Policy & guidance

Visit process flowchart [PDF]

Approval of posts between visits

Annual Faculty Visit

General guidance

This document gives general guidance to Faculty Advisers and Visitors about the Visit process. It should be read in conjunction with the document Annual Faculty visit: visit process flowchart and visit request forms A-E and visit report forms 1-4 dated March 2001.

General

  1. The Faculty of Public Health has delegated authority from the Specialist Training Authority to approve specialist training programmes for compliance with Faculty policy and educational guidance.
  2. The Education and Faculty Advisers' Committee, chaired by the Academic Registrar and supported by the Education Office, has overall responsibility for the process of programme and post approval.
  3. The detail of this process is delegated to the Director of Training (Visits).
  4. Visits of programmes will take place annually. A physical visit is required every two years; in intervening years a paper visit will take place.
  5. Whether a physical or paper visit is taking place, a date for the visit should be set ideally six months in advance. A fixed date should be set for paper visits as well as physical visits to maintain consistence and to define the timetable for submission of the visit report.
  6. Large deaneries may, with the agreement of the Academic Registrar and Director of Training (Visits) subdivide their programmes for visit purposes.
  7. Visits aim to approve a programme, to ensure that relevant required components are in place (see principles below) and to assess performance. Visits will promote consistency and reliably high standards of training in public health. Visits should complement internal quality assurance processes.
  8. Approval of existing training slots must be sought through this process when significant change occurs in the circumstances of that post/location/training opportunity offered (eg location move, merger/reorganisation, major reduction in training capacity) or when the existing period of approval expires. All proposed new training slots must receive approval before a trainee is placed.
  9. Visits are not intended as a mechanism for airing individual grievances nor for commenting on the detail of day to day administration of a programme where this lies outside Faculty requirements (for example provision to individuals of specific personal equipment such as laptops/software/academic courses other than support towards Part I).
  10. The visit team is lead by a lead visitor and must be supported by a specialist registrar/specialist trainee visitor and any of: academic, CCDC, public health specialist etc visitors as relevant to the visit.
  11. The Director of Training (Visits) is available for advice to Visitors and Faculty Advisors at any stage of the visit process.

Back to top

Principles

  1. Every generalist training location should be subject to a site visit at least every six years.
  2. Training slots (see glossary) must be re-approved at least every two years.
  3. No trainee of any sort (SpR, SpT, SHO, clinical fellow etc) may be placed in a training location unless in an approved training slot.
  4. Every training slot should be submitted to the Visitors on paper every year.
  5. No slot may normally be approved for occupancy by any one individual for more than three years (whole time equivalent).
  6. Specialist slots (see glossary) may be fully approved for specialist training but be subject to conditions such as seniority of trainee/maximum occupancy etc.
  7. No Educational Superviser (service trainer) should have more than two trainees of any sort at any one time.
  8. There should be sufficient academic trainers to provide exam support to individuals and general academic support to the programme.
  9. The programme should demonstrate richness of experience through placement of trainees in at least two training locations, for a minimum of twelve months in each.
  10. All training slots should have a Faculty number, which can only be allocated once the slot is approved. This number is separate from the NTN (see glossary)
  11. Every generalist training location and every specialist training slot should be supported by a job description.
  12. Trainees in post must not be disadvantaged by any recommendation made by Visitors (for example by suspension of training approval).
  13. Visitors may not remove training approval for a slot, the authority for this action lies with the STA. However Visitors may recommend temporary suspension of new recruitment or placement into a slot or agree with the host programme an appropriate move of trainees and a plan of action to improve an identified problem.

Back to top

Appointment of Visitors

  1. Visitors will be nominated by Faculty Advisers and approved by the Education and Faculty Advisers' Committee on the recommendation of the Director of Training (Visits).
  2. Visitors will not normally come from the same region as the programme being visited.
  3. Visitors will be appointed for three years in the first instance and may serve a further three year term if willing and requested.
  4. Visitors will not normally visit the same programme for more than three years.
  5. Lead visitors must be current trainers of at least three years standing, familiar with requirements of RITA and Calman and up to date with CPD requirements. Trainee Member visitors must be in at least the third year of training. Specialist visitors must hold (honorary) membership and have been occupying an active senior post in public health for at least three years. The visiting team members should all come from different deaneries.
  6. Visitors must have received training before undertaking a visit.
  7. The lead visitor is the primary point of contact with the host Faculty Adviser and is responsible for ensuring co-ordination of the visiting team.
  8. Visitors should undertake to work within the timetable guidance for report submission. Lead visitors should note that there is therefore a time commitment after the visit to produce and edit the report.
  9. The lead visitor is responsible for the follow up of recommendations. A term of office therefore concludes with reporting of successful implementation of recommendations from the last visit.
  10. The lead visitor should be available to the Faculty Adviser between visits for general consultation, discussion of progress and the granting of interim approval of new slots (in consultation with the Director of Training (Visits)).
  11. At the end of a visiting term, the lead visitor should arrange a formal handover to the next lead visitor for that programme. The handover should include relevant documentation (including three previous reports) and a written update on current issues.

Back to top

Visit Process

  1. The co-ordination of the Visit is the responsibility of the host Faculty Adviser including accommodation and local travel arrangements.
  2. A meeting with specialist registrars/trainees is a required element of the visit. Specialist registrars/trainees may request a private meeting with the Trainee Member visitor. Matters raised in confidence should not then be included in text commentary or recommendations without opportunity for comment on matters of fact by the host Faculty Adviser.
  3. Other senior staff relevant to the programme (postgraduate dean, RDPH etc) are not required in attendance at every visit. Their involvement on a regular basis (at least every three years) can be interpreted as an indication of commitment to the programme.
  4. The visit timetable should include (at least): private time for the visiting team at the beginning and end of the visit; an initial briefing meeting with FA/PD; a meeting with all SpRs/trainees (including a private meeting with Trainee Member visitor if requested); a meeting with at least lead trainers from each main training location; site visits as relevant and feedback.
  5. The report is the primary responsibility of the lead visitor.
  6. If any member of the visiting team is in disagreement with the report to be submitted they may submit a separate report but this should be available to all team members and to the host Faculty Adviser.
  7. The report is submitted, after initial scrutiny for errors or inconsistencies by the Education Office, to a sub-committee of the Education and Faculty Advisers' Committee. The sub-committee comprises the Directors of Training, Academic Registrar, Assistant Academic Registrar, and a member of the Education and Faculty Advisers' Committee by rotation.
  8. In the event of queries being raised on the content and/or recommendations or on matters of inconsistency with Faculty policy, the Director of Training (Visits) will hold a telephone conference with the lead visitor and host Faculty Advisor to agree the final report.
  9. In the event of a dispute over the report and inability to resolve this in a telephone conference/Education and Faculty Advisers' Committee, the Academic Registrar may intervene. Resolution might involve a further visit which could include the Director of Training (Visits) and another visitor.
  10. The final report is submitted to the Education and Faculty Advisers' Committee, which holds the delegated authority from the STA for programme approval and oversight of approval visits.

Back to top

Non-Physical Visits

  1. Physical visits must take place every two years. In the intervening years a paper review must be carried out in place of a physical visit.
  2. Non-physical visits could include a telephone conference, video conference or a 1-day physical meeting.
  3. The documentation required is the same as for physical visits: Visit Request Forms A-E, including a Form B for each training location and the list of all posts on Form C.
  4. A report from the trainees must be included in the Visit Request pack.
  5. Non-physical visits must keep to the same timetable as physical visits, and a nominal date set for the visit in order to define the timescale for submission of the report.
  6. Visitors should ensure conversation with three key people: Faculty Adviser, Training Programme Director, and a representative of the trainees.
  7. There will still be a need for an annual visit to some programmes. In general this will be when there are major changes taking place within the programme which cannot be left more than a year for monitoring. There will also be occasions where local circumstances change and the need for a visit becomes apparent. Such circumstances could be identified by the Faculty Adviser for the programme, or through the report from trainees.
  8. It is very important that links between the Visiting team and the Programme are maintained so that the need to undertake a physical visit can be identified early.9. If a significant number of new posts need approval, or there are concerns about a training location, then a physical visit should be considered. If a post suspension is being considered, then a visit is required. If a number of training slots/posts have been approved between visits it may be necessary to undertake a physical visit. This may be addressed by a modified visit looking at the needs of post approval only.
  9. A formal visit report will still be written each year for submission to the EdFAC committee.

Back to top

Visit Forms

  1. The forms are designed for ease of electronic transfer and completion.
  2. Several of the forms are partially completed at different stages of the process.
  3. Guidance for completion is included on the forms in blue italics (this can be seen on screen or on colour printing).
  4. All forms should be completed. Visit request Form B should be completed for each generalist training location and each specialist training slot.
  5. A visit request pack including all forms and other relevant information and including a diskette with completed request/report forms should be sent to all visitors and to the Education Office (see Annex 1). The pack should include a report from the SpR/trainees' committee (see Annex 2).
  6. The visit report should consist of free text (to the structure indicated in report Form A) and completed tabular forms. Ideally the free text report should be contained within a maximum of 6 pages.

Back to top

Contact Details

For advice at any stage of the visit process:

Visits Administrator 0207 224 0642

Dr David Williams (Director of Training)

01623 819 000

E-mail: david.williams@hpa-em.nhs.uk

Glossary

Training slots

Every public health training scheme holds a number of approved training slots. Numbered approved slots are held on a Faculty database available for audit by the STA. Slots relate to posts and not to individuals. Each slot carries a deanery/scheme number. It is helpful to think of NTNs (national training numbers) as people and slots as actual or potential desks. NTNs move with people around a training scheme, slots remain in a location.

Training slots are approved by Visitors through the annual visit process. New slots may be requested as required. Approval of slots depends on an assessment of facilities, training capacity and training capability of both the location and the programme as a whole. It is recommended that there should be more training slots than NTNs to allow for flexibility in managing the scheme and to allow for individual's training needs to be met within training capacity. Approved slots are for all types of trainee (SpR, SpT, SHO etc). No trainee may be placed in a training location unless in an approved slot.

While a location may hold a number of training slots, this does not automatically mean that the same number of trainees will be in post in that location. It merely allows for placement as appropriate. No slot may be occupied by more than one individual. A slot remains technically occupied while the incumbent is undertaking an academic course. Trainees are appointed to a training scheme and not to a location.

National Training Number (NTN)

This is a number allocated by the postgraduate dean to a Specialist Registrar/Specialist Trainee at the outset of their training. The number belongs to the individual for as long as they remain on that deanery training programme. An SpR/SpT placed out of region takes their NTN but an SpR/SpT who moves programmes on an inter-deanery transfer will be allocated a new NTN. There is no national numbering system for any other type of trainee in public health.

Training location

The training location is the discrete location which offers training opportunities, is supported by accredited trainers who supervise work undertaken in that location and which provides experience relevant to RITA competencies. In addition to health authorities and academic units, training locations may include regional offices, PCG/Ts, trusts, local authorities amongst others.

Distinction between Specialist and Generalist slots

A general public health training post is one in which the vast majority of competencies required of specialist public health training can be delivered within that post (Quantitatively this means 7-8 of the 10 competency areas can be addressed within the post). A specialist post is one in which 6 or fewer of the competency areas can be addressed within the post.

These criteria should mean that any PCT, general public health academic department or Health Protection Agency post should be a general training post. This is probably also true of posts within strategic health authorities or government offices of the regions. Posts within cancer registries and public health observatories are more likely to be specialist posts.

Approval type

Slots can be approved conditionally or unconditionally. Conditional approval must be specified by visitors on report Form 2. Unconditional approval may be given for a maximum of 2 years before reapproval must be sought. (NB this does not mean that the slot may be occupied only for two years).

Unconditional approval may be given for any slot meeting with set quality/training criteria, for occupation by any trainee for a period up to three years wte at any stage in training.

Unconditional approval may also be given where Visitors are satisfied with the arrangements for training in a slot that would normally be occupied either by a more senior trainee or for a maximum period less than three years. In this circumstance the criteria for post occupancy should be noted on report Form 2.

Conditional approval for one year may be given where visitors wish formally to review the slot at the next visit.

March 2001

Updated May 2004

Visit process flowchart [PDF]

Approval of posts between visits

Back to top