Accreditation reviewer. Job description

Contents

• Who are we
• What does the Education Team do?
• What does the Accreditation Reviewer role entail?
• Person specification – what experience and skills are we looking for?
• Are there any other criteria for the appointment?
• What is the time commitment?
• What can I claim for my services?
• Equality, diversity, and inclusion is important to us.
• How to apply?
• What will happen next?

Who we are

The Royal College of Podiatry (RCPod) is the professional body and trade union for registered podiatrists in the United Kingdom. We work with podiatrists, their employers, their educators and others to:

• deliver advice and guidance from the leaders of the profession 
• set the standards of academic and clinical standards of undergraduate and postgraduate podiatric provision
• make sure the core curriculum is implemented in full and that the podiatry school is responsive to future academic development
• cement our position as an international leading centre for clinical knowledge in podiatry
• raise the profile of podiatry as an aspirational and inspirational career choice
• serve as the number one learning brand for podiatry in the UK
• raise awareness of the role of podiatrists in the prevention and treatment of the foot and lower limb with decision makers, influencers and patients to improve health outcomes.

What does the Accreditation Team do?

The Accreditation Team runs the quality assurance and accreditation of undergraduate and postgraduate courses that lead to degrees in podiatry. They also oversee an accreditation pathway for existing and future programmes of accreditation relevant to foot health support worker roles, and the accreditation pathway for foot health individuals seeking retrospective and prospective approval.

The Accreditation Team also carries out a range of approval processes for CPD course organisers running a course for use within podiatry. The RCPod’s CPD looks to develop, maintain and inform professional practice. Course content is evaluated to ensure that it is podiatry-specific with references to clear evidence base and uses of the proposed techniques within podiatry. This activity allows us to check that prospective CPD providers are complying with our standards and requirements for the management and delivery of postgraduate podiatric accreditation and training.

What does the Accreditation Reviewer role entail?

1.    Accreditation reviewers will take part in our quality assurance activities, with podiatry schools and foot health training providers. Reviewers help the Accreditation team to reach conclusions about the quality of podiatry education. For example, we work often with reviewers as part of a visit team, accompanying Accreditation Team staff to podiatry schools. Visits consist of structured interviews with those responsible for delivering education as well as speaking with students and placement educators. Reviewers also scrutinise various sources videof evidence such as syllabus documents, providing commentary to support decisions.

The role of an Accreditation Reviewer is varied; however, you will be expected to:

• become familiar with programme and course criteria
• scrutinise documentation against our criteria, assess information, and identify objectives for quality assurance activities
• become familiar with the process and etiquette for virtual and in-person visits and participate fully
• contribute to action planning meetings with reviewer teams— during these meetings the team will identify and review areas of risk as well as potential best practice
• collect qualitative data on visits by interviewing various groups (such as senior management or learners)
• make judgements about whether standards are met and ensure that these judgements are reflected in quality assurance reports
• provide advice and/or feedback to the RCPod about our quality assurance processes
• undertake training and performance reviews as required by the RCPod

2.    On occasion, we ask Accreditation Reviewers to act as a team leader if a group of reviewers are used on a quality activity or visit.

3.    RCPod reviewers work under a voluntary Contract for Services. They are not employees. We engage them because of their special knowledge and expertise.

Person specification - what experience and skills are we looking for?

Essential experience

4.    Clinical Academic in podiatry education (this person would serve as the Team Leader)

OR

5.    Podiatrist (not based within a podiatry school)

OR

6.    Recent podiatry graduate (up to 2 years recent)

OR

7.    Lay (a non-podiatrist; can have quality assurance experience from elsewhere; can be a Foot Health Practitioner; can have experience of any undergraduate allied health or apprentice education; must provide an external perspective to our quality activities and represent all the non-podiatrist persons)

Ideal experience for the Clinical Academic would include one or both of the following:

• holding a key role in the delivery or organisation of education in a podiatry school
• previous involvement in developing a new podiatry school or new podiatry programme

We would encourage applications from those with experience in senior roles at a podiatry school. For example, year leads, or Head of School/Programme.

Essential skills:

8.   Investigation, judgement, and decision-making abilities:

• an ability to interpret and explore a range of information, which can at times be complex, and pinpoint relevant issues
• an appreciation of handling sensitive and confidential information and respecting and maintaining its confidentiality
• the ability to make independent and objective judgements in a considered and evidence-based way.

9.    Interpersonal and team working skills:

• the ability to work well within a team and build good working relationships both internally and externally
• the ability to participate fully in virtual and face-to-face meetings, engage with stakeholders, and challenge constructively when necessary.

10.   Communication skills:

• an ability to quickly establish rapport and communicate effectively and confidently across all levels
• an ability to question in a respectful and appropriate style and actively listen to responses
• the ability to provide feedback verbally and in writing.

11.   Promoting equality and diversity:

• you must be able to demonstrate that your decision-making and behaviour is fair, transparent, objective, and proportionate;  be able to address issues around fairness and inequality in your work and actively promote, support and foster fairness and inclusion.

As a  reviewer you must be able to ensure that you:

• set aside your personal feelings and beliefs and challenge your own biases, assumptions and views, as well as those of others
• maintain a curious and open mind and be open to others’ perspectives
• be prepared to give clear reasons and a rationale for the decisions you have made in a way that can be easily understood
• be objective in how you make decisions and ensure that they are evidence-based
• be fair and consistent, taking steps to mitigate against personal feelings, beliefs or conflicts of interest unfairly influencing any decisions you make.

Are there any other criteria for the appointment?

12.   If you are an active committee member or member of RCPod staff you are not eligible to apply for a reviewer role as this would be deemed a conflict of interest with your contract as an employee and a contract for services as a reviewer.

13.   Any appointment with us is subject to reviewers having the right to work for us lawfully in the reviewer role to which they are appointed.

14.   We expect reviewers to be based in the UK while performing any RCPodtasks or training. Working overseas presents several challenges including complying with data protection legislation and information security risks.

15.   Be in good standing with the RCPod and the HCPC.

What is the time commitment?

16.   The exact time commitment required varies according to the quality assurance activities you undertake. 

Generally, Accreditation Reviewers are expected to commit to approximately ten days per year (including any mandatory training). Observations of CPD courses and visits to podiatry schools and foot health education providers can take between one and two days, depending on the areas required for exploration, and usually require overnight hotel stays. Involvement in a quality assurance activity could take from 0.5 to 2 days in-person or on MS Teams. Document analysis can take between half a day and three days.

What can I claim for my services?

17.   Accreditation Reviewers will be offered an honorarium of £XXX per day as a ‘thank you’ for the voluntary provision of the services. An additional fee will be offered for reading time. Fees are paid for training and the full fee detail will be provided on appointment.

18.   Team leaders will be receive an additional £50 per quality activity. Education Team staff will confirm the total fee amount at the end of each quality assurance activity.

19.   You will be eligible to claim travel and subsistence expenses in accordance with the current RCPod’s expenses claim policy and procedure. All travel and accommodation are booked through the RCPod’s travel booking system which will ensure that appropriate discounts may be applied to travel arrangements.

Equality, diversity and inclusion is important to us

20.   We are committed to being fair and meeting our legal responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010. We will not discriminate against anyone, including applicants with a ‘protected characteristic’* when making appointments.

21.   We believe equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) are an integral part of our work as a professional body, and as an employer. Our EDI commitments are driven by our ambition to make progress in tackling persistent issues related to inequality, and to achieve positive changes and outcomes for the diverse groups we work with and for.

22.   We are fully committed to making the appointment process accessible at all stages for applicants with a disability or other specific requirements.

23.   We are working hard to increase the diversity of the workforce to reflect the stakeholders we serve and we would actively encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply. Through our positive action initiatives, we welcome applications from all individuals and particularly from an ethnic minority background, socially or economically disadvantaged background or have a disability. All appointments will be based on merit.

How to apply?

24.   You need to complete an on-line application form which tells us about your experience, skills, and suitability for the role.

25.   When completing the on-line application form, you must demonstrate, by answering a series of specific questions, how your experience matches the person specification detailed above, concentrating on your role, process and outcomes.

26.   Your application will be marked on the ‘Reasons for Application’ and the answers you provide for each of the specific questions only.

27.   You must submit your application by midnight XX XX XXXX

What will happen next?

28.   In appointing Accreditation Reviewers, we will have regard to the need for balance in terms of diversity, skills, and experience with the aim of achieving a balance of relevant abilities in our current pool.

29.   Candidates will be notified of the outcome of the shortlisting stage by XX XX XXXX

30.   Selected candidates will be invited to attend a 1-hour virtual interview. The interview will be held on Microsoft Teams and take place between XX XX XX

31.   Appointment is conditional on the receipt of satisfactory references and the outcome of a basic criminal background check.