Stage 1

Support begins at a local level, and can be initiated by anyone who becomes aware that a trainee is experiencing difficulties, including the trainee themselves.

Early intervention is key at this stage, along with transparent communication and regular performance feedback from you – the supervisor – to the trainee.

We have developed the Improving Performance Action Plan (IPAP), which you can work through with your trainee to set agreed learning actions and expected outcomes. Support through the IPAP is usually offered for up to 6 months, depending on the nature of the difficulties and progress made.

We're not notified at this stage. If, over the designated period of time (usually 6 months), your trainee achieves their learning objectives and returns to meeting the expected levels of performance for training, they can return to the standard training pathway and requirements. There's no need to advise us or future supervisors that the trainee has been on the pathway.

Our Training Support Unit is on hand for advice throughout this process.

Stage 2

If the trainee's difficulties aren't resolved at the end of this period of local support, you'll need to notify us using the supervisor assessment report at the end of the training period.

Our Training Support Unit will then get in touch to arrange additional support.

During Stage 2 Training Support, the trainee will need to submit an IPAP, and 3-monthly reports to the Training Support Unit, so they can assist the relevant training committee to monitor their performance.

Stage 3

At the completion of Stage 2 Support, the relevant training committee will assess all the submitted information and either decide to continue monitoring the trainee's performance with another period of Stage 2 support, or, if there are still significant difficulties, then Stage 3 – a Comprehensive Review of Training (CRT) – is implemented. There are 2 possible outcomes of this:

• Involuntary discontinuation of training

OR

• Training continues with conditions – if the conditions are subsequently not met, then training will be involuntarily discontinued without another CRT.

Trainee Support documents

Advanced trainee in difficulty (Supervisors)

Basic trainee in difficulty (Directors of Physician Education)

Training Support: Helping trainees get back on track (eLearning resource)

College Training Support Policy

Training Support Process Document

Training Support Pathway Diagram

Professional Development for Supervisors

Supervisor Professional Development Program (SPDP)

We recognise that supervision is key to the learning of our future physicians. It's vital that supervisors have access to professional development opportunities to support them in their roles as teachers and assessors. We developed the Supervisor professional development program to meet this need.

Other Resources for Supervisors

Access other resources to enhance teaching and supervision skills.