The Training Portfolio

The training portfolio lists the competencies which all trainees in public health should achieve during their training.

Please note: the training portfoliofor the pre-August 2007 curriculum differs to that for the professional learning portfolio for the 2007 curriculum.

Please ensure that you are using the correct documentation. Both are available to download below.

 

Professional Learning Portfolio guidance - August 2007 Curriculum

The training portfolio guidance document outlines the documentation that specialty registrars should collect to form a Professional Learning Portfolio to support their professional development.

It includes templates required for keeping accurate and complete records. StRs are encouraged to develop a record of evidence both in words and in other media (such as aural/visual) as competence in public health depends as much on style and influence as on technical skill.

 

 

Training Portfolio - Pre-August 2007 curriculum

The training portfolio lists the competencies which all trainees in public health should achieve during their training. Some of these competencies will be assessed in the MFPH examinations, but most will be assessed during training.

Trainees are encouraged to log each area of work/experience into a standard format which records the aims, methods, results and outcomes supported by personal reflection on the lessons learned. This portfolio will allow audit of each learning outcome against each piece of work recorded as evidencing the learning outcome.

The trainee will also maintain a record of out of hours calls, action taken and learning. The portfolio will be presented at each RITA for scrutiny. The portfolio provides a comprehensive record of the package of assessment for each trainee.

 

 

**Guidance to using the Portfolio

The Portfolio consists of:

Section A - which allows trainees to indicate those competencies they have achieved and maintained, and demonstrate evidence to support this

Section B – which should contain information for personal use and reference

The notes below supplement the guidance printed at the front of the portfolio.

Trainer/educational supervisors and trainees should allocate dedicated time to peruse the portfolio together at least annually as part of regular appraisal.

It will be normal for several gaps to remain in the portfolio in the early years of training. A 'gap analysis' can be very helpful in determining the training objectives of a planned training placement.

Please take careful note of those competencies which must be achieved by a definite stage in training: all other competencies can be achieved at any stage.

It is recommended that every trainee keep a master copy of the portfolio Part A on which trainers' original signatures may be recorded and dated when a competency is achieved. Alternatively, a record of trainers' signatures can be maintained using the competency grid developed in West Midlands. Apart from signatures and dates achieved, this master copy may contain sparse information, while the detailed record will be contained in the annually completed Part A (which will be completed electronically in most cases) and submitted for annual review.

The trainer should sign only when the competency has been achieved to the standard expected of a newly appointed consultant/specialist.

In addition to the paper copy, every trainee should keep an electronic version of the portfolio (backed up on disk) which should be updated with each annual review, and between reviews a relevant. On this copy type in any dates for competencies that have been 'signed off' by your trainer. The RITA Panel will be helped if comments and 'signatures' added since the last review are typed in bold.

For more senior trainees who choose to use the new portfolio (i.e. that revised in 2004), there may be difficulty in accessing a past trainer who supervised some competency areas. In such cases, the trainee is advised to ask their current trainer to 'sign off' the competency area, based upon evidence from their knowledge of the trainee and upon evidence from the trainee's portfolio of work.

 

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