You are here
Designated Supervisor Information and Resources
This website is designed to support designated supervisors with information about the Trainee Pharmacist Foundation Year.
Guidance for designated supervisors
Foundation training is designed to give trainee pharmacists the support, direction, information and resources they need to bridge the transition from studying to registering as pharmacists. Designated supervisors play a vital role in guiding trainees through this important year in practice. With foundation training sites required to use the new interim learning outcomes in 2021/22, we are keen to help you:
- provide a consistent, quality-assured approach to assessing trainee pharmacists, no matter where they are based
- boost your confidence in reviewing trainees’ evidence against the new interim learning outcomes
- boost your confidence in signing off trainees as competent foundation pharmacists.
Key resources
The following resources are available to support you in your role:
- NHS England Foundation Trainee Pharmacist Assessment Strategy: This key document outlines the assessment strategy and how it works, including a section on the role of the designated supervisor. An overview video of the assessment strategy is available here. An executive summary is also available.
- Foundation Trainee Pharmacist Assessment Activities and Tools Guide: This document sets out the 21 assessment activities and the associated tools in detail and shows which learning outcomes each of the activities is anticipated to provide evidence for.
- Visual mapping of the assessment activities: This excel document is a visual map of the assessment activities, showing how they are anticipated to provide evidence against each learning outcome.
- A joint slide deck with NHSE and the GPhC explains the context for change, the key changes, and the national offer that we are developing for training sites in England.
- An E-portfolio with dedicated user guides for the new e-portfolio by role. Detailed information about the e-portfolio, assessment tools, resources and videos are on the companion web page 'E-portfolio and downloadable resources'.
- Trainee support guide: This document outlines the educational support processes in place for pharmacy trainees (foundation trainee pharmacists and pre-registration trainee pharmacy technicians) who are undertaking NHS England commissioned training.
We continue to update the Frequently Asked Questions. You will find these at the bottom of the page.
Join our mailing list
To receive news by email about the initial education and training of pharmacists, please register here.
Please check the Frequently Asked Questions below. If you have more questions to ask, please drop us a line at: traineepharmacist@hee.nhs.uk.
What are the criteria to be a designated supervisor? Do you have to be an independent prescriber to be a designated supervisor?
The eligibility criteria for designated supervisors are set by the GPhC and can be found here. You do NOT have to be an independent prescriber to be a designated supervisor.
In the future, when independent prescribing is incorporated into the foundation training year, trainee pharmacists will need a designated prescribing practitioner to support their learning and assess them against specific outcomes. This may be a different person to their designated supervisor.
The GPhC will provide further updates as decisions are made around the implementation of the full learning outcomes over coming years, and how this will be reflected in any changes to the current supervision requirements.
Are designated supervisors required to have mandatory training to ensure that they can perform this role effectively?
The GPhC have set out eligibility requirements for designated supervisors that must be met, in the same way that eligibility requirements for pre-registration tutors were previously required. Pharmacy professionals are expected to act in accordance with their standards for pharmacy professionals. In line with standard four, they would expect a registrant to have the appropriate knowledge and skills to carry out the role of the designated supervisor.
The GPhC Designated Supervisor page has the following linked resources:
- GPhC Foundation training 2021/22 – Designated supervisor suitability policy
- GPhC Foundation training year 2021/22 – Guidance for foundation training supervisors
- Foundation training year 2021/22 – Designated supervisor development resource
HEE do not currently mandate training for designated supervisors, but we strongly encourage all training sites / employers to ensure that all designated supervisors have reviewed and are familiar with the assessment strategy resources on our website, and that they have completed appropriate training relating to education supervision skills. Where a training post is funded by HEE, there is a requirement that the training site meets the HEE Quality Framework criteria, as set out in the Education Contract. This includes criteria relating to appropriate education and practice supervision for each trainee.
Resources available for education supervision training include:
- E-learning for healthcare (e-LfH) Pharmacy Educational Supervisor Training
- CPPE gateway page: ‘Helping others learn’
- Regionally commissioned courses where available. Please contact your regional HEE pharmacy office for more information:
North West: england.WTEpharmacy.nw@nhs.net
North East and Yorkshire: england.wtepharmacy.ney@nhs.net
Midlands: england.wtepharmacy.mids@nhs.net
East of England: england.WTEpharmacy.eoe@nhs.net
London: england.wtepharmacy.london@nhs.net
South East (Kent, Surrey and Sussex): england.WTEpharmacy.se@nhs.net
South East (Thames Valley and Wessex): england.WTEpharmacy.se@nhs.net
South West: england.wtepharmacy.sw@nhs.net
Will designated supervisors be trained on the new assessment strategy and tools before their trainees start?
A range of resources about the HEE Assessment Strategy is available on our website, including:
- Visual mapping of the assessment activities
- Assessment tools and associated short training videos
We continue to engage with employees in all sectors to support them with use of the assessment strategy.
Additional support resources continue to developed and made available. To receive news and updates by email about the initial education and training of pharmacists, please complete this form.
Will the HEE commissioned training programmes for foundation training change this year / next year?
The provision varies regionally, and we will move towards a more consistent approach over the next few years as the IETP reforms are fully implemented. We will continue to engage with you to keep you updated.
We are developing our national offer of training materials, but these are intended to complement rather than replace local or other training programmes.
To receive news and updates by email about the initial education and training of pharmacists, please register here.
Is there going to be some protected time to help with supervision?
It is down to the employing organisation/training providers to determine how best designated supervisors are supported to supervise and assess trainee pharmacists.
Where a training post is funded by Health Education England, there is a requirement that the training site meets the HEE Quality Framework criteria, as set out in the Education Contract. This includes criteria relating to appropriate education and practice supervision for each trainee.
Do you have to be an independent prescriber to be a designated supervisor?
The eligibility criteria for designated supervisors are set by the GPhC and can be found here.
You do NOT have to be an independent prescriber to be a designated supervisor.
In the future, when independent prescribing is incorporated into the foundation training year, trainee pharmacists will need a designated prescribing practitioner (DPP) to support their learning and assess them against specific outcomes. This may be a different person to their designated supervisor.
The GPhC will provide further updates as decisions are made around the implementation of the full learning outcomes over coming years, and how this will be reflected in any changes to the current supervision requirements.
Trainee support guide
Outlines educational support processes for pharmacy trainees undertaking NHS England commissioned training
Find out more