HEA ASPiH Simulation Development Officers (SDO’s)
Expression of Interest Form
Your expression of interest should focus on highlighting attributes that link specifically to the
role and project goals described in these documents. Please refer to the criteria below and the
separate SDO description before completing the form.
Once completed please submit this form to health@heacademy.ac.uk.
If you would like to discuss this consultancy opportunity prior to submission please email
Professor Bryn Baxendale at president@aspih.org.uk or Geoff Glover at
health@heacademy.ac.uk and state ‘SDO Expression of Interest’ in the subject line. A
member of the ASPiH Executive Committee or the HEA Health Sciences team (as appropriate)
will reply as soon as possible. Your preferred method of contact would be helpful to ensure
your query is dealt with promptly.
A project forum will be scheduled for Wednesday 30th May 2012 in Nottingham, the day prior
to the HEA Health Sciences Conference (also in Nottingham). Potential SDO applicants are
welcome to attend but please inform us in advance if this is your intention via one of the email
addresses above.
Deadline for expressions of interest for these SDO consultancy opportunities is
2pm Friday 8th June 2012 (revised date),
Background information
This scheme is part of a collaborative project between the Higher Education Academy (HEA)
and the Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare (ASPiH) to create and support a
dedicated national network of ‘Simulation Development Officers’ (SDO’s). The aim of this
network will be to enable the establishment of much closer links at a local, regional and national
level concerning the use of simulation-based education between HE / FE institutions and NHS
Trusts or other organisations involved with the development of a safe and capable health and
social care workforce.
HEA Simulation Development Officers: Expression of Interest Form (May 2012)
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This initiative has been created in support of the Department of Health (DH) Framework for
Technology Enhanced Learning1 (TEL) and will foster a growing community of educators and
practitioners involved with the development and enhancement of simulation-based learning and
teaching across all health and social care professions. SDO’s will be required to liaise closely
with colleagues within health care practice to ensure simulated activities have value to local and
national health and social care priorities as well as a beneficial impact to learning and teaching
practice. It is expected that this will entail significant liaison with existing education networks
that exist at institutional, professional, or service provider levels on a geographical basis and
which are supported through current commissioning arrangements.
Guidance for potential applicants
It is expected that applicants will be familiar with a spectrum of simulation-based educational
practice at a local level within their own institution or across a wider network of educational
provision within a healthcare context. This may relate to the use of lower fidelity simulation,
clinical skills training, use of simulated patients / actors for communication skills training /
simulation activities, or use of workplace-based (in-situ) or centre-based simulation resources
to support learning for students and qualified staff in order to enhance clinical practice.
Successful SDO’s will be expected to identify and liaise with groups of educators and
practitioners embedded locally within institutions, organisations or specific professional or
speciality groups. Some of these may not have engaged previously with the wider
multiprofessional or multi-institutional simulation-based education community at a regional or
national level. One marker of success for this project will be the inclusion of these groups
within a more comprehensive simulation-based education community.
The HEA-ASPiH project aims to stimulate and develop a clear route by which the key principles
and recommendations described within the DH TEL Framework can be implemented and made
evident for those providing or commissioning simulation-based education in health and social
care. This will be undertaken on a UK wide basis, and consequently a variety of additional
documents will be taken into account relevant to the commissioning and provision of
simulation-based education arising from each of the nation states. The project will also
reference and incorporate relevant educational outcomes as they are defined and integrated
into policy and commissioning mechanisms for health and social care workforce development.
These consultancy opportunities will be funded for 30 days per individual Support of each SDO
and the overall project co-ordination will be undertaken by the Project Lead, who will be an
ASPiH Executive member. Individual SDO’s will work primarily within specific geographical
boundaries, but they will also be required to attend a series of national events and meetings as
the project develops.
1
Department of Health. A Framework for Technology Enhanced Learning. Department of Health (November 2011)
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Selection criteria

Applicants should clearly identify their experience and familiarity with simulation-based
education in healthcare. This should include a description of the institutions /
organisations in which this activity has been undertaken, which can be in HE/FE
institutions or within NHS organisations that provide and support practice-based
learning for healthcare professionals

Applicants should have a minimum of 5 years’ UK experience in HE/FE education and
training roles, or similar within the NHS with responsibilities for healthcare profession /
workforce education and development, either as an educator, registered practitioner or
in a formal educational administrative post

The applicant’s current employing institution must provide a letter of support for the
application, and subsequently will be required to agree formally to the terms of the post
if the applicant is offered a consultancy opportunity following interview.

Individuals holding appointments with HE/FE institutions or within the NHS can apply,
including those with joint appointments, providing the criteria above are met.

Staff employed directly by the HEA are not eligible to apply. However HEA Academic
Associates from subscribing HE providers can submit an expression of interest.
Funding

It is anticipated at least eight consultancy opportunities will be supported through this
proposal

Funding is available to support the equivalent of approximately 1 day of activity per
week for the duration of the project, with the SDOs expected to commence work from
1st September 2012 and work until at least until 30th April 2013. Each SDO will be
expected to commit at least 30 days activity in total during this period on an aggregated
basis.

The continuation of SDO consultancies beyond this date is currently under
consideration, but if agreed will be subject to a separate application process from this
current call.

Funding of £450 per day will be paid directly to each successful applicant’s institution in
accordance with standard HEA institutional policies and procedures.

ASPiH will provide a separate ‘Professional Development’ budget (to a maximum of
£500 per consultancy) to support each SDO toward expenses for registering at
specified national conferences and events for the purposes of developing or
disseminating this project amongst wider reference groups. These conferences or
events will be identified during the project duration, but may occur after 30th April 2013.
The SDO’s employing organisation will be asked to sanction the time for the SDO to
attend, which is not expected to exceed a maximum of 4 additional days commitment
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over and above the main agreement. The SDO will be responsible personally for any
expenses beyond the allowance available from ASPiH.

There will be no additional funds to support ‘on costs’ or other ‘full economic costing’,
which will need to be addressed internally by the applicant’s employing organisation

All payments include travel costs and related expenses. Any additional costs will remain
the responsibility of the individual and/or their employing organisation.
Operation of the scheme

Applications will be assessed by relevant senior managers at the HEA and
representatives of ASPiH

Final selection will be by interview on the basis of the expression of interest form and
against criteria described within the SDO consultancy opportunities document.


Please note there are no appeals for unsuccessful candidates

Individual and networked activity for this project will be coordinated by a nominated
member of the ASPiH Executive (the ‘Project Lead’). In this respect, ASPiH will absorb
the costs for these project management responsibilities. Managerial and administrative
support for the SDOs will be provided by the Head of Health Sciences within the HEA.

Post holders will be supported in the development and delivery of specific workshops
and regional network events in accordance with the HEA workshop and seminar series,
with support provided by the HEA Health Sciences team. These events will be guided by
the Project Lead and supported by ASPiH. It is expected there will be a maximum of 16
workshops in total across the UK during the lifetime of this project. Each SDO will be
responsible for helping convene one or two workshops within their geographical area.
These events will be intended to promote awareness of the project, engage local and
wider health and social care education communities, and to help identify and facilitate
development of consensus regarding emergent themes and issues arising on a UK wide
scale.
The majority of activity in relation to this project will involve post holders networking
within defined geographical areas, which will require individuals to have access to
independent means of transport. The intention will be to reduce travel requirements as
much as possible by encouraging ‘virtual networking’ whilst acknowledging some degree
of need to meet education providers locally as part of the project.
Outputs from successful SDOs

Active contribution toward development of a comprehensive database of users and uses
of simulation-based educational resources at a local, regional and national level, which
accounts for HE and NHS commissioned educational activity for health and social care
professionals and workforce development.

Quarterly progress reports to be submitted with the HEA and ASPiH at agreed project
milestones.
HEA Simulation Development Officers: Expression of Interest Form (May 2012)
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
Completion of a final report and development plan from each post holder by a specified
date outlining the ‘current state and future requirements’ of simulation-based healthcare
education for their regional organisations and the wider community. The report will
have definable and measurable outcomes in line with the DH TEL Framework and any
emerging educational outcomes framework from national policymakers.
Recommendations will be included that are relevant for consideration by local education
commissioners or at a national level.

Active collaboration with the project co-ordinator and advisors in order to structure
and support a dissemination strategy using HEA and ASPIH networks as well as through
appropriate national offices for higher education, healthcare workforce development,
and healthcare professional bodies.

Presentation of project progress at interim workshops or existing regional simulation
events, and contribution to final presentations at the national ASPiH and HEA Health
Science conferences in 2013. Participation by all SDO’s at these events will be required.

Identification and presentation of project outcomes at other national conferences and
meetings where appropriate stakeholders and professional communities are
represented.

The copyright of all reports will be vested in the HEA. Intellectual property will be
shared between HEA and ASPiH for the purposes of wider presentation and
dissemination.

Reports will be published on the HEA and ASPiH websites and in relevant HEA
publications.
Timeline

Interested applicants are welcome to attend a project development meeting on
Wednesday 30th May 2012 in Nottingham (venue to be confirmed). Please inform HEA
and ASPiH (via the emails above) if you plan to attend this meeting. This has been
scheduled to precede the HEA Health Sciences Conference (Thursday 31st May, East
Midlands Conference Centre, University of Nottingham) which will also be used to
outline plans for this project, although that conference requires separate registration via
the HEA website.

Deadline for receipt of SDO expressions of interest is 2pm Friday 8th June 2012 (revised
date). This must include a letter of support from the applicants Line Manager within
their current employing institution.

Expressions of interest received without the letter of support, or which are incomplete
in any other way, will not be considered for short-listing


Short-listed candidates will be informed by Friday 15th June 2012
Interviews will be scheduled for Friday 22nd June 2012 in Nottingham
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
Decisions will be communicated to successful / unsuccessful applicants by Friday 29th
June 2012


It is expected that SDO activity will commence in September 2012.
Successful SDOs will be expected to attend a Summit Event in early September (date
and venue to be confirmed), which will constitute one of the funded days outlined.
Further information

For further information and any questions related to this scheme, please email
president@aspih.org.uk or health@heacademy.ac.uk – please use the term SDO
Expression of Interest in the message title.
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Institutional Base
Contact Details
Name
Institutional Role
Contact Address
Postcode
Telephone
Email
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Personal & Professional Development
Please outline your strengths in terms of how you would work as a Simulation Development Officer for this
project, and indicate how this consultancy opportunity would align with your personal and professional
development as an individual. (max. 500 words)
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Experience of applicant
Please outline your relevant past experience, highlighting examples which demonstrate your direct
engagement with simulation-based education and any specific involvement in learning and teaching within a
practice environment for healthcare professionals or students (max. 500 words)
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Networking and organisational development skills
Please outline any experience you have in terms of organisational development activity or networking with
different institutions and healthcare organisations, describing whether this had direct reference to simulationbased education or in a different context. (max. 500 words)
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Letter of support for application
Please check that you have included a letter of support regarding your application from your current employing
organisation / line manager. Provide the contact details below of the person who is issuing this statement and
their role within your organisation. Please note we may wish to contact your supporting Line Manager for
clarification or further information prior to confirming an offer of appointment. This person can also act as one
of your referees if you wish.
Name
Role
Contact details
References
Please provide details of two referees who can be contacted to support your expression of interest.
References will be requested for short-listed candidates prior to interview.
Reference 1
Reference 2
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Signature and date
The Higher Education Academy will be storing data on the successful expressions of interest and institutional
contacts. By submitting this proposal you will be indicating your agreement to the following:

I understand that the information I have provided will be stored in an electronic format by the Higher
Education Academy.

I understand that the information I have provided will be accessible to, and shared by, the Higher
Education Academy.

I understand that my name, job title and department may be shared with my employer or other
accountable organisations for networking, professional development and reporting purposes.
Electronic signature
Name
Date
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