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Page 40 | Bulletin 93 | September 2015 expenses for attending AACs and we plan to develop advice for consultants and trusts. In particular the practice that some trusts have started of ‘employing’ assessors for a day causes substantial problems. Fellow assessors and Regional Advisors will recognise another recurring theme which I hope we can help to address, namely the surprising variation and often poor quality around job descriptions and particularly person specifications. I wonder how many colleagues have been involved in situations where committees have felt trapped into shortlisting or even offering posts to relatively weak applicants simply because they felt unable not to shortlist people who meet their criteria? Many employers have developed strong specifications, which can be fairly and transparently applied to suit most consultant appointments. Such examples should be shared more widely. AAC Assessor days at the College The College has hosted AAC updates and training days for new and established assessors for several years, and informally the feedback from these days has been good. I believe these days are really valuable and we should build on their success. We are currently planning our next meeting for 8 April 2016. It is our intention that these days will be an opportunity for us to share good (and poor) practice, set direction and develop clear plans. We will also explore the option of working with senior HR and directorate management to see how the individual experience of AAC assessors and the collective national perspective of the College can be used to identify, develop and promote best practice. As part of this approach we intend to continue to expand the guidance available on the website including a selection of FAQs (www.rcoa.ac.uk/aac). consistency. It is my intention to work closely with our Regional Advisors around post approval, and in particular the areas of supporting professional activities, subspecialist sessions, flexibility and out of hours working. The coming years will see tensions developing between an expectation of broad-based competence, seven-day working and maintenance of excellent standards. The recent rewriting of AAC documents referred to above is an important step in developing a consistent policy and message. Looking ahead Anaesthesia and its allied disciplines represent a large and relatively cohesive set of specialty doctors. All assessors will be familiar with the ‘MFR’ form (Medical Fields of Recruitment), which we dutifully complete following AAC attendance. This information represents a valuable resource, and I hope that with some small adjustment we can make the process of completing the form easier for assessors and the information returned more accessible and useful. There are other potential opportunities, to improve the process of consultant appointments and for the College to provide an example for other specialties. For further information on AACs or how to become an AAC assessor please contact aac@rcoa.ac.uk or 0207 092 1571. A joined up process? One of the purposes of establishing a Lead Assessor was to help develop
Page 41 | Bulletin 93 | September 2015 CPD Framework – an evolution The College offers a number of resources to support doctors with their CPD. One example is the CPD Matrix which has been a valuable tool in providing support to the specialty since 2010. Jeremy Langton Chairman of the CPD Board, RCoA Council Member However, over time the requirements and the environment in which the CPD Matrix operates have changed substantially, and it is therefore appropriate to revise and update this guidance resource. An options appraisal document was considered by College Council in June 2014 when it was agreed that the existing CPD Matrix should change and evolve. This work was undertaken by a specially convened Matrix Revision Group, and proposals from this group for a new CPD Framework were agreed by Council in March 2015, to be developed as a workstream over the next 18 months. In an attempt to gather further information, a user survey was conducted by the College in January and February 2015, part of which included questions specifically about the use of the CPD Matrix. Over three-quarters (529 out of 681, or 77.7%) of the respondents replied that they did use the CPD Matrix, with the majority citing its function as a broad taxonomy to classify and guide their CPD. For the 152 respondents who did not use the CPD Matrix, the main reasons were that the benefits were unclear to them and that they felt it was too complex or unhelpful. that now exists in appraisal and revalidation processes. This aim reflects the suggestions received from respondents on how the existing CPD Matrix could be improved. Another aim is that the new CPD Framework should as far as possible be future proofed, with the opportunity to easily make updates (for example, incorporating changes and developments in clinical practice) without causing disruption. The new Framework should be more interactive and personalised, and include a greater reporting functionality – again reflecting feedback received. The CPD Framework should only be available on-line and optimised for mobile and tablet usage. It should be more appropriate for the post Shape of Training environment, and should if possible interact and link to other IT systems. This will improve the relevance and functionality of the system. Key principles A number of key principles were used in the development of this CPD Framework: ■■ There should be a focus on the individual, making the CPD Framework easy to use, relevant and personalised. A number of future improvements to the CPD Matrix were suggested, with the most popular suggestions being that it could be simplified/ redesigned, that better guidance could be provided on the Level 3 topics, and that an interactive or personalised future version could be developed. This document provides an overview of the new proposed CPD Framework, including the aims and key principles to be used in its further development. Aims of the development of the CPD Framework A key aim of this project is to produce a simplified and broader CPD Framework that more accurately reflects the greater maturity ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ The use of the Framework will be optional and guided by the individual and their appraiser, their Personal Development Plan (PDP) and the content of their job plan. The use of the Framework will be clearly indicated as not mandatory, and individuals will choose whether they find this helpful as a guide to their CPD. Event providers can choose whether they code their meeting content to the Framework, and the awarding of CPD approval by the College will not be dependent on this. Users may find the Framework helpful to negotiate time away from their workplace in order to meet the CPD requirements outlined in their PDP.
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