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Managing trainee performance
Failure to complete Foundation Programme Year 2 satisfactorily
While the vast majority of trainees entering Foundation Programme Year
2 will complete it satisfactorily, and be issued with a certificate
attesting to that fact, some will not.
The possible reasons for failure to complete F2, and the options open
to the trainee in each situation, may be summarised as follows:
1. Resignation from F2
eg for personal reasons such as taking a career break, change of career.
Exit action: Alternatives to resignation eg flexible training, retainer
scheme, flexible career scheme, should be discussed with the trainee.
The trainee should be given an Educational Supervisor's report
indicating the competencies achieved while in the programme, and the
level of performance as assessed at the time of resignation. This
report should be filed in the training portfolio, which the trainee
should be told to keep.
Return to training: This will be through competitive entry to F2
training opportunities. Once the trainee has been appointed, the
portfolio will provide evidence of the competencies already achieved,
and provide a basis for the development of a personal development plan.
The trainee will be expected to complete the full set of competency
assessments satisfactorily following the return to training, before
being issued with a certificate of satisfactory completion.
2. Dismissal from an F2 placement
eg for misconduct.
Exit action: Dismissal from one placement in an F2 programme implies
dismissal from the F2 programme, and requires appropriate disciplinary
procedures to be followed by the employing body. The trainee should be
given an Educational Supervisor's report indicating the competencies
achieved while in the programme, and the level of performance as
assessed at the time of dismissal, as well as a brief statement of the
facts about the dismissal. This report should be filed in the training
portfolio, which the trainee should be told to keep. Serious
consideration must be given to whether the case should be referred to
the Regional Director of Public Health for an alert letter to be
issued, or to the GMC, depending on the nature and gravity of the
behaviour, and whether the doctor's fitness to practise is in question.
Return to training: This will be through competitive entry to F2
training opportunities. If the trainee has been referred to the GMC,
this fact must be disclosed by the trainee on application. Once the
trainee has been appointed, the portfolio will provide evidence of the
competencies already achieved, and provide a basis for the development
of a personal development plan. The fact of the previous dismissal, and
the behaviours resulting in this, will be taken into account in setting
objectives and arranging supervision. The trainee will be expected to
complete the full set of competency assessments satisfactorily
following the return to training, before being issued with a
certificate of satisfactory completion.
3. Failure to provide evidence of acquiring F2 competencies
eg failure to engage in sufficient assessments, or to submit the outcomes for analysis.
Exit action: Every effort should be made by the Educational Supervisor
to encourage each trainee to engage in the competency assessment
process, and to ensure that opportunities to do so are provided.
Failure to engage should trigger an additional in-depth assessment,
looking at health, attitudes, skills and the training environment, and
the appropriate supportive action should be taken. It is however the
trainee's responsibility to ensure that assessments are carried out in
a timely fashion, and if at the end of the F2 year insufficient
evidence has been accumulated, an F2 certificate of satisfactory
completion will not be issued. The trainee should be given an
Educational Supervisor's report indicating the competencies achieved
while in the programme, and the level of performance as assessed at the
time of coming to the end of the F2 year. This report should be filed
in the training portfolio, which the trainee should be told to keep.
Return to training: This will be through competitive entry to F2
training opportunities. Once the trainee has been appointed, the
portfolio will provide evidence of the competencies already achieved,
and provide a basis for the development of a personal development plan.
The trainee will be expected to complete the full set of competency
assessments satisfactorily following the return to training, before
being issued with a certificate of satisfactory completion.
4. Failure to achieve F2 competencies at the end of the F2 year
eg assessments reveal failure to achieve the required standard for F2 completion within the expected timescale.
Exit action: While every effort should be made by the Educational
Supervisor to recognise the struggling trainee early, and to provide
timely support, some trainees will not achieve the required standard
within the expected timescale.
Failure to progress should trigger an additional in-depth assessment,
looking at health, attitudes, skills and the training environment, and
the appropriate supportive action should be taken.
If at the end of the F2 year the assessments accumulated indicate that
the required standard has not been met, an F2 certificate of
satisfactory completion will not be issued. The trainee should be given
an Educational Supervisor's report indicating the competencies achieved
while in the programme, and the level of performance as assessed at the
time of coming to the end of the F2 year. This report should be filed
in the training portfolio, which the trainee should be told to keep.
Depending on the nature and seriousness of the underperformance, consideration should be given to referral to the GMC.
Remedial training: Provided the trainee has engaged with the process of
training and assessment, and attempted to address his or her
shortcomings, an extension to F2 training may be granted through a
remedial training placement, at the discretion of the Postgraduate
Dean.
A remedial training placement will be arranged for a fixed period,
usually 6 months. Under exceptional circumstances, a further fixed-term
extension may be agreed, to a maximum of a further 6 months. A remedial
training placement will not require entry via open competition, but
will be arranged by the Training Programme Director, in discussion with
the trainee, as far as possible to suit the needs of the trainee. The
training portfolio will provide evidence of the competencies already
achieved, and provide a basis for the development of a personal
development plan.
The trainee will be expected to complete the full set of competency
assessments satisfactorily following remedial training, before being
issued with a certificate of satisfactory completion.
5. Failure to achieve F2 competencies at the end of remedial training
eg assessments reveal failure to achieve the required standard for F2 completion despite an extension for remedial training.
Exit action: While every effort should be made by the Educational
Supervisor to support the remedial trainee, it is possible that the
rare trainee will not achieve the required standard even after an
extension for remediation. If at the end of the F2 remedial extension,
the assessments accumulated indicate that the required standard has not
been met, an F2 certificate of satisfactory completion will not be
issued.
The trainee should be given an Educational Supervisor's report
indicating the competencies achieved while in the programme, and the
level of performance as assessed at the time of coming to the end of
the period of remediation. This report should be filed in the training
portfolio, which the trainee should be told to keep.
Depending on the nature and seriousness of the underperformance, consideration should be given to referral to the GMC.
Return to training: It is conceivable that after a career break, or
experience of working in another setting, the trainee who has failed to
achieve the F2 competencies despite an extension for remedial training
may wish to try again. A return to training at this stage will be
through competitive entry to F2 training opportunities.
Once the trainee has been appointed, the portfolio will provide
evidence of the competencies already achieved, and those not achieved
despite remedial training, and will provide a basis for the development
of a personal development plan.
The trainee will be expected to complete the full set of competency
assessments satisfactorily following the return to training, before
being issued with a certificate of satisfactory completion.
Elisabeth Paice
Dean Director
5 February 2005
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