Procedure for governance for clinical trainees
The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust (hereafter the Trust) is committed to ensuring that students are provided with adequate training and information in relation to governance.
The Trust recognises the vital contribution that effective governance makes to the clinical management of individual patients and the efficient management of services and resources.
The Trust recognises that it is of paramount importance to ensure that information is efficiently managed, and that appropriate policies, procedures and management accountability provide a strong governance framework for information management, that enhance the use of information whilst taking all reasonable steps to minimise the risks of misuse and/or loss of information.
Furthermore the Trust is committed to the safety of its patients, staff and students and as such requires the completion of certain trainings to ensure that responsibilities and reporting mechanisms are understood and followed. This will equip students to work within our structures and assure our patients that they are to be treated in a safe environment.
All trainees that will be conducting clinical work with a patient of the Trust are required to obtain a governance passport and a Letter of Completion before they begin this work. The conditions of receipt of this passport are the completion of a range of trainings and checks as follows:
- Disclosure and Barring Service Check
- Statutory and Mandatory training
- Carenotes (patient record system) training
- Acceptance of all Trust policies and procedures
- Acceptance of policies relating to supervision and health records and completion of a quiz on these areas
- Clinical Induction both onsite and online
Purpose
The purpose of this procedure is to set out the process by which students on clinical trainings seeing patients in Trust services obtain their governance passport.
It details the training that is required, the method for recording compliance and sets out the responsibilities of staff and students in relation to governance for clinical trainees from both within the Directorate of Education and Training and in clinical directorates.
Scope
3.1 This procedure applies to all students on a Trust course that has a clinical component and that entails seeing a patient of the Trust. These courses are as follows:
- Child, Community and Educational Psychology (M4) (M5)
- Psychological Therapies with Children, Young People, and Families (M34)
- Foundations in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (D58)
- Psychodynamic Psychotherapy with Couples (D59C)
- Forensic Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (D59F)
- Inter-Cultural Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (D59I)
- Interdisciplinary Training in Adult Psychotherapy (M1)
- Systemic Psychotherapy (M6)
- Professional Doctorate in Advanced Practice and Research: Social Work and Social Care (D55)
- Systemic Approaches to Working with Individuals, Families and Organisations (D4)
- Social Work (M23)
Exceptions
3.2 Some students and trainees are not required to follow this procedure as outlined below.
Trust Staff
Trust staff (including those on Child Psychotherapy (M80) training that are employees of the Trust) are exempt and this training is provided as a condition of their employment. Human Resources will contact all Trust staff when training is due and staff are expected to comply as a condition of their employment.
Students on a Clinical Training that are not seeing a patient of the Trust
Students on the courses listed above that are not seeing a patient within the Trust are not required to obtain a governance passport.
However students should note that it is often the case that placements fall through or change during the academic year. Therefore all students not seeing a patient of the Trust are encouraged to complete all of the training, with the exception of Carenotes, so that they are prepared should this happen. Training cannot easily be arranged later in the academic year and students that do not complete the training early in the year may find that they are delayed in beginning their clinical work.
Students on the Child, Community and Educational Psychology course seeing a patient at Camden and North West London NHS Trust.
Students studying Child, Community and Educational Psychology seeing a patient at Camden and North West London NHS Trust (CNWL) are required to complete the governance passport, with the exception of Carenotes as this is a condition of their contract with CNWL.
They must also have an honorary contract with the Tavistock and Portman as a condition of their contract with CNWL. This will be arranged by the Head of DET Operations on completion of all training.
Students not studying on a Directorate of Education and Training course
Specialist Clinical Psychology Placement (SCPP) students and all other students of other institutions that are working in the Trust but that are not studying on one of the courses listed above are not covered under this procedure and should discuss their training needs with their line manager.
Definitions
Student: A student is any person studying on a course offered by the Directorate of Education and Training.
Moodle: Is our electronic learning platform
Moodle Page: This is the page “Governance for Clinical Trainees” which can be found on Moodle
Welcome Week: An introductory week held for all new students held in the week prior to their beginning their programme of study
The Trust: Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust
Governance Passport: Refers to the mandatory components of training that students seeing patients at the Trust are required to complete before they can commence clinical work
Letter of Completion: This is the letter students will receive when they have completed their Governance Passport
Duties and responsibilities
Director of Education (Governance and Quality): Is responsible for overseeing the implementation of this procedure and ensuring that the requirements are up to date and are applied across all courses.
Head of DET Operations: Is responsible for communicating the training requirements to all new students, tracking and monitoring compliance with this procedure and following up on outstanding training with students and course leads. They will also provide reports as required and review the procedure in conjunction with the Director of Education (Governance and Quality) and in liaison with Clinical Directorates and HR.
Course Leads: Are responsible for identifying which students are seeing Trust patients and communicating this to the Head of DET Operations when requested. They must also advise them of all changes to placement locations during the academic year. They should ensure that all their students have completed their training before they are allocated a patient and support the Head of DET Operations in enforcing compliance.
Student Placements Officer: Is responsible for recording the location of student placements in the student record system and for supporting the Head of DET Operations in tracking and monitoring compliance with the requirements of the clinical governance passport.
Clinical Leads and Service Managers: Are responsible for ensuring that they do not allow students to commence clinical work with patients until they have completed all stated training requirements. If they do allow students to do so before completion of the requirements, then they will take the responsibility for doing so.
Students: All students that are seeing a patient of the Trust are required to abide by this procedure and to ensure that they keep up to date with changes and developments
Procedures
Training Requirements
6.1 The following Trainings must be completed in order for a student to be issued with a Letter of Completion:
6.1.1 Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check: This is a check of criminal records and barred lists.
- DBS checks can be progressed as soon as a student accepts an offer of a place on a programme of study with the Trust. When they do this they will be contacted by the Academic Hub who will advise them how to proceed.
6.1.2 Statutory and Mandatory Training: this is completed through an online e-learning platform, and aligns with the statutory and mandatory training that staff are required to complete. Students must complete the following:
- Data Security Awareness Level 1
- Fire Safety Level 1
- Moving and Handling Level 1
- Health, Safety and Welfare Level 1
- Equality Divey and Human Rights Level 1
- Infection Control Level 1
- Resuscitation Level 1
- Preventing Radicalisation Level 1
- NHS Conflict Resolution Level 1
- Safeguarding Children Level 1
- Safeguarding Adults Level 1
- Safeguarding Adults Level 2
6.1.3 CareNotes Training: CareNotes is the Trust patient record system. Students will use this system to record all appointments, make notes, records outcome measures, complete necessary paperwork and write letters.
- Training dates will be advertised on the Moodle page and students are asked to book themselves onto a session with the training team. Students must attend the entire session.
6.1.4 Accept all Trust policies and procedures: These cover all aspects of working with a patient of the Trust and it is essential that students are familiar with them
- There is a link to all the policies and procedures on the Moodle page. Students should read and familiarise themselves with these before completing the “Compliance Confirmation”. By completing this confirmation students agree to follow all policies and procedures in the course of their clinical work and study.
6.1.5 Clinical Induction: The clinical induction provides an introduction to working clinically within the Trust. This is comprised of two parts:
- Students must attend the Clinical Induction held during welcome week and sign in and out. This covers:
- Patient Risk Assessment
- Caldicott Guardian and Clinical Governance
- Fitness to Practice and Student Conduct
Those that do not attend the session in welcome week are required to attend an induction at a later date. This may delay the start of their clinical work.
6.1.6 Clinical Supervision and Health Record Management Policies: It is essential that all students seeing a patient at the Trust maintain accurate and timely records regarding their patient work and that they receive regular clinical supervision. In addition to section 6.1.4 above students must read and accept all policies relating to clinical supervision and patient record management. These are
- Clinical Supervision Procedure
- Discharge, Transfer and Closure of Clinical Cases Procedure
- Health Records Management Procedure
They must then complete a quiz on these procedures which can be accessed on the Moodle page.
Location of Student Placements
6.2 In late August, prior to the upcoming academic year, the Head of DET Operations will collect information on all students that are on a clinical course in the next academic year.
6.3 Information will be shared with course leads and they will be required to return this identifying the location of all student placements two weeks before welcome week.
6.4 If the location of a placement is unclear then the course lead should indicate so. Students in this position will be encouraged to complete all training, with the exception of CareNotes, and will not be issued with a Trust email or log in until the location of their placement is confirmed.
6.5 During the academic year if further students join the course or if the location of a placement is changed, it is the responsibility of the course lead to inform the Head of DET Operations of these changes.
Trust Email Addresses and Logins
6.6 Trust email addresses will be provided only to those clinical trainees that are seeing a patient of the Trust.
6.7 The Head of DET Operations will provide a list of all trainees requiring an email address to the IT Service Desk a week before Welcome Week and they will set up accounts for these students.
6.8 The Head of DET Operations will issue usernames and logins to students as they complete their governance passport.
6.9 In the case of trainees that join the course late or if the location of their placement changes the Head of DET Operations will complete the request when information is received from the course lead as in section 6.5.
CareNotes Access
6.10 Access to CareNotes will not be given until all other training is complete.
6.11 The Head of DET Operations will action all CareNotes user requests for students upon confirmation from clinical directorates of a placement.
6.12 Informatics will not process any user requests for students that have not been signed off by the Directorate of Education and Training.
Monitoring of Compliance
6.13 The Head of DET Operations will contact all students one week prior to Welcome Week reminding them of the training requirements (some students will be contacted earlier as detailed in section 6.21) and directing them to the Moodle page to complete the training/book onto courses as required.
6.14 A briefing to all clinical trainees will be provided during the clinical induction during welcome week.
6.15 DET Operations will hold a spreadsheet detailing the various aspects of the training. Here they will log what training is completed and what is outstanding.
6.16 Training will be marked as complete when the following conditions are met:
- DBS Check: This will be checked through SITS. Course Administrators are responsible for updating the student record when a DBS check is received.
- Statutory and Mandatory Training: Students must provide a copy of their Activity Log to DET Operations to confirm compliance. Students may provide evidence of compliance at their place of work.
- CareNotes: The system trainers will advise the Head of DET Operations when training is complete and they will update the record.
- Accept Trust Clinical Policies and Procedures: Once accepted in Moodle an alert will be sent to the Head of DET Operations and they will update the record.
- Clinical Induction
- Onsite: Students must attend the session in Welcome Week. They will be advised of the date when they accept their offer and must sign in and out of the session. The Student Placements Officer will then update the record.
- Accept Clinical Supervision and Health Record Management Policies and pass quiz. When students pass the quiz an alert will be sent to the Head of DET Operations who will update the record.
6.17 When all training is complete the Head of DET Operations will update the student’s record and will issue a letter of completion as detailed below.
Letter of Completion
6.18 When all training is complete the students will be issued with a Letter of Completion. This will be sent to the student, course lead and the clinical service manager by the Head of DET Operations or Student Placements Officer. The student can commence clinical work at the course lead and clinical team’s discretion.
6.19 All training is required to be completed before a student can commence clinical work within the Trust.
6.20 The letter is valid for a period of 2 years from the date of issue.
6.21 If any student is on a placement at the Trust for a longer period, or if more regular training updates are required, then the clinical team in which they are based will be responsible for ensuring that training is up to date and in line with local procedures.
Clinical Supervision and Health Records Management
6.22 All students seeing a patient at the Trust must be in receipt of regular clinical supervision regarding their clinical work.
6.23 This will be provided by the clinical team in which they are located.
6.24 The student must ensure they attend the sessions or meeting in which this supervision is provided. The student’s clinical supervisor must ensure that they are attending regularly.
6.25 Students must also maintain records in line with the Health Records Management Procedure. Failure to do so may result in students being investigated under the Trust Professional Suitability Procedure and ultimately termination of training.
Non – Compliance with Governance Requirements
6.26 Failure to comply with this procedure may result in clinical trainees being delayed in their clinical work. The Trust will not be held responsible for these delays or for any additional fees incurred as a result of non-compliance.
6.27 The Head of DET Operations will send emails to course leads and students from welcome week until 1st November reminding them of the requirements and requesting their completion.
6.28 The Trust will not be responsible for delays to clinical work that are a result of a student’s failure to complete these training requirements.
6.29 Students that delay commencing clinical work may incur additional course fees.
Child, Community and Educational Psychology Students.
6.30 The course Child, Community and Educational Psychology (M4) starts before Welcome Week and therefore will have an amended procedure as outlined below.
6.31 Students attend for an induction in June. Their email addresses will be requested in advance by the Head of DET Operations and issued on the first day of the course in September.
6.32 DBS checks will also be completed at this time.
6.33 CareNotes training will be arranged for these students, and they will be notified of the date by the Course Director.
6.34 They will be registered on Moodle in September and be able to access the relevant pages to enable them to complete their training which should be completed as above.
6.35 Those students that are seeing a patient of another Trust should liaise with the Head of DET Operations who will advise them of the requirements.
6.36 All sanctions and deadlines as outlined above also apply to students on this course.
Safeguarding Level 3 and other additional training
6.37 Only the training outlined above is covered by the governance passport.
6.38 Trainees will be required to carry out additional trainings including Safeguarding Children Level 3 and Safeguarding Adults Level 3.
6.39 Trainees may be required to carry out other additional trainings as directed by the clinical directorate in which they are working.
6.40 It is the responsibility of the clinical directorate to arrange and monitor compliance with these requirements.
6.41 Students must comply with all training requests issued by their clinical team/directorate.
Annual Review
6.42 At the end of each academic year the Head of DET Operations will review the status of all students in possession of a Letter of Completion.
6.43 All students that have completed their programme of study will be written to advising that the letter is no longer valid and that any continued clinical work with the Trust must be accompanied by an honorary contract or an employment contract.
6.44 This letter will be copied to the relevant clinical service manager and the clinical lead for the location of their placement.
6.45 From the date of this letter any requirements will be monitored by clinical services and DET shall no longer monitor compliance.
Training requirements
The Head of DET Operations will provide training to course leads, recruitment advisors and course administrators on the application of this procedure.
Process for monitoring compliance with this Procedure
Reporting to the Director of Education (Governance and Quality) and course leads will be provided on a regular basis between welcome week and November 1st. Following this, monthly reports shall be provided.
The Head of DET Operations will be responsible for regularly updating course leads of students with outstanding training.
Clinical teams will not allocate patients to students without having been informed by DET that all training is complete. DET will retain responsibility for tracking compliance and following up with those that have training outstanding.