Workforce, training and education
East of England

East of England

Foundation Dental Therapist Application 2024

Applications to join the East of England Dental Therapy Foundation Training will be made online using an electronic form. This is being carried out in association with Midlands, South West, North West and North East Regions. Your application will be considered for any of the regions that you select when completing the form, but you will be able to highlight your preferred choice of Region.

Applications will be open from the 1st March 2024 and will close on the 28th March 2024 at 23:59.

You will be contacted by each of the regions for which you have applied with details of the process they will be following for practice allocation.

Introduction

Dental Therapy Foundation Training is a bespoke programme for newly qualified Dental Therapists to enhance their skill set within their scope of practice in an approved NHS dental training practice. The scheme covers the East of England Region The Scheme is for Dental Therapists within the first two years of qualification. Emphasis is placed on continuing professional development throughout the course as well as increasing clinical skills and confidence. One of the aims of the Dental Therapist Foundation Training Scheme, is to encourage critical thinking and evidence-based practice.

Application to the course as a Foundation Dental Therapist (FDT) is by completion of a multi-regional online application form which can be accessed from here by clicking on the button, or using the QR code.

QR Code for FDT application form




For those applicants selecting East of England, a further application and ranking process will apply for practice allocation.

The closing date for applications is 28th March 2024 at 23.59.

The Training Practices

The approved Training Practices will be located across the East of England Region. The role of the Educational Supervisors on the scheme is to provide support to the FDT. This will be in the form of: clinical support in the surgery, where necessary; one to one teaching in the form of tutorials and advice; and assistance with non-clinical issues of general practice. All the Educational Supervisors will have demonstrated a commitment to training and education as well as having been judged to offer both the guidance and the practising environment necessary to provide a good training experience.

Allocation to approved Educational Supervisors and Training practices will take place during June 2024.

Employment

Each practice will provide places for two FDTs, each of whom will spend two days undertaking clinical work in the practice between Monday and Thursday according to a schedule determined at the start of year. Both FDTs are expected to attend a third day (Friday) for Scheme Study Days, eLearning or administrative tasks. You will thus be employed for 21 hours per week. This will allow you to manage patients free from financial pressures and give you the benefit of an assured income at the end of the first month in practice. You will have a contract of employment and will be entitled to 28 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, pro-rata to the number of days you work in the practice. You may not take holidays that coincide with the study days. The scheme, and your employment, starts on 1st September 2024 and finishes on the 31st August 2025.

Salary

This is an employed position, and the salary is based on the NHS Agenda for Change salary scale, Band 6. Details of the current rates are available here, and will be set pro-rata to the number of hours you work at the practice. This does not mean you are an NHS employee, the salary is simply based on the NHS pay scale. Your employment is directly with the practice.

The Study Day Programme

The educational programme for the scheme consists of approximately 20 study days throughout the year, usually held on Fridays. Study days may take place at one of the Dental Postgraduate Centres in East of England or as on-line session via MS Teams. Sessions are normally held from 9.30am - 4.30pm with suitable breaks for lunch and refreshments. There will be a mixture of presentations and problem solving seminars, workshops and ‘Hands-on’ experiences. The courses are centrally funded, so there is no charge for attendance. The study day course is part of your appointment and attendance is mandatory. If you miss a session (e.g. through ill health) you should attend another study day, agreed with the Programme Lead, to ensure that you have completed the educational programme. This may have to be at your own cost.

Speakers and Contributors

The presenters of each session are highly regarded in their particular field of activity. They are, however, asked only to guide sessions and it is hoped that FDTs will involve themselves fully in the discussions and share their own experiences and ideas with the rest of the group. Group learning is an extremely powerful educational method and reinforces the concepts of experiential and peer review. Some study days may be shared with the Dental Foundation Trainees, and these will provide extended opportunities for team learning and discussion.

Assessment and Recording of Progress

An online e-Portfolio will be used throughout the period of training. This has various elements, commencing with the agreed record of discussion between you and your Educational Supervisor at the start of the programme, where each records their expectations of what is to be achieved. During your induction you will complete a record of your current clinical experience, which with discussion will help guide your learning in practice. There are several sections where you can reflect upon your experiences and progress, and logs to record fully your clinical activity. During the year you will be assessed by your Educational Supervisor and other colleagues using nationally recognised assessment tools, and these are supplemented by Multi Source Feedback and Patient Satisfaction questionnaires. These are to ensure that you receives regular structured feedback and are aware of your progress. You will also be expected to complete a clinical record keeping review, a Clinical Case Presentation (to be judged) and a clinical audit. There are no formal examinations, but there are progress reviews at intervals during the year and at the end of the training programme. These reviews are carried out by independent Panels who will look at the evidence contained in your ePortfolio.

Completion of Foundation Training

Completion of Foundation Training will be based on attendance of the Study Day Programme, Completion of the Portfolio, Audit, Key Skills, Case Presentation, Exit Interview and Trainer/ Programme Lead reports. A certificate will be issued on completion of Foundation Training.

Application and Appointment to Practices

To apply for a place on the Scheme please use the multi region online application form available from . Once applications have been received at East of England you will be contacted and asked to provide further information about your experience and eligibility for the Scheme. There will also be a section which requires you to provide four Supporting Statements. These invite you to outline your reasons for wishing to undertake Foundation Training and to describe and reflect upon your skills and experiences. Your responses will be marked and scored by an independent panel. The panel will be assessing your application not only on your eligibility for the Programme but also for your answers to the four Supporting Statements within the form. They will be assessing these for Content, Clarity and Reflection.

When all the applications have been marked, they will be ranked by score, and the top ranking applicants will be offered a place on the Scheme.

Allocation to the Training Practices will be by a ranked selection process. If you are appointed to the Scheme, you will be asked to rank your choices of the Training Practices available and applicants will be then allocated their choices in order of their application score ranking. Full details of all the Training Practices will be available on the East of England website for you to make meaningful decisions. Once allocations have been made, the appointed applicants will be able to contact the practice and arrange directly working days, contracts and other details required for employment. Information about the Study Days, together with logins for your ePortfolio and eLearning will come from the Programme Lead or the East of England admin team.

Provisional Timeline - Subject to change

1st March 2024 


Dental Foundation Therapist applications open online.


28th March 2024


Closing date for all Foundation Dental Therapist applications.

Applicants are advised to submit their applications well in advance of the deadline, as late applications cannot be accepted. 

April


East of England selection process begins.


June


Foundation Dental Therapist outcomes emailed to FT applicants


June


Educational Supervisor outcomes emailed to ES applicants

June


Matching and Allocation process for Foundation Therapist applicants to Training Practices

.

August


Educational Agreements DEADLINE

September


Dental Therapist Foundation Training programme commences, East of England Dental Foundation Trainees start in post

Early November


Educational Supervisor Application opens for DTFT starting in following year

Early December 


Educational Supervisor Applications DUE for posts starting in following year

Spring  


Educational Supervisor approval interviews and scoring

May  


Educational Supervisor outcomes emailed to ES applicants

 

 

 

Friday, 9 November, 2018
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