First Year as a Consultant Support

The South West Population and Public Health Academy recently looked at how we could provide additional support to those people who are in their first year as a consultant in Public Health.

It was agreed that we should provide the below in terms of support:

• Provide structured support in the form of a two-year programme consisting of 3 workshops per year. The workshops would need to be supported by senior consultants in public health and specialist guest speakers e.g. human resources.
• To provide informal mentoring support to new consultants for a limited period of time, from senior consultants in public health through an arrangement facilitated by specialty tutors.
• To evaluate both formal and informal support to new consultants using signposting to other resources.

This page provides some information on the opportunities that are available for people in their first year of a consultant post. 

New consultants have often reported that they found it difficult in knowing what they should be aware of in their first year and we hope that these resources will help.

First Consultant Workshops

The South West Population and Public Health Academy are pleased to offer new consultants in Public Health in the South West access to workshops that will provide them with a regionally recognised support structure.

Depending on identified support needs, colleagues with particular expertise will be invited to support these workshops e.g. HR, coaches/facilitators. Each workshop will have a theme which contributes to a rolling agenda of workshops e.g., CPD, hints and tips, wellbeing, culture.

These workshops will be supported by senior/experienced consultants in Public Health who will also act informally as mentors to new consultants (please see below).

Upcoming workshops for new consultants:

• 19 April 2023 2-4 pm via MS Teams
• 3 October 2023 1-3 pm via MS Teams

If you are a new consultant in Public Health and would like an invite to the workshops, please contact england.publichealth.sw@nhs.net.

Mentoring

Experienced consultants who support the workshops described above will also become mentors to new consultants for the period of a year.

This informal mentoring support for new consultants will be facilitated by Specialty Tutors.

Self-directed action learning sets and informal peer support networks may also be available to new consultants and established through the workshop network. The ownership of these sits with new consultants to organise and maintain and are inclusive of all new consultants in the region.

South West Public Health Supervisors

All South West Public Health Specialty Registrars currently training have an accredited Educational Supervisor, an Academic Supervisor and will be supported for individual projects by an Activity Supervisor. Consultants in the South West are welcome to attend the training to become an accredited Supervisor. 

For more information on Supervision or becoming a Supervisor in the South West, please see the dedicated trainer section on the school website.

Only Consultants in Public Health in a substantive post can become accredited Educational Supervisors.

Further Information

If you are in your first year as a Consultant in Public Health post and would like to join the network to access the support offered, please contact england.publichealth.sw@nhs.net.

Please also contact the team if you would like further information or if you have any queries.