The Work Place Based Assessments (WPBAs) on Portfolio Online

There are a number of WPBAs on Portfolio Online including the following:

• Assessment of Clinical Expertise (ACE) modified from the Clinical Evaluation Exercise (CEX), in which an entire clinical encounter is observed and rated thus providing an assessment of a doctor’s ability to assess a complete case.
• Assessment of Teaching (AoT) has been developed at the Royal College of Psychiatrists to enable an assessment to be made of planned teaching carried out by a trainee.
• Case Based Discussion (CBD) is also used in the Foundation Programme and is an assessment made on the basis of a structured discussion of a patient whom a trainee has recently been involved with and has written in their notes.
• Case Based Discussion Group Assessment (CBDGA) has been developed by the Royal College of Psychiatrists to provide structured feedback on a trainee’s attendance and contribution to case discussion groups (also known as Balint-type groups) in Core Psychiatry Training.
• Case Presentation (CP) this is an assessment of a major case presentation by a trainee, such as a Grand Round.
• Direct Observation of non-Clinical Skills (DONCS) has been developed from the Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS). The DONCS is designed to provide feedback on a trainee’s performance of non-clinical skills by observing them chairing a meeting, teaching, supervising others or engaging in another non-clinical procedure.
• Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS) is also used in the Foundation Programme and is similar to mini-ACE except that the focus is on technical and procedural skills.
• Journal Club Presentation (JCP) is similar to a Case Presentation but enables an assessment to be made of a Journal Club presented by a trainee.
• Mini-Assessed Clinical Encounter (Mini-ACE) is modified from the mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercise (mini- CEX) used in the Foundation Programme, part of a clinical encounter, such as history-taking, is observed and rated.
• Multi-Source Feedback (MSF) is obtained using the Mini Peer Assessment Tool (mini-PAT), which is an assessment made by a cohort of co-workers across the domains of Good Medical Practice. In psychiatry training, trainees should nominate 10-12 suitable assessors who they currently work with for the mini-PAT assessment. Ideally, this should include no more than 2 assessors in any one position (i.e. 2 consultants, 2 nurses, 2 peers, 2 juniors, 2 admin, 2 healthcare professionals etc). Trainees should nominate their named clinical supervisor, that is, the consultant who is responsible for the majority of clinical supervision in their current placement unless stated otherwise by their deanery. This may or may not be the same person as the trainee’s educational supervisor. The trainee must discuss/agree with their clinical supervisor those who are to be nominated. A valid mini-PAT requires at least 6 responses. For more information on the MSF, read our trainee article called undertaking a mini-PAT
• Psychotherapy Assessment of Clinical Expertise (PACE) has been developed by the College to provide evidence of satisfactory completion of a psychotherapy case. It should be completed by the Psychotherapy Tutor, a Consultant Psychiatrist in Psychotherapy.
• Structured Assessment of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Assessment (SAPA) is used to assess a trainee's performance undertaking patient assessments in psychotherapy.
• Structured Assessment of Psychotherapy Expertise (SAPE) has been developed by the College to provide evidence of satisfactory completion of a psychotherapy case.

When should I complete WPBAs?

Who can complete a WPBA?

How do I find out how many of each WPBA a trainee has done in a training level?

Is there a fixed number of WPBAs for core training?