Interim Educational Supervisor Review (iESR)

The Interim ESR is based on the full annual ESR but reduces the burden of assessment for the Educational Supervisor, only your ES can complete an iESR.

You will meet with your ES at the 6 month point of your training year and together review your progress since your most recent ESR, and the training requirements which will need to be completed before your next annual ESR. (It is recognised ST1 trainees will not have a previous ESR).

The ES should ensure that there is evidence of appropriate progression in each of the capabilities across the clinical experience groups appropriate to your placements and stage of training.

The Interim ESR is a formative process to support you and to try and ensure you are on track to achieve ‘satisfactory progress’ at your next ARCP.

The ESR is prepared in the same way for either ESR. You will need to complete a self-rating and add evidence for each capability, complete and update your PDP and add up to 3 action plans.

Your ES can decide whether this is to be a full or interim ESR at any time during the review period and can switch from one to the other if required. In an interim ESR, the ES can still decide to grade and give evidence for each capability but this is not mandatory.

The interim ESR is only appropriate to use between annual ESRs and when there is no ARCP scheduled within the next two months. A full ESR would be expected every calendar year.

An Interim ESR should NOT be done when:

• The last ARCP was an outcome 2 or 3
• The panel asked for a full ESR at your last ARCP
• The trainee has newly identified or previously declared Significant Events (GMC threshold of potential or actual serious harm to patients, not Learning Event Analysis), Complaints or Other Investigations which have not been resolved since their last ARCP i.e any declaration made on the last Form R (or SOAR in Scotland) which is outstanding.

The sign off for the Interim ESR is slightly different to that of a full ESR.

If the supervisor has any sufficient concerns and selects any outcome other than "satisfactory", the portfolio will prompt to switch to a full ESR, where the ES will then be required to grade and evidence each capability and give the full ESR grading at the end. 

Examples where concern may be raised include:

• If concerns raised at a previous ESR have not been resolved
• There are concerns over the ‘Level of Supervision’ needed, or your performance in the WPBA tools.
• There have been concerns identified about your lack of engagement in the Portfolio
• Concerns have been highlighted by the local education team or supervisors in the 'Educators notes section of your Portfolio.

Should an Interim ESR be completed in error or where the Deanery have subsequently requested a full ESR, the ES must request an ESR roll back and then switch to a full ESR and complete this as normal with the trainee.

Interim Educational Supervisor Review FAQs

1. When is it appropriate to complete an interim ESR?

You need to have a review with your ES annually and at the mid point of each year.

If you are progressing satisfactorily then you can have an interim review at the mid point of the year rather than the full review.

2. When is an interim ESR not appropriate and the full ESR needed?

If at your last ARCP you were given an  outcome 2 or 3,

The previous ARCP panel asked for a full ESR.

If you have been involved in a Significant Event which has not been resolved.

If your ES has concerns about your progress. This should include any of the following issues:

• If concerns raised at a previous ESR have not been resolved,
• There are concerns over the ‘Level of Supervision’ needed, or your performance in the WPBA tools. For example, more than the anticipated number of WPBA have been graded as you ‘needing further development – below expectations’ for this stage in your training
• There have been concerns identified about you relating to a lack of engagement in the Portfolio
• Concerns have been highlighted by the local education team or your supervisors in the 'Educator Notes' section of your Portfolio

3. What will be assessed at an interim ESR?

It is important to assess whether you are producing satisfactory evidence across all of the RCGP 13 capabilities and clinical experience groups as well as reviewing the overall quality of your Portfolio and checking that the required number of assessments have been completed.

4. What should an Educational Supervisor do if a trainee has not completed all their mandatory assessments?

There may be very good reasons why these have not been done and this should be discussed with your ES. One missing miniCEX, for example, should not necessarily mean a full ESR is needed but you must complete this before the full annual ESR. If no assessments have been completed then it is not possible to assess your progress and a full ESR would be needed and in this case concerns raised with the local education team with the potential of a referral to panel if needed.

5. Does it make any difference to the review needed if I am less than full time?

You need to have a full ESR each calendar year you are in training whether you are full or part time. All reviews in between these ESRs, can be interim ESRs as long as the stipulations detailed above are followed.