IBMS Education Manager Richardia Penn with the latest on assessment, verification and training.
We are happy to announce the opening for the Certificate of Competence by Equivalence 2022 cohort for new applicants.
From 1 November this year, applicants who are interested in the route and who can demonstrate that they meet the requirements can email [email protected] to receive application packs. However, before applying it is important to ensure that applicants review the Guidance to Candidates and the information in our application packs to confirm that they meet the minimum requirements for the route prior to returning the application. For more details please visit: bit.ly/3llClKa.
Over the past few months, the number of verifiers and examiners registering has increased, expanding the pool of registered external assessors. Unfortunately, with this increase, there has also been a noticeable decrease in the number of verifiers and examiners coming forward each week to take on pending verifications and examinations.
The number of requests coming in each day for a verifier or examiner means there is an urgent need for the support of our registered verifiers and examiners to help each other’s laboratories during this crucial stage in the candidates’ training. Taking on verifications and examinations contributes to members’ CPD and experience. Most importantly, it also secures more registered biomedical scientists within the training laboratories, providing additional help and support to staff.
We understand that carrying out assessments can take time out of your busy schedule, but if every registered verifier and examiner came forward at least once every six months, this would significantly reduce the turnaround time for pending assessments within your laboratory, as well as others.
It helps to help each other. Presently, with weekly alerts sent out for verifiers and examiners we only receive up to 10 coming forward for over 200 pending assessments. We hope to encourage you to help reduce this and assist us in getting more trained biomedical scientists in your laboratory and others.
We are very grateful for the help of the verifiers and examiners who continue to come forward each week. With your help we have continued to process candidates successfully, completing their training to get them on the HCPC register. Soon we will be re-introducing face-to-face assessments for training laboratories with trainee’s requiring an in-person assessment. This will be done in accordance with our guidelines for allocating assessors and on a first-come-first-served basis, to ensure a fair process for all those pending.
We continue to receive a large volume of emails and calls each day that require equal attention and support from the Education Department to offer the best service possible. We also continue to review processes regularly to address any concerns and provide clarity where there is any uncertainty. With feedback received there is always a bit of mediation on our part to come to the most suitable conclusion going forward. This decision will always be for the best interest of our members who remain our top priority.
Richardia Penn is the Education Manager at the IBMS
Image credit | Ikon