can and should develop their evidence to demonstrate achievement of training activities / competencies. In response to this important need, we have recently published a new module in our catalogue of learning materials for trainers on the NHS Learning Hub, entitled ‘Developing evidence to demonstrate achievement of training activities’.
This module focuses on what makes good evidence for training activities in work-based training. The module addresses how different types of evidence can be generated in the course of work-based training and it offers guidance about the different types of evidence that can be generated for the different types of training activity (whether for an entrustable training activity, an observational training activity or a developmental training activity).
Although the module is written for trainers, trainees will find much that is of value in the module. We intend to develop a version of this guidance for trainees in the near future.
This new body of guidance is fully aligned with the new STP curricula and the NSHCS work-based assessment standards. It will provide trainers and trainees with concrete help to meet those standards.
To access the NHS Learning Hub you will need to have an account with the service. The details on how to do this can be found within the training standards pages on the School website.
Information for training officers
Sharing good practice webinar series
In many areas of our work, we receive requests to support trainers in the workplace by connecting them with each other and, in particular, by helping them learn from centres and colleagues that have developed good training practice.
As you may be aware, this year the School is launching a new initiative in which we run regular webinars featuring trainers or trainer networks sharing their practice.
We are pleased to announce that we have the two confirmed webinars, as follows:
AI in training and clinical practice
Tuesday 30 April 2024 – 2pm to 3pm
Please click this link for further details and how to register
Approaches to the delivery of the STP
Wednesday 22 May 2024 – 10am to 11am
Please click this link for further details and how to register
Both of the webinars will be recorded and will be available on our website.
If you or your network have developed practice that you feel could be valuable to share with your peers, please express an interest in sharing your practice via the form linked to below.
Click here to express an interest in contributing to our sharing good practice webinar series
Supporting health professionals to Return to Practice
The NHS England Return to Practice programme supports returners to return to the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) Register offering:
- financial support
- academic support
- pastoral support
- connection to find a supervised practice placement
If you are an organisation interested in finding out how returners can support you to grow your workforce, then please get in touch. For more information visit the Return to Practice website or email england.r2pahp-hcs@nhs.net
Click here to visit the Return to Practice website
Induction webinar for new training officers
If you are new to the role of STP training officer, you will be expected to attend a single webinar induction which will introduce you to the programme and your responsibilities.
Our next available webinar is on Wednesday 10 April 2024 10.30am to 12.30pm.
If you have previously registered for this event prior to 23 February 2024, you will have received an email informing you that you will need to re-register. This is due to a technical difficulty with the original Team’s link.
Click here for details on how to register for the webinar on Wednesday 10 April
New learning module to support trainees to develop evidence for training activities
One of the most frequent requests that we receive at the School is for more guidance about how trainees can and should develop their evidence to demonstrate achievement of training activities / competencies. In response to this important need, we have recently published a new module in our catalogue of learning materials on the NHS Learning Hub, entitled ‘Developing evidence to demonstrate achievement of training activities’.
This module focuses on what makes good evidence for training activities in work-based training. The module addresses how different types of evidence can be generated in the course of work-based training and it offers guidance about the different types of evidence that can be generated for the different types of training activity (whether for an entrustable training activity, an observational training activity or a developmental training activity).
This new body of guidance is fully aligned with the new STP curricula and the NSHCS work-based assessment standards. It will provide trainers and trainees with concrete help to meet those standards. The module is also fully aligned with the recently-published NSHCS training standards and expectations. It is part of a set of learning modules associated with training standard 1: Plan, design and assess learning and training opportunities.
To access the NHS Learning Hub you will need to have an account with the service. The details on how to do this can be found within the training standards pages on the School website.
Managing your trainees
We have created a section on our website providing answers about issues ranging from study leave to funding.
This month’s featured FAQ is:
Q – Who do trainees speak to when they are having problems with their training?
A – The trainee must always speak first to their training officer about any problems with training. The School’s Training Programme Directors will support training officers if they need further advice.
Click here to find FAQs on management of trainees for STP trainers
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.