Educational supervisor

Minimum Faculty requirements for being an educational supervisor

Educational supervisors will normally:

  • Have had 2 years' experience in a consultant or equivalent post
  • Have passed the MFPH examination or recognised equivalent and be on the Specialist Register or UK Public Health Register.
  • Have attended a core supervisor development module
  • Attend CPD events related to supervisor skills each year and a supervisor refresher course every 4-5 years
  • Be committed to providing high quality training and supervision
  • Meet the Faculty's CPD requirement each year
  • Participate in and contribute to audit of training
  • Meet the demands put on them as a supervisor by the requirements of the CCT programme and the RITA assessment/annual review process.

 

Supervisors should show a commitment to training by:

  • Being readily accessible to the trainees for whom they have been appointed supervisor;
  • Regularly attending educational and supervisor development events and Faculty and Regional training conferences;
  • Assessing the learning needs of trainees attached to them on an individual basis and drawing up a realistic and achievable learning plan with them;
  • Using a written framework for training with regular review and constructive feedback;
  • Being able and willing to identify and ensure delegation of appropriate tasks and responsibilities to the Trainee;
  • Facilitating learning opportunities not available locally to ensure exposure to the full range of required competencies.

 

Educational supervisors' responsibilities for newly appointed trainees

On appointment of a trainee, the educational supervisor should:

  • Ensure that all the personnel matters and arrangements are in hand and that all the required facilities (e.g. desk, telephone etc.) are available before the individual arrives;
  • Introduce the trainee to other trainees and ensure that one of them is able to act as a 'buddy'; introduce the trainee to other members of the department;
  • Confirm allocation of and introduce the trainee's academic tutor and encourage regular contact with them;
  • Arrange an appropriate induction programme including the communicable disease control (CDC) training;
  • Ensure adequate briefing of the organisation/department in which the trainee is to work;
  • Assess the trainee's previous experience and relate this to future responsibilities and work so that it builds on their existing skills;
  • Agree an initial programme of work and review it regularly and as frequently as required;
  • Assign short term work appropriate to the trainee's current level of knowledge and skills and ensure this fits in with the induction programme and encourages the new trainee to feel part of the team;
  • Encourage, support and offer the trainee constructive feedback;
  • Review progress initially weekly - the minimum should be 1 hour of protected time but there should also be frequent informal contact;
  • Facilitate first attachments to other colleagues in consultation with the Trainee and other supervisors;
  • Facilitate and arrange CDC attachment to enable the trainee to start on-call responsibility