Instructors area

FAQs

The Instructor is a key person in the delivery of the courses comprising the Scottish Multiprofessional Maternity Development Programme. Below you will find a list of frequently asked questions regarding the role of The SMMDP Instructor. Most of the information is outlined in the booklet you received prior to Generic Instructor Training; the Scottish Generic Instructor Training Course Candidate Information and in the appendixes in your Course Manual. This is a condensed collection of the most common topics;

Organisational

Can I choose which courses I take part in?

You can choose the courses you would like to be considered for but some courses and venues are more popular than others. We will however try our best to accommodate your request and offer a suitable alternative if appropriate. We greatly appreciate the contribution of local and external faculty to maintain the expertise and quality assurance of our courses.

Do we get paid expenses?

Course participation is on a voluntary basis but all expenses incurred by external instructors will be reimbursed (reasonable remuneration accepted). As an external instructor, all expenses for travel and accommodation, if incurred, will be reimbursed following the course, in line with NHS Education for Scotland Policies, or can be arranged by theSMMDP Office (see Travel & Subsistence Policy). In return for attending external training days, SMMDP will offer one or two free candidate places on the course (dependant on course capacity)

No – every course requires at least one external faculty member in order to maintain quality assurance. Therefore we are always looking for faculty from outside the area to take part. Some faculty feel more comfortable when there are no familiar faces in the group of course candidates.The SMMDP quality framework requires that there is an external Instructor on every SMMDP course, therefore, it is expected that Instructors will participate in SMMDP courses away from their own place of work.

Do i have to teach on a certain number of courses to maintain my status as an instructor?

To maintain your Instructor status it is anticipated that you will participate in a minimum of 2–3 course days per year of which one day should be as an external faculty member.

Course material

I have a manual from a previous course; can I use it on a forthcoming course?

Course material is frequently updated and therefore previous versions may be out dated. Please check with programme administrators if your version is still current. We are currently undertaking work to offer course manuals on–line which will therefore mean the updated version will always be available to download if necessary.

Can I change the PowerPoint presentation?

You can change up to 20% of the presentation to suit your own delivery style, interpretation and explanation.

What should I do If I do not agree with certain aspects of course content or evidence within course material?

It is essential that there is a consistent approach from all members of faculty, therefore if you do feel that there are aspects which you query, please highlight this to the Course director and faculty members before the course commences. After discussion, consensus should be reached regarding course delivery and this should be respected in order to alleviate any confusion. It may be necessary to feedback any concerns to SMMDP Programme Director with a view to updating material.

Course delivery

What should I do if I feel a candidate has poor comprehension of learning and is not meeting expected criterion?

The Course Leader is always available throughout the course for advice and support, and there are frequent faculty meetings before and after each day (and sometimes throughout day). This allows you to discuss candidates and consult other faculty members regarding performance of individual candidates and any additional support which can be offered.

What should I do if a candidate has a problem which may affect their performance during the course?

Speak to the Course Leader who will advise you and make any necessary arrangements or acceptable modifications.

Do I have any written assessment of candidates?

Some courses have an on-going assessment which is completed incrementally during the course. These are discussed and compared with other faculty members at end of course

Do I have to take part in role-play, simulation or characterisations in scenarios?

As an instructor, you are expected to take part in all aspects of the training. These are invaluable training methods which can be fun for both candidates as well as faculty, it is therefore desirable that faculty engage. If you feel this is a problem, please speak to your Course Leader before the course allocations. (see - Scottish Generic Instructor Training Manual, Appendix 3, The Role of the SMMDP Instructor).

How do in know that i am doing "ok" as an instructor?

We always ask all candidates to feedback and the feedback forms are collectively discussed by the faculty - therefore we use this as an opportunity to constructively highlight areas where we might improve. It is also encouraging to have positive feedback and beneficial for re validation. (-also refer to Scottish Generic Instructor Training Manual, Appendix 4, SMMDP Instructor Code of Conduct).

Instructors also require to recertify every 4 years. (see - Scottish Generic Instructor Training Manual, Appendix 5, SMMDP Instructor Recertification). Continuing accreditation as an instructor is dependent on completing the requirements for certification and recertification, as well as adherence to this Code of Conduct.

I would like to become an SMMDP instructor?

During every course, the faculty are asked to identify candidates who have instructor potential - they are notified in writing following the course and invited to attend our Generic Instructor Training. Health professionals who are already clinical instructors who wish to become an instructor with SMMDP, please contact our administration team or your line manager to enquire regarding our abridged generic training.

The Scottish Generic Instructor Training Course has been developed to provide a standardised, quality assured method of training Instructors to support the Scottish Multiprofessional Maternity Development Programme.

The Scottish Generic Training Bridging Course has been developed to introduce already qualified clinical instructors to the Scottish Multiprofessional Maternity Development Programme. The aim of this short session is to introduce, qualified clinical instructors to the Scottish Multiprofessional Maternity Development Programme; it's organisation, management, quality assurance mechanisms, agreed teaching methods, courses and course content

Supportive Documents

Detailed below are some documents that may be of interest to you, if you have any further questions please contact a member of the team, contact details can be found on the about us page

The Role of the SMMDP Instructor
SMMDP Instructors Code of Conduct
SMMDP Instructor Re-Certification