Faculty Liaison Contact Meetings

The system and policices for Faculty Liaison Contact Meetings are intended to meet PMETB guidance and requirements. The processes described here perform two distinct functions:

  • to provide specialist input into the PMETB visits;
  • to provide information to the Faculty about training across the UK to inform discussions between the Faculty and PMETB on specialist public health matters.

General Policy

  1. The PMETB has sole responsibility to approve Specialist Training Programmes and training posts for specialist public health training in the UK. The Faculty of Public Health provides specialist advice to PMETB about training curricula, policy and educational guidance within these programmes.
  2. Regular visits to programmes will be undertaken by PMETB from 1 April 2006 on a five-year cycle. The Faculty Liaison Contact Meetings ( FLCM ) will happen either one year before the PMETB visit (in order to support the programme in preparing for PMETB) or two years after the PMETB visit.
  3. Approval of training slots must be sought from PMETB through the Faculty when significant change occurs in the circumstances of that post/location/training opportunity offered (e.g. 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 by PMETB before a trainee is placed.
  4. FLCM aim to support programmes in relation to training matters, to identify and share good practice and to provide an early warning of problems related to training (such as implications of national reorganisation, implementation of curriculum changes or difficulties providing facilities).
  5. The Education Committee chaired by the Academic Registrar and supported by the education office has overall responsibility for liaising with PMETB on the process of programme and post approval.
  6. The detail of this process is delegated to the Director of Training (Visits).
  7. The liaison team will consist of three members, a service liaison officer , an academic liaison office r and a trainee .
  8. The Director of Training (Visits) is available for advice to liaison team members and Faculty Advisers at any stage of the FLCM process.

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Liaison Contact Meetings Process

  1. Each liaison team will make a contact with a programme according to the schedule published either one year before or two years after a formal PMETB visit.
  2. The Liaison Contact Meeting could include a telephone conference or video conference.
  3. The liaison contact team will briefly look at standards for training (the Faculty standards which will be agreed with PMETB through the curriculum) and have a brief overview of the training posts within the programme. The main part of the contact is looking at potential problems, issues of successes for the programme to support the programme, to share the ideas more widely or highlight potential difficulties to the Faculty fro wider consideration.
  4. The timetable for producing a report should be the same as for a formal PMETB visit – See visit flowchart .
  5. The report is the primary responsibility of the lead liaison member and it should be a short document aimed at highlighting areas to share and potential problems which need addressing further. A report should not exceed two sides of A4.
  6. The report is submitted to the Education Office for an initial scrutiny for errors or inconsistencies.
  7. The report will also be considered by the Faculty in order to provide comments to PMETB for their consideration. This Faculty review will be undertaken by the Faculty Director of Training, Academic Registrar and Assistant Academic Registrar.
  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 liaison member and host Faculty Adviser to agree the final report.
  9. This report will be circulated to the Educational and Faculty Advisers Committee for information.

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Principles

  1. Every training location should be subject to a site visit at least every six years.
  2. No trainee of any sort (SpR, SpT, SHO, clinical fellow etc) may be placed in a training location unless in an approved training slot.
  3. No educational superviser (service trainer) should have more than two trainees of any sort at any one time.
  4. There should be sufficient academic trainers to provide exam support to individuals and general academic support to the programme.
  5. 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.
  6. All training slots should have a Faculty number, which can only be allocated once the slot is approved. This number is separate from the national training number (NTN).
  7. Every training slot should be supported by a job description.
  8. Visitors may not remove training approval for a slot, the authority for this action lies with the PMETB.

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Contact Details

For advice at any stage of the visit process:

Visits Administrator: 0207 224 0642

Dr David Williams (Director of Training)

Office 0115 8467117

e-mail D.Williams@nottingham.ac.uk