Introduction to Professional Skills Development/Leadership Project
The aim of this project is to introduce GP trainees to the concept of leadership and to develop the competencies needed to be a leader in their workplace and ultimately the wider NHS. It builds on work that may have been done at undergraduate or foundation level in line with competencies that are outlined in the Medical Leadership Competency Framework produced by the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement. www.institute.nhs.uk
Step 1 for ST1/2 in GP placements
Trainees in their initial GP placements will be asked to carry out a simple audit looking at an area of clinical guidance such as NICE guidance, cost effective prescribing etc. They will be expected to plan this with their trainer, research suitable standards, collect the data and present it to the practice, negotiate areas for change and reaudit once these changes have been implemented. The trainee will be expected to write up the audit and present the final form to the practice and their peer group and complete a self rating of their competencies as evidenced by their activities in the project. They will be required to have reached an overall level of competence for this stage of training in order to progress at ARCP panel. [Details can be logged onto the E portfolio under ‘audit’ on the log diary and a summary document attached] A summary of the assessment by the GP trainer should be included in the ARCP report by the educational supervisor [who in most cases will also be their GP trainer]
Step 2 for ST3 in GP placements
At ST3 level the trainees will be expected to look at an area of service within the practice that could be changed. They will meet regularly with a small peer group to discuss the stages of the project, reflect on their progress and identify the skills they need to develop the project.
Throughout the year the delivery team will support this process, helping them to identify the skills needed to develop their ideas and revisit some of the concepts introduced in the first project e.g negotiation skills, time management, presentation skills, obtaining meaningful feedback etc
Again the trainees will be expected to write up and present their project and self evaluate the competencies of leadership that they have demonstrated. This will then be reviewed by the GP trainer/Educational Supervisor and the competencies evaluated. It is expected that all trainees will ‘need further development’ after the first project but that they should be demonstrating competence in most areas in the second project. The trainee can attach evidence of competence to their portfolio and educational supervisors are asked to comment on their achievement of leadership competencies in their ARCP report
Competence in the change management project at ST3 will enable the educational supervisor to assess the trainee as competent for ‘Domain 10’ of the work place based assessment for nMRCGP - Maintaining performance, learning and teaching: maintaining the performance and effective continuing professional development of oneself and others.
Structure of Project
ST1/2 In GP placement
Clinical change project
• Select topic
• Find standards
• Audit
• Present to practice
• Negotiate change
• Reaudit
• Present results to practice and VTS group
• Self assess competence against leadership framework as based on the project
• Trainer assesses competencies against leadership framework
• Attach report to ‘audit’ entry on log diary
• Educational Supervisor includes a report in ARCP Ed Sup report in ‘comments ‘ box and uses assessment to evaluate level of achievement in Competence 10
Maintaining performance, learning and teaching on E portfolio
ST3 In GP placement
Work based change management project
• Select area to look at
• Discuss with Action Learning group and set work plan with time lines
• Start work
• Reflect on skills needed
• Address skills learning needs via VTS
• Revisit Action Learning set regularly
• Obtain results and write up
• Present to practice and Action Learning set
• Negotiate change
• Present results to practice and VTS group
• Self assess competence against leadership framework as based on the project
• Trainer assesses competencies
• Attach report to ‘audit’ entry on log diary
• Educational Supervisor includes a report in ARCP Ed Sup report in ‘comments ‘ box and uses assessment to evaluate level of achievement in Competence 10
Maintaining performance, learning and teaching on E portfolio