Faculty Advisors' Resources
The Faculty's Regional and Specialty Advisors' Remit (rev. October 2019) provides full details of the criteria for eligibility for standing and voting in elections, together with full details of the posts’ duties and responsibilities (outlined below) and guidance on the election process. Anyone considering standing for a Regional or Specialty Advisor post should first of all familiarise themselves with this document and then look at our Elections and Vacancies page.
Advisory Appointments Committees provides information on approving job plans, person specifications and other details of consultant appointments.
What is the regional advisor's role?
Within each region, the Faculty is represented by a regional advisor who:
- Inspects and approves job descriptions and person specifications for NHS or honorary consultants and specialty dentists
- Liaises between the Faculty and local employing organisation over these appointments in consultation with the relevant specialty advisor; the line of communications in these situations should always be via the Regional Advisor;
- Consults with the local College Regional Specialty Professional Advisor (RSPA) on issues concerning Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS); the OMFS RSPA is accountable to and should liaise with the Faculty on all matters relating to dentistry via the Regional Advisor;
- Runs local elections for the appointment of Faculty specialty advisors;
- Promotes the Faculty’s policies, activities, training courses and examinations;
- Acts as a local point of contact for consultants and specialists regardless of their individual specialties, and notifies the Faculty of any matters of particular interest or concern;
- Signposts colleagues to relevant College and specialty association services including the Confidential Advice and Support Service (CSAS) and the Invited Review Mechanism (IRM);
- Maintains the Faculty's links with the region's postgraduate medical and dental deans, specialty advisors, training programme directors, educational supervisors and fellows;
- Represents the Faculty and dental specialties at meetings of the local Professional Affairs Boards;
- Encourages trainees to achieve appropriate College diplomas to facilitate eligibility and preparation for sitting College exams.
What is the specialty advisor's role?
Specialty advisors are appointed to each region to provide specialty-specific advice. These advisors are expected to:
- Consult with the regional advisor on all relevant specialty matters;
- Work with the regional advisor on job descriptions for NHS or honorary consultants and specialty dentists;
- Serve as Faculty assessors on AACs
- Serve on appropriate regional committees, e.g. Specialist Training Committees (STCs);
- Advise the Faculty of any pressing local issues, such as the need for particular training courses, which the Faculty may be able to address;
- Signpost colleagues to relevant College and specialty association services including the Confidential Advice and Support Service (CSAS) and the Invited Review Mechanism (IRM);
- Keep up-to-date on who is working in their specialty at consultant and specialist levels in their region;
- Assist the regional advisor in holding regional and specialty advisor elections;
- Promote the Faculty’s policies, activities, training courses and examinations;
- Promote high standards in their relevant specialty.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS)
The Faculty has agreed that it will be represented in matters relating to oral and maxillofacial surgery by the College's OMFS Regional Specialty Professional Advisors (RSPAs).
RSPAs are nominated by BAOMS and jointly approved by both the College Council and the Faculty Board.
On all matters involving OMFS - in particular job descriptions, person specifications and advisory appointments committees for consultant posts in OMFS - the OMFS RSPA should report to and liaise with the College’s Faculty of Dental Surgery through its local regional advisor.