NHS Education for Scotland
Faculty Development Project for Scotland
Update Report to Stakeholders
October 2012
1. Introduction
This update report is one of a series prepared by the NES Project Team
to keep stakeholders involved in the Faculty Development Project for
Scotland briefed on progress.
2. Status of Project
The Faculty Development Project for Scotland commenced in 2010 and
is sponsored by a number of stakeholder groups including the Directors
of Medical Education (DMEs) Group, the Scottish Deans Medical
Education Group (SDMEG), the Medical ACT Working Group (MAWG)
and Postgraduate Medical Deans. It is governed by a Project Board that
reports to the sponsoring stakeholder groups and brings together
representatives from all these groups to oversee the project. The focus of
this work is on what was commonly known as “educator” and “trainer”
training, to ensure adequate support and professional development of
Scottish educators and trainers of medical students and doctors in
postgraduate training.
The key driver for this project is the GMC’s Approval and Recognition of
Trainers requirements and the implementation plan recently published.
3. Recent Progress
The final draft of the Working Group 1 report has been welcomed by
stakeholders and is now considered complete. Michael Ross is looking at
options for the publication of the report.
A briefing note has been prepared for all those educators and trainers
who were originally invited to complete the Working Group 1 survey and
includes a one-page summary of the report, a link to the GMC
implementation guide and an update on developments from all Working
Groups.
Working Group 2 (Development of a Plan for Programmes) met on 26
September to review the GMC implementation plan and the mapping
work done to date against the Academy of Medical Educators (AoME)
areas to be used by Educational Organisations -Medical Schools and
Postgraduate Deaneries - (Eos) in demonstration of trainer compliance
to the GMC. The group continues to develop a two-phased approach in
considering the differing needs of existing and future educators and
trainers, and to develop the concept of “CCT Trainer Ready” for doctors
in training.
Working Group 3 (Implementation) has been developing the role of
educational appraisal in the implementation of GMC requirements for the
approval of trainers. At the last meeting of the group on 29 August next
steps were agreed including the concept of developing a framework for
the educational infrastructure to support NHS Boards.
An over-arching approach to IT and data-base needs is now evident.
Options for the development and delivery of on-line materials, and an
automatic electronic feed to and from other systems are being explored.
Ensuring on-line booking captures and reports trainer activity where
possible to support Eos is work ahead.
NES continues to review all the faculty development programmes it
currently provides including on-line, face-to-face and blended learning
programmes. The aim is to ensure all provision is being co-ordinated to
meet the needs of trainers towards their recognition with the GMC.
4. GMC Approval of Trainers Consultation
The GMC consultation on the Recognition and Approval of Trainers
closed at the end of March 2012. The GMC then issued their report on
the outcome of the consultation in July along with an implementation
guide. This is available at
http://www.gmcuk.org/Approving_trainers_implementation_plan_Aug_12.pdf_49544894.
pdf
The first milestone for EOs is due by 31 December 2012 and is the
submission to the GMC of a timeline for implementation for trainer
recognition. NES will liaise with the Medical Schools through SDMEG on
the respective submissions to ensure a consistent approach.
Working Groups 2 and 3 (see below) have been reviewing their work
programmes based on this plan. The requirements set out in the
implementation plan are broadly in keeping with the existing direction of
travel adopted by the project.
5. Update on Working Groups
Four working groups have been established to support the project.
Working Group 1 (Development of Core Competency
Framework)
The final draft report was issued to all stakeholders and was well
received. There were only a few final comments of a presentational
nature which were incorporated. The final report is available on the NES
web-site at
http://www.nes.scot.nhs.uk/media/13967/WG1%20final%20report.pdf.
A short summary report was also circulated to stakeholders and is to be
issued as an update to all teachers and trainers who were invited to
participate in the original survey.
Michael Ross is looking at options to publish the final report.
Working Group 2 (Development of a Plan for Programmes)
This group is chaired by Gillian Needham, PG Dean North.
As well as mapping the 18 high priority competencies in the Working
Group 1 report to the AoME areas, the 55 medium priority competencies
have also been mapped. Further work has also been done to consider
the content of available specialty-specific trainer training programmes
and Royal College.
Aspirations for future “CCT Trainer Ready” are being further developed
to see how far this could achieve the top 18 priority competencies as well
as the next 55 priority competencies.
The outline work programme for the group was circulated with the last
update report and received no comment so it has been assumed that
stakeholders are content with the approach. (This is attached again for
information at Appendix 1).
A joint meeting with Working Group 3 to agree next steps is taking place
on 24 October 2012.
Working Group 3 (Implementation Planning)
A meeting of the group was help at the end of August and the following
actions were agreed;

A key output from Working Group 3 could be the development of a
framework to support Boards develop the most efficient educational
infrastructure to meet GMC requirements but also allow local
flexibility. This could identify the most appropriate infrastructure
required for both UG and PG medical education at a
department/specialty level and would allow the targeting of SPA time
where most useful.

A letter has been sent to the Scottish Association of Medical Directors
to ask them to work with DMEs to consider how to capture the
educational role within the appraisal process for educational
supervisors or other consultants with a significant teaching or training
role.

The educational infrastructure should help target future faculty
development activity to specific educational roles and remits (based
on work being done by Working Group 2).

NES is to consider the development of a financial model to support
the development of a educational infrastructure framework. This
could be based on the undergraduate Measurement of Teaching
(MoT) work already underway along-side identifiable investment in
the postgraduate educational infrastructure.
The DME Group is also to consider the most appropriate approach to the
development of job plans to ensure educational activity is identifiable in
line with emerging GMC requirements and to try to ensure a greater
degree of consistency across Scotland than at present.
Working Group 4 (Electronic recording)
Stewart Irvine, NES Medical Director, continues to develop the remit for
Working Group 4 which is to develop electronic recording systems to
support the project. The aim of this group remains to ensure interim
arrangements are in place to capture training being undertaken by all
teachers and trainers in existing key programmes.
NES will need to work collaboratively with Medical Schools and NHS
Boards to achieve recording systems that are aligned across a trainer
group that involves individual trainers potentially with multiple roles , are
UG & PG-facing, who are employed by different NHS Boards and
supervise students from different medical schools.
6. Project Board
In June the Project Board agreed that an opportunity should be sought to
invite the GMC to attend a workshop session in Scotland with members
of all stakeholder groups to explore their requirements and our work to
date. A date is being sought and further details will be circulated in due
course.
The scheduled meeting of the Project Board on 15 October was
cancelled due to the number of apologies received. A review of
membership will be carried out to ensure sufficient representation can be
available for future meetings and that it is constituted to ensure support
for Eos for delivery of the GMC Recognising and approving trainers
implementation plan.
7. NES Provision
NES already provides a number of faculty development products which
include SCOTS workshops, STAR online modules, the National Trainers
Delivery Group products for GP Trainers, and the Leadership and
Management Programme (LaMP) for trainee doctors.
NES has started to review all of the projects presently delivering faculty
development products. The aim is to ensure all NES programmes are
being co-ordinated and will support the overarching plan for Scotland and
the work being led by Working Group 2
8. Communications
The communications action plan agreed with stakeholders continues to
be monitored by the NES Project Team. Feedback from stakeholder
groups is seen as a key feature to ensure good co-ordination.
This section of the NES web site for the project has been reviewed to
ensure all the relevant material is kept up-to-date.
9. Feedback
All stakeholder groups are asked to review this update report and provide
any relevant feedback.
10. Contact Details
Michael Ross, Working Group 1- michael.ross@ed.ac.uk
Gillian Needham, Working Group 2 – gillian.needham@nes.scot.nhs.uk
Emma Watson, Working Group 3 – emmawatson@nhs.net
Stewart Irvine, Working Group 4– stewart.irvine@nes.scot.nhs.uk
Jayne Scott, Project Manager – jayne.scott2@nhs.net
The Faculty development for Scotland Project has a dedicated link within
the NES web site– http://www.nes.scot.nhs.uk/education-and-training/bydiscipline/medicine/about-medical-training/generic-training/facultydevelopment.aspx
Jayne Scott
Project Manager
19 October 2012
Appendix 1
Working Group 2: Outline Work programme
 The geographical mapping of current activity was a bold attempt but was
unlikely to be helpful given the overlap of provision between regions.
It was agreed that as well as mapping the 18 high priority competencies in
the Working Group 1 report to the AoME domains that the next set of 55
priority competencies should also be mapped to the domains.
 To complete the exercise of mapping existing provision to the AoME
domains and the competency framework, more work would need to be
done with stakeholders to obtain detail of current programmes. It was
agreed to put this exercise on hold meantime but to return to this work in
due course.
 Further work needs to be done to collate details of existing NES provision,
including GP training, and ensure this is included in the database. It was
agreed that the end product should include all relevant programmes
provided in Scotland including those run by NES, Medical Schools and
Royal Colleges.
 Further discussion needs to take place to agree an approach to
accreditation to ensure the programmes included in the framework agreed
in due course with stakeholders are competent to meet the GMC
standards.
 It was agreed that the framework should provide flexibility for individual
trainees to choose relevant programmes, however, this needs to be
balanced with the need to ensure value-for-money for investment in faculty
development.
 It was agreed to split the work of WG2 into two phases,
1. Priorities for the existing cohort of teachers and trainers to meet GMC
requirements from 2013, and
2. Priorities for future teachers and trainers using the concept of “CCT
Trainer Ready” using the approach being developed by NES through
the Leadership and Management Project (LaMP) which uses the
SCOTs Clinical Supervisors Course.

Phase 1 will focus on the 18 top priority competencies for existing teachers
and trainers, although many of the next 55 priority competencies will also
be relevant for this group. However, further guidance is awaited from GMC
to identify how the 2013 requirements will apply to the existing cohort of
trainers/teachers.
 Aspirations for future “CCT Trainer Ready” are to be further developed to
see how far this could achieve the top 18 priority competencies as well as
the next 55 priority competencies.
 It was agreed to further develop the work on roles and remits to support
the development of a framework for the educational infrastructure with a
view to identifying additional courses more relevant for specialist teaching
roles.
 The framework should also be available for Specialty Doctors.