It is for those applying for approval or re-approval as GP educators. 

If you are seeking re-approval to renew your current status you might be:

1.  an out-of-hours (OOH) supervisor, also known as a clinical supervisor
2.  an associate trainer (AT), also known as a named clinical supervisor
3.  a trainer (T), also known as an educational supervisor.

If you are seeking 1st time approval you might be doing so through either:

1. the pre - 2019 routes of postgraduate certificate (T) or deanery courses (OOH, AT, AT to T)
2. the post - 2019 tiered educator route of e-learning followed by a number of deanery and higher education days.

Whichever of these routes you have taken, you will now be seeking recognition as either:

1. a tier 2a educator = an out-of-hours (OOH) supervisor, also known as a clinical supervisor
2. a tier 2b educator = an associate trainer (AT), also known as a named clinical supervisor
3. a tier 3 educator = trainer, also known as an educational supervisor.

Before you make your application, please make sure you have spoken to one of your TPDs as they will support and advise you through the process and introduce you to the local and deanery admin team through whom you will make your application. 

If you are applying for first-time approval, please make sure you: 

1. have completed all the necessary stages of training for your tier.
2. that you have completed your training in an appropriate interval (the general expectation is that Tier 2 training will be completed within one year and Tier 3 training within two years. Any exceptions to this will need to be agreed with the Head of School)
3. apply at an appropriate point after CCT: first application for tier 2 can be made one year after CCT ; first application for tier 3 can be made two years after CCT if you are in a training practice, or after three years if you are in a non-training practice 

(Please be aware that as a short-term measure, potential educators who completed their initial training under the previous system will be allowed a year from April 2019 in which to complete the approval process. They will need to provide evidence of appropriate educator CPD at the time of their approval application. If these potential educators have not completed the approval process by April 2020, they will need to complete the new Tiered training process.)

If you are applying for first time approval, we would like to see evidence across a number of areas:

• Your attendance at trainers’ workshops and a reflection on your learning (we expect you to attend at least one before your first application)
• Evidence of your ability to consult with patients
• Evidence that you can do a CBD/COT
• Evidence that you can navigate the eportfolio
• Evidence of an ability to debrief
• Evidence that you have obtained MRCGP

The evidence may come in several forms:

• From the eLearning modules you complete
• From the study days you attend
• From observed practice in your study groups 
• Through observation by other educators 

** Because your route to approval may take several months please make sure you keep a record of your learning and the dates of your modules and study days. When you complete the form, you will be better prepared to reflect on your learning and progress. **

Your first period of approval is usually set at two years with a review at one year.

By first re-approval, educators would be expected to:

• Attend 50% of OOH Supervisor support workshops, with reflection on learning
• Provide evidence of benchmarking a COT and audio-COT, with reflection
• Demonstrate PDP objectives in your NHS appraisal linked to training

Ongoing approval is usually for five years with a review at four. At the end of a 4-5 year approval review period you will be asked to provide evidence around these areas: 

• Attendance at a local approvals panel (desirable)
• Attendance at a regional GP educator development day
• Attendance at 50% of OOH Supervisor workshops, with reflection on your learning
• Evidence of benchmarking a COT and audio-COT, again with reflection
• Peer review of teaching
• PDP objectives in your NHS appraisal linked to training
• Equality and diversity training every 3 years
• It is desirable to attend a regional symposium once in the review period

Additionally, feedback will be collected from your TPDs and trainees.

Your first period of approval is usually set at two years with a review at one year.

By first re-approval, educators would be expected to:

• Observation of a local ARCP panel 
• Attend a regional GP educator development day
• Attend 50% of trainers’ workshops, with reflection on learning
• Provide evidence of benchmarking a CBD and COT, with reflection
• Demonstrate PDP objectives in your NHS appraisal linked to training

Ongoing approval is usually for five years with a review at four. At the end of a 4-5 year approval review period you will be asked to provide evidence around these areas:

• Participation in a local ARCP panel 
• Attendance at a local approvals panel
• Attendance at a regional GP educator development day
• Attendance at 50% of trainers’ workshops, with reflection on your learning
• Evidence of benchmarking a CBD and COT, again with reflection
• Peer review of teaching
• PDP objectives in your NHS appraisal linked to training
• Equality and diversity training every 3 years 
• If you are tier 3, feedback on your ESRs 
• It is desirable to attend a regional symposium once in the review period

Additionally, feedback will be collected from your TPDs and trainees.

• The form is completed online. If you would like to keep a copy for your own records, please print off the completed form
• The form begins with: Demographics, Contact Details, General information about the Learning Environment, and Declarations.
• You are then asked whether you are applying for the first time or seeking re-approval and what tier you are applying for: 2A, 2B or 3. Your selection here will determine which bit of the form you will see next: so for example if you are applying for tier 2A and have come down the new ‘post 2019’ modular route, you will be asked to confirm details of the e-learning modules and study days you have completed. 

N.B. If you get to a section of the form that doesn’t seem to apply to you (and you are sure you have made the right selection to get there!) please just fill in the text box with a comment of explanation. (For example, the form may ask you for the dates of your eLearning modules, but you may be applying having done the ‘pre 2019’ pathway and there was no need to do these modules – in this case just add a comment in the boxes to explain the route you have taken.)

• The main body of the form has seven sections. Please work your way through these sections and enter your answers in the relevant text box area. Be aware that you cannot embed documents or attach documents, so your answers to each question need to be self-contained (however you may copy and paste into the text box from other documents if it’s relevant - but be careful as some formatting may not come across). 
• Once you have completed the form please apply your digital signature (there are details with the form on how to do this), and submit it as instructed.

The seven sections of the form are based on the standards set by the GMC and AoMRC (Association of the Medical Royal Colleges) and are:

• Section 1: Ensuring Safe and Effective Care Through Training
• Section 2: Establishing and maintaining an environment for learning
• Section 3: Teaching and facilitating learning
• Section 4: Enhancing learning through assessment
• Section 5: Supporting and monitoring educational progress
• Section 6: Guiding personal and professional development
• Section 7: Continuing Professional Development as an Educator

The general expectation is that Tier 2 training will be completed within 1 year and Tier 3 training within 2 years. Any exceptions to this will need to be agreed with the Head of School.

For Tier 2 educators- applications can be considered 1 year after CCT

For Tier 3 educators - when working in an established training practice, applications for approval as a new GP educator can be considered after 2 years. When working in a non-training practice, the interval should be 3 years.

Fallow periods which have been actively chosen by the educator and/or learning organisation of up to 12 months need to be agreed with the local training programme and should not usually have any impact on the educator’s approval status. The approval period will remain the same, unless the absence happens within a year of the educator’s initial approval. In this case, the 1-2 year re-approval will be deferred by up to a year to allow the educator sufficient time to gather the evidence for successful re-approval.

If the fallow period has been for more than 1 year, once the GP educator is ready to resume active training, the educator should arrange a meeting with one of the local TPDs. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss any changes that have occurred during the educator’s fallow period and to ensure that the educator is ready to return to training. Assuming this meeting is successful, the educator can start working with GP trainees again. The approval period will remain the same to act as a further check. If the TPD has concerns though, a face to face re-approval interview will be arranged with the appropriate Associate Dean and the educator will need to complete a re-approval form.

Where a fallow period has occurred due to a lack of trainees to be placed at the practice, and the educator has continued to attend local trainer group meetings as well as appropriate regional educator meetings, there will not be any impact on the educator’s or learning organisation’s approval status.

If the GP Educators have been on sick leave more than 4 weeks, it would be necessary to move the GP Trainee to different environment unless alternative appropriate educational supervision can be provided by the practice. Please ensure that you liaise with TPD about this.

A significant change to the learning organisation will generally lead to a learning organisation approval visit. Such changes could include new premises and practice mergers. Please see the guidance on merged and Federated practices.

This is a monthly meeting of the senior GP educator team involving the GP Dean, the Head of School and the GP Associate Deans. The Quality team presents the Panel with a list of the educators and learning organisations that have received provisional approval during the preceding month. The Panel will discuss any potential issues before confirming the approval status.  After the meeting, the Quality team will then email each applicant a copy of their final approval form and update the relevant databases, including the GMC register.