Message from your STP Training Programme Directors
Namir Al Hasso, Dr EMma Bowers, Dr Jo Horne, Jane Lynch and Aarti Makan
This month’s message is from Jane Lynch.
Welcome to the March edition of the STP memo. I hope you are all well. This month’s edition contains a range of information for both trainees and training officers.
The completion requirements for trainees completing in 2022 were announced some time ago and include a chart to help understand your own specific pathway. These alternative completion pathways are available to acknowledge the impact of the pandemic on your training and to ensure that trainees are not unfairly disadvantaged. We ask that trainees complete as much of their Onefile e-portfolio as is possible under the circumstances, attend all university teaching sessions and use the alternative pathways where access to training has not been possible due to COVID-19 disruption. For trainees who are finding completion challenging for reasons other than the pandemic, we are here to support you and we have a range of policies that may be appropriate for you depending on your circumstances.
The new intake of trainees in 2022 will be the first to follow our revised curriculum and will be the largest intake ever. We are thrilled that trainee numbers continue to rise on the STP and to support these trainees we are looking to our training officers to increase our pool of assessors, amongst other roles. Please have a look at the details below. This is a chance to get involved and a development opportunity for yourself. Training will be provided and it’s a great way to work with both the School, your fellow training officers and other healthcare scientists, ensuring that all trainees have a well organised, fair and robust final assessment. It’s also a good way to experience the final assessment from the assessor’s aspect. This can be extremely helpful for your role in supporting your own trainee through the process. We have recently launched a recognition scheme to celebrate the many ways in which our community of healthcare scientists collaborate and get involved to ensure we continue to deliver high quality, well-trained healthcare scientists to meet the future needs.
Information for third year trainees
Guidance 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), trainees and training officers to ensure that completion pathways are attainable and that all trainees are treated fairly and not disadvantaged.
Click here to view our guidance on completion for the Scientist Training Programme in 2022
Information for all trainees
Non-attendance to your Higher Education Institution
The government guidelines are that all education establishments in England are open for teaching and learning.
For Healthcare Science this means that the universities we partner with will continue to support our trainees in the delivery of our programmes. Each university will advise as to how the academic programme will be delivered. For some this may be face-to-face, blended or online delivery.
It is a requirement of the programme that trainees attend all timetabled sessions regardless of the mode of delivery. If trainees are unable to attend due to a medical condition they need to advise the university at the earliest opportunity and follow their processes for receiving an exemption to travel/attend where applicable.
Changes in your training – please make sure the School is aware
It is important the School be made aware of any changes to your training which may impact on your ongoing progression, participation or completion of the programme. The School will co-ordinate with commissioning teams and universities to make sure all organisations involved in your training are aware of the latest position to ensure you receive appropriate advice and support so that your training programme can be managed effectively. This applies to all trainees in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Examples of circumstances in which you or your training officer must notify the School:
- Statutory leave – we will need to know the dates of intended leave (maternity, paternity, parental, adoption leave) and any flexible arrangements requested on return so that your programme and training plan can be reviewed and your revised completion timeline confirmed.
- Long-term sickness absence – any period of sickness over 6 weeks or more should be confirmed with the School or if there are multiple short-term absences that trigger local employer policies. It is an opportunity to seek advice about processes that can support your training, such as the Exceptional Extenuating Circumstances policy, and to seek support from the training support team in the School to discuss matters with you and your supervisor in more detail. Click here to find the Exceptional Extenuating Circumstances policy.
- Changes to your training officer/supervisor – this needs to be updated in OneFile but the School also needs to know for accreditation purposes and to ensure that we are communicating with the right people at the right time about your training. Click here to find the change notification form.
- Decision to leave the programme – it is important that you get in touch with the School if you are considering leaving the programme, particularly if this is as a result of issues with your training. Try to speak to us early to get advice and support so that you can determine if leaving is the right choice for you. We will always support your decision to leave but if we can help with any issues that are influencing that decision then we would like to know to see if we can resolve them with you.
- Transfer of training or early employment – there is a policy for this so please review and submit an application as soon as you receive the offer, or earlier if possible, so the School can review and confirm if your training can continue to be supported in your new department. Click here to find the transfer of training policy.
Any changes of the above nature should be communicated to nshcs@hee.nhs.uk and the relevant team in the School will advise you.
Latest update about equality, diversity and inclusion
In Summer of 2020 the School was sent an open letter asking us to do more to ensure more Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic trainees are represented and all trainees can tackle covert and systemic racism within healthcare science and society.
Our equality, diversity and inclusion committee have been working on the requests from the open letter and have recentely published an update for all stakeholders.
Specialism promotional videos
To help understand the role and function of healthcare scientists working in the NHS we have several videos from STP trainees explaining what they do on a daily basis. The specialisms we currently have videos for are: Audiology, Clinical Biochemistry, Bioinformatics Genomics, Genomics, Haematology and Transfusion Science, Histopathology, Nuclear Medicine, Radiation Safety Physics, Radiotherapy Physics, Reconstructive Science, Respiratory Physiology and Sleep Physiology.
If you are able to help us build our collection of promotional videos by producing a short video for your specialism please get in touch with us by emailing nshcs@hee.nhs.uk.
Click here to find our specialisms explained videos
Information for training officers
STP recruitment: in-service application dates
The in-service route is only open to existing NHS staff working in a recognised scientific specialty who meet the qualification requirements and have been nominated by their employer.
Applications for the in-service STP opened on 15th February and will close at 4:00pm on 19th April 2022.
Click here to find the guidance for in-service applications
Train the Trainer events
Are you interested in attending a series of Train the Trainer events?
If you have recently added your details to our waiting list there is no need for you to register. Everyone from the waiting list will be invited to one of the sessions taking place.
Click here to register your interest in attending
Planning for the new curriculum: lunchtime learning sessions
To help for you plan for a new trainee starting in September 2022 we now have a number of recordings of recent half-hour lunchtime learning sessions on the website.
Each update focuses on an area which has changed in the new curriculum:
- the new curriculum and the accreditation process
- competencies and work-based assessments, followed by an open drop-in session
- rotations
- core modules
These sessions will be supported by guidance on working with the curriculum and the accreditation process.
Click here to find recordings of the planning for the new STP 2022 curriculum sessions
Planning for the new curriculum: drop-in sessions
We are hosting more drop-in sessions for anyone who will be involved in hosting a trainee on the new STP curriculum in September 2022. The drop-in sessions will be an open Q&A forum.
Our next sessions are:
- Thursday 24 March 12:30pm to 1:30pm
- Wednesday 27th April 12:30pm to 1:30pm
- Thursday 26th May 12:30pm to 1:30pm
Click here to find the drop-in session joining links
Can you help us develop future healthcare scientists?
We’re always actively looking for scientists to help train, recruit, assess and support other individuals into a healthcare career. This is a chance to get involved and a development opportunity for yourself.
Click here to view the ways you can get involved with the School
Courses and events
Training support drop-in sessions
We offer regular drop-in sessions which provide a means by which trainees and training officers can speak to members of the School directly to access their expertise and guidance.
The next drop-in session will take place on:
- Thursday 24th March 12:30-1:30pm
Click here to find out more about our drop-in sessions
Virtual cancer genetics course
This virtual course will teach the core concepts of risk stratification using family history as a tool to enable patients to access appropriate management strategies.
This course is taught by members of the cancer genetics team at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and consists of six half day sessions between May to July.
Click here to find out more the virtual cancer genetics course (Expired 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