Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Avon and Wiltshire Partnership Mental Health Care NHS Trust 2gether NHS Foundation Trust OVERVIEW OF THE TRAINING SCHEME
Training placements There are ten potential placements in the scheme across the three NHS Trusts. Full-time trainees will usually train in three posts, for about a year in each. There is the option to remain for a 6 months “period of grace” in a fourth post. Flexible trainees may spend longer periods in individual posts and may also train in more posts over their extended period of training.
Supervision Throughout training the Specialty Trainee (ST) will receive regular supervision from their Educational Supervisor in each placement. This will include a weekly meeting of approximately one hour. In addition each placement provides a therapy supervisor for each of the three main modes of therapy: family, individual psycho-dynamic and individual cognitive-behavioural. At the beginning of each placement a Learning Agreement is produced with clear objectives and this is reviewed throughout the placement, including by the Training Programme Director.
Training is guided by the Training Programme Director (TPD) in conjunction with a local Training Committee (meeting termly) and the Deanery Speciality Training Committee (meeting once or twice per year). The Severn Deanery Graduate School of Psychiatry (SGSoP) Board oversees all post-graduate training in psychiatry. The TPD is Dr Chris Bools and the Head of the School of Psychiatry is Dr Brian Robinson.
Academic training During term time the Specialist Trainees (STs) from this scheme join those from Bristol and Exeter for a fortnightly whole day of teaching usually held in Bristol. The present arrangements involve seminars led by various Consultants and invited contributors, and a journal club. Over the three years of training the essential topics will be covered by the course. The Academic Course is organized by Dr Cara Maiden. Other relevant courses are provided by the SW Division of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. In addition there are 9 clinical meetings per year, held in Swindon, Bath or Gloucestershire, mainly for the medical members of the child psychiatry teams, at which one of the STs makes a clinical presentation. Research Two sessions per week are for research or related scholarly activities. Opportunites to Teach There are trainees at SHO level in the child psychiatry placements in Bath and Swindon with opportunities to teach and supervise and in Gloucester with opportunities to teach. Management Training Opportunities are provided for all STs to attend an introduction to management and similar courses. The successful candidate will be strongly encouraged to take advantage of these courses. Appraisal and award of C.C.T. Upon entry to the training scheme, each Specialty Trainee will be issued with a National Training number (NTN). Appraisal and assessment will be carried out continuously using Workplace Based Assessment (WBA) with reference to the competencies set out in the Royal College document and the Learning Agreement produced for that placement. The portfolio will be updated regularly. In addition the trainee must complete the annual NHS appraisal organised by their employing Trust, although this may be carried with their Educational Supervisor. In accordance with the guidelines from the Department of Health (A Guide to Postgraduate Specialty Training in the UK: The Gold Guide) the Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) will be completed. Essentially this is a combination of appraisal, assessment and annual planning. In the Severn Deanery GSoP a panel will meet each trainee face-to-face. There is a final appraisal at the end of three years leading to the award of the Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT). Contacts, Visting and Further Information Dr Chris Bools (Training Programme Director) (01249) 656321 Dr Wendy Woodhouse (01793) 428800