Guidance

Guidance on education and training requirements for specialist screening practitioners

Updated 4 October 2024

This guidance is to support specialist screening practitioners (SSPs) working in the NHS bowel cancer screening programme (BCSP).

1. The role of an SSP

Working as an SSP in the BCSP requires a knowledge of screening, endoscopy and colorectal cancer care.

SSPs provide support, guidance and care to patients, which includes:

• assessing suitability for follow-up investigations
• arranging procedures and follow up
• recording outcomes of procedures, including cancer surgery

2. Education and training requirements

Education and training for SSPs involve:

• clinical practice learning
• completion of a taught academic module
• advanced communication training

SSPs are responsible for their learning with support from their clinical mentor and module lead.

Each SSP is expected to maintain a clinical practice learning portfolio to provide evidence of learning.

Completing these requirements in a timely manner is an essential part of working in the BCSP.

3. Clinical practice learning

Each SSP should be allocated a clinical mentor who works at their screening centre to provide them with support. The mentor is responsible for the overall assessment of the SSP’s clinical competence.

Each SSP should make sure they plan in time for regular progress-review meetings with their clinical mentor.

3.1 Induction and orientation

SSPs are expected to work through an induction and orientation framework which sets out activities and outcomes each SSP is expected to undertake or achieve during their first 12 weeks in the role. This framework can be used as evidence to support clinical practice learning.

The framework covers both bowel scope and the faecal occult blood test (FOBT) pathways of the BCSP.

3.2 Who assesses clinical skills

Only individuals with appropriate expertise can assess the SSP’s clinical practice skills. These individuals include:

• SSPs who have completed the education and training requirements set out in this guidance
• a Joint Advisory Group (JAG) accredited BCSP colonoscopist

3.3 Assessing practice competences

One tool that contributes to the overall assessment of competence is direct observation of procedural skills (DOPS). These DOPS documents demonstrate that core practice competences have been achieved.

The documents are based on national workforce competences developed by Skills for Health.

The core practice competences for SSPs are:

• planning assessment of health status (CHS38)
• assessing health status (CHS39)
• forming a professional judgement of a health condition (CHS118)
• establishing suitability to undergo an intervention (CHS120)
• agreeing endoscopic procedures (END05)
• providing information on endoscopic procedures (END02)
• preparing for endoscopic procedures (END 07)
• communicating and relating during endoscopic procedures (END01)
• communicating significant news (CHS48)
• conducting health screening programmes (CHS227)

You can find all of the competences on Skills for Health. Simply type in the code listed above (for example ‘CHS38’) to the competence search box.

Performance will be measured against an assessment criterion and graded as below.

1. Has minimal knowledge and understanding of how the competence relates to practice.
2. Needs supervision to carry out the range of skills within the competence effectively.
3. Performs some skills within the competence effectively without supervision.
4. Is confident of their knowledge and ability to perform all the identified skills within the competence effectively.

SSPs need to achieve level 4 (the highest available) in each of the different criteria before they can work independently.

Assessment of clinical skills through DOPS is not necessarily completed over one assessment episode. SSPs may need more than one assessment before they reach level 4.

Mentors will give feedback to SSPs on how they can progress from one competence level to the next.

3.4 Advanced communication training

Screening centres should support SSPs to access a short course on advanced communication skills, which covers breaking significant news. Ideally, this will be completed within the first 18 months and any refresher courses undertaken as appropriate.

4. Academic taught module

SSPs are expected to enrol on a university accredited academic module specifically for SSPs in the BCSP within a month of appointment. They should begin study within a year of starting the SSP role. The academic module provider will specify the assessments required for successful completion of the module.

4.1 Failure to start the module

If an SSP does not start the module within a year, the regional Public Health England (PHE) screening quality assurance services (SQAS) team should be told in writing, stating the reasons. Support will be given to secure a start date.

4.2 SSPs who do not intend to start the module

If circumstances suggest that the SSP does not intend to start the module, the screening centre should discuss this with the SSP and the regional PHE screening quality assurance service (SQAS) team.

5. Failure to complete the academic taught module

The SSP is responsible for informing the clinical mentor and lead SSP if the module is failed on the first attempt. The module provider will set out next steps for any further attempts.

The lead SSP should inform the regional SQAS team as they may be able to offer additional advice and support via their professional clinical advisors (PCAs) to help the SSP reach the required standard.