RCPCH Guidance on ARCP Outcomes
This guidance supports ARCP panels, educational supervisors and paediatric trainees in making fair, consistent and transparent decisions regarding Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) outcomes. It should be read alongside the Gold Guide, the RCPCH Progress curriculum and applicable local training guidance.
The purpose of the ARCP process is to evaluate whether a trainee is progressing satisfactorily through their training programme and has provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate achievement of the expected capabilities for their stage of training.
- Judging ARCP outcomes
ARCP panels should make outcome decisions based on the evidence presented against the curriculum requirements, ensuring consistency, fairness and adherence to national guidance. Panels should refer to the CopMed Gold Guide (11th Edition), and the supporting guidance listed below:
- Expected Standards for Progression
At each ARCP, trainees are reviewed against the curriculum requirements expected for their level of training. These expectations represent the minimum standard necessary for progression.
Trainees should ensure that:
- curriculum capabilities are appropriately evidenced
- Supervised Learning Events (SLEs), assessments and other mandatory evidence are completed
- educational supervisor reports are submitted on time
- mandatory training and examinations, where relevant, are completed
- portfolio evidence accurately reflects their training experience and development.
ARCP panels should consider the quality, breadth and consistency of evidence rather than relying solely on numerical targets.
- Annual Reviews Conducted at Different Points in Training
Not all trainees will be reviewed after exactly 12 months of full-time training. This may occur because of:
- Less Than Full Time (LTFT) training
- parental leave or other statutory leave
- time out of programme
- changes to training schedules or programme dates.
In such circumstances, the panel should assess progress in proportion to the amount of training time undertaken since the previous review. Expectations should be adjusted accordingly while maintaining the required standard of competence.
- Non-standard ARCP outcomes
Please refer to the Gold Guide for the full range of possible outcomes at ARCP.
Non-standard ARCP outcomes should not come as a surprise to PGDiTs and any training concerns should have been previously discussed and noted in supervision forms. Post-ARCP meetings should be arranged to outline the remediation required by the PGDiT.
Outcome 2: Development Required Without Additional Training Time
Outcome 2 is appropriate when a trainee is broadly progressing as expected but has specific areas requiring further development.
Examples may include:
- Missing pieces of portfolio evidence
- Limited evidence in a particular curriculum domain
- Delayed completion of mandatory assessments
- Minor gaps in documented experience
Outcome 2 does not normally extend the trainee's anticipated completion date. Instead, it identifies specific objectives that should be addressed within the next training placement.
An Outcome 2 should be viewed as a developmental opportunity and not as a punitive measure.
Outcome 3: Additional Training Time Required
Outcome 3 should be awarded when the panel determines that the trainee has not achieved essential curriculum requirements and cannot realistically address those requirements within the normal training programme timescale.
Examples may include:
- Significant capability gaps
- Failure to demonstrate key curriculum outcomes
- Inability to meet progression requirements for advancement to the next training stage
- Examination requirements that are mandatory for progression and remain outstanding
The panel should clearly specify:
- areas requiring improvement
- the length of additional training time required
- objectives that must be achieved during the extension period
- any extension should be managed in line with Gold Guide principles and local postgraduate deanery processes.
Outcome 4: Release from the Training Programme
Outcome 4 indicates that, despite support and appropriate opportunities for remediation, the trainee has not demonstrated sufficient progress to continue within the training programme.
Before recommending Outcome 4, panels should be satisfied that:
- concerns have been clearly identified
- appropriate support and remedial measures have been provided
- the trainee has had a reasonable opportunity to address the identified issues
- relevant deanery processes have been followed.
Outcome 4 is a serious outcome and should only be applied after careful consideration.
Outcome 5: Insufficient Evidence Presented
Outcome 5 should be used when the panel does not have enough information to make a judgement about progression.
Examples include:
- Missing educational supervisor reports
- Incomplete portfolio submissions
- Outstanding mandatory documentation
- Failure to submit required declarations or forms
When Outcome 5 is issued, the panel should specify:
- the evidence that is outstanding
- the deadline for submission
- the process by which a revised outcome will be determined.
Following receipt of the required information, the panel or designated ARCP chair should review the evidence and issue the appropriate outcome.
Outcome 8: Out of Programme
Outcome 8 is recorded when a trainee is undertaking an approved period out of programme and therefore is not currently participating in routine training progression.
Examples include:
- Out of Programme for Research (OOPR)
- Out of Programme for Clinical Experience (OOPE)
- Out of Programme Career Break (OOPC)
- Other approved periods away from programme training
An Outcome 8 does not represent either satisfactory or unsatisfactory progression. It simply records the trainee's approved out-of-programme status.
Outcome 9: Doctors Undertaking Academic Training
For trainees in integrated academic programmes, ARCP panels may record outcome information relating to academic progression alongside the standard clinical ARCP outcome. Assessment of academic progress should be informed by the Academic Supervisor's report and any agreed academic training objectives. These outcomes supplement, rather than replace, the standard clinical ARCP outcome.
Note: Outcome 9 is not a standalone clinical progression outcome and is used only where relevant to academic training pathways.
Outcome 10: ‘Force majeure’ outcomes
The Outcome 10 derogations introduced as ‘no fault’ outcomes to enable progression or additional time where training was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–2021 will be retained in subsequent versions of the Gold Guide as outcomes that may be applied in circumstances of ‘force majeure’.
Outcome 10s must only be used following a directive from the UK statutory education bodies, which may be triggered in response to a national emergency/force majeure such as a global pandemic. When the use of Outcome 10 is directed by the UK statutory education bodies, this may include the use of specific additional C codes for clarification.
- Critical Progression Points
Certain stages of paediatric training represent important progression points at which trainees must demonstrate readiness for increased responsibility.
At these reviews, panels should seek evidence that the trainee has:
- achieved the required curriculum capabilities
- demonstrated safe and effective clinical practice
- met examination requirements applicable to that stage of training
- shown readiness to progress to the next phase of training.
Where essential requirements for progression have not been achieved, an Outcome 3 will usually be appropriate unless exceptional circumstances apply.
- Professional Judgement and Consistency
ARCP outcomes should be based on a holistic review of evidence, taking account of:
- clinical capability
- professional behaviours and trustworthiness
- patient safety considerations
- quality of portfolio evidence
- educational supervisor recommendations
- progress relative to training opportunities available.
Panels should apply outcomes consistently across trainees while recognising individual training circumstances.
- Key Principles
The ARCP process is intended to:
- support trainee development
- identify learning needs at an early stage
- ensure patient safety
- maintain fairness and transparency
- confirm readiness for progression through paediatric training
- the process is a review of evidence gathered throughout training rather than a standalone assessment event.
Please see our externality webpage for how we quality assure the ARCP process.
ePortfolio for ARCP panel members
ARCP panel members are a key part of a trainee's journey through training progression. Click on each title to see guidance and videos. These aim to help you review the progress of those trainees linked to you on the system.
- Account set up
Deaneries are usually responsible for ensuring ARCP panel members' access is accurately set up on ePortfolio. They usually send a list to the Training Services team who then give the necessary access. An ARCP panel member role is assigned and location access is given.
You need to ensure you have an RCPCH account, with an accurate registered email ID and GMC number entered on record.
- Find your trainees
Your trainees will be listed in the dashboard in the My Trainees widget.
Click the name of the person you wish to view. You may want to click on VIEW ALL USERS to see a complete list.
Trainees are linked to panel members via the location access relation. If either your or the trainee's location access has expired, you are unable to view the trainee's profile. In this instance, please write to training.services@rcpch.ac.uk. and the team will reinstate the location access.
- Review a trainee's ePortfolio
As an ARCP panel member, below are the main forms you need to be able to review on a trainee's profile
- ARCP Preparation Form
- Progress+ Supervision Form - Educational Supervisor Report for ARCP or Joint ES and CS report for ARCP
- ARCP outcome - one part and two part forms
- Key capability evidence reports
- ePortfolio video guides
We now have video guides to walk you through using the ePortfolio as an ARCP panel member.
Video 1 - explains what your dashboard contains, how to access your trainee portfolio and what information is covered on their dashboard, qualitative and quantitative evidence reports and ARCP preparation form.
Video 2 - explains how to access your to-do list and ARCP two-part forms, how to create an ARCP one part form, viewing the trainee timeline and supervision report and the specialty level trainee dashboard and sub-specialty evidence reports.