Postgraduate Certificates Fund 2024/2025

APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN.

GUIDANCE and PROCESS to apply for:

University of Exeter

Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Education
Postgraduate Certificate in Healthcare Leadership and Management
Postgraduate Certificate in Health Research Methods
Postgraduate Certificate in Genomic Medicine (Online)
Postgraduate Certificate in Health data Science
Postgraduate Certificate in Public Health

University of Plymouth

Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Education
Postgraduate Certificate in Healthcare Management, Leadership and Innovation
Postgraduate Certificate in Global Health

Medics Academy in collaboration with University of Lancashire

Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Practice, Management and Education
Intermediate Level One Programme (IL1)

Introduction
Eligibility
The Application Process
The Award
Review of the Award
Review of the Process
Postgraduate Programmes

Introduction

Postgraduate Doctors in Training (PGDiT) on a recognised training programme within the Southwest Postgraduate Medical Education Deanery (Peninsula & Severn) who wish to study the following are invited to submit an application for funding support:

University of Exeter

Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Education

Postgraduate Certificate in Healthcare Leadership & Management

Postgraduate Certificate in Health Research Methods

Postgraduate Certificate in Genomic Medicine online

Postgraduate Certificate in Health Data Science

Postgraduate Certificate in Public Health

University of Plymouth

Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Education

Postgraduate Certificate in Healthcare Management, Leadership & Innovation

Postgraduate Certificate in Global Health

Medics Academy (in collaboration with the University of Lancashire)

Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Practice, Management and Education (September 2024 / January 2025 intake ONLY)

Intermediate Level One Programme (IL1)

The funding awarded can fund up to 50% of the training costs of one year’s fees (excluding residential components).

Only one application per person will be considered for any award offered by the Southwest Postgraduate Medical Education Deanery (Peninsula & Severn), at any time, in any financial year of funding.

Applications are considered and awarded in accordance with the guidance.

Eligibility

When allocating funding the emphasis is on enhancing professional development and, as such, more importance will be placed on how the course contributes to your development rather than the qualification attained on completion.

Applicants must not have received outcome 2 or 3 at most recent ARCP in your last clinical attachment/placement. The TPD/HoS must provide additional comments on the application form for all PGDiTs with an outcome other than 1 for their most recent (or last) clinical attachment.

The applicant must hold a recognised training post with the Southwest Postgraduate Medical Education Deanery (Peninsula & Severn) and a substantive contract of employment for at least 6 months from the start date of the course for which you have applied for funding.

Foundation PGDiTs are not eligible and must discuss with their Head of School any requests for such funding.

Where an applicant is unsure of their place of employment at the beginning of the course evidence must be provided that they will still be registered on a training programme with the Southwest Postgraduate Medical Education Deanery (Peninsula & Severn). Postgraduate Doctors in Training who are considered out of programme (except OOPT) during the year of study for which they are applying will not be eligible.

Postgraduate Doctors in Training on an OOPT will need to be employed in an NHS organisation in the Southwest region to be eligible for funding.

Applicants must secure a place with the appropriate University/provider and complete the University/provider application form separate to the Deanery application form. Your acceptance letter or official email must be attached to your application, or a copy of your email / acceptance letter must be received by our office (england.Bursary.SW@nhs.net) by Sunday 25th August 2024 in order for funding to be approved.

Funding will not be awarded to applicants who have already started the course in the academic year for which they are applying for the funding. Retrospective payment will not be made.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE:

Applicants must notify the Bursary Team via england.Bursary.SW@nhs.net if they defer or fail to take up the course for which they have applied. Failure to inform NHS England Southwest may result in the applicant having to the pay the full amount of the course.

The applicant must obtain signatures of support from the following people when submitting their application:

Core Training

Educational Supervisor (ES) OR
Director of Medical Education (DME)

Specialty Training (including GP)

Educational Supervisor (ES) OR
Training Programme Director (TPD)

An email from the DME, TPD or ES in support of this application will be accepted in place of a wet signature.

The applicant must ensure that those supporting the application (as listed above) agree that the course represents an integral part of the PGDiT’s personal development plan (PDP) as identified through the NHS appraisal process.

The applicant must meet the required level of fluency in the English language.

Applicants must sign the GDPR authorisation form to enable the Deanery to request information from the relevant University / course provider relating to the course they are funding. This must be submitted with the application form.

Unsigned or late applications are unable to be considered.

The Application Process

Applications will be dated upon receipt.

An application is not an automatic guarantee to receive funding.

The application process for funding is consistent across all applicants and each application is considered on its own merit. The process for the application is listed below.

Notification of the funding opening window will be supported through:

Websites
Heads of Schools
Postgraduate Medical Education Centre Managers
Directors of Medical Education
School Managers

Applications for the 2024/25 fund can be submitted from Friday 14th June 2024.

The application form is available here during the application window.

The closing date for applications is Sunday 14th July 2024.

Each application must be submitted on the standard application form and will be assessed against the scoring framework found at the end of the application form.

Completed applications must be submitted via email to the following address:

Scan & email to: england.Bursary.SW@nhs.net
With a Subject heading: PGC Fund

All applications will be acknowledged by an email stating confirmation of submission within 3-5 working days of receipt.

Any queries regarding the application process or an individual application should be emailed to england.Bursary.SW@nhs.net.

The Award

The Senior Business and Education Manager is responsible for the funding allocation and is supported by an administrative team.

Each application will be assigned its own unique reference number.

Funds will only be awarded if successful with the application.

Each application will be scored on its own merit and scored against the scoring framework.

Applicants must ensure they have completed the relevant University application process and form for the University of Exeter or Plymouth or the Medics Academy (University of Lancashire).

The panel scoring the applications will be constituted from members of the Southwest Postgraduate Medical Education Deanery (Peninsula & Severn) Senior Education Teams.

All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by email no later than Friday 5th August 2024

Any funding awarded will be conditional on the applicant providing PGME with a copy of their acceptance letter or email from the University or provider confirming their place on the course. This must be received by PGME no later than Sunday 25th August 2024. Failure to provide this evidence will result in funding being withdrawn.

Postgraduate Doctors in Training are able to be reimbursed separately for travel and accommodation in line with the study leave guidance.

A copy of the email from Southwest Postgraduate Medical Education Deanery will be provided to the Educational Supervisor/TPD of the training programme to inform them that the PGDiT has been successful and will be undertaking the course for which they applied.

The Southwest Postgraduate Medical Education Deanery (Peninsula & Severn) will have paid 50% of the courses in advance. The University/provider will invoice applicants for the remaining balance directly.

Applications will not be accepted if a PGDiT has started the course. Retrospective payments will not be made.

Review of the Award

Upon completion of the funded course, the successful applicant must provide evidence of completion by providing a copy of the awarded certificate or evidence of the required minimum attendance for the course, within 6 weeks of completion.

If the successful applicant is unable to provide satisfactory evidence of completion of the funded course, they may be asked to reimburse the sum of the awarded fund as provided via this process.

Within 6 weeks of completing the supported course, the successful applicant is requested to write a summary detailing:

The course that was completed;
Who the course has been completed with (the provider);
What has been learnt on the course;
What are the career benefits of the course;
The quality of the educational content of the course;
If the course would be recommended to a colleague and why.
Your experience of the Funding Process

This should be sent to england.Bursary.SW@nhs.net

This document will aid the Panel to assess the benefits of the award and any future benefit of the course that was undertaken.

By accepting the funding, applicants agree to have published their feedback of the course.

Any concerns or issues relating to this process should be sent to england.Bursary.SW@nhs.net

Review of the Process

This process will be reviewed annually or as necessary.

Amendments may be made during the application and scoring process if inconsistencies, errors or areas of concerns are identified and this will be communicated to affected applicants accordingly.

Important Information

The decision of the Panel is final. Applicants who are unhappy with the bursary process can appeal against the panel decision. The requests need to be sent to england.Bursary.SW@nhs.net; please add in the subject line ‘appeal’. All appeals will be forwarded to the Deputy Postgraduate Dean. Requestors will receive a written response to their appeal. Please note that the PSED Team Leader will be attending these meetings to take notes. Notes from the meetings will be shared with the applicant and kept as evidence of discussion.

The Deanery reserves the right to withdraw its funding or the application at any time.

Funding or sponsorship received from other sources including from non-NHS sources (e.g., university or charity) must be declared.

Please note any sponsorship or funds received from another NHS source will invalidate this application.

For more information about this opportunity please contact: england.Bursary.SW@nhs.net

Postgraduate Programmes

Postgraduate programmes offered by University of Plymouth

PGCert Clinical Education

Explore education theory and how it can apply to teaching in the clinical environment. This one year postgraduate certificate programme is designed to meet your needs if you are a doctor, dentist or healthcare professional. Develop knowledge and skills in teaching, learning and assessment, and build your confidence as a clinical educator.

Contact

meddent-pgtadmissions@plymouth.ac.uk

PGCert Healthcare Management, Leadership and Innovation

Enhance your skills in the areas of management, leadership and innovation - required by a wide range of healthcare professionals and health service managers. PGc Healthcare Management, Leadership and Innovation is designed to be a highly flexible entry into management within the health and care service, whether your interests lie in leadership, quality improvement, innovation methodology, organisation development, patient safety, or education.

Contact

meddent-pgtadmissions@plymouth.ac.uk

PGCert Global Health

The pandemic has taught us that health is indeed global and anyone working in the health sector needs to have an awareness of how key global health issues such as climate change, pandemic preparation and management, and health inequalities impact the local health contexts. The global health programme is designed to develop knowledge and skills as innovators, leaders, strategists, advisors, facilitators and medics in global health.

Contact

meddent-pgtadmissions@plymouth.ac.uk

Postgraduate programmes offered by The University of Exeter Medical School

PGCert Clinical Education

There is an increasing need for clinical teachers to hold formal qualifications. Our Clinical Education programmes are suitable for qualified health professionals or intercalating students who want to develop and accredit teaching skills. They provide you with a formal teaching qualification at Masters level, practical experience and a portfolio of teaching that can form the basis for application for membership of clinical education associations.

You’ll look at clinical education from a new and practical standpoint, based on the reality of delivering clinical education in modern healthcare environments. Our flipped classroom teaching (blended: online and face to face) - requiring some online preparation before each module starts - reduces the time you need to take off work and promotes interesting, interactive sessions on contact days. There is a strong emphasis on developing practical skills necessary to do teaching, and appreciating both theory and practice of clinical teaching in clinical environments. You will have the opportunity to develop and refine your teaching techniques using feedback from a variety of sources.

The course is evidence-based, incorporating the latest research (some of which has been carried out by the course tutors) and current issues in academic clinical education. The course content has been carefully matched to requirements for membership of clinical education associations: completion of the certificate will put you in a very strong position to apply for membership of these bodies. This will provide additional recognition of your emerging expertise in teaching and is increasingly required for substantive teaching posts.

This programme is Academy of Medical Educators (AoME) accredited. AoME accreditation means that anyone who successfully completes the course is eligible to apply for Membership of the Academy without the need to go through the full application and assessment process.

Contact