Dental Foundation Training Handbook (Educational Supervisor)

Dental Foundation Training (DFT) became mandatory on 1st October 1993, making it compulsory for all graduates of British dental schools to hold a certificate showing completion of an approved course (or experience equivalent to that course) before they can become a Performer on an NHS contract.

For most newly qualified dentists, Dental Foundation Training in general dental practice is the next step following graduation. HEIW utilise a Single Lead Employer (SLE) arrangement.  This will mean that all DFT trainees in Wales will be employed by NWSSP. NWSSP will therefore be responsible for all aspects of employment in relation to the FD.

ESs are approved by HEIW annually and are appointed to accept a new dentist in their Training Practice and provide the FDs with a fully equipped surgery, a dental nurse, and patients.  The new FD works in the practice for a maximum of 35 hours per week.  The ES must be available to provide help and advice, be it chairside or otherwise, and has to provide a weekly tutorial lasting one hour, during normal working hours.  Other sessional commitments are outlined in the ES sessional commitment section of Dental Educational Supervisor Approval Platform (DESAP).

The Training Practices are attached to a Dental Foundation Training Scheme, which is managed by a Training Programme Director (TPD).  Dental Foundation Training normally lasts for one year, and during this period the FD attends mandatory Study Days.

Each FD has an online e-portfolio, which is used as an educational tool and a record of their progress throughout the year.  On a regular basis, the FD records achievements, concerns, and describes, analyses and reflects on events that have occurred recently.  The ES works with the FD and the portfolio to produce action plans and regular assessments of development.

‘Satisfactory Completion’ of Dental Foundation Training is dependent not only upon the assessment process, but also upon the trainee working in a training practice for 12 months, maintaining and keeping up-to-date an e-portfolio, attending all of the scheme study days, completing the Case Presentations via Anonymous Peer Learning and Assessment Network (APLAN) & Quality Improvement project work during the year. 

The Welsh Government Fund Dental Foundation Training in Wales.

The Educational Supervisor responsibilities are outlined in the Training Placement Agreement.

The National Recruitment office in London allocates FDs to areas in England and Wales usually in June/July. It is at this point HEIW knows which FDs have been allocated to Wales and to which Schemes. Following FD allocations to a Welsh Scheme, HEIW will arrange a local preferencing window to facilitate the matching of an FD to a practice. You will receive further information and guidance regarding this process in May/June.

In Wales there are 6 DFT schemes which have between 8 and 14 posts attached to them.  Normally there are equal numbers of FD applicants appointed to a scheme as there are training practices that have been appointed.

Even following allocation some FD applicants may withdraw. If you are affected by this be reassured that HEIW will seek to identify a replacement FD for you, however, this would be dependent on a reserve list of FD applicants being available that year.

It is a good idea to hold a staff meeting as soon as possible to inform the staff that the have been approved as a training practice and that a FD will be starting work at the beginning of September.  If there are any delays with the Pre-Employment checks or Occupational Health Checks, they will be notified by NWSSP prior to the 1^st September.

Highlight to the staff that your practice has been recognised as a suitable environment for training a foundation dentist. It is important that all the staff are involved from an early stage to support the FD when they arrive.

It is worth briefing the staff that the FD will be a fully qualified dentist who will be enthusiastic and fully up to date with all the latest techniques, and that the practice will benefit from this fresh input of ideas. They will however need support, encouragement and guidance in adapting to general practice. This will be the job of the whole team, not just the ES, and everyone in the practice will benefit and be involved. If you are a new ES and practice or there are new members of staff within the practice that will be working with the FD, it would be beneficial to attend the Induction for new Dental Foundation Training staff.

Inform the staff that when speaking to patients it is important to refer to the FD as a young dentist who is experienced and up to date with the latest techniques. Avoid telling the patients they are newly qualified and on no account should they use the terms ‘trainee’ or ‘vocational trainee’, which imply to patients that they are not qualified.

• Health Education & Improvement Wales (HEIW) will allocate your FD based on their National Recruitment ranking.
   
•  HEIW’s TPD and Administrator for the scheme you have been allocated to, will be in touch, with further guidance on arrangements for your scheme and the scheme study day programme etc.
   
• HEIW will be managing the Dental Foundation Training Programme over the next year.  If you have any questions about the scheme, the education or the training, please contact your scheme Training Programme Director in the first instance or Health Education & Improvement Wales central team on DFTenquiries@wales.nhs.uk. 
   
• HEIW will be in touch over the next few months with your log in details to access the following platforms:
  • the Dental Foundation Training E-Portfolio
  • Anonymous Peer Learning and Assessment Network (APLAN).
     
• If you are allocated a Foundation Dentist who requires a student sponsorship visa, HEIW will forward their details to NWSSP who will be in touch directly with trainee and guide them through this process.
   
• NHS Performers List inclusion - All FDs will need to be registered on a Performers List in Wales in order to begin Dental Foundation Training. Following our receipt of the details of FDs allocated to Wales from the National Recruitment office, we will contact all FDs to advise them to apply for inclusion on the Wales Dental Performers List immediately as this process can in some instances, take up to 12 weeks to complete. The FD will be asked to visit  www.primarycareservices.wales.nhs.uk They will then select ‘Apply for Inclusion in the Dental Performers List’ in Dental Services link.

There are two application forms -

• DPL1 for those currently not included on a dental list elsewhere in the UK
• DPL4A for those currently included on a dental list elsewhere in the UK

Your FD will require a fully registered and qualified nurse at all times when they are performing clinical work in practice. If the nurse/s are not familiar with Dental Foundation Training, then they will be required to attend a half-day course run by HEIW usually in June to prepare them for this role. This course is also advisable for any other members of staff you may have who will be dealing with your FD in any capacity. They will be contacted by HEIW to advise them of the date and venue of this course.

The FD’s nurse must  be fully experienced and allocated solely to the FD in the early stages of training, rather than having several nurses working in rotation. The nurse must be willing and motivated to work with the FD. The FD nurse should possess skills and attributes that allow them to be tactful, helpful, supportive, encouraging, and positive. They must have a good relationship with the ES, as they are an important link between you and your FD. They are a vital source of feedback, especially in the early weeks.

The nurse should be briefed to expect the FD to be slow initially and possibly unsure of themselves. They will need to be patient supportive and encouraging. They will be expected to guide the FD with NHS regulations, forms, computer operation and many other aspects of the running of the practice. They must understand your own role and be ready to consult and confer with you about the FD’s progress.

FDs are usually most concerned with how the dental equipment in their room works, how computer systems operate, what cements/materials they have available to them and the NHS basics including charges to patients.

The FD and their nurse need to have some time to chat and get to know each other. This period can also be used to familiarise the FD with equipment in their surgery etc.

It is also vital that they have a full and proper induction including things like a tour of the practice, introduction to the team, the location of the emergency drugs kit/AED, etc.

They will need to discuss ‘dos and don’ts’ and rules that may pertain to such things as use of the phones for personal calls, parking, keys, security, health and safety policy, fire drill and anything else you feel is relevant. They are unlikely to remember everything, and some things may need refreshing later in the week.

Expect to spend a lot of time with the FD on their first few days, and this should be reflected in the time you block out of your appointment book on the FD’s first day and week.

The following guidance has been provided by Malcolm Smith, Dental Foundation Training lead for COPDEND (the UK Committee of Postgraduate Dental Deans and Directors) –

In conjunction with dental schools all FDs will finish dental school with an ETD. The idea is that the dental school makes an assessment of each final year students’ abilities, and the student does a self-assessment. This document then comes across into Foundation Training to inform the ES. You should receive this in the first few weeks of your FD starting, it is the responsibility of the FD to share this with you.

 Please make sure you ask for this to be shared in the first week.

NHS Wales Shared Service Partnership (NWSSP) is the single lead employer for all Dental Foundation Trainees in Wales. This means that NWSSP will be their employer for the Dental Foundation Training year. NWSSP will be in touch with your FD to confirm details about Pre – Employment Checks inc Enhanced DBS application, ESR & expenses details, annual leave etc during July & August.

NWSSP will be the first point of contact should your FD have any queries in relation to their employment over the next few months and during the Dental Foundation Training year - NWSSPSLE.Dental@wales.nhs.uk.

The SLE model in Wales is a collaborative employment model, with the responsibilities of the traditional
employer shared between three major stakeholders, who are:

Single Lead Employer – NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership (NWSSP)

Overall employment responsibility including issuing offer letters for employment, completing employment checks, issuing and amending contracts of employment, providing Medical Indemnity Cover for NHS activities, arranging Performers List applications where applicable, Occupational Health, employee assistance, enhanced DBS applications & checks, health and wellbeing support, statutory and mandatory training, payment of salaries and expenses, application of employment policies and procedures in collaboration with all Stakeholders, providing HR facilities, restrictions/exclusions and disciplinary matters.

The Lead Employer itself offers a single point of contact coordinating with all stakeholders.

Host Organisation

Provides day-to-day management and supervision of training by ESs.

Health Education Improvement Wales (HEIW)

Ensures the delivery of high-quality education and training which includes recruitment into training programmes, support and assessment programmes, faculty development and quality monitoring of placements.

All three stakeholders’ primary function is to ensure that trainees complete their training satisfactorily and in doing so provide an excellent service to the local health and social care Sector in Wales. 

 The benefits for the host organisations and HEIW are:

• Economies of scale savings for NHS Wales
• One point of contact for employment support and expertise for all trainees
• Streamlining of transactional processes
• Increased close working with GMC/BMA/GDC/GPC/NHS Wales Employers in relation to trainee contractual matters.

Over the next few months, the following documents will be sent out:

Please sign the appropriate document sent to you and return by the specified date.

As part of the Single Lead Employment arrangement. Practices will no longer be responsible for paying the FD’s Salary, this will now sit within the remit of NWSSP.

In accordance with the most recent Welsh Government Statement of financial entitlements (2025), the host practice will receive the following payments:

Statement of financial entitlements 2025

These figures are released by Welsh Government at the start of each tax year and we are currently awaiting the figures applicable from April they are usually shared with us in the Autumn.

The following diagram shows the flow of how these payments are made to the Host Practice.

Each Scheme has a Training Programme Director (TPD) and a DFT Scheme Administrator. There will be a local centre at which study days for the Scheme are held.

The Study Day programme is arranged separately for each scheme by the TPD and comprises of a minimum of 30 days (a minimum of 28 mandatory and usually 2 self-directed).

The study day programme currently has a blended approach, with some courses being delivered Face to Face, hands on and online sessions.

Attendance at all Study Days is compulsory. Some days are held jointly with other schemes, some days include both ESs and FDs and some days are held at external venues.

The content is mapped to the Dental Foundation Training curriculum and aims to cover the curriculum areas that cannot be easily covered in the training practice environment.

The times with venues of the sessions will be outlined in your scheme programme which will be provided to the by the scheme administrator prior to the training year commencing. The start time for each study day is indicated in the scheme programme.

In the event of the FD’s unavoidable absence (sickness or accident), the FD will be advised to contact the scheme administrator (or equivalent) immediately, either by text email or phone.  These are the only acceptable reasons for non-attendance. The FD will be advised that holidays, social events must be scheduled outside of the study day programme.

If the FD must miss a study day then they will be required to complete a Foundation Dentist request of unavoidable study day absence form prior to missing a study day and submit this to their TPD for approval.  (Please contact the scheme administrator for the most recent version of this form). The FD must then formally record in the e-portfolio how the missing study day is to be made up. The programme for the following week should be discussed during your practice tutorial.  It is also helpful to reflect on the subjects dealt with in the preceding week.

It is very important for ES's to attend (when invited) hands on induction events that are run in September and spend time watching their FD working on a phantom head. All practices will be supplied with a phantom head and typodont teeth and jaws.

Not only will it be a good opportunity to observe your FD working clinically, but it will also serve as a useful opportunity to discuss any relevant matters or issues with you Training Programme Director.

Please see below for information on each scheme:

Tutorials do not need to be an hour a week every week throughout the year. It is fine to load them early on in the FD year, especially for the first few weeks, as they are more likely to need more contact time earlier in the training year.

Be prepared to be guided by what the FD wants to learn about in a tutorial. FD’s especially find case-based discussions (CbDs) useful, and this can lead to more in-depth discussions about certain techniques within the tutorial.

Do not go into a tutorial unprepared – it is a valuable time slot for the FDs and a wasted tutorial is a wasted educational opportunity. Hands-on tutorials such as surgical extractions always go down well with FDs and are proven to be good from an educational perspective.

Assessment mapped DOP’S and ADEPT’S. The activity guide which lays out assessments required leading into ESR and IRCP will guide you as to the content of these. Tutorial time can be allocated to these mandatory activities. Several DOP’s may be possible within one patient encounter.

Late patient cancellations and failed appointments may prove frustrating for FDs. Make sure they have things that can be done in the practice during this unplanned time, for example, allow the FDs to use the internet in you practice updating the e-portfolio (internet access should be available to FDs in all training practices) or Phantom head work.  Completion of NHS e-learning modules, project work and use of Dental Juce are also possibilities.

 Your Foundation Dentist should work in line with the WG expectations extant at the time and the contractual activity that these expectations specify.

This may involve working under a UDA or a Contract Variation model.

The NHS Business Services Authority is a Special Health Authority which provides a range of critical central services to NHS organisations, NHS contractors, patients and the public.

Amongst the services they provide are:

• Management of the NHS Pension Scheme in England and Wales.
• Payments to dentists for work undertaken on NHS contracts which involves processing approximately 44 million dental forms and payments totalling over £2.5 billion in England and Wales.
   

General Dental Practitioners can use NHS BSA Compass Portal to obtain information about NHS work and payment.

The Compass portal -  https://compass.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/eseries/esr/elogin

Once your FD has been included on the Wales Performer List and has been given a Performer number, they will be able to sign up for access to the Compass Dental Portal, from which they will be able to view and download monthly statements of their NHS work output. 

During the year, ESs are asked to contribute to scheme activities and fulfil the ES sessional commitment requirements depending on your interests and experience this may involve a session teaching the whole group, or in combination with other ESs, teaching in small groups at table demonstration days

ESs will also be offered training opportunities during the year, This is a good opportunity to meet up with other ESs in the scheme. 

It would be prudent to ask your scheme TPD of any dates that have been allocated for such days so you can make sure your available.

Good reporting writing is essential as part of the Record of Competence Progression (RCP) process and proves critical in situations where there may be concerns around a trainee’s performance or abilities.  Quality and detail of report writing will form part of the scoring mechanism for ES selection. If you have any concerns regarding your FD’s performance, behavior, or clinical abilities, then you must speak to your TPD. In the first instance, your TPD will attend your practice observing the FD with the aim of reaching a resolution or escalating to the Associate Dean for DFT, depending on their assessment.

It is very important that all concerns are documented effectively on the e-portfolio. The Trainee Progression Team at HEIW have published guidance on effective report writing in the form of the PACT approach -

P – Precise descriptions

    - Positive as well as negative examples of strengths and areas for      improvement          

    - Plan to describe clear objectives/targets/deadlines

A – Accurate evidence-based judgements

    - Advice given referenced

    - Alternatives stated or considered to evidence support given to trainee

    - Attitude of trainee and relationship with ES and programme

C – Comprehensive reporting covering progress against competencies

    - Complimentary feedback from colleagues/patients

    - Critical incident issues described

    - Concerns described in detail

    - Communication skills referenced

T – Tone (avoid frustration and harshness)

    - Timely (note if e-portfolio engagements have been regular and timely)

    - Transparency (feedback shouldn’t be a surprise to FD)

 Dental Foundation Training - Performance Concerns

HEIW also has a Professional Support Unit (PSU) that offers advice and support for all dentists and doctors in training to maximise training opportunity.  Referrals can be made via the Associate Dean for Dental Foundation Training or the Postgraduate Dental Dean. Alternatively, self-referral can be arranged by contacting the PSU.

Contact: Telephone: 03300 584211 Email: HEIW.ProfessionalSupport@wales.nhs.uk

Website: Professional support - HEIW (nhs.wales)

Part of your role as an Educational Supervisor will be to engage in you trainee’s e-portfolio and complete necessary work items in a timely manner. The eportfolio website address  is https://dentaleportfolio.hee.nhs.uk/.

Your trainee will use their e-portfolio to record all of the clinical work and to submit written reports such as clinical reflections and tutorial reflections.  Your trainee’s e-portfolio will be used by the Review of Competence Progression (RCP) assessment panels, which meet twice a year at 6-monthly intervals, to assess your trainee’s progress through Dental Foundation Training therefore the ES will need to ensure that they are completing your e-portfolio work as needed. ‘Satisfactory Completion’ of Dental Foundation Training is dependent on you trainee (and them) maintaining their e-portfolio regularly and contemporaneously.

Please be aware that the e-portfolio is a platform that may in some circumstances be viewed by others, some outside the profession, especially in serious cases where a significant event involving a patient has occurred. For this reason it is essential that all of the e-portfolio entries are compliant with data protection laws and do not refer to patients by name. You entries must remain anonymous with respect to patient identifiable detail and address the learning from an objective perspective rather than a subjective one.

There are comprehensive e-portfolio user guides to help you navigate the RCP process and this will be sent to you by the RCP Manager Rachel Morgan.

Rachel Morgan (Record of Competency Progression (RCP) Manager) will be in touch with you at various times throughout the year to advise you on what activity needs to be completed and by when.

If you have any issues in relation to the eportfolio, please contact Rachel Morgan (HEIW) Rachel.Morgan30@wales.nhs.uk.

This year we will be utilising The Anonymous Peer Learning and Assessment Network (APLAN) which is a password protected secure website designed to facilitate Peer Assessment​.

All FDs / ESs and TPDs will need access to APLAN​ and will have an opportunity to feedback on submissions anonymously.

Submission and review dates will be circulated throughout the year by your TPD and HEIW.

For the 2026/2027 training year, the ES application window will open in January 2026.  All ESs will be required to reapply for approval each training year.

The exact dates of the application window will be available on our HEIW webpage in the autumn, and you will be directed to the Dental Educational Supervisor Approval Platform (DESAP) https://desap.heiw.wales/login to complete and submit an application for approval.

You will be notified in advance if you are required to attend an interview.

The approval process will include consideration of the following by the HEIW approval panel:

• Application form
• ES Sessional Commitment
• QA Practice visit
• LHB Feedback
• FD End of Year Feedback

The above documents are now all available via the Dental Educational Supervisor Approval Process (DESAP) management system.

As an ES, your practice will be inspected by HEIW at intervals specified and you would be notified in advance of the date and time of this inspection. At the inspection, your FD’s surgery will be reviewed for layout and equipment and the support staff will be assessed for their suitability to DFT training. Elements of the inspection will include a review of your appointment system and the following practice systems – This will validate information you have supplied in your DESAP application Expectations will include:

• availability of broadband access within FD surgery
• use of digital radiographs
• availability of a digital SLR camera with appropriate ring flash and macro lens
• Use of rotary endodontic equipment
• Use of Apex locators
• Availability of rubber dam, clamps and accessories
• Availability of digital thermometers
• Fully stocked Hall crown kit

The visiting assessor will then make a recommendation to HEIW as to whether your practice is suitable to be re/approved as a DFT training practice going forward.

As approved ESs at some point over the past few years you will have attended the 4 day Developing Dental Educators Course.  HEIW recognise that we need to be ensuring the knowledge and tools to help ESs become confident and excellent mentors should be revisited and updated on a regular basis.  In conjunction with HEIWs Dental QI team we are pleased to be offering a 1-day DDE refresher course for all existing ESs. ESs will receive 2 sessions towards their ES sessional Commitments for attending the session.  Further information regarding this session will be made available over the next few months.

Each DFT scheme has an ES representative who attends the Educational Supervisor Liaison meeting with HEIWs DFT team (Associate Dean for DFT, a rotating TPD & DFT Manager) every 3 months.  

The aim of this group is:

• For the DFT Associate Dean to provide updates to ES reps on various developments within DFT Nationally
• Enable the ESs to voice & share information and bring views of their scheme ESs to the meeting.
• Monitor and review DFT processes and understand how these are impacting on our ESs.

 The current Educational Supervisor Representatives are:

North Wales - Klevin Fernando

Cardiff & Barry - Owain Johnson

Newport & East Wales - Not filled at present (If you are interested in representing your scheme at these meetings and would like to volunteer as the ES rep please contact Gabrielle LLoyd.)

Swansea & West Wales - Darril Williams

Glamorgan Vale & Beacons - Jane Williams

Swansea Vale - Patricia Moreira
 

If you have any queries regarding this group or would like to contribute please email Gabby Lloyd or your scheme representative.

Sustainable Healthcare in Wales

In April 2019, the Welsh Government declared a climate emergency in Wales, and two years later published its plan for a “net-zero” NHS by 2030.  In response to this pledge, the NHS Wales Decarbonisation Strategic Delivery Plan was released.

NHS Wales Decarbonisation Strategic Delivery Plan (gov.wales)

Health Education Improvement Wales (HEIW) have a role to support the implementation of this plan, but we can all play a part. 

The Lancet describes climate change as “the greatest global health threat facing the world in the 21st century”.

Thinking about climate change can be frightening (this is a normal response to devastating news, and we call this eco-distress). Recognising the way that we feel, and acting, can help us to feel more positive.

Some small actions that you, as a dental health professional in Wales, could take include:

• Joining your local Green Group (there’s one in every Health Board).
• Looking at the resources available on Green Health Wales website and consider registering your practice for the Greener Primary Care Wales Framework and Award Scheme. 

Greener Primary Care - Primary Care One (nhs.wales)

• Promote active travel options and the use of public transport for the staff and patients attending the practice.
• Offer patients the opportunity to recycle oral hygiene products in your practice.
• Reduce the use of paper in your practice.
• Improve segregation of clinical and non-clinical waste in the practice.

Dentistry is facing many challenges to help tackle the problem, particularly around decontamination, waste disposal and the use of single-use plastics. NHS dental services emissions make up 3% of the overall carbon footprint of the NHS.

If you are interested in learning more about Sustainability in Dentistry, the link below will direct you to an excellent resource on the website of the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare.

Sustainable Dentistry: How-to Guide for Dental Practices | Centre for Sustainable Healthcare

Sustainable Healthcare provides hope for a healthier future and a healthier planet.

This is why the Lancet also describes climate change as “the greatest opportunity to redefine the social and environmental determinants of health”.