Good practice guidance for trainee attachments to the phmeg.

The following document has been produced to provide guidance on key principles governing the attachment process, in an attempt to provide useful training opportunities for Trainee members . Dr Henry Prempeh, Public and Environmental Health Consultant, Lanarkshire Health Board is its main author.

Introduction

This paper aims to provide the principles governing the process by which PHMEG trainee members take up attachments to PHMEG representatives on national committees.

Preparation phase

The agreement of the PHMEG representative to the proposed arrangement is required.

	The Chair of the national committee must agree the attachment.
	An attachment should, when possible, be planned at least three months in advance.
	The trainees lead trainer will be responsible for making the formal request for the attachment.
	The ‘trainer’ i.e. the PHMEG representative on the national committee, will be responsible for supervising the trainee during the attachment.
	The trainee in conjunction with their lead trainer should complete Form T1 listing the details of the trainee. This should include their CCST date and the competencies sought during the attachment.
	The trainer should brief the PHMEG Exec on all attachments before they commence.
	Trainees significantly closer to their CCST date should have preference over other trainees. However when two or more trainees with relatively similar CCST dates are interested in an attachment, the PHMEG Exec will select the trainee who would benefit most from the experience.
	There should be no more than two trainees per trainer at any one time.

Documentation

	Following an attachment trainees should provide a brief report of their training experience for the benefit of other trainees.
	Trainees on an attachment should benefit from inclusion on the mailing list of the national committee. This should include agendas, minutes, and relevant papers necessary to give a fuller picture of the activities of that committee.

The attachment

	The attachment should not be full time.
	The attachment will start with a preparatory meeting for the trainee, with the trainer, and possibly the chair of the national committee. This meeting is essential.
	The trainee should also be allowed to meet with other members of the committee. This is would provide a more comprehensive exposure to the workings of the committee.
	All expenses for attendance at meetings and any secretarial support required during the attachment should be met be the trainees training location.
	Trainees will shadow the PHMEG representative to the relevant committee and will be directly responsible to the PHMEG representative for any work taken on during the attachment.
	Only the PHMEG representative is allowed to allocate work to the trainee. All work must be in line with the training requirements of the trainee as dictated by their required competencies.

Follow up

	In order to monitor the scheme, trainees may be asked to give a verbal presentation to the PHMEG Exec at the end of the attachment.
	The trainee rep will be directly responsible for the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the attachment program.