Background
Lay Chairs and Representatives play a vital role in supporting high-quality medical education within NHS Trusts and Severn Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME), but rarely have they received any formal training as to what the role might be or how to maximise their effectiveness in representing the patient voice. They play a vital role contributing broad experience and views and ‘externality' in all clinical and educational governance processes.
Recruitment
Lay contributors have been successfully used in trainee recruitment either as panel Chairs or members for many years. The introduction of large scale recruitment in 2007 saw lay contributors taking varied roles in panels, in particular chairing, and they have played a positive and important role in all selection activities.
Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP)
Lay Representatives have to be involved in at least 10% of all ARCP sessions.
Severn Postgraduate Medical Education Trust Visits
The PGME carries out regular formal review visits with all Trusts and Lay contributors are now an important part of the team carrying out this work.
Training Support
Induction training and ongoing developmental support is organised regular for Lay Chairs and Representatives.
Briefing Day for Lay Chairs/Reps 
For further information on content and dates please contact Anne Elliott.
Aim of briefing day
To advise Severn PGME Advisory Panel Members, and Lay Chairs and Representatives, about their roles and responsibilities in the current processes and requirements for interviewing and assessing medical trainees
Objectives for briefing day
At the end of the day participants will be able to
- List the main selection methods currently used in recruiting medical trainees and describe how they may be involved in these
- Outline the ARCP process and their potential roles within it
- Describe the assessment tools that are used for evaluating medical trainees and their skills in placements
- State the role and functions of Severn Postgraduate Medical Education and how these contribute to patient care
- Outline the career paths that medical trainees can follow and where the crucial decision points arise in them
Workshop on Negotiation and Influencing Skills for Lay Chairs and Representatives
By the end of this workshop you will have developed a range of the positive influencing and negotiation techniques you can use on recruitment panels and in ARCP assessments - specifically you will be able to:
- Assess your current approach to influencing, replacing those skills which reduce your effectiveness with those which enhance it
- Challenge panel and facilitate robust decisions and judgements
- Manage disagreements with or between panel members and steer the process back on track
For further information e-mail Anne Elliott
Workshop on Negotiation and Influencing Skills Programme
0930 Introductions and expectations
1000 Experiences of influencing (good and bad)
1020 Principles of influencing and handling conflict: understanding your style
1045 Tea/Coffee and completion of a Conflict Styles Inventory
1130 Understanding your style of handling conflict
1200 Practical work (a game of consequences)
1300 Lunch
1345 Developing skills and strategies for handling challenging scenarios on panels
1415 Practical work (forum theatre)
1515 Tea
1530 Further implications and actions
1600 Close