Foundation Curriculum and ARCP Process

Foundation Curriculum

The General Medical Council have approved the new curriculum for the foundation programme which was introduced for foundation doctors from August 2021.

Please visit the Curriculum page of the UK Foundation Programme website to access.

Click here to view the Q&A summary from the Recent F2 Curriculum Session.

Foundation ARCP Process

ARCP is an Annual Review of Competence Progression.  This is a process whereby both F1 and F2 doctors have the evidence of their progress reviewed by an appropriately convened panel so that a judgement about their progress can be made and transmitted to the Foundation School Director, the doctor’s employer and the doctor directly.

  • ARCP NIMDTA Checklist F1 2022-23 v1
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  • ARCP NIMDTA Checklist F2 2022-23 v1
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  • Foundation TURAS Portfolio Timeline for Each Placement – NI
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  • The ARCP Checklist
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  • Clinical Audit Summary Form
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  • Foundation Absence Declaration
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The following tools are used as learning opportunities in the Foundation Programme:

  • Mini-clinical Evaluation Exercise (mini-CEX)
  • Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS)
  • Case-based Discussion (CbD)
  • Developing the Clinical Teacher.

These are part of a group of educational tools called supervised learning events (SLEs). Please refer to SLE guidance (Section 5) for further details on these tools. Formal assessment will occur at the end of each placement and at the end of each year. The clinical supervisor and the educational supervisor will prepare reports on the foundation doctor’s performance in the workplace. The reports will be informed by review of the foundation doctor’s e-portfolio including consideration of completion of core procedures (F1), team assessment of behaviour (TAB) and feedback from the placement supervision group.

What do the different assessment tools do?
What is the Placement Supervision Group?
The Placement Supervision Group consists of trainers nominated in each placement by the named clinical supervisor. Their observations and feedback will inform the clinical supervisor’s end of placement report. The makeup of the Placement Supervision Group will vary depending on the placement but could include:

  • Doctors more senior than F2, including at least one consultant or GP principal
  • Senior nurses (band 5 or above)
  • Allied health professionals.

The Placement Supervision Group is responsible for:

  • observing the foundation doctor’s performance in the workplace
  • providing feedback on practice to the foundation doctor
  • providing structured feedback to the named clinical supervisor
  • undertaking and facilitating supervised learning events (SLEs).
Team assessment of behaviour (TAB)
This is a type of Multi-Source Feedback, previously known as 360 degree assessment. Prior to inviting raters to contribute to the TAB process, foundation doctors must complete a self-assessment of behaviour (self-TAB). This includes reflection of their own performance. TAB comprises collated views from a range of multi-professional colleagues. The same sections are used in both the self-assessment and the rater-completed forms

  • TAB must take place at least once a year. Deaneries/foundation schools have the option of increasing the frequency
  • It is suggested that both F1 and F2 TAB is taken in the last month of the first placement during the year. If there are significant concerns about any foundation doctor, TAB should be repeated. This will be with designated respondents.
  • For each assessment, the foundation doctor and the educational supervisor should agree 15 raters/assessors.  A minimum of 10 returns are required. No other foundation doctor can be a rater.

The required mix of raters/assessors must include at least two of each of the following:

  • Doctors more senior than F2, including at least one consultant or GP principal
  • Senior nurses (band 5 or above)
  • Allied health professionals
  • Other team members including ward clerks, secretaries and other healthcare staff.

Following TAB, the foundation doctor should reflect on any sections in which there is variance between their self rating and that of the assessors. The doctor should discuss significant discrepancies with their educational supervisor.

End of placement reports
There are two end of placement reports:

  • clinical supervisor’s end of placement report
  • educational supervisor’s end of placement report

The clinical supervisor’s end of placement report describes the foundation doctor’s performance in the workplace. The educational supervisor’s report incorporates the information contained in the clinical supervisor’s report and includes information from the e-portfolio. If the educational and clinical supervisors are one and the same, then the educational supervisor will be responsible for the sections that are usually covered in the clinical supervisor’s report.

Clinical supervisor’s end of placement report
Towards the end of each placement, the foundation doctor should meet with their clinical supervisor to complete a summative assessment of their overall performance and progress in the placement. The clinical supervisor’s report should comment specifically on:

  • Any noteworthy aspect of performance
  • Any concerns regarding performance
  • Comments on participation in the agreed educational process
  • Evidence of professional development as a result of feedback and reflection.

The clinical supervisor should seek and record evidence from the Placement Supervision Group to corroborate each of the above. The names of those contributing evidence on performance is recorded in the report. The outcome of the final assessment discussion should be agreed by both the foundation doctor and the clinical supervisor and recorded in the e-portfolio as part of the clinical supervisor’s end of placement report.

Educational supervisor’s end of placement report
The educational supervisor’s end of placement report requires review of the clinical supervisor’s report along with evidence provided within the e-portfolio and any other source. Whilst engagement with SLEs and evidence of curriculum coverage will be taken into account, the overall judgement will include a triangulated view of the foundation doctor’s day to day work performance. This will include the foundation doctor’s participation in, and attendance at, educational activities, appraisals, the learning process and recording of this in the e-portfolio. The outcome of the final assessment discussion should be agreed by both the foundation doctor and the educational supervisor and recorded in the e-portfolio as part of the educational supervisor’s end of placement report.

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