Wales DCT Programme

Length of Training

Dental Core Training (DCT) can extend for up to three years: DCT1, DCT2, DCT3. Wales is unique in that we offer a mixture of fixed 12-month posts and a selection of whole time equivalent rotational posts for the DCT1 year, whereby Trainees have two posts each of 6 months duration. This enables Trainees to gain a wider range of experience within their first year of dental core training. The majority of DCT posts are for a fixed term of 12 months, though a small number are structured as 24-month longitudinal posts.

Educational Supervisor

Each Dental Core Trainee will be assigned a nominated Educational Supervisor who is responsible for overseeing educational progress, agreeing a personal development plan, undertaking progress reviews, providing regular feedback on progress to the Trainee and for providing evidence and recommendation for completion of training. S/he will encourage the Trainee to regularly complete the DCT e-Portfolio and to use the educational tools provided for support.

A Trainee should make arrangements to meet formally with their Educational Supervisor at the earliest opportunity and normally within the first two weeks of the placement starting. Each Trainee will need to complete a Personal Development Plan (PDP) as required by the GDC. This PDP should be uploaded onto the AXIA portfolio as required by the curriculum.

There should be regular meetings with your Educational Supervisor and your supervisor will need to complete formal reviews as required by the curriculum, these are to be recorded in the e-portfolio and should include: an initial review (within the first two weeks), an interim review towards the end of the first 6 months (IRCP) and a final review (RCP) in June/July.

You will meet with your Educational Supervisor to discuss expectations and complete the educational agreement. The following areas should be discussed at this first meeting:

how to get help in a clinical situation
department / clinic organisation and induction arrangements
holiday / sickness / study leave policy
supervision arrangements
punctuality and team working
completing the e-portfolio and reflective practice
structured learning exercises
dress code

The Educational Supervisor is in the best position to assess the Trainee’s needs. Through the various processes of assessments and appraisals these needs can be identified, discussed, and hopefully addressed. Educational Supervisors will encourage their Trainees to develop their own personal skills and attitudes.

If you are not sure who your Educational Supervisor is, please contact the DCT Manager.

Clinical Supervisor

Trainees will also have multiple clinical supervisors throughout the period of dental core training.

These are the consultants, specialists, specialty registrars, or any other clinical staff that you work with day to day in any of your placements. Clinical supervisors will only be responsible for you during a particular session and are responsible for ensuring that your day-to-day clinical training needs are being met. They should be asked to carry out structured learning exercises and to complete elements of your portfolio as appropriate.

Training Programme Director

Each Dental Core Training Scheme will have a Training Programme Director who is appointed by HEIW and who will be responsible for managing the scheme, arranging educational courses (study days, seminars, hands-on sessions, and audit days) and who will provide on-going support for both Trainees and educational and clinical supervisors.

The Training Programme Director’s main responsibilities are:

act as organiser of the scheme for Trainees in the area, in liaison with the local tutor/s, Postgraduate Centre staff, Hosting Local Health Boards (LHBs)
advise on completion and certification of training
ensure that local records of the scheme are maintained
attend the day release scheme and facilitate
ensure that regular feedback occurs between educational supervisor/Trainee/TPD and that your e-Portfolios is maintained
counsel educational supervisors and Trainees and troubleshoot problems within the scheme / programme
give career advice

E-Portfolio (E-PDP)

Each dental core Trainee must complete a HEIW approved learning and development portfolio to provide evidence of educational and training activity.

Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) uses the nationally approved AXIA e-portfolio.

Usernames and passwords for dental core Trainees will be issued and these will be sent to Trainees via email prior to the start date. It is important for Trainees to check their “junk” email folders for initial log-in details.

Portfolio support for DCT Trainees in Wales is provided by Rachel Morgan –Email: Rachel.morgan30@wales.nhs.uk

A fully completed e-portfolio is required for satisfactory completion of the training programme and this will be checked at Interim Review of Competence Progression (IRCP) in February/ March and Final Review of Competence Progression (FRCP) in July.

**Please see the detailed user guides developed by HEIW for more information on different areas of the e-portfolio how to upload evidence to the e-portfolio and to link that evidence to the curriculum items**.

The Curriculum

The Curriculum for the Dental Core Training Programme can be obtained on the COPDEND website (www.copdend.org.uk). You need to consult the September 2018 curriculum which is the current one in place for training in the UK.

The FOUR competency domains are as follows:

Professional Behaviour and Trust
Communication, Teamworking and Leadership
Clinical Safety and Quality
Good Clinical Care

Within these 4 domains there are 18 mandatory outcomes:

Professional Behaviour and Trust
- Acts professionally
- Delivers patient-centered care & maintains trust
- Behaves in accordance with ethical & legal requirements
- Keeps practice up to date with learning & teaching
- Engages in career planning
Communication, Teamworking and Leadership
- Communicates clearly in a variety of settings
- Works effectively as part of a team
- Demonstrates leadership skills
Clinical Safety and Quality
- Recognises and works within limits of professional competence
- Makes patient safety a priority in clinical practice
- Contributes to quality improvement (i.e., Clinical audit or a quality improvement project - Improvement in Practice)
Good Clinical Care
- Obtains history & performs clinical examination
- Requests relevant investigations/special tests and acts on findings
- Prescribes safely
- Performs clinical procedures safely
- Is trained in managing medical emergencies
- Promotes general and oral health

Interim Review of Competence Progression (IRCP)

IRCP takes place in February / March, prior to the changeover in rotational posts. The IRCP Panel will usually consist of the following:

Postgraduate Dental Dean or Associate Dean for DCT
TPD from another scheme
RCP/E-Portfolio

List of (typical) requirements for Outcome 1 at IRCP (Note this is subject to change in line with national guidelines and developments):

Completion of a Personal development plan (PDP) and monitored progress against that
Initial and interim Educational Supervisor reports
Submission of a personal development plan for each rotation
Study Day attendance record (DCT1 Trainees Only)
Completion of a clinical logbook (without patient identifiable criteria)
Completion of a minimum of 12 SLEs
Completion of a minimum of 5 reflections (must be made available for viewing on Axia e-portfolio, not marked ‘private’).
Completion of Foundations in Improvement (DCT1 only)
Minimum of 10 Patient Satisfaction Questionnaires (PSQs).
Minimum of 1 Multi Source Feedback (MSF) with 10.

Final Review of Competence (FRCP)

FRCP takes place in July when a formal FRCP panel will convene to discuss Trainee progression and agree the final outcome. This panel will consist of the following:

Postgraduate Dental Dean or Associate Dean for DCT
Associate Postgraduate Dental Dean from a different Local Office / Deanery
Senior Clinical Trainer or Training Programme Director from another scheme
RCP/E-Portfolio Administrator
Lay Rep

List of (typical) requirements for Outcome 1 at FRCP (Note this is subject to change in line with national guidelines and developments):

Completion of a PDP and monitored-progress against that
Initial and interim Educational Supervisor reports
Detailed final Supervisor report prepared by Educational Supervisor
Study Day attendance record (DCT1 Trainees only)
Completion of a minimum of 24 SLEs (including at least one “developing the clinical teacher”)
Completion of Audit or Quality Improvement for DCT1 or Improvement in Practice (QI) project for DCT2/3
Minimum of 20 Patient Satisfaction Questionnaires (PSQs)
Minimum of 1 satisfactory Multi Source Feedbacks (MSF) with a minimum of 10 participants per placement
Minimum of 10 reflections for the training year
Evidence of Audit or Quality Improvement project for DCT1 and Improvement in Practice for DCT2 & 3
18 mandatory curriculum items have been evidenced with at least 2 SLEs and each SLE has not been linked more than three times.
CPD record compliant with GDC

On completion of the training programme a Certificate of Achievement will be issued. The certificate will list the specified outcomes that have been attained by the Trainee and define any areas of development for outcomes that were specified in the learning agreement but not acquired during the training year. Outcomes that were planned but not achieved through lack of opportunity rather than lack of competence will also be identified.

CPD Records

Since January 2018 all dentists must adhere to the General Dental Council’s “Enhanced CPD” (ECPD) scheme. Dentists will need to complete a minimum of 100 hours verifiable CPD over their five-year cycle as well as ensure they declare at least 10 hours during any 2-year period. Full details are available on the GDC website www.gdc-uk.org

DCT1 Trainees in Wales have a structured study day timetable consisting of 28 days throughout the year, plus 2 set days of self-directed study.

DCT2 and DCT3 Trainees have a smaller structured study day timetable consisting of 6 days throughout the year, plus 24 self-directed study days, where they can pursue suitable learning and development of their own choice.

From September 2023, all study days will be organised via an online course booking system “Y Ty Dysgu” and CPD certificates for each session will be available to download.

Queries Regarding Your Post

You should read and sign a contract of employment as soon as possible and certainly within 6 weeks of starting in post and you should keep a copy of your job description too.

Personnel enquiries such as contracts, pay/ banding, travel expenses, job descriptions, working hours, parental leave and similar aspects should initially be addressed to Shared Services (NWSSP).

For queries regarding your training or matters which need to be brought to the attention of Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW), please first contact the Training Programme Director for the scheme or the DCT Manager.

General Requirements for all Dental Core Training Posts

All Dental Core Trainees must:

have a named educational supervisor
have a signed educational/learning agreement at the beginning of the placement included in their e-portfolio
have a structured induction programme tailored to the requirements of the post
regularly and accurately complete the Training e-portfolio
have ready access to internet, library and study facilities
attend study days as advised by HEIW
have a structured clinical training programme to address the major competences in the Dental Core Training portfolio and meet individual identified learning

Expectations of Trainees

Your educational supervisor has undertaken training to ensure that you receive excellent support during your training year. In response to this it is necessary for you to:

show a willingness to learn
foster good relationships with colleagues
in discussion with your educational supervisor formulate a Personal Development Plan within 2 weeks of your new appointment
maintain and update your PDP
ensure holiday is taken in agreement with your educational supervisor and employer.
participate in peer review and clinical audit as required
manage all aspects of patient care
work successfully as a member of the unit/ department/clinical team
make competent and confident professional decisions, recognizing personal strengths and weaknesses including the need to refer and seek advice as appropriate
practise ethically according to GDC Standards, including respect for patient confidentiality
demonstrate that you understand that continuing professional development should be a lifelong commitment

As a registered dental professional, you are expected to maintain the GDC’s standards at all times, not only when working in your unit/department.

Occupational Health

Dental Core Trainees must complete an occupational health check prior to the commencement of training. Trainees will be contacted by Shared Services Partnership (NWSSP) with regard to completing pre- employment checks and occupational health checks.

Trainees must provide relevant health screening and immunisation details to NWSSP and follow relevant protocols for inoculation, injuries and subsequent occupational health screening.

Trainees must also take appropriate precautions in relation to safer sharps practice and use the required personal protective equipment for safe dental practice and practise infection control as per local and national guidelines.

Inform your educational supervisor and training programme director of significant events or issues relating to your occupational health.

The Postgraduate Dental Dean / Associate Dean, Training Programme Director, Educational Supervisor or hosting Local Health Board may choose to refer you to Occupational Health if there are particular health issues that may affect your ability to complete your training year. Alternatively, Trainees may complete a self-referral.