What is the NSW Psychiatry Trainees’ Sub Committee?

We provide an important liaison between the Psychiatry Network Oversight Committee (NOC), Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) and basic and advanced training networks/programs and ensure fair and equitable representation of trainees on the Network Oversight Committee. For information on the role of the NOC click here

You could become involved.  To contact members of the Committee contact the Psychiatry Support Officer, jjacinto@imet.health.nsw.gov.au

Functions of the Trainees’ Sub Committee

1. Review of network training programs and policies to discuss models of training and supervision and share best  practice from across the networks, including:

• Professional development for registrars in areas such as teaching skills, time management, stress management and leadership skills
• Roles and responsibilities of trainees
• Service/training balance
• Trainee work practice review (reviewing ideas for efficiencies of practice and flexible work practices in order to improve the quality of the training experience)
• Assessment of models and outcomes of training to ensure that network training programs are working effectively and as intended

2. Provision of trainee representation on NOC

• We have three trainee representatives, two basic psychiatry trainees and one advanced trainee. Trainees’ Committee is responsible for the provision of the trainee representatives for the NOC.

3. Liaison with other trainee committees

• Chair of the Trainees’ Sub Committee will, by invitation, attend the AMA (NSW) Doctors in Training Committee twice ayear, in order to provide the committee with a progress reports.
• The Trainees Sub Committee works in conjunction with the Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatrists in Training (ANZAPT).

Authority and Relationships

The Psychiatry Trainees’ Sub Committee is established as an advisory body of the NOC and its terms of reference (or any amendments thereof) are ratified by that body. The Trainees’ Committee has delegated authority from the NOC to fulfil the functions outlined in its terms of reference and any extraordinary functions requested by the Chair of the NOC.

The Trainees’ Committee will meet four times a year, and minutes of these meetings will be recorded and sent to the Chair of the NOC. Minutes of extraordinary meetings (e.g, for the purpose of liaison with other bodies) will also be submitted to the NOC. 

There needs to be a minimum of 50% of the Trainees’ Sub Committee members present (quorum) in order to conduct a meeting.  For more information see the Terms of Reference document in full, click here 

Constitution

The Trainees’ Committee will comprise:

• Chair, nominated for 2 years by the Trainees’ Committee
• Deputy Chair, nominated for 2 years by the Trainees’ Committee

All trainee representatives must be registered with the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. Trainees on breaks in training can be involved as members on the committee, provided that they remain trainees of the College training program.

Each network will be represented on the Trainees’ Sub Committee by 3 trainees who sit on the Network Governance Committee (NGC). Each advanced subspecialty program will be represented by 1 advanced trainee who sits on the State Subspecialty Advanced Training Sub Committee (SSATSC). The term of appointment will be for two years. At least 1 and up to 3 members of the Trainees’ Sub Committee nominated from the NGCs will be Generalist Advanced trainees. At least one Sub-Specialist Advanced trainee and one Generalist Advanced trainee should be members of the committee.

One of Sub-Specialist Advanced or Generalist Advanced trainees will be nominated to serve as an advanced trainee representative on the NOC. The Trainees’ Sub Committee will also nominate two Basic trainee representatives to serve on the NOC. The three trainee representatives on the NOC will be from 3 different sites and from at least 2 different networks.

Network Governance Committee (NGC) Registrar Representative

The Network Governance Committees (NGC) have been set up in each of the five psychiatry training networks.  Their focus is to facilitate “transparent and equitable network-level governance and management of psychiatry training” and they provide a form of accountability for the delivery of psychiatry training within each network.  Each NGC should have two basic and one advanced trainee representative sitting on the committee. The role of the trainee representatives is to provide trainees’ feedback on issues discussed at the meetings, and to bring any matters of concern, regarding training, to the attention of the committee members.

For information on the role of the NGC, click here 

Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatrists in Training (ANZAPT)

This organisation is open to all Psychiatry trainees in Australia and New Zealand and aims to represent trainees independently of NSW Health and RANZCP. ANZAPT are a separate body from the College, but have significant interaction with it, and representation on key College committees.

Their website is an excellent resource throughout your training, with articles covering training, book reviews, jobs, exams (including tips and downloads), and registrar life in general. There is a forum where you can post issues for others to comment on, and to register you just need to email the contact on the webpage and have another registrar vouch that you are a genuine trainee (to access trainee only parts of the forum). There are state branches of ANZAPT, and the NSW branch meets monthly. They have also organised clinical exam preparation evenings in recent years.

Their website has contact details for the state branches, and the Trainees’ Sub-Committee recommends that you sign up with ANZAPT early in your training to keep abreast of training issues.  See their website www.ranzcp.org.

Important People

Area Director of Mental Health (ADOMH)
Network Directors of Training (NDOTs) 
Site Coordinators of Training (SCOTs)
Education Support Officers (ESOs)
Senior Registrar (SR)
Clinical Supervisor