HSST Reaccreditation

A training plan

This is one of the most important documents we ask you to provide. The training plan tells us how you plan to deliver training over the 5 years, it should cover all the curriculum in the specialty area and how you will be meeting this. Example training plans are available in the example reaccreditation pack.

Key details that your plan should include

• Time for the online portfolio and workplace the assessments.
• Time for one-to-one meetings and feedback to trainees.
• Time for the Annual Review of Progression.
• Roles and responsibilities of individuals responsible for delivering training.
• Public and patient involvement opportunities.
• MAHSE assessment dates.
• Research and Innovation Project timeline for ethical approval, R&D approval, proposal, literature review and write up.
• Other assessment timelines e.g., FRCPath, IAPS, CEng.
• Workplace commitments – UKAS, IQIPS, restructuring, relocation etc.
• The plan should identify other departments or organisations contributing to the training.
• Life events.

A patient and public involvement plan

We would normally expect to see a plan for HSST trainees detailing the sort of contact they could have with patients and the public outside the day-to-day clinical setting. The aim would be for the trainee to understand the whole patient experience and to be able to explain to patients how clinical science contributes to their treatment. Patient and public involvement should be embedded into department services and within development projects. The sort of activities we would envisage here are talks to disease-specific patient and carer groups, STEM ambassador activities, participation in ward rounds, clinics, visits to primary care.

An up-to-date organisational structure chart

This should show the roles and responsibilities within your department with a name and title against each post. It should identify the workplace supervisor, include the trainee and show the trainee’s line of management.

Policy documents

Any of the following policy documents that have been updated since your last accreditation.

• • training policy identifying how the trust/department supports healthcare science training
  • health and safety policy
  • induction policy
  • local induction policy
  • mandatory training policy
  • bullying and harassment policy
  • whistleblowing policy
  • recruitment and selection process which covers the policy DN584 (disclosure and barring services checks)
  • patient and public involvement policy
  • safeguarding/protection of vulnerable patients policy

If your department already delivers the STP, we will already have these policies and they may not be required unless they have been updated since the date of STP accreditation. Please note this on the application form.

You may also find the HSST Curriculum and NHS Education Quality Framework useful.