Leadership and Management Fellow Scheme FAQs

Here you can find frequently asked questions for the College's Leadership and Management Fellow Scheme

If you have any additional questions, please send us an email.

The 2023/24 Scheme is open for nominations-extended closing date 19 June. 

 

The RCPsych Leadership and Management Fellow Scheme combines a face-to-face and virtual training programme with a local apprenticeship model.

Organisations are required to identify a senior medical leader within the organisation who will mentor the trainee throughout the scheme. The expectation is that this is the Medical Director, Deputy Medical Director or Associate Medical Director.

Organisations are required to identify and nominate a trainee(s) to the RCPsych Leadership and Management Fellow Scheme through an open and competitive process. Organisations may nominate one or more trainees, although only one place will be accepted initially to maximise equity of access. Additional nominations will be accepted after the initial closing date on a first come first serve basis.

Organisations are required to provide a purchase order number for the sponsorship fee of £2,450 when nominating their chosen trainee.

The RCPsych Leadership and Management Fellow Scheme requires an organisational sponsor.

This is the person responsible for:

  • nominating trainees through an open and competitive process
  • securing the £2450 funding and providing the purchase order number which is required on the nomination form
  • ensuring that the trainee has sought permission from their Training Programme Director (TPD) to be located clinically within that organisation for the duration of the scheme
  • identifying a senior medical leader within the organisation (the expectation is that this is the Medical Director, Deputy Medical Director or Associate Medical Director) to mentor the trainee throughout the scheme.

The organisational sponsor may also be the organisational mentor.

In addition to individual project supervision, Fellows should be supported and mentored throughout the scheme by a senior medical leader within their organisation. This is a key aspect of the scheme and is essential to the success of the Fellow’s role.

The mentoring role is anticipated to be held by the Medical Director, Deputy or Associate Medical Director who can ensure that they get access to the necessary meetings or contacts to support their work.

A minimum of six mentoring sessions should be held throughout the 12-month duration of the scheme.

It is also expected that Fellows will have opportunities to shadow at an executive level and with key external health and local authority partners to gain a deeper understanding of healthcare leadership and management within the wider social, political and economic context.

The RCPsych Leadership and Management Fellow Scheme Alumni will support the running of Action Learning Sets who will provide ongoing support around the course and the project.

The RCPsych Leadership and Management Fellow Scheme combines a face-to-face and virtual training programme with a local apprenticeship model.

It should be funded by the organisational sponsor.

It should not be funded by the local education board or self-funded.

This helps ensure that the trainee has the full support of their organisation throughout the scheme.

The scheme is intended to run across a 'traditional' training year. 

While the national training programme launches in September and closes in June, trainees should hold their position as an RCPsych Leadership and Management Fellow between August to August of each year.

We are adopting a digital and face-to-face contact day approach, expenses for in-person modules are to be claimed from the sponsoring Trust.  

Please check the programme information for details of virtual and in-person modules.

There is no anticipation that a trainees CCT date should need to be extended.

It is a 12 month 'in programme' experience utilising special interest time for local leadership and management experience.

For this reason, trainees cannot CCT prior to completion of the scheme.

It is a 12 month 'in programme' experience utilising special interest time for local leadership and management experience.

For this reason, trainees cannot be out of programme in any capacity (i.e. C, E, R or T), for any duration, while undertaking the scheme.

The RCPsych Leadership and Management Fellow Scheme is inclusive of all trainees meeting the eligibility criteria, this includes those working Less Than Full Time (LTFT).

Please ensure that, prior to nomination, your organisational sponsor, mentor and Training Programme Director (TPD) are aware of your personal circumstances and are in agreement that any local leadership and management experience is tailored accordingly.

Trainees must be clinically located within that organisation for the duration of the scheme. It they don’t know what organisation they will be clinically located within, they cannot apply.

We understand the difficulties regarding this.

If you’re a trainee, we recommend approaching potential organisational sponsors as early as possible and with their support, exploring potential options with your Training Programme Director (TPD) +/- Heads of School.

If you’re an organisational sponsor, we recommend advertising the scheme through an open and competitive process, and supporting trainees to gain permission from their Training Programme Director (TPD) for them to be clinically located within that organisation for the duration of the scheme.

It is the organisational sponsor's responsibility to ensure that the trainee has sought permission from their Training Programme Director (TPD) for them to be clinically located within that organisation for the duration of the scheme.

Training needs always take priority.

Trainees are required to be ST4 or above and cannot CCT prior to completion of the scheme.

The fellowship is accredited by The Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management.

On successful completion of the scheme, trainees will receive a certificate of completion from the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Trainees will also be eligible to apply for Associate Fellowship of the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management.

Successful completion of the RCPsych Leadership and Management Fellow Scheme is not determined by individual project success or failure.

Success is more meaningfully determined by the Fellow’s engagement with the programme and the growth of their leadership behaviours in accordance with the FMLM's Leadership and Management Standards for Medical Professionals.

Fellows are required to:

  • meaningfully engage with and attend at least 80% of the leadership programme and action learning sets
  • undertake a leadership project of strategic or operational significance within their local organisation
  • engage with their organisational mentor
  • undertake a quantitative evaluation of their individual development at the beginning and end of the scheme
  • complete a complementary leadership and management multi-source feedback tool specifically designed for doctors (FMLM 360)
  • complete a leadership Direct Observation of Non-Clinical Skills (DONCS) with their organisational mentor
  • undertake a qualitative reflective evaluation of their individual development at the end of the scheme
  • subscribe for complementary membership of the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management (FMLM).
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