General information and examples
The Equality Act 2010 requires that employers make reasonable adjustments to make sure workers (including candidates) with disabilities, or physical or mental health conditions, are not substantially disadvantaged while doing their jobs.
As WPBA evaluates the candidate's progress in areas of professional practice best tested in the workplace, reasonable adjustments relating to WPBA are a matter for either your employer, or your deanery, so please discuss reasonable adjustment requests with them.
Similarly, if you think you may need reasonable adjustments to help you meet the requirements of the Curriculum, please discuss this with your employer or your deanery. Reasonable adjustments may take time to put in place and so it’s advisable to discuss these as soon as possible. If a reasonable adjustment is made that relates to WPBA, this should be recorded in an Educator Note on the Trainee Portfolio.
Reasonable adjustments primarily enable a candidate with a disability or temporary medical condition to overcome barriers that prevent them from accessing an assessment, so that they can demonstrate their knowledge and skills without affecting the competence standards.
There are a few examples below of reasonable adjustments that could be put in place for GP registrars. These are illustrative examples only and designed to show how reasonable adjustments may be considered for WPBA. It's important to note that these examples will not automatically be considered reasonable in all cases, as each reasonable adjustment request will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Dictation and speech recognition
Many smartphones, tablets and laptops have built-in dictation and speech recognition software which can help when writing portfolio entries. The Clinical Case Review section of the Trainee Portfolio includes guidance on how to use inbuilt device dictation software to help add reflections.
Completing CEPS
The CEPS section of the WPBA assessment page has some guidance for candidates who may find it difficult to complete CEPS.
One approach could involve a candidate who cannot physically carry out an examination referring the patient to a colleague, instructing the colleague to examine the patient appropriately, and then interpreting the findings having communicated with the colleague who carried out the examination.
Breaks and timings
Consider rest or toilet breaks during a relevant WPBA (e.g. CAT) or during a teaching session, or providing opportunities to eat, drink or use insulin, medication, eye drops or inhaler. The time of day that WPBAs or teaching sessions take place could be adjusted as well.
When asking questions, consider giving the respondent sufficient time to think before inviting an answer or consider sharing themes of questioning in advance.
Further information
The GMC has guidance on reasonable adjustments that organisations can make for learners.