Endorsement of educational programmes - application process

What does RCPCH endorsement mean?

A specialist panel of experts will review the programme materials. Following successful quality review, endorsed programmes receive:

• use of RCPCH endorsement brand on organiser promotional products
• use of RCPCH statement conferring endorsement on organiser promotional products
• specified guidance on which promotional materials the brand and statement can be used on and in what format
• publication of endorsed programme details on RCPCH website
• RCPCH advertisement of educational programme via Twitter
• Publicity quote from senior College Officer in promotion of product (if required)
• organiser-created leaflet/flyer circulation at RCPCH events (if required)
• CPD approval (where relevant)
• course advertisement on the RCPCH CPD diary (where relevant).

How to apply for endorsement

Read the applicant guidelines and fees below.

1. Download the application form below. Complete and return with all relevant evidence to the Governance Team.
2. An expert panel will review the documents/evidence, and their responses will be considered by the Education & Training Quality Committee.
3. Reviews will be carried out under confidentiality terms.
4. Written feedback will be provided to the requester by the RCPCH.

Applications from formula milk manufacturers or those acting on their behalf are no longer accepted. For further information, please refer to the below statement.

Review panel

Our reviewers are asked to ensure that programmes support quality healthcare education and practice. The review panel will assess the information you provide against RCPCH standards:

• The programme is conducted by a reputable provider and professionally delivered
• The programme reflects appropriate principles of education programme design
• The programme is adequately resourced and managed
• Formal arrangements are established for the evaluation of the programme

Applicant guidelines

An important component of the RCPCH is to provide quality education and CPD opportunities to its members and other child healthcare professionals. The endorsement of non-RCPCH education programmes and CPD activities adds value to our members by ensuring that such resources have been quality reviewed by experts. It is important that we quality review all products that wish to utilise the College’s name. Non-RCPCH education programmes and CPD activities include face-to-face courses, eLearning and blended learning programmes that are able to demonstrate defined learning outcomes.

Exclusions

• Face-to-face programmes that exceed five days
• Graduate or postgraduate programmes which carry academic credit

Terms and conditions

• Short courses (five days maximum) will only be endorsed for the actual delivery dates and eLearning resources will be endorsed for a maximum of three years from confirmation of endorsement.
• Organisations will be requested to inform the RCPCH of any change to the programme once endorsed to enable RCPCH to decide if further endorsement review is required.
• If an activity is cancelled after the application has been endorsed and the confirmation letter provided, a refund of the endorsement fee will not be offered. In some cases, if the activity is rescheduled to a future date, the RCPCH may consider updating the endorsement confirmation without the need for an additional fee, if all details including programme, timings and facilitators or speakers remain the same.
• Retrospective approval is only permitted for eLearning resources.
• Any commercial sponsorship of the course or eLearning should be clearly stated, but excluded from the educational part of the programme or content.
• Commercial advertising or other promotional activity must not be placed within the room in which the educational programme takes place or in the eLearning product. However, it is legitimate for a sponsoring organisation to have a presence in the main area of the meeting venue.
• If sponsorship or other support is provided this should comply with relevant guidelines. In the case of the pharmaceutical industry, guidelines are provided at www.abpi.org.uk. In all cases, those organising an educational activity or developing eLearning have a duty to ensure that the information is presented in a way that is free from bias.
• Use of the main RCPCH logo is not permitted on any endorsed programme materials.

Application process

• The applicant organisation should submit a completed application form at least 12 weeks prior to the course start date or, for eLearning resources, no later than 12 weeks prior to the date that an endorsement decision is required. Late applications will not  be considered.
• The process will be carried out under confidentiality terms.
• The applicant must submit a written application and required documentation or evidence to governance@rcpch.ac.uk.
• Only once all required information is received and checked will the application be forwarded for review to the RCPCH expert panel.
• The panel, including specialty expert/s and educationalists and, where appropriate, international region expert, will review the application.
• Written feedback will be provided by RCPCH to the applicant indicating endorsement or non-approval within 12 weeks of a full application being submitted to RCPCH.

Pre-endorsement documentation required

• Completed application form
• Course programme (including title, date, venue, learning aims etc) and/or eLearning web link (including username and password to access all learner content)
• All presentations to be used
• All faculty session plans if presentations not used
• All additional learning materials eg case studies, workbooks, articles to be used during the programme delivery or eLearning, assessment process (if used) eg test, assignment
• All faculty information (biography including job title, expertise, current employer and relevant qualifications). Provide for both development and delivery faculty if different individuals
• Other relevant programme web links
• Declaration of interest documentation where there is perceived or actual conflict of interest - download Declarations of interest guide below
• All external accreditation or endorsement
• Promotional materials – leaflets/flyers/social media plans
• Blank delegate programme evaluation form or online survey link including RCPCH mandatory questions – see next section
• Previous delegate and faculty evaluations (consolidated summary) for same programme delivered in previous 24 months (including information on any changes made to programme content, format or faculty as a result of feedback).

RCPCH evaluation form mandatory questions

You will need to ensure that the following evaluation questions (or amended versions with the same meaning) are included on the evaluation form, which is distributed to delegates after they have completed/attended the programme:

• Were the learning aims/objectives of the programme/eLearning met?
• Was there any bias or conflict of interest evident in the programme or eLearning?
• Were the speakers/instructors/authors knowledgeable?

Post-endorsement documentation required

• Summary of completed delegate evaluations within eight weeks of programme completion date for face-to-face courses, or after 12 months from release date for eLearning
• Summary of faculty feedback covering programme structure and content, learning aims and outcomes; teaching and learning methods and materials, evaluation and assessment, and resourcing and any planned changes to the programme, within eight weeks of programme completion date

Endorsement review criteria

Quality review of educational programmes is essential to ensure that high quality content and delivery is associated with the RCPCH endorsement brand. The purpose of the programme should be to improve the quality of the target learner’s education and practice. In considering your application the review panel will assess it against the following criteria:

Relevance to paediatrics and/or child health in a uni or multi-disciplinary context

• Is the content of the programme targeted at an audience actively involved with children and young people in a medical or healthcare context – this audience may include parents and carers?

Expert input

• Has the programme been developed with appropriate input from individuals with a proven background and/or expertise in the field of study?
• Does the faculty delivering/authoring the content have appropriate expertise, knowledge and skills in the field of study?

Children and young people input

• Has the programme been developed with appropriate input from children and young people or families?

Quality review

• Are all supporting materials and content up-to-date and accurate eg linked to recent guidelines, research or consensus?
• Does the structure and content of the programme reflect appropriate principles of educational design, eg are there clearly stated, educationally SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound), learning aims, objectives and outcomes listed on the programme; is the content adult-learner centred, ie non didactic, problem based, practical, collaborative, based on real life situations, drawing on learner experiences, encouraging reflection?
• Does content and teaching and learning methods incorporate suitable differentiation and pace to accommodate different learning styles or preferences?
• Does the content, teaching and learning methods and supporting materials support learners achieving the stated outcomes?
• Is there an appropriate ratio of delivery faculty to learners (for face-to-face courses)?
• Does any assessment process appropriately test the learner’s knowledge development in relation to learning outcomes?
• For eLearning, there must be a process for assessment, for example, a test of knowledge or reflection of learning required of user or learner?

Evaluation

• Does the evaluation effectively evaluate programme content and achievement of learning outcomes?
• Does learner evaluation include RCPCH mandatory questions?
• Is there evidence that any previous evaluation has fed into future programme developments?
• Is there evidence that the programme will be evaluated by both learners and faculty?

Equality and diversity

• Does the learning content and venue location or online process ensure equality and diversity considerations for learners and faculty, eg that language and content is accessible, non-discriminatory, that faculty selection is appropriate to learner needs, etc.?

Resourcing

• Is there evidence that the programme is adequately resourced, eg is the delegate fee set at an appropriate level; is there funding if no delegate fee?
• Is any sponsorship appropriate, eg via an unrestricted educational grant?

Reputation

• Is the programme being developed and delivered by a professional and reputable provider?
• Is there any evidence of inappropriate bias in relation to programme content or faculty selection by a sponsor, commercial organisation, other organisation?
• Are there any inappropriate conflicts of interest stated by the organiser or faculty in relation to the programme? NB existence of a conflict of interest will not necessarily preclude endorsement of a programme, however for reviewers to determine the impact of a conflict of interest, we ask organisers and faculty to provide detailed information regarding any potential conflict of interest in the declaration of interest forms.

Geographical context (non-UK programmes only)

• Has the selection of faculty, content of programme and programme format taken account of the geographical context of the audience eg has it been suitably targeted to its non-UK setting and audience?
• Is a RCPCH member involved in organising or supporting this educational programme?

Decline or withdrawal of endorsement

The RCPCH reserves the right to decline or withdraw approval for any given activity in any of the following circumstances.

• Review does not demonstrate organiser has achieved the required standard for endorsement
• There is a perception of inappropriate conflict of interest and/or bias of content or faculty as reported to RCPCH by the reviewers, RCPCH members, health care professionals or other delegates in advance of, during or after the programme or eLearning
• Supporting materials are inaccurate and/or out-of-date
• Significant alterations are made to the programme content, format or faculty
• Significant negative feedback from programme delegates or faculty which has not been adequately addressed for future instances of the programme
• Representation of RCPCH endorsement approval, including misuse of any branding or wording of RCPCH, that gives a false impression of RCPCH’s endorsement
• Advertising is presented during the educational part of the activity
• Advertising the activity as being endorsed before confirmation is received
• Evidence that the delegate list from the activity is being used as a resource for prior or subsequent promotional contact by the sponsoring (or any other) commercial organisation

If an application is declined, consideration of any re‐submission is dependent upon the organiser submitting the requested change(s) being made for review in a timely and effective manner to ensure review prior to the programme taking place.

In the event of a decline or withdrawal of RCPCH endorsement, the RCPCH is not responsible for reimbursement or compensation for any costs incurred by the organiser, eg promotional materials or loss of revenue, or the endorsement fee.

In the event of a decline/withdrawal, the organiser must remove all reference to RCPCH endorsement within 5 working days of receiving confirmation of the withdrawal from the RCPCH.

In the event of a decline or withdrawal of RCPCH endorsement, the organiser may appeal the decision within 14 days of receiving confirmation of the decline or withdrawal in writing to governance@rcpch.ac.uk. An appeal will involve review of the programme and related materials by the relevant College Specialty Advisory Committee (CSAC) and/or special interest group. Their findings will be considered by the Officer for Education Programme Development and Vice President Education and, if there is disagreement, by the RCPCH CEO, their decision will be final. The organiser will receive the outcome of the appeal within eight weeks of receipt of the written appeal request.

RCPCH programme endorsement fees

Face-to-face course fees

The above fees are per approval for a single educational activity and are non-refundable if the applicant is unsuccessful. The fees are subject to change without notice.

Multiple face to face programme approvals

Where an identical face-to-face programme (same programme content, format, faculty, learning objectives and outcomes) occurs more than once in a six month period, the organiser may apply for multiple event approval. The following fee structure will apply:

• Two fees for 2-3 events
• Three fees for 4-5 events
• Four fees for 6-7 events
• Five fees for 8-10 events

Should any endorsed programme content, format, faculty or learning objectives and outcomes change, existing endorsement should not be assumed and the organiser should contact RCPCH to discuss.

eLearning fees

An unrestricted educational grant is any payment by a sponsor in support of an educational activity. All forms of sponsorship and contributions in support of the activity, including payment of expenses, such as for food or travel, covering cost of administration or the production of delegate packs will be regarded and treated under the same terms applicable to an educational grant.

Recommendation: All funds from a commercial source should be in the form of an unrestricted educational grant, that is, a grant that allows providers freedom to choose the topic, speakers and mode of presentation, payable to the institution or organisation that is organising the educational programme. Where a grant is restricted, endorsement is likely to be via the route for commercial organisations and thereby will attract the higher fee.

Applications from formula milk manufacturers

On 13 February 2019, RCPCH declared that it would no longer accept any funding or direct payment from formula milk companies (FMCs). RCPCH respects the discretion of its partner organisations to exercise their independence to engage appropriately with formula milk companies and does not seek to influence their collaboration, but it will always recommend that its partner organisations reject any inappropriate marketing of formula milk products at their events or alongside their activities. 

What does this means for RCPCH endorsement of courses, eLearning and other educational products?

We will no longer accept applications for CPD approval or endorsement from FMCs and their subsidiaries or organisations acting on their behalf, as this constitutes direct funding/payment. We will accept applications from non-commercial organisations or doctors for CPD approval or endorsement whose educational activities are (co-) sponsored by FMCs, on the understanding that the fee for the service is not paid for from the FMC sponsorship. As with our existing CPD approval and endorsement processes, we would expect organisers to reject any inappropriate marketing of formula milk products, or any other commercial products, at their events and not allow any promotional activities to be included in the educational programme or teaching areas.

For further information, see our statement and FAQs.

Contact

If you have any queries, please contact the Governance Team at governance@rcpch.ac.uk in the first instance.

• * a b This includes commercial organisations applying for or organising the activity on behalf of a non-commercial or charitable organisation.
• ** a b Income stream = an unrestricted educational grant, sponsorship or attendance fees.