Training responsibilities

What are the responsibilities of the supervisor and employer?

The workplace supervisor

Ideally, the workplace supervisor should be of Consultant grade or equivalent, hold a postgraduate qualification and have enthusiasm for the training and development of scientists. Workplace supervisors should have the time and resources allocated to them in their job plan to be able to do the following:

• Attend the HSST Induction with their trainee.
• Know when their trainee will need to be at university, what they will be studying, and what their key deadlines are.
• Establish contact with the university.
  • Your trainee is the best person to help you establish who the university contacts are.
  • This contact will enable you to check your trainee’s academic progress.
• Understand the academic process for Doctoral degrees.
• Familiarise yourself with the curriculum available in the Curriculum Library and the HSST Standards of Proficiency. It is important that you know what your trainee will need to achieve.
• Have good communication skills and approachability in this training role.
• Keep everyone informed, notify the school and MAHSE if your trainee will be absent from training e.g. maternity leave/long-term sick leave.
• Identify a research project early in the programme, including who will supervise.
• Look for opportunities to share supervision and learning.
• Ensure your trainee completes all employer mandatory training and induction, together with the school’s HSST Induction.

The employer

Employers should provide practical experience to allow the achievement and maintenance of scientific, clinical and professional development. There should be opportunities and support for trainees to develop clinical, practical skills and professional capabilities. Trainees should have the opportunities for inter-professional multidisciplinary working.

How should a supervisor support a trainee’s training?

As a workplace supervisor you should:

• Get to know your trainee well so that you can provide professional and pastoral support, and recognise when your trainee is under pressure and stress.
• Meet with your trainee regularly, have 1:2:1’s to discuss progress and feedback to develop your trainee – communication and collaboration is key.
• Regularly review the training plan and record this on OneFile.
• Participate in the Annual Review of Progression (ARP).
• Host and attend regional HSST moderation assessment days. These can be trust led or regional events organised by trainee’s using the Trainee Networks. These support trainees and supervisors to share best practice and understand the right level of evidence.

What can you expect from your trainee?

The types of duties you can expect a HSST trainee to undertake are:

• routine clinical and/or diagnostic services
• interpretation of test results
• reporting and authorisation of results
• researching, developing and validating new methods of diagnosis
• line management of other team members
• advice that improves patient care and outcome
• advising on purchase and use of commercial products/equipment ie. procurement
• regional and national involvement in the profession via Professional Bodies and the National School of Healthcare Science
• personal programme of self-study and professional growth with guidance from workplace supervisor