What is the purpose of the training plan?
The training plan will hold key information the trainee needs know in one place. The plan will map how the trainee will meet the needs of AHCS Standards of Proficiency and cross-reference to HSST Curriculum. Every trainee will be starting at a different point and will have different learning needs, the HSST programme is very bespoke, the plan should be reviewed regularly and will change over the 5 years.
What makes a good training plan?
Workplace supervisors should work with trainees to produce and review the training plan regularly. The training plan should be flexible with an awareness of deadlines and there should be some flexibility for the both the trainee and the department’s commitments.
It will be helpful if your training planning can adapt to the trainee’s personal circumstances, and you should have a detailed plan for the next 6 months and an overall plan for the 5 years.
It is important to review progress against the training plan. This should be done collaboratively with the trainee, giving the trainee a chance to reflect on learning.
What are good training planning behaviours?
The workplace supervisor and trainee should take a collaborative approach when writing a training plan. They should jointly map out scope of practice in relation to SoPs. It would be helpful for the workplace supervisor to identify naturally occurring opportunities to gather evidence. Create or facilitate ‘stretch and challenge’ opportunities and identify training milestones.
You should regularly review the training plan and evidence gathered, look at the curriculum content and AHCSSoPs. What are the desired learning outcomes? Are there gaps in skills or knowledge?
Plan regular, useful meetings with clinical and educational supervisors.
What should I include in the training plan?
You should include the following in a training plan:
- workplace training opportunities available
- assessments mapped to curriculum and Academy’s Standards of Proficiency
- Annual Review of Progression (ARP)
- academic courses, assessments and workshops
- research and innovation project timeline – Ethical, R&D approval, Writing up
- other assessment timeline – FRCPath, IAPS, CEng
- workplace Commitments – UKAS, IQIPS, Restructuring, Relocation
- workplace based assessments
Top tips for workplace supervisors
- get to know your trainee as an individual
- consider what the trainee has done prior to the training programme, account for their strengths and weaknesses. Every trainee is different, with different personal circumstances, which need to be factored into planning
- make opportunities for the trainee to get involved with patients and the public in their training
- ensure that you know what is required from the trainees by their academic programme
- communicate the training plan to the whole department