Registration Training Portfolio for the Certificate of Competence

Registration Training Portfolio for the Certificate of Competence An Introduction

• Some Background • What Do You Have To Do ? • The HPC’s Standards of Proficiency • Advice on Compiling Portfolio • Portfolio Assessment and Verification

Some Background…. . • In order to practice as a biomedical scientist, you must be registered with the Health Professions Council (HPC) • This registration is in line with other health professions • Arts therapists, Biomedical scientists, Chiropodists/podiatrists, Clinical scientists, Dietitians, Occupational therapists, Operating department practitioners, Orthoptists, Paramedics, Physiotherapists, Practitioner psychologists, Prosthetists/orthotists, Radiographers, Speech and language therapists • Proficiency standards are generic for all regulated professions • linked to competence and ability to demonstrate fitness to practice • Generic Terminology can be difficult to understand

So what do you have to do? • You will be issued with your portfolio • You will compile evidences over the next few months to show you have met the twenty-six standards • The IBMS will send a senior member of staff from another Trust to verify your work • He/she will either Ø Tell you’ve passed and arrange for a certificate of competence to be sent to you or Ø give you guidance for how to improve your work Once your certificate of competence arrives, you send it (together with the requisite fee) to the HPC who will add your name to the state register • You become a band five BMS • We consider the IBMS specialist portfolio

Format of Portfolio Individual standards are set out in shaded boxes Ø generic elements Ø profession specific elements in italics “Knowledge” outlines specific areas that applies to biomedical scientists “Competence” lists examples of what you should be able to do “Evidence of Achievement” is where you refer to evidence that you have such knowledge & competence

What Are These Standards ? • Three Broad Areas 1. Expectations of a health professional 2. The skills required for application of practice. 3. Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

Structure of Standards 1. Expectations of a health professional • 1 a Professional autonomy and accountability (Eight Sections) Both skills and knowledge

1 a. 1 Be able to practise within the legal and ethical boundaries of their profession: This standard requires the student to show awareness of the legal and ethical obligations and requirements of their profession. What guidance is there in law and legislation for your role? What are you supposed to do? What are you not supposed to do?

1 a. 2 Be able to practise in a non-discriminatory manner. This standard requires the student to be able to practice in an impartial manner. How do you actively show that you do so? What guidance does the Trust provide to help you? In what ways might you be discriminatory?

1 a. 3 Understand the importance of and be able to maintain confidentiality. This standard requires the student to respect the professional confidentiality required. What confidential information do you routinely deal with? How is confidentiality maintained? What guidance does the Trust provide to help you?

1 a. 4 Understand the importance of and be able to obtain informed consent. This standard requires the student to be able to recognise what they professionally can do, and at what point to refer for further consent. What exactly might you do with a pathological sample? What may you not do?

1 a. 5 A Registrant Biomedical Scientist must be able to exercise a professional duty of care This standard requires the student to be able to understand what is required of a “healthcare professional” Under what circumstances might one be removed from the State Register?

1 a. 6 Be able to practise as an autonomous professional, exercising their own professional judgement. This standard requires the student to understand that which they should be able to do, and how to deal with “out of the ordinary” situations (on a theoretical basis) What is expected of you on a professional basis? What sort of matters should you refer to more senior staff? What is not expected of you on a professional basis?

1 a. 7 Recognise the need for effective self-management of workload and resources and be able to practise accordingly. This standard requires the student to be able to organise themselves Under what time constraints do you operate? How do you deal with unforeseen problems?

1 a. 8 Understand the obligation to maintain fitness to practise. This standard requires the student keep themselves as a useful State Registered person How do you maintain your fitness to practice (physically, mentally & technically)?

Structure of Standards 1. Expectations of a health professional • 1 b Professional relationships (Four Sections) Both skills and knowledge

1 b. 1 Be able to work, where appropriate, in partnership with other professionals, support staff, service users, and their relatives and carers. This standard requires the student to be able to work with a range of other healthcare workers. What people other than biomedical scientists do you encounter on a daily basis?

1 b. 2 Be able to contribute effectively to work undertaken as part of a multi-disciplinary team. This standard requires the student to be able to understand the relevance of all aspects of pathology to patient care. What does the person up the corridor do? How does what they do relate to what you do?

1 b. 3 Be able to demonstrate effective and appropriate skills in communicating information, advice, instruction and professional opinion to colleagues, service users, their relatives and carers. This standard requires the student to be able to understand the use of effective communication, and can communicate effectively him or her self. How are your everyday working instructions imparted to you? What forms of communication do you use in the workplace? Are they effective?

1 b. 4 Understand the need for effective communication throughout the care of the service user. This standard requires the student to be able to understand the use of effective communication, and to understand how it is employed in the workplace. What information is passed around the workplace? What forms of communication are used to do so? Are they effective?

Structure of Standards 2. The skills required for application of practice. 2 a Identification & Assessment of Health & Social Care Needs (Four Sections) Generally ‘be able to perform’ practical laboratory work

2 a. 1 Be able to gather appropriate information. This standard requires the student to understand what is required to undertake particular pathological investigations. What constitutes an acceptable sample and what does not? What samples are required for which investigations?

2 a. 2 Be able to select and use appropriate assessment techniques. This standard requires the student to understand the use of a range of specific pathological investigations, and recording of data generated. How do you interpret raw laboratory data? How do we know that the lab is producing valid results? Compare qualitative & quantitative techniques

2 a. 3 Be able to undertake or arrange investigations as appropriate. This standard requires the student to be able to perform specific pathological investigations, and is perhaps the easiest to evidence. (This standard shares a lot of common ground with standard 2 b. 4. 2 a. 3 refers to discipline specific takes whereas 2 b. 4 refers to more generic laboratory duties) Show you are competent in various laboratory tasks specific to your role

2 a. 4 Be able to analyse and critically evaluate the information collected. This standard requires the student to understand the use and relevance of specific pathological investigations. What bearing do lab test results have on patient treatment? What statistical analyses have you used?

Structure of Standards 2. The skills required for application of practice. 2 b Formulation & delivery of Plans and Strategies for Meeting Health and Social Care Needs (Five Sections) Generally ‘be able to perform’ practical laboratory work

2 b. 1 Be able to use research, reasoning and problem solving skills to determine appropriate actions. This standard requires the student to be methodical in their professional conduct, and to learn from experience. What lessons have you learned from experience that might be applied to your professional life?

2 b. 2 Be able to draw on appropriate knowledge and skills in order to make professional judgements. This standard requires the student to be able to apply their professional knowledge and skills. How is theory put into practise? Does the construction of this evidence demonstrate my I. T. skills?

2 b. 3 Be able to formulate specific and appropriate management plans, including the setting of timescales. (This standard shares a lot of common ground with standard 1 a. 7) This standard requires the student to be able to “spot what went wrong” Given that something has gone wrong, how would you put it right, and ensure that it wouldn’t happen again?

2 b. 4 Be able to conduct appropriate diagnostic or monitoring procedures, treatment, therapy or other actions safely and skilfully. This standard requires the student to be able to perform general laboratory investigations. (This standard shares a lot of common ground with standard 2 b. 4. 2 a. 3 refers to discipline specific takes whereas 2 b. 4 refers to more generic laboratory duties) Show you are competent in various general laboratory tasks

2 b. 5 Be able to maintain records appropriately. This standard requires the student to understand the need for of records in the laboratory, and also their retention & use. How and why do you record activity, events and mistakes in the laboratory?

Structure of Standards 2. The skills required for application of practice. 2 c Critical Evaluation of the Impact of, or Response to, The Registrant’s Action (Two Sections) Generally ‘be able to perform’ practical laboratory work

2 c. 1 Be able to monitor and review the ongoing effectiveness of planned activity and modify it accordingly. This standard requires the student to understand the use and implications of ongoing quality management, control and improvement on a daily basis Describe your daily “quality activities”

2 c. 2 Be able to audit, reflect on and review practice. This standard requires the student to understand the use and implications of reflection on ongoing quality management, control and improvement. Describe any audits with which you might have been involved. How has discussion with colleagues affected your practice? How has reflection affected your practice?

Structure of standards • 3. Knowledge, Understanding and Skills (Three sections) Generally Understand What You’re Doing

3 a. 1 Know and understand the key concepts of the bodies of knowledge, which are relevant to their profession-specific practice. This standard requires the student has the appropriate academic knowledge to perform the job. • A copy of an accredited degree in biomedical science or other appropriate academic qualification gained in accordance with the IBMS letter of assessment is all the evidence required for this standard.

3 a. 2 Know how professional principles are expressed and translated into action through a number of different approaches to practice, and how to select or modify approaches to meet the needs of an individual, groups or communities. This standard requires the student to be flexible in their approach to their work. What similarities and differences are there between areas of the laboratory? Has anything happened to make you change how you work?

3 a. 3 Understand the need to establish and maintain a safe practice environment. This standard requires the student works safely What are the health and safety implications of any given incident, event or activity

How do you show you have met these standards?

Compiling Evidence of Achievement • Form a working knowledge (if not understanding) of the Standards • Produce evidences with specific Standard(s) in mind • At the end of each piece of work add a "certification & verification of authenticity" signed by both yourself and a senior member of staff who will vouch for the work's originality • Always be mindful that any piece of work can evidence more than one Standard

Evidence of Achievement Many types of evidence can be used • • Set questions Reflective diaries Photo diaries Annotated documentation Essays Affidavits Anything at all that shows you’ve learned something Evidence collection is not a paper collecting exercise. Collect evidence with specific standards in mind. How much is enough – One A 4 folder in total (!)

Evidence of Achievement There is advice for specific evidences you might wish to produce at: http: //www. energize-group. co. uk/dave/prereg/ Bear in mind Ø Your work must be original – *your* work, and certified as such. Ø Photocopies of documents are acceptable provided they are annotated to demonstrate salient features. Ø All work must be anonymised – no information that might identify a specific patient.

Some Examples You have written up an incident in which there was a laboratory error. (four standards) ØIn describing how and why you may have referred to senior staff you have evidenced Standard 1 a. 6 ØIn describing how you may avoid such an instance in the future you have evidenced Standard 2 b. 3 ØIn describing how practice may be changed to avoid such an instance in the future you have evidenced Standard 3 a. 2 ØIn describing the recording of such an incident you have evidenced Standard 2 b. 5

Some Examples It snowed, so you walked to work when others didn’t. (three standards) ØProfessional duty of care- 1 a. 5 ØSelf-management of workload and resources (are they different to normal? ) - 1 a. 7 ØDealing with out of the ordinary - 3 a. 2

Some Examples Give a presentation on a professional topic of your choice (nine standards) ØConfidentiality about patient data - 1 a. 3 ØDo you need consent? - 1 a. 4 ØCPD - 1 a. 8 ØNon-pathological aspects of your topic - 1 b. 1 ØPathological aspects of your topic - 1 b. 2 ØBlood tests - 2 a. 3 ØTest results - 2 a. 4 ØDiscussions with colleagues - 2 c. 2 ØWhat have you learned - 3 a. 2

Some Examples An essay describing the journey of a sample from the GP to a result being sent back (ten standards) ØInteracting with other professionals (phone calls/porters/nurses) - 1 b. 1 ØHow do you know what to do with the blood sample - 1 b. 3 ØRealising which samples might be rejected - 2 a. 1 Ø"Doing blood tests" - 2 a. 3 ØUnderstanding the testing you've done - 2 a. 4 ØUse of general laboratory equipment - 2 b. 4 ØRecording what you've done - 2 b. 5 ØEnsuring the results are valid - 2 c. 1 ØThis *is* an audit (!) - 2 c. 2 ØHealth & Safety implications of what you've done - 3 a. 3

Some Examples An annotated “photo diary” of your working week (twelve standards) ØSpotting limitations in your knowledge and skills - 1 a. 6 ØOrganising your workload - 1 a. 7 ØInteracting with other professionals (phone calls/porters/nurses) - 1 b. 1 ØInteracting with other areas of pathology - 1 b. 2 ØRealising which samples might be rejected - 2 a. 1 ØDealing with lab data - 2 a. 2 Ø"Doing blood tests" - 2 a. 3 ØUnderstanding the testing you've done - 2 a. 4 ØUse of general laboratory equipment - 2 b. 4 ØRecording what you've done - 2 b. 5 ØDealing with untoward incidents and modifying work patterns accordingly - 3 a. 2 ØHealth & Safety implications of what you've done - 3 a. 3

Numbering Evidence of Achievement • Number each of your evidences arbitrarily 1, 2, 3, . . regardless of to which Standard any piece of work refers • Begin numbering your evidences right from the moment you start work on your portfolio • Compile a list of your evidences right from the moment you start work on your portfolio

Numbering Evidence of Achievement • Compile a grid demonstrating which evidence demonstrates competence against which Standard (This will ensure that time is not wasted creating a wealth of evidence for some Standards, whist others are missed)

Portfolio Reviews • How often ? ? • Who with ? ?

Assessment • When portfolio is finished…. • IBMS verifier comes to assess the portfolio & laboratory • Not coming to assess trainees as individuals • only that you have satisfied the standards

Assessment • Verifier could be from any discipline • Tour of Laboratory so the trainee can impress them with their knowledge • Say whether you have enough evidence • if Yes - will arrange for the delivery of the certificate of competence • if No - will say what evidence needs to be enlarged upon

Any questions…. .