We're committed to supporting our trainers and recognise that well-supported and enabled trainers are key to the learning experience.
Our award winning and innovative Faculty Development Programme – T4: Training Tomorrow’s Trainers, Today. Developed by CNWL as a Lead Provider in partnership with Imperial, T4 has ensured that all trainers have access to statutory Train the Trainers modules which are relevant (by clinical teachers for clinical teachers) local (delivered at or near the place of work), focused (mapped to the GMC mandatory domains.) and efficient. Thus far over 1000 trainers in North West London have benefited over the last 2 years, at no charge to the trainer, and with evidence of a favourable impact on both trainee outcomes - as measured by the GMC survey - and Trainer compliance - as measured by the GMC Trainer Census.
As a further mark of its commitment and investment in training, CNWL has introduced a system of bespoke and robust Educational Appraisal leading to Educational Approval, which also feeds into general appraisal leading to Revalidation. Under this system every Trainer has a named Educational Appraiser. This initiative applies to the majority of our programmes and associated trainers – all of those in Mental Health, for example. Educational Appraisal usually follows a 3 yearly cycle, however appraisal meetings may be convened more regularly or as required dependent on Trainer needs or demand. For example, it is our experience that Trainers who are new to role may elect to have an early follow up appraisal after say 6 months. In this way Appraisal and the Appraiser are able to offer a more developmental and mentoring type function as well as quality assurance.
All trainers at CNWL have dedicated educational time written into their job plans as Educational Programmed Activities EPAs according to the tariffs laid down by the GMC and Deaneries. We have also used the opportunity of the National Tariff for Training and the associated Placement Fee to hypothecate funding for certain key educational roles, notably, Local Tutors (aka College Tutors) in order to ensure stability of tenure and quality of applicants. Local Tutors, of course, have a key role in supporting Trainers as well as trainees. We hope to extend this principle to Educational Supervisors, for whom we already provide enhanced support on terms of a programme of workshops.
As Lead Provider CNWL has significantly expanded its Faculty, including establishing the Professional Skills Academy with Skills Tutors in Leadership, Communication, Teaching, Research and Public Health. We have also innovated Specialty Tutors mapped to and embedded within certain service lines for example, Psychiatry of Intellectual Disability. This has created leadership and career opportunities for Trainers interested in developing and advancing their Medical Educational profile and portfolio, which CNWL is keen to support.