This exciting programme gives higher specialty resident doctors in their final year of training a chance to develop their supervisory skills in a supportive environment. This webpage tells you everything you need to know about the programme, including how you can get involved.
Contents
What does the programme involve?
Who can take part in the programme?
Is there a timeline or toolkit for implementation?
Are there any resources for the programme?
Where can I read an evaluation of the programme?
FAQs for final year resident doctors
FAQs for foundation doctor educational supervisors
FAQs for MEMs and Foundation programme administrators
FAQs for “displaced” clinical supervisors
Introduction
This programme offers an opportunity for higher trainees in their final year of training to develop and practice their supervision skills before CCT. Not only does this allow mentoring in the supervisory role it also enables doctors to move into an educational supervision role as soon as they take up their consultant post.
Higher trainees entering the programme will complete a full educational supervision course in their penultimate or final year and then, once they’ve entered their final year, will act as clinical supervisor to an FY2 in their own specialty for a 4-month placement.
I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and found it to be an excellent entry point into the world of more specific and “managerial” supervision that allows a good space and opportunity to develop skills that are distinct from ‘shop floor supervision’. It allows for the development of experience prior to a ‘crunch point’ during consultancy so one can enter a more senior leading role with a well rounded skill set without need to learn on the fly so much.
Dr Ben Carter, ST8 Paediatrics (Cohort 3)
This experiential learning provides excellent preparation for taking on a formal supervision role while being supported by their own supervisor and the foundation programme director
I found it incredibly useful to train as a clinical supervisor in my final year prior to my CCT. In enabled me to develop me supervision and mentor skills alongside formal training with this programme. I certainly got the bug and continue to have both clinical and educational supervision as part of my job plan.
Dr Rob Greenhalgh, Emergency Medicine Consultant and HEMS doctor (Cohort 1)
The programme emerged from a body of work directed by the Medical Education Reform Programme in 2022 which sought to expand supervision capacity for doctors in training across England. The programme has been approved by the GMC and the UKFPO and now has approval for national spread from the English Postgraduate Deans since November 2024.
This programme is an excellent initiative and definitely worth pursuing for senior trainees and undoubtedly helps in portfolio for fellowship and consultant application.
Miss Eirini Martinou, ST8 Surgery (Cohort 3)
If you would like to read more about feedback from the programme, take a look at the cohort one evaluation.
What does the programme involve?
Those who take part will act as a clinical supervisor to a foundation year two doctor for one four month placement, either from December to March or April to July. All participants will receive educational supervisor training and support from the trust medical education team to gain the most possible from the experience.
Who can take part in the programme?
The programme is designed for higher trainees in the final year of their training programme. For emergency medicine higher trainees this is their ST6 year and for surgical and paediatric trainees this is their ST8 year. We use the term ‘year’ advisedly as, for those doctors working LTFT, this may be a period longer.
How do I sign up?
If you are interested in the programme, you should sign up to an educational supervisor course at your trust in your penultimate year of training. This can be arranged through your medical education manager. Once you have done this, you should contact the deanery coordinator Vikki Bates (vikki.bates1@nhs.net) at least twelve weeks prior to starting your final year of training to be added to the programme. A detailed timeline is available below.
Is there a timeline or toolkit for implementation?
Yes, toolkits for different stakeholders are available for download below.
For deanery leads
For final year resident doctors in training
For trusts
Are there any resources for the programme?
Clinical supervision for foundation doctors
This UKFPO document outlines the role of a clinical supervisor for foundation doctors.
This video explains the ARCP process.
The foundation curriculum
The foundation curriculum can be found here.
A video guide for supervisors can be found here.
The ePortfolio
The UKFPO guide to Horus can be found here.
The Horus support page can be found here.
eLearning
This eLearning for healthcare module covers supervision for foundation doctors.
Where can I read an evaluation of the programme?
FAQs for final year resident doctors
Am I eligible to take part?
Yes, if, you are in or preparing to enter your final year of specialty training, with an outcome 1 at your last ARCP and are on track to a successful outcome at your final ARCP. You must be working in a KSS trust for the whole of a four month placement (December-March or April-July) in a department that also hosts FY2 doctors. Your TPD and ES must be supportive of you taking part in the programme.
What if I am not based in a KSS trust for my final year of training?
It may be possible to support you in a non-KSS Deanery hospital as the GMC has approved a plan to spread the programme across other English deanery areas. The programme is now awaiting final approval by the English PG Deans.
What if there are no FY2 doctors in my department?
Unfortunately both FY2 and ST7 doctors must be working in the same sub specialty department and so if you are not working directly with FY2 doctors in your department then you will not be able to take part.
Will my FY2 still have another clinical supervisor?
No, they will continue to work with their educational supervisor, but you will take the place of their named clinical supervisor in this single 4-month placement and be the CS on their portfolio.
Will I still have a clinical supervisor?
Yes, your own supervision arrangements remain the same.
What is the role of the foundation programme director?
The FPD supports foundation doctors and supervisors and provides the link to the Deanery foundation school team.
Will this programme contribute to my CCT?
The programme provides experiential learning related to the teaching and learning areas of your curriculum. Previous participants have added a reflection to their own portfolio around the programme and have also talked about their development in the programme in consultant interviews.
How do I record my participation in the programme in my portfolio?
This could be achieved with a reflection or possible with a case-based discussion with your ES or the FPD.
What training will I receive?
You will participate in a full educational supervision course. This must be completed before the start of the FY2 placement, or you will not be able to take part. This will be the same ES training that consultants and SAS colleagues receive so it will enable you to take on an ES role when you become a consultant
What ongoing support will I receive?
You will receive support from your own supervisor and the foundation programme director when needed. For practical issues the foundation programme administrator in your trust PGEC may be able to guide you, especially around the portfolio.
Has my Head of School approved this programme?
If you are a KSS or SW higher trainee your head of school has approved this programme. If you are a trainee elsewhere in England, you must ensure that you have the approval of your head of school before embarking upon the programme.
How do I arrange my ES course?
Please liaise as soon as possible with the medical education manager at your trust. They will help you to arrange this. If your trust doesn’t have an ES course in the near future, please liaise with Vikki and she may be able to source you a course in another trust. You will need to use a day of your study leave to attend the course.
How will my pairing with my FY2 doctor be assigned?
This will be arranged by the foundation programme team in your trust.
What other support will my FY2 doctor have?
Your FY2 doctor will maintain their supervisory relationships with their ES, the college tutor in your department and their own foundation programme team including their foundation programme director at the trust.
How do I access their e-portfolio?
Please contact the foundation programme administrator in the postgraduate education centre at your trust and ask them to arrange this. They will have been involved in arranging your pairing.
How will the skills I gain in this programme map to my curriculum?
The education requirements in each specialty curricula vary and so it’s best to explore this within your own portfolio.
FAQs for FTPDs
Have the UKFPO approved the programme?
Yes, the pilot programme was originally approved by Mike Masding and Tony Choule from the UKFPO at the start when it was entering into an approval process with the GMC and they have followed developments in the pilot stages. The work has been presented at the national foundation school directors meeting and Deaneries outside of KSS and the South West have expressed an interest in starting their own programmes.
What other assurance process have been completed?
Approval was sought from the GMC education policy team as all doctors involved are within GMC training programmes and the roles of educational and clinical supervisor for postgraduate doctors in training are formally recognised by the GMC.
What are the benefits for the FY2 doctors?
FY2 doctors who have participated in the previous cohorts have mentioned the benefits of supervision provided by a colleague that they are working closely with on a day-to-day basis, that has participated in the foundation programme relatively recently and have found it easier to discuss both problems and career options with a higher trainee.
What are the benefits for the higher trainees?
Higher trainees have valued the experiential learning around supervision, the full educational supervision course and the opportunity to explore their educational interests from a different perspective.
FAQs for foundation doctor educational supervisors
How will this impact upon the FY2 doctor that I am supervising?
Feedback from previous FY2 doctors has been extremely positive. They have found their ST7 supervisors to be enthusiastic and have had excellent support from them. The ST7 doctors have been understanding of the learning experiences that the FY2 doctors are offered in their departments and have offered valuable guidance around their portfolio entries.
How will this programme impact upon my educational supervision of ‘my’ FY2 doctor?
This has had very little impact upon the ES relationships so far in the programme. If your FY2 starts to experience difficulties either with their educational development or outside work then they may raise this with their ST7 CS first, and both may approach you for further support. If this happens, please liaise with the foundation programme director in your Trust to decide whether it remains appropriate to continue with the ST7 supervision programme or whether to revert back to the original clinical supervision arrangement. The Deanery team are happy to provide further support and advice under these circumstances.
FAQs for MEMs and Foundation programme administrators
How will I be asked to support the programme in my trust?
The Deanery team may ask you to identify which final year trainees will be working in your trust between December to March and between April to July so that they can be contacted regarding a place in the programme. They will also ask you to offer ES course places to penultimate year and final year higher trainees to prepare them for the programme. Finally, you may be asked to confirm that the higher trainees taking part are working in a department that also supports FY2 doctors so that appropriate supervision pairings may be created.
Do I need to inform the GMC that a higher specialty doctor has completed the accredited educational supervisor course?
No, when they take up a consultant post and let the PGEC team know that they have completed ES training, the PGEC team will alert the Deanery team that they have joined the trust’s faculty of educational supervisors, and the GMC will be updated. Completion of the course and the opportunity to act as a supervisor to an F2 doctor makes them ready to take on the role of a supervisor when they CCT and take up a consultant post.
What are the advantages in taking part for my Trust and PGEC team?
The programme is designed to help expand supervision capacity within trusts by ensuring that when doctors transition into consultant posts following CCT, they are ready to take on their educational supervision role.
How do the higher trainees find out about the programme?
The programme has been advertised in the KSS trainee newsletter and the Deanery team make contact with the final year trainees once they are identified by the Trust to explain the programme and help them organise their ES courses.
FAQs for “displaced” clinical supervisors
Am I expected to supervise either the FY2 doctor or the higher trainee CS?
No, unless the FY2 doctor experiences extreme difficulties either inside or outside of work then the ST7 doctor will act as their full clinical supervisor during the 4-month placement. They will refer to the ES of the FY2 or the Foundation programme director if they are experiencing difficulties and advice will be taken on whether to revert back to your original CS role for the FY2 doctor. The ST7 doctor will be the named CS on the FY2 doctors Horus e-portfolio.