Procedure for Governance for Clinical Trainees
1. Introduction
North London NHS Foundation Trust (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.
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
- Training on the Trust’s patient record system
- Acceptance of all Trust policies and procedures
- Understanding of policies relating to supervision and health records management
- Clinical Induction
2. 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 Tavistock Education and Training (TET) and in clinical services.
3. Scope
This procedure applies to all students on a Tavistock Education and Training course that has a clinical component leading to a clinical accreditation and that entails seeing a patient of the Trust.
Exceptions
Some students and trainees are not required to follow this procedure as outlined below.
Trust Staff
Trust staff (including those on the Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy (M80) training that are employees of the Trust) are exempt and this training is provided as a condition of their employment. Learning and Development 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 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 training on the patient records system, 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 not studying on a Tavistock 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 a course within Tavistock Education and Training are not covered under this procedure and should discuss their training needs with their line manager.
4. Definitions
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.
Student: A student is any person studying on a course offered by Tavistock Education and Training.
Moodle: Is our virtual learning platform.
Moodle Page: This is the page “Governance for Clinical Trainees” which can be found on Moodle.
Tavistock Education and Training: Refers to a directorate within the Trust who deliver postgraduate, clinical qualifying programmes.
The Trust: North London NHS Foundation Trust.
Welcome Week: An introductory week held for all new students held in the week prior to their beginning their programme of study.
5. 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 Operations (Education and Training): 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 Services and HR.
Course Leads: Are responsible for identifying which students are seeing Trust patients and communicating this to the Head of Operations (Education and Training) 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 Operations in enforcing compliance.
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.
6. Procedures
Training Requirements
The following Trainings must be completed in order for a student to be issued with a Letter of Completion:
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.
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 Diversity and Human Rights Level 1
- NHS Conflict Resolution Level 1
- Safeguarding Children Level 1
- Safeguarding Adults Level 1
- Safeguarding Adults Level 2
- The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training for Learning Disability & Autism Part 1
- Preventing Radicalisation – Awareness of Prevent Level 3
- Resuscitation Adult – Level 2
Statutory and Mandatory training is reviewed annually and is subject to change to align with Trust requirements.
Patient Records System Training
Students will use the Trust’s patient records 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.
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.
Clinical Induction:
The clinical induction provides an introduction to working clinically within the Trust. 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.
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. Students must read and accept all policies relating to clinical supervision and patient record management. These are
They must then complete a quiz on these procedures which can be accessed on the Moodle page.
Location of Student Placements
In late August, prior to the upcoming academic year, the Head of Operations (Education and Training) will collect information on all students that are on a clinical course in the next academic year.
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.
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 training on the patient records system, and will not be issued with a Trust email or log in until the location of their placement is confirmed.
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 Operations (Education and Training) of these changes.
Trust Email Addresses and Logins
Trust email addresses will be provided only to those clinical trainees that are seeing a patient of the Trust.
The Head of Operations (Education and Training) 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.
The Head of Operations (Education and Training) will issue usernames and logins to students as they complete their governance passport.
In the case of trainees that join the course late or if the location of their placement changes the Head of Operations (Education and Training) will complete the request when information is received from the course lead.
Access to the patient record system
Access to the patient records system will not be given until all other training is complete.
The Head of Operations (Education and Training) will action all user requests for students upon confirmation from clinical services of a placement.
Informatics will not process any user requests for students that have not been signed off by the Head of Operations (Education and Training).
Monitoring of Compliance
The Head of Operations (Education and Training) will contact all students one week prior to Welcome Week reminding them of the training requirements and directing them to the Moodle page to complete the training/book onto courses as required.
A briefing to all student will be provided during the clinical induction during welcome week.
The Head of Operations (Education and Training) will hold a spreadsheet detailing the various aspects of the training. Here they will log what training is completed and what is outstanding.
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 confirm compliance. Students may provide evidence of compliance at their place of work.
Patient Records System: The system trainers will advise the Head of Operations (Education and Training) 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 Operations (Education and Training) and they will update the record.
Clinical Induction: 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.
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 Operations (Education and Training) who will update the record.
When all training is complete the Head of Operations (Education and Training) will update the student’s record and will issue a letter of completion as detailed below.
Letter of Completion
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 Operations (Education and Training). The student can commence clinical work at the course lead and clinical team’s discretion.
All training is required to be completed before a student can commence clinical work within the Trust.
The letter is valid for a period of 2 years from the date of issue.
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
All students seeing a patient at the Trust must be in receipt of regular clinical supervision regarding their clinical work.
This will be provided by the clinical team in which they are located.
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.
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
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.
The Head of Operations (Education and Training) will send emails to course leads and students from welcome week until 1st November reminding them of the requirements and requesting their completion.
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.
Students that delay commencing clinical work may incur additional course fees.
Safeguarding Level 3 and other additional training
Only the training outlined above is covered by the governance passport.
Trainees will be required to carry out additional trainings including Safeguarding Children Level 3 and Safeguarding Adults Level 3.
Trainees may be required to carry out other additional trainings as directed by the clinical services in which they are working.
It is the responsibility of the clinical service to arrange and monitor compliance with these requirements.
Students must comply with all training requests issued by their clinical team/service.
Annual Review
At the end of each academic year the Head of Operations (Education and Training) will review the status of all students in possession of a Letter of Completion.
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.
This letter will be copied to the relevant clinical service manager and the clinical lead for the location of their placement.
From the date of this letter any requirements will be monitored by clinical services and DET shall no longer monitor compliance.
7. Training requirements
The Head of Operations (Education and Training) will provide training to staff on the application of this procedure.
8. Process for monitoring compliance
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 Operations (Education and Training) 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 TET that all training is complete. TET will retain responsibility for tracking compliance and following up with those that have training outstanding.
9. References
- https://tavistockandportman.ac.uk/current-students/new-students/
- http://moodle.tavistockandportman.ac.uk/login/index.php