CDS offers new Community Dental Fellow posts
Community Dental Services CIC (CDS) has developed a new work and training scheme for dental professionals in the early stages of their careers. CDS will be offering the Community Dental Fellow positions for dentists and therapists. Initially, one post will be available in both Lincolnshire and Norfolk.
The new Fellow posts will enable applicants to combine working in a salaried position in CDS’s community dental services, with 10 days paid study leave a year and funding of up to £10k a year towards a Post Graduate Certificate in a Dental Specialism.
The scheme is designed to support the recruitment and retention of dental professionals, which has been a significant issue in terms of capacity and access to care within NHS dentistry. These challenges are acutely felt in rural and coastal areas where recruitment and retention has been historically difficult with young professionals gravitating to urban areas, closer to dental schools and where they perceive more progressive dentistry will occur to develop their careers. Through the Fellows programme, dentists and therapist will gain further qualifications that will enable them to offer more complex treatments in primary care.
Dr Adrian Thorp, Clinical Director for CDS and architect of the Fellows scheme said: ‘We have considered what young professionals want and need at the beginning of their dental career. We think this scheme will bring the right balance of clinical work supported by experienced clinicians and the opportunity to develop their own interests and study for a Post Graduate Certificate in a dental specialism. We really hope these new Fellows posts will address the negative perceptions of dental desserts and show that there are attractive career options for dental professionals away from the traditional urban centres. Crucially it will upskill a future generation of dentists or dental therapists with qualifications to enable more complex treatment to be undertaken in primary care with the long-term potential of Tier 2 accreditation.’
The scheme will be open to applicants through the CDS website.