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Dental foundation training educational supervisor recruitment

29 November 2022

HEE in the south west is looking to increase the number of practices that offer Dental Foundation Training (DFT) as a way of assisting recruitment into NHS practices. 

The DFT route can be extremely rewarding and offers an excellent way to expand teams. It is also a fantastic opportunity to mentor and support newly qualified colleagues and something that we would encourage practices to get involved in.

We are also looking for dentists that may want to become educational supervisors (ES) in September 2023. Details of applications will open in January on the dental website.

DFT has been mandatory for new graduates wanting to get onto the NHS performers list for many years. The scheme includes: 

  • Foundation Dentists (FDs) are expected to deliver NHS care, their activity is outside the normal Units of Dental Activity (UDA) of the practice. They are at the practice for a fixed one-year contract.
  • Dental foundation educational supervisors get an annual trainers grant of £10,516 for the educational supervisor's activity together with a service cost payment of £64,164.24. This payment is to cover the cost of the surgery and items like lab bills. 
  • The Foundation Dentist is salaried, this is paid directly by the Deanery vis a single lead employer.
  • ES are expected to be available to offer guidance and support for a minimum of 3 days a week. ESs need to be friendly, approachable and have the time to support their FD. As an ES you get involved in your FDs' training, carrying out work-based assessments and helping to monitor your FDs progress.
  • The practice is expected to provide a fully equipped surgery along with an experienced nurse.
  • Foundation Dentists are extremely keen and can bring a whole new dimension to the practice. As they are salaried, they can gain valuable experience from treating high-needs patients, which can be a challenge under the UDA system

We are keen to support practices and ESs to apply and are very happy to offer informal chats or visits, if you are interested in applying then please contact the DFT administrator for further information.

We are delivering bronze and more advanced silver QI courses for postgraduate doctors in training in partnership with the South West Academic Health Science Network (South West AHSN). 

Our courses are open to postgraduate doctors in training (FY2, Core StR), Specialty and Associate Specialty (SAS) grades and dentists in training (bronze). They are interactive and practical courses with an experienced clinical faculty. The courses aim to explore QI science and methodologies, implementing a QI project in a training setting, and the challenges this may present, and how to convert completed QI projects into a presentation and prepare for publication.

Find out more about dates and registration. (MaxCourse registration required)

To deliver this programme we have collaborated with the University of Plymouth’s Faculty of Health. This programme is designed for postgraduate doctors and dentists in training (GP and Specialty ST3+), and SAS Doctors. 

The PGS programme is fully aligned with the GMC’s Generic Professional Capabilities Framework, and provides a unique combination of skills, knowledge and thinking to develop as a clinical leader within an evolving NHS. The programme consists of seven modules including a two-day new module on QI. The course requires commitment of nine days throughout the academic year for the delivery sessions, plus time required to write a final reflection.

Find out more about dates and registration

These half day virtual sessions are designed to be interactive and ensure educational and clinical supervisors have more understanding of the context for QI, the fundamentals QI methodology and how best to support, encourage and supervise good quality improvement experiences for their postgraduate doctors in training. The sessions are delivered on our behalf by QI and patient safety expert Dr Tricia Woodhead.

Find out more about dates and registration. (MaxCourse registration required)

We are excited to offer you our new resource open to all. We’ve updated and revamped our QI pages and they now feature signposted resources including: 

- how-to QI guides for those in training, and trainers;  

- project ideas;  

- QI support contacts within trusts; and  

- monthly blogs from national QI experts.

Find out more by visiting Severn QI or Peninsula QI.   

We have appointed a QI Clinical Fellow to work with our team focusing on QI as part of the strategic educational plan and faculty development for trainers and postgraduate doctors in training. The post is for one year with the post-holder spending two days studying and developing QI and gaining a postgraduate certificate qualification in Healthcare Leadership and Management with the remaining sessions spent clinically within their specialty.

Our ongoing work includes liaison with quality leads in trusts, trainers, and postgraduate doctors in training plus other stakeholders in the region to establish a QI training network and to foster support for postgraduate doctors in training to engage with Quality Improvement projects. 

We are also exploring multidisciplinary work regarding QI training. Our mission continues to be promotion of QI by facilitating training and uptake of projects by postgraduate doctors in training with aims of improving patient safety, experience and efficiency and supporting the development of their competencies and confidence to use quality improvement methods as part of their daily professional practice.

For further information or to become involved please contact us