Professional Support Referrals
Overview
The Professional Support Team offer a confidential, neutral, safe space in which postgraduate doctors, dentists or public health practitioners in training (PGDiTs) can explore any challenges they are facing and help them to access the right support and guidance, based on their individual needs.
Any PGDiT in Yorkshire and Humber can submit a self-referral to access help from the Professional Support Team. Your trainer can also submit a referral on your behalf, subject to your consent.
About the Professional Support Team
Professional Support is delivered by a team of clinical Associate Deans and Professional Support Managers. All are experienced in advising PGDiTs and will always approach your situation with professionalism and kindness. We provide a safe, non-judgemental space for you to discuss your experiences in more detail and explore what options and resources would be most supportive to you.
Referrals to Professional Support
Reasons why you may self-refer or choose for your trainer to refer you to Professional Support could include, but are not limited to:
- You may be struggling to develop certain professional behaviours (such as resilience, team working or time keeping) or have difficulties with your confidence and need some guidance and support to help you improve in these areas.
- You may have experienced a difficulty in a relationship with a colleague at work which is causing a barrier to how you work together and need remedial support for the relationship.
- You may be unsure what direction your career is heading in and wish to discuss your options with a Careers Advisor or Associate Dean.
- You may feel overwhelmed by the range of support resources and mechanisms available to you and need some guidance to identify which is right for you and your circumstances.
- You may be experiencing a challenge at work and you are struggling to identify ways to move forward.
- You may be encountering difficulties when returning to training after a period of time out (such as difficulties with clinical skills or confidence).
Important information about the Professional Support Service
The Professional Support Service is independent of specialty schools and training programmes. Owing to this, we are unable to provide advice on specific queries relating to your training (such as rotations or ePortfolios) nor can we provide support and/or representation with formal processes (such as ARCP appeals). However, we can provide you with pastoral support if such processes are impacting your wellbeing and can signpost to relevant guidance and resources.
Please be aware that we are not a healthcare provider. If you require support with managing a health condition, we recommend you contact your GP for assistance. If you need health-related support in the workplace, please follow your employer's Occupational Health referral procedure. You may also find our Managing your Health and Wellbeing pages valuable for advice and recommended local and external support services.
Further information
To find out more about the support we can offer and the process to access it, please select the appropriate option below.
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