Dear everyone,

I attended a training session about the ARCP process recently and learnt many things that I wanted to pass on to you all. I hope that this letter will provide all the information you need to prepare for your ARCP.

For those of you who are new to the term, ARCP (Annual Review of Competence Progression) is a yearly event where your progress as a doctor is reviewed and a decision is made as to whether you are ready to pass on to the next year of training.

There are 3 objectives of the ARCP:

1. Review evidence of the competencies you have gained over the last year and look at your progress to decide the 'OUTCOME' of your ARCP.
2. Give you an opportunity to give feedback on your training over the preceding year. There will be an on-line survey to complete. This is reviewed and acted on. As a result of feedback from previous years the management training seminars have been introduced.
3. Provide an opportunity for the ARCP Panel (normally 3 consultants) to give you advice on your career.

In the East of England the ARCP takes place on a face to face basis in years ST1,ST3, ST5, ST7 and ST8 and in the intervening years it is done on the basis of evidence reviewed from your e-Portfolio. 

You will be notified of your ARCP a minimum of 6 weeks prior to the date and this gives you time to get the documentation that you need ready. This year this time frame may be shorter due to administrative challenges. Here are a list of things that you need to prepare:

1. Form R - this will be emailed to you by the Deanery. It is a demographics form with your address details etc... and just needs updating every year so that the deanery have all the correct contact details for you.
2. Up to date CV - this will be used by the panel as evidence of your compentencies and also to help them advise you appropriately about your future career. This should be uploaded as well to the E-Portfolio.
3. Educational Supervisors report - this is called a 'Trainer's report' on e-Portfolio and needs to be completed by you and your educational supervisor on e-Portfolio prior to your ARCP. It is found under your supervisor's log in - Click on Supervision (one of the options along the horizontal toolbar across the top of the page), then select Training period to include the whole training year, and then Trainer's report is one of the options to select. This produces a form that you then need to complete together. This is a very important form as it will be reviewed at your ARCP and is the main evidence used to determine if you have fulfilled criteria such as workplace-based assessments etc... If you don't have the minimum number of WPBAs completed (see RCPCH Website and ePortfolio links) then you will not be given a pass and will have to complete the remaining WPBAs and then have your evidence reviewed again. For those in LTFT training, the number of workplace based assessments that you need to complete is pro rata (if you do 60% hours, then you need to do 60% of the WPBAs). All trainees will be reviewed annually.
4. Your eMSF - this is your 360 appraisal that is completed via ASSET. This is also reviewed at your ARCP and it is very important that you have looked through this with your educational supervisor prior to your ARCP - book a time to do this in the 6 weeks leading up to your ARCP. 

You are then awarded an OUTCOME for your ARCP which is then saved onto your e-Portfolio. Possible outcomes include;

Outcome 1	Satisfactory progress, able to pass onto the next stage of training.
Outcome 2	Development of specific competencies required, additional training time not required.
Outcome 3	Inadequate progress by the trainee, additional training time required.
Outcome 4	Released from training programme with or without specified competencies.
Outcome 5	Incomplete evidence presented - additional training time may be required (This is the outcome you will be given if you do not complete the minimum WPBAs, or are not able to provide a Trainers report etc and you will have two weeks to submit evidences).
Outcome 6	Gained all required competencies - will be recommended as having completed the training programme and for award of a CCT or CESR.
Outcome 7	For those in FTSTAs and LATs to document the competencies achieved.
Outcome 8	Out of programme for research, approved clinical training or a career break.
Outcome 9	Doctors undertaking top-up training in a training post.

I hope that this is helpful and good luck with all the online forms!

Best wishes,

Rachel Shute
Paediatric Trainee Representative, East of England Deanery