Assessors and Verifiers

Assessors are appointed by local schemes following confirmation of satisfactory completion of initial training by the UKPHR. UKPHR deliver development sessions for assessors each year. Assessors are expected to attend at least one of these events every two years. They are also required to participate in assessor forum calls as organised by their local schemes.

Requirements of Assessor Role:

– To be skilled in assessing evidence submitted to demonstrate competence – successful completion of training is mandatory
– To be thoroughly conversant with the public health standards
– To be able to maintain impartiality in the role whilst providing support to applicants
– To be willing and able to devote the necessary time and to give the role appropriate priority
– To be able to provide appropriate references
– To be able to provide evidence of current continuing professional development

Verifiers are appointed by local schemes following confirmation of satisfactory completion of initial training by the UKPHR. They must attend a minimum of one verification panel per year. If this requirement cannot be met for any reason verifiers will need to retrain. UKPHR deliver development sessions for verifiers each year. Verifiers are expected to attend at least one of these events every two years.

Requirements of Verifier Role:

A registered Public Health Consultant/Specialist with the GMC, the GDC or UKPHR, of good standing and to be in or have held a consultant or senior specialist post or a post of equivalent responsibility.
Public Health Specialty Trainees who are in the last 6 months of ST4, or in ST5. They may be able to use the verifier role to contribute towards some of their competencies.

The time commitment for a verifier is:

– Training Time: Approximately 3 hours to become a fully trained verifier (training to be scheduled in Nov/Dec).
– Verification Time: Verification of a portfolio should take no longer than 2 hours (although those verifying for the first time or after a gap it may take slightly longer).
– Verification Panel: The panel meetings are usually scheduled for between 1 to 2 hours (depending on the number of portfolios being presented to the panel). At the panel each Verifier will present their Practitioner’s portfolio for consideration. These will take place between Jan-Mar each year. 

In return to this commitment we would be able to offer Verifiers training and on-going support in their Verifier role along with access funding (via the training grant) from the School of Public Health for their own development (e.g. funding for training courses, personal development, conferences etc). Other benefits include:

– Using their Verifier role and verification time to count towards their own CPD hours/requirements.
– Gaining further insights into the broad public health work that takes place in public health in the local region.
– Being recognised as actively contributing to the development of the Public Health Practitioner workforce.
– Utilising their critical analysis skills as an integral part of the quality assurance process to the Wessex scheme.
– Being able to add to their CV that they are a UKPHR Verifier for the UKPHR Public Health Programme