Wessex Deanery

WessexDeaneryPostgraduateSchool of Psychiatry

Introduction

The Wessex Deanery provides high quality clinical education for doctors, dentists, consultant practitioners and other health care professionals, to ensure they are competent and fit to practise. The Deanery will continue to develop as a centre of excellence and innovation which will support better patient care and services in the local healthcare community, through quality control and strategic development of generic and specialty core training programmes.

A School of Psychiatry at the Wessex Deanery is envisaged to provide a framework for the partnership between the Deanery, The Royal College of Psychiatrists and local healthcare providers to provide psychiatry training in the region.

The leadership of theSchool of Psychiatry will:

  • ensure the delivery of the curricula and assessment methodologies with associated training requirements for educational supervisors
  • ensure the establishment of new training programmes
  • support the introduction of nationally coordinated selection processes
  • incorporate standardised quality control systems on which light touch quality assurance programmes depend
  • properly reflect the responsibility of service providers and their Directors of Medical education for the local provision of education to GMC standards
  • acknowledge the imperative of a multi-professional approach to patient care and learning

Purpose of School of Psychiatry

The purpose of the Postgraduate School of Psychiatry is to provide a structure and framework for the delivery of quality assured psychiatrytraining programmes through explicit and accountable Deanery and College roles.

As part of the Wessex Deanery, the School will;

  • ensure high standards of education and training at programme and hospital level
  • provide strategic leadership for the development of the School of Psychiatry as an organisation which provides and co ordinates high quality education and training leading to fit-for-purpose-psychiatrists
  • develop faculty and the trainer-trainee relationship
  • champion patient safety
  • develop academic programmes

The School will support and integrate, at a local level, the Wessex Deanery functions of:

  • Managing training programmes and posts
  • Trainee selection
  • Assessment of progress
  • Development of innovative training programmes according to service need
  • Curriculum, syllabus and content (real and virtual)
  • Teaching and learning
  • Faculty development
  • Educational research
  • Resource management
  • Quality assurance and evaluation

Key Responsibilities

The Head of School is the director of postgraduate psychiatry training within Wessexand responsibilities include:

  • Overall delivery of the psychiatry training programmes, including the structure, organisation, adequacy of psychiatry facilities and delivery and implementation of the curriculum
  • Chairing the School Board
  • Developing and implementing strategy as agreed by the Board
  • Be responsible for the development and performance of all Programme Directors in the management of cost effective and high quality training programmes that deliver the College curricula and meet GMC standards
  • Understand the need of service providers, both NHS and independent sector, and be aware of local initiatives, developments and any areas of specialist expertise which can enhance training provision
  • Ensuring appropriate quality measurement and educational governance of the training programmes and learning environments in liaison with the Postgraduate Dean
  • Responding to GMC requests for information and ensuring that any GMC recommendations are carried out
  • Providing an Annual Report to the Postgraduate Dean, evidenced by Programme Director Reports to the School Board and engaging with the deanery Quality Management process
  • Ensuring that the formative and summative assessments of trainees across all psychiatry specialties are robust and fair
  • Attendance at speciality meetings and other meetings as required
  • Helping and supporting trainees in difficulty. Involvement with appeals against training outcomes
  • Organising School Visits to training units as and when required
  • Working with other heads of school to maintain quality and greater understanding across specialties
  • Work with recruitment teams and foundation school to improve recruitment into psychiatry

Note: This alone is not an exhaustive list of roles and responsibility and new roles will evolve as the school develops

The School of Psychiatry Board functions:

The Board represents a partnership between the Deanery, The Royal College of Psychiatristsand local services.

  • Implementing an organisational structure best suited to regional requirements and which is also sensitive to future developments in psychiatry training
  • Overseeing and streamlining support functions (e.g. assessment, syllabus, curriculum delivery, specialty meetings, trainee selection)
  • Ensuring faculty development and supporting the training of key educators in their roles
  • Supporting the Deanery in quality management and evaluation
  • Helping develop educational research
  • Supporting the delivery of local courses in liaison with Wessex Deanery Courses Centre

The Board will report to:

  • The Deanery Postgraduate Dean
  • The RoyalCollege of Psychiatrists
  • The relevant Strategic Health Authoritiy/ies or successor organisation such as LETBs

The Board is also responsible for overseeing and coordinating

  • Trust Specialty Tutors
  • Educational Supervisors
  • Specialty trainees

Financial Support:

  • Strategic Health Authorities (funding of training posts, study leave etc) or successor organisation
  • The Wessex Deanery (e.g. Programme Manager admin, sessional funding for key educators, provision of Educator Development).

HoS – 2 PA

TPD – As per Deanery remuneration

Constitution of the Board

It is anticipated that the membership of the School Board will be:

  • Postgraduate Dean or nominated Deputy
  • Head of School
  • Programme Directors or representatives
  • SHA Rep
  • Trainee Rep
  • Deanery Representative
  • Lay member
  • University/Medical school representative

It is anticipated that the Board will meettwo times per year times a year.

Educational Governance and Quality Management

The organisational structure of a School of Psychiatry will be sensitive to the purposes of curriculum reform, be capable of supporting the resolution of problems at departmental, hospital, training programme or Deanery level. Responsibility and accountability for training should be clearly identified at departmental, hospital and training programme level, and these roles properly recognised and resourced in time and/or financially.

The General Medical Council is the statutory body responsible for quality assurance of all postgraduate medical education in the UK. The Postgraduate deans have delegated responsibility from GMC to implement this locally and the PsychiatrySchool model provides an effective structure for this.

WessexDeanery

Head of School of Psychiatry

PERSON SPECIFICATION

CRITERIA / ESSENTIAL / DESIRABLE
Qualifications /
  1. Primary medical qualification
  2. Membership /Fellowship of a RoyalCollege
  3. On the Specialist Register
  4. Training the Trainers Course
/
  1. University Higher Degree
  2. Educational qualification

Employment /
  1. Current, substantivecontract as an NHSConsultant in the specialty

Special Knowledge/ Experience /
  1. Experience of educational leadership and innovation or managing a multi- professional team
  2. Knowledge of the organisation of PG education, as well as developments in psychiatry education
  3. Knowledge and understanding of MMC and its implications for workforce and education
  4. Up to date with specialty developments
/
  1. Experience of working with doctors in training in an educational context
  2. Regional or National contributions to psychiatry

Practical / Intellectual Skills /
  1. Demonstrated leadership, ability to influence and motivate others
  2. A strong sense of vision and prepared to innovate.
  3. Willingness to embrace change
  4. Strong interpersonal communication, written and presentational skills
  5. Ability to quickly establish professional credibility
  6. Problem solving and objectivity
  7. Excellent organisational and time management skills
  8. Awareness of healthcare workforce issues
  9. Team player

Jan 2012

Chair: Dr Geoffrey Harris Chief Executive: Sir Ian Carruthers OBE