Guidance for SLE Assessors

The principles of the following guidance apply to all assessments completed as part of the ICM curriculum.

1. Curriculum and Assessment Familiarity
   Assessors should be familiar with the ICM curriculum and the core principles of assessment and feedback in medical education.
2. Purpose of an Supervised Learning Event (SLE)
   SLEs are formative assessments and should provide constructive, detailed feedback. They are intended to record learning and development, rather than simply documenting experience.
3. Assessor Suitability and Range
   While assessors are responsible for determining whether they are appropriately placed to complete an assessment, educational supervisors must ensure a range of assessors is utilised when making summative decisions. Most SLEs are expected to be completed by consultants.
4. Independence of Assessors
   Assessors must be fully independent practitioners in the area of knowledge or skill being assessed.
5. Practical Skill Assessment
   Practical skills may be assessed by any individual who is independently competent in that procedure or task.
6. Stage-Based Best Practice
   • For doctors in Stage 2, assessments such as ACATs, mini-CEXs, or CBDs should ideally be completed by consultants.
   • For doctors in Stage 1, assessments may also be completed by doctors in Stage 3, where appropriate.
7. Awareness of Cultural and Hierarchical Dynamics
   Assessors and IiTs should be aware of potential cultural or hierarchical influences that may affect the objectivity or quality of the assessment—for example, a returning IiT being assessed by a former junior colleague.
8. Peer Assessment Restrictions
   It is generally inappropriate for a doctor in training to assess another doctor at the same or a higher stage of training.
9. Summative Assessments
   Summative assessments must not be completed by doctors in training or ACCPs. These should only be undertaken by medical staff designated by the Faculty Tutor.
10. Use of External/Guest Assessors
    If assessments are to be completed by doctors who are not training in ICM or consultants without LLP access, they should be completed as a 'guest assessor'.
11. LLP Access for Assessors in Training
    Intensivists in training requiring access to complete assessments on the FICM LLP should email: llp@ficm.ac.uk. Currently we only permit IiTs in Stage 3 to do this.