Standard 4 - Educators and assessors

Staff CVs and CPD records are reviewed during the interview process and at each staff performance review, ensuring personnel are suitably qualified and remain current.

Suitable budget and CPD policy in place to encourage staff to complete training and CPD relevant to their role and to the benefit of the provision.

Staff Charter and Code of Conduct to be read and signed by all staff. 

Robust and supportive TALO Protocol in place with provision for additional support for newly appointed members of the team.

Peer lesson observations are to be encouraged and monitored, ensuring that good practice is shared, and the correct clinical content is incorporated into sessions.

Staff are supported by the AEI/Delivery site with their RCVS registration and professional CPD requirements.

Staff Induction Checklist to be completed for all staff to demonstrate a detailed and diverse induction process.

Role specific inductions and work shadowing are to be encouraged to ensure all roles and responsibilities are fully understood.

Further training needs identified during the interview process and at subsequent performance reviews. Further training to be encouraged and supported and detailed within the staff CPD policy and contracts, relevant to each job role. It is expected that those undertaking a teaching role complete training specific to teaching and pedagogy, whereas quality assurance personnel will be required to undertake quality assurance training.

Staff are provided with adequate time for lesson preparation and are appointed a mentor for additional support and guidance.

Mentoring training to be undertaken and mentoring paperwork to be completed at each session.

All clinical supervisors must complete clinical supervisor training and be issued with certificates of attendance. Subsequent clinical supervisor standardisation should be completed a minimum of every 12 months with further training and support for those identified as higher risk.

IQA reviews of clinical supervisor CPD, CV and registration checks to be carried out as per the sampling strategy and risk banding of the clinical supervisor or training practice.

Robust policies in place and adhered to including:

· Recruitment policy

· Staff induction policy

· Equality and Diversity policy

· Staff support services

· Disability policy

· Health and safety policy

A mentoring system could be utilised to ensure new staff are well supported. All staff to be provided with the opportunity to give feedback on their employer and the programme without fear of judgment or fear of adverse consequences.

Suitable staff time allocations in place and all members of the team are fully considered. The allocation should include reference to all role specific requirements.

Staff are provided with the opportunity to return to practice or carry out clinical placement work in order to maintain their knowledge and skill levels in practical fields and in line with RCVS CPD requirements.

Role specific job descriptions to be used to ensure all staff understand their key roles and responsibilities and can plan their time accordingly.

Encourage the completion of learning styles, enabling clinical supervisors and educators to highlight individual learning needs.

Provide educators and assessors with constructive feedback and implement support and action plans where required.

Time to be allocated to educators and clinical supervisors within work time to complete necessary documentation and provide one-to-one support to students.

SEND support available to staff along with reasonable adjustments where applicable.

The completion of SARs and course reviews with subsequent implementation of changes following review of the data and feedback collected.

Robust and supportive IQA strategy in place for assessments, placement records and the recording of the DOS.

A clear schedule is in place for all planned assessments and this is readily available to all students and clinical supervisors.

Clear evidenced-based rationale for calculation of pass mark/cut off for assessments.

Students provided with the opportunity to give feedback on the provision and make recommendations for change.

Students provided with tutorial time with their tutor in the academic setting and with their clinical supervisor in placement.

Visit strategy in place and well executed when students are on placement to ensure communication and support is maintained and any issues/concerns can be addressed in a timely manner.

Individual learning plans could be implemented for all learners with regular review by the VN team.

Learning styles and emotional intelligence methodologies could be implemented and reviewed at the beginning of each academic year.

Regular team meetings carried out to ensure that decisions can be made on individual student progress for both classroom and clinical placement requirements.

Review of course consultative, student feedback, clinical placement feedback and stakeholder feedback to be carried out with the VN team at appropriate intervals with decision making and outcomes documented and disseminated.

EE/EQA reports to be disseminated to relevant staff and discussions held regarding the findings and any suggestions/actions that need to be addressed.

Individual learning plans could be implemented for all learners and regularly reviewed and actioned by the VN team.

TP/aTP surveys to be carried out to promote continued support and provide an opportunity for TPs/aTPs to generate stakeholder feedback, encouraging future programme development.

RCVS action plans and responses to be completed in a timely manner with all correspondence documented and recorded.

Observation of teaching and learning policy to be fit for purpose and measures in place for any additional support and training.

The AEI/Delivery site to adhere to their complaints procedure and ensure all complaints are dealt with in a non-biased and timely manner.

Fitness to Practise embedded within all documentation including student handbooks, MoU, programme handbooks and placement handbooks.

TPs/aTPs to be evaluated regularly on their risk rating based on clinical supervisor training, CPD records, placement support and DOS progress.

Minutes of meetings, action plans and responses to be clear and transparent and disseminated where applicable.

Relevant experience and qualifications to be evidenced within CV.

RVN status to be confirmed via the RCVS registration check online.

CPD records up to date and role specific CPD undertaken and encouraged.

Consideration of a succession plan to identify individuals with the experience and leadership requirements for ongoing support of the current programme lead and future progression opportunities.