Frequently Asked Questions
You may find the following FAQs helpful. Please contact the ACP team if your question is not addressed
What can multi-source feedback tell me?
It is an opportunity to gain a perspective on how important aspects of your work performance are perceived by colleagues and patients. Scores can help you to identify areas of good practice as well as areas that you might further develop.
How long does the ACP 360 process take?
The process usually takes between 4-8 weeks. If you reach the recommended number of returns, reports can be generated within 1 working day, once requested from the ACP 360 team.
I'm unable to login/I've forgotten my password
All users access the login page here https://360.rcpsych.ac.uk/Account/Login.aspx. Your username will be the same as the email address used for registration. If you can’t remember your password, there’s an option to re-set it from the login screen - click ‘Forgotten password?’, check your email and follow the steps to reset it.
How do I choose my colleague assessors?
You should nominate a range of colleagues that you work closely with, who will be able to comment on your work and their working relationship with you. Please refer to the guidance, ‘Requesting feedback from colleagues’ under the ‘Info for Psychiatrists’ tab, for more details. You may also wish to contact your colleagues in advance, to ensure you have their agreement to participate - Templates for this are provided under 'Info for Psychiatrists' too.
How do I request feedback from patients?
You can either use patient emails to collect their feedback online, or distribute printed versions of the patient questionnaire to return by post or by email, after scanning. If you have a large caseload of patients you may wish to use online tools to help you randomise your selection. Please refer to the guidance ‘Requesting feedback from patients’ under the ‘Info for Psychiatrists’ tab, for more details. You may also wish to contact your patients in advance, to ensure you have their agreement to participate - Templates for this are provided under 'Info for Psychiatrists' too.
How frequently are emailed requests for feedback sent to colleagues/patients?
Once a colleague or patient email is entered onto the system, invitations to complete the questionnaire are sent by email right away, and automatically once a week until a response is received. Emailed invitations will also stop once an assessment is closed, even if the questionnaire has not been completed.
What information is provided in the automated emails to colleagues/patients?
Automated emails to colleagues and patients explain the purpose of the feedback request, confirm that all feedback is optional and confidential, and include a link to our privacy notice explaining how we use their data. If your colleague/patient is happy to provide feedback online, a link within the email takes them to the online questionnaire.
Can colleagues/patients choose not to respond?
Colleagues/patients may choose not to complete their questionnaires. Those contacted by email to provide feedback online are advised they can contact the ACP 360 team at any time to opt-out and stop the requests for feedback.
My colleagues/patients say they have not received the email inviting them to provide feedback
Emails to colleagues/patients inviting online feedback are generated automatically and resent once a week. If a colleague/patient advises that they have not received this email, you may wish to:
- Ask your colleague/patient to check their junk email folder
- Check you have entered their email address correctly on your Dashboard (the system does not indicate which contacts have not responded, nor whether emails are undelivered).
If problems persist, please contact the ACP 360 team.
My colleagues/patients say they can’t access the online questionnaire
Colleagues/patients invited to provide feedback receive a link to an online questionnaire. They’re required to enter their email address to verify who they are and login. If issues are reported, you may wish to check a few common mistakes:
- Have they entered their correct email address – the same one used to request their feedback?
- Are there any blank spaces before or after their email address (often due to copying and pasting)?
- Have they tried using a different web browser?
If you would like to direct any colleagues or patients experiencing difficulties with questionnaire to the ACP 360 team, we’ll be happy to assist.
How many responses do I need before I can request my report?
We recommend that you collect at least 25 patient responses, and 13 colleague responses. You will also need to complete your self-assessment.
However, if you are finding it difficult to achieve the recommended numbers, your report can be released by a member of the ACP 360 team with a minimum of 5 colleague and 5 patient responses.
If you work in a setting where you have low numbers of patients or colleagues and need to generate a report with fewer numbers, please contact the team for advice.
What if I am not able to collect patient feedback?
ACP 360 offer a ‘270-degree’ version of the assessment. The report will be compiled of feedback from colleagues and your self-assessment.
How is free text feedback included?
Free text comments can complement the numerical feedback in the main report by giving you further insight into your strengths and areas for development. The experience from other multi-source feedback tools which use free text is that participants find this component of the assessment valuable and encouraging.
Both colleagues and patients are given the option to leave free text comments in their feedback.
How do I get my report and close my assessment?
A summary of the number of feedback responses you’ve received are shown on your Dashboard and in your emailed updates. Once you have obtained the required number of patient and colleague responses and have completed your self-assessment, please contact the ACP 360 team either by email or telephone to confirm you wish to receive your report. If you have at least the minimum number of responses required we’ll release your report within 1 working day. We can then immediately close your assessment, or keep in open for a period if more feedback is expected – NB: please let us know if you wish to refresh you report to include any additional feedback. Assessments will automatically close after 4 weeks.
Could unfair criticism from one colleague skew my results?
A high number of colleagues complete assessments and their responses are aggregated. Negative responses from one person will not greatly affect the mean scores. Also, the ACP 360 report is just one part of the portfolio of information that will be considered at your appraisal. Please be aware that we do not share individual colleague responses with participants. All data is presented in aggregate form and individual questionnaires are not available.
With whom should I share my report?
Firstly, you should take time yourself to reflect on what you can learn from the report. After that, the best setting to discuss your report is in your appraisal meeting. If you have a mentor or coach, you may also wish to share elements of your report with them.
How should I read the main report?
You should read the report in full, and reflect on what it suggests are areas where you are strong and areas on which you might want to work in the future. Do these fit with your self-perception? You should not focus unduly on one single item but on domain scores and what the report as a whole tells you about yourself. The benchmark scores are there to guide you. Do not become fixated on whether you are above or below the mean. Remember that a score of 4 means that your performance has been assessed as being moderately high (good) on the behaviour(s) covered by that item or domain. Any score of 4 or above means that your patients and colleagues have high regard for you.
How should free text feedback be read?
Qualitative feedback can complement the numerical feedback in the main report by giving you further insight into your strengths and areas for development. The experience from other multi-source feedback tools which use free text is that participants find this component of the assessment valuable and encouraging. We provide colleagues who assess you with clear guidance on how to use this section of the questionnaire constructively. The appraiser’s job is to discuss this feedback with you in a sensitive manner. Appraisers discussing the feedback should have had the necessary training.
How do I use the report as part of my appraisal?
The ACP 360 report should be included in the portfolio of information that you discuss with your appraiser. The discussion with your appraiser should consider the strengths and areas for development in a balanced way.
You have the option of emailing your appraiser a PDF copy of your report from the Dashboard. Appraiser contact details can be entered under ‘My Profile’. Please check and keep these details up-to-date.
What should I do if I am concerned about my results?
Discuss any concerns with the colleague who is conducting your appraisal or with another trusted colleague or mentor. Remember that ACP 360 is not an examination, there is no pass or fail, and the process is designed to enable you to reflect on and improve your practice.
Could the results affect my revalidation?
No. The requirement for revalidation is likely to be participation in multi-source feedback, not the result itself. There is no ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ in ACP 360. The inclusion of multi-source feedback in revalidation procedures is to encourage reflective practice, and to ensure that doctors are engaged in a process of identifying areas for improvement. The benchmarking information is there as a guide for you, and cannot be used as an assessment of whether you are fit to practice.
What else can I do with the results?
We recommend that you develop an action plan to address any issues that have been identified by the ACP 360 process. This might be part of a wider personal development plan agreed with your appraiser and/or peer group. Some issues might also be taken into the job planning process with your clinical manager. For example, if it is agreed during the appraisal discussion that an unduly heavy workload is a factor affecting your results.
We recommend that you make a diary note to review your action plan and progress 6 months after appraisal. The action plan can then be further reviewed at your next appraisal meeting.
When should I next undergo ACP 360?
This should be discussed with your appraiser, as needs may vary.
Beyond the requirement for revalidation, ACP 360 members are free to undertake as many assessments as they wish in their 5-year membership term at no extra cost.
How do I start a new assessment?
If you’ve received your report and closed your assessment, you will need to contact the ACP 360 team either by email or telephone to request a new assessment. This process will refresh your Dashboard and remove all previous contacts. You will then have an option from your Dashboard to ‘Start new assessment’, allowing you to enter colleague emails again for another appraisal round. If you wish to access previous assessments, you can still do this from a drop-down menu on your Dashboard.
What if I enrol and do not complete the process?
If you wish to withdraw from ACP360 please contact us within 30 days of registration and we will offer you a full refund as long as you have not begun your assessment.
What should I do if my account has expired or due to expire?
Your account is valid for 5-years. You will receive an automated email when your account is due to expire. If you have an ongoing assessment and your account expires you will not lose any feedback - if you choose to renew and reactivate your account you can pick-up where you left off.
To renew your membership, please telephone the ACP 360 team to make a payment. A discounted rate is available to renewing members, which will extend membership for another 5-years.