We never stop learning. Whether it’s getting up to speed early in our careers, keeping abreast of new developments, or dealing with challenges, there’s always something new. If you’re a dental registrant, NHS Education for Scotland (NES) provides a host of Continuing Professional Development opportunities for you. And from April 2021, we’re bringing lots of this together under one banner - NEST:
New to Dentistry Mandatory Training / (Induction to Dentistry in Scotland)
Education
Support
Training
Gillian Nevin, Assistant Postgraduate Dental Dean at NES explains:
“At lots of different points in our professional careers we need a helping hand. Keeping on top of professional standards and best practice demands dedication at the best of times, and it’s been a really hard year for everyone.”
“At NES, we previously offered a range of support for people under different titles - Return to Work/Keeping in Touch, TRaMS (Training, Revision and Mentor Support) and Mandatory Training. By bringing these together under one banner – NEST - we hope to make it easier for people to see what’s on offer, and to access the support we can provide.
“It’s not just about Mandatory Training – although that is one of the things we deliver -we’re here to provide informal advice, mentoring, and other help so you can keep on top of things. So why not drop us a line and we can discuss your needs?”
NEST Level 1 – Mandatory Training
Since October 2016, those applying to join the dental list in Scotland for the first time and those who have had a period of absence from a list of twelve months or more, need to complete Mandatory Training.
Dentists who are currently included on an equivalent list in England, Wales or Northern Ireland who apply to join a dental list in Scotland, either as a contractor or assistant only need to complete Part 2 of Mandatory Training and to sit and pass the Test of Knowledge assessment. All other candidates must complete Parts 1 and 2 and the Test of Knowledge.
Please note that Mandatory Training bookings are at present still made on the NES Portal.
NEST Level 1A – Not in Work
We provide support to help dental registrants who have been out of clinical practice for an extended period of time to prepare for their return.
This support and advice is individually needs-assessed and includes help to develop an appropriate Personal Development Plan. It provides an excellent opportunity to renew professional skills and update CPD, prior to returning to work.
NEST Level 2
NES also provides educational support for personal and practice development planning to address specific educational needs. This may include items identified in the Combined Practice Inspection, which may be highlighted by the practitioner or the team carrying out the inspection.
We can advise on how to choose CPD events, hands-on training, reviewing guidelines, case-based discussions and how to use quality improvement methods to meet identified learning needs.
NEST Level 3
Dental registrants early in their careers or new to Scotland often need support. That’s why we offer mentoring or shadowing. We can tailor this to people’s individual needs or supplement registrants’ training following specific requests from Health Boards.
NEST Level 4
Sometimes, even experienced professionals can do with a hand to lift performance. We can offer targeted training, upskilling and refresher training for registrants or even whole practice teams.
Our experienced mentors can also provide 1:1 support to assist with producing and working through Personal Development Plans (PDPs) and action plans.
