Purpose

The role of the GP Educational Supervisor is to have responsibility for appraising the development and progress of GPSTs for the first two years of their three-year Specialist Training programme. They will do this by completing an initial Learning Need Analysis at the start of the programme and reviewing progress at regular (six monthly) intervals via the ePortfolio. They will also have a pastoral role and will be supported in this by the postgraduate medical education structure. Trainees will usually have the same ES throughout their ST1 and ST2 years.

GP Educational Supervisors must have GP Trainer approval. They will be employed on an item of service basis and will not be on the Health Education England payroll.

Key Responsibilities

  • responsible to local TPD for maintaining quality standards
  • link pastoral role between the trainee and patch educational team
  • coordinate educational input for GPSTs
  • identify GPST needs (Learning Needs Analysis and Personal Development Plan)
  • liaise with Performance APD and other educational providers to ensure GP needs are addressed 
  • formative appraisal of GPST progress every six months via the ePortfolio
  • monitor completion of required assessments via the ePortfolio
  • identify and support doctors in difficulty (of any kind)
  • responsible for several GPSTs a year (depending on experience and can be based on an individual basis)

Personal Specification for GP Education Supervisors

Skills and Abilities
Essential - Well developed verbal and written communication skills 
Essential - Good negotiating skills
Essential - Ability to delegate appropriately
Essential - Evidence of good working relationships with professional colleagues
Essential - Computer literacy
Essential - Able to complete Learning Needs Analysis

Knowledge
Essential - Knowledge of adult educational theory and practice
Essential - Understanding of Primary Care in England and its interface with secondary care 
Desirable - Understanding of current primary health care general issues
Desirable - Understanding of current primary health care educational issues

Experience
Essential - Worked as clinician in general practice regularly for a minimum of 3 years after completion of vocational training, with current full registration with the GMC
Desirable - Participated in formal training programmes in general practice
Desirable - Experience of working within education sectors
Desirable - Experience of teaching in Higher Education

Training/Qualifications
Desirable - General practitioner with MRCGP in good standing
Desirable - Higher academic qualification, demonstrated progress of working towards this or evidence of formal training in academic medicine
Desirable - Educational qualification e.g. ILTM
Essential - Evidence of educational qualification relevant to post (eg trainer)

Other Requirements
Essential - Proactive approach
Essential - Team based approach
Essential - Able to travel
Essential - Comfortable with change

Meetings with ST1 / ST2 Registrars

For ST1 and 2 trainees these will occur twice per year. Timing will be approximately every six months of the training year. ESs must meet their trainee within 6 weeks of the ST1 starting their training.

Documentation

The E-portfolio will be the main structure for documenting the progress of the Trainee – the entry of information will be the responsibility of the trainee.