This page outlines the data that have been collected from South West Peninsula & Severn Local Offices and validated at a workshop (29th of November 2023) to map their as-is business processes for Less Than Full Time Training.
Application Windows for SW
There are no application windows in the South West. It is advised that Doctors in training must give at least 16 weeks’ notice of their wish to train LTFT to allow sufficient time for the employing Trust to be notified and to discuss with the Training Programme Director for the purposes of rotation planning. If less notice is received the application will still be considered but the start date may be delayed.
Application form is in Word format with the same form completed for all Dental, Medical, Public Health and Foundation. (TBC).
LTFT Reasons
All employees have a legal right to request flexible working – not just parents and carers. Therefore, all doctors in training can apply for LTFT training and section 3.123 of the Gold Guide provides a list of illustrative examples for requesting LTFT training.
All well-founded reasons will be considered. Support to progress the application will be dependent on the capacity of the programme and the effect the request may have on the training available to other doctors in training on the programme.
It is expected that all those applying due to disability or ill health and caring responsibilities will be accommodated.
No. | Reason selection | Circumstance | Supporting documentation |
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1 | Responsibility for caring for children | Responsibility for caring for children
| You will need to confirm the anticipated or actual date of birth of your youngest child on the application form. (Please note you do not need to continue to re-apply upon each period of maternity leave, eligibility is automatic until your youngest child is 18 years old). |
2 | Health related reasons | This may include ongoing medical procedures such as fertility treatment.
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It must be on letter-header paper or be from an official email address which can be validated. The letter should be dated within the past 3 months. |
3 | Direct carer for ill/disabled partner, relative or dependant |
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It must be on letter-header paper or be from an official email address which can be validated, dated within the last three months. |
4 | Other well-founded reasons (options):
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As-Is Processes
In trying to map the LTFT end-to-end process we came up with 4 main stages in the order in which they would occur namely:
Pre-application Stage: 16 weeks or earlier, where a trainee discusses with their TPD / Foundation TPD and for well-founded reasons to have also discussed with Department Lead and Employing Trust Medical staffing and obtaining their signature on the form with relevant section filled in.
LTFT Application processing Stage: With at least 16 weeks notice given, applications are processed by HEE Specialty Programme Schools to the relevant Specialty Programme Manager or GP VTS admins.
3.1 Work Pattern, payroll changes and Start date agreement negotiation for trainees with disability, health caring responsibilities reasons with Trust, following approval of their application, typically around 8 weeks prior to commencing LTFT
3.2 Appealing the decision stage, where their application was rejected, typically 8 weeks before commencing
Trainee Commencing their training on LTFT basis
As-Is end-to-end LTFT process for South West
TBC
Actors in the process (TBC)
TBC
No. | Role | Responsibility |
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1 | Postgraduate Doctor in Training |
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2 | Training Programme Director (TPD) |
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3 | School Hub administrative team |
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4 | Medical Staffing (Trust) |
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5 | Flexible Working Champion/Guardian of Safe Working |
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6 | HEE Professional Support Associate Dean |
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7 | Educational Supervisors |
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8 | Sponsorship Team in Yorkshire and Humber |
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9 | HEE Deputy Postgraduate Dean |
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Pain Points in the process
TBC
No. | Pain Point / Area to improve | Comment |
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1 | Revised CCT end date is asked on the form, however, there are no Local Office resources available to support the trainee apart from the Royal Colleges guidance and calculator. This has to be manually verified before inputting to TIS. | |
2 | Given the new policy to extend flexible training, there has been a large number of applications and it has meant that the categories no longer exist. This in turn has made the triaging of applications almost ad-hoc and unmanageable when it comes to prioritising the processing as and when the applications are received based on the reasons. E.g. there is no Local process to prioritise the processing of Childcare/Disability/Health reasons applications over wellbeing ones. | |
3 | It can take significantly more time where applications are submitted with less than 12 weeks notice to process due to approval required from Trust in Y&H process. This may require chasing the Trust who are also operating within their own constraints. | |
4 | Y&H uses Tracker spreadsheets in order to support the processing of applications. Currently a Local and a National spreadsheet that have to be completed manually. This is an admin burden and prone-to-error practice. | |
5 | There isn’t always an opportunity in the Y&H process for trainees to be discussing with the Trust directly regarding their ability to accommodate for LTFT for a rotation, as the trainee may not be at the specific Trust they are going to be rotating yet where they intend to train as LTFT. | |
6 | Y&H has a extensively documented process with Trainee, Associate Dean and Postgraduate Dean involved, preparing cases statements, with timescales made aware to the parties involved. However, in practice, this has not yet happened as there have been no rejections yet. |
Application Numbers
TBC
LTFT Email templates
These are the email templates managed by specialty teams and LTFT Admins that are sent to trainees in the relevant events - (TBC)
No | Email Template | Body / Content | Sent to |
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1 | Approval |
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2 | Rejection |
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3 | Appeal procedure |
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CCT Calculator
The link provided to trainees to calculate their CCT is the following in South West is….TBC
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