Old age psychiatry CESR Portfolio Guide
Complete guide to the Old age psychiatry Portfolio Pathway: 9 High Level Outcomes (HLOs), 4 evidence sections, and a 10-year currency window. Based on official GMC Specialty Specific Guidance, published by Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych).
SSG Version: 07/02/2025
High Level Outcomes (HLOs)
The Old age psychiatry SSG defines 9 High Level Outcomes (HLOs) that Portfolio Pathway applicants must demonstrate competence in.
Professional Values and Behaviours
- 1.1 Professional Relationships
- 1.2 Professional Standards
Professional Skills
- 2.1 Communication
- 2.2 Clinical skills
- 2.3 Complexity and uncertainty
Professional Knowledge
- 3.1 Knowledge of legal and organisational frameworks in your UK jurisdiction
- 3.2 Working within NHS organisational structures
Health Promotion and Illness Prevention
- 4.1 Health promotion and illness prevention in community settings
Leadership and Teamworking
- 5.1 Teamworking
- 5.2 Leadership
Patient Safety and Quality Improvement
- 6.1 Patient safety
- 6.2 Quality improvement
Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups
- 7.1 Safeguarding
Education and Training
- 8.1 Education & Training
- 8.2 Supervision
Research and Scholarship
- 9.1 Undertaking research and critical appraisal
Evidence Requirements
The SSG specifies 4 evidence sections. Each section describes what evidence to provide and how to present it.
Evidence of training, qualifications, and employment
Evidence to demonstrate how you meet your self-identified KSE cohort, including evidence of your core competencies and specialist training and/or experience.
What to provide
- KSE cohort statement
- CV
- Primary medical qualification (PMQ)
- Specialist medical qualification(s)
- Specialist training (curriculum/syllabus, ARCPs)
- Employment letters
- Job descriptions
How to present
Follow the structure in the user guide. Anonymise identifiable information. Verify evidence to confirm authenticity.
KSE cohort 1A – evidence requirements for High Level Outcomes (HLOs)
Evidence requirements for applicants who have completed Core Psychiatry Training AND passed MRCPsych (or equivalent), plus 2 years higher training or 2 years consultant experience.
What to provide
- Feedback from colleagues and patients
- Successful annual appraisal in the last 5 working years
- 10 case histories demonstrating proficiency across various clinical skills
- Documentation of approval under Mental Health Act OR 3 case reports
- Evidence of teaching and supervision
- Evidence of research and critical appraisal
How to present
Grouped by type of evidence. Case histories organised by case and coordinated to tell the story of the patient. One PDF bundle by organisation where possible.
KSE cohort 1B – evidence requirements for High Level Outcomes (HLOs)
Evidence requirements for applicants who have completed Core Psychiatry Training but NOT passed MRCPsych (or equivalent), plus 5 years consultant experience.
What to provide
- Feedback from colleagues and patients
- Successful annual appraisal in the last 5 working years
- 20 case histories demonstrating proficiency across various clinical skills
- Documentation of approval under Mental Health Act OR 5 case reports
- Evidence of teaching and supervision
- Evidence of research and critical appraisal
How to present
Grouped by type of evidence. Case histories organised by case and coordinated to tell the story of the patient. One PDF bundle by organisation where possible.
KSE cohort 2 – evidence requirements for High Level Outcomes (HLOs)
Evidence requirements for applicants who cannot demonstrate completion of all elements of core psychiatry training.
What to provide
- Feedback from colleagues and patients
- Successful annual appraisal in the last 5 working years
- 30 case histories demonstrating proficiency across various clinical skills
- Documentation of approval under Mental Health Act OR 5 case reports
- Evidence of teaching and supervision
- Evidence of research and critical appraisal
How to present
Grouped by type of evidence. Case histories organised by case and coordinated to tell the story of the patient. One PDF bundle by organisation where possible.
Knowledge Requirements
Primary Path
Completed Core Psychiatry Training (or equivalent) AND MRCPsych (or equivalent) passed.
Alternative Path
If MRCPsych is not passed or core training is not completed, applicants fall into Cohort 1B or Cohort 2 and must provide a higher volume of case histories and evidence.
Applicants must self-identify their KSE cohort (1A, 1B, or 2) based on core competencies and specialist training/experience. This dictates the volume of evidence required.
Volume and Assessment Targets
The SSG specifies minimum volume and assessment targets for this specialty.
Case histories (Cohort 1A)
Total cases
Case histories (Cohort 1B)
Total cases
Case histories (Cohort 2)
Total cases
Quality improvement project
Projects
Currency Window & Evidence Volume
Currency Window
Years
Your evidence is expected to be submitted from the timeframe as described within each HLO (the time frame is all in WTE and doesn’t need to be consecutive) and overall, within the last ten years. If you have worked less than full time (LTFT) or have had a break in practice in the last five years, evidence can be provided from additional years or whole-time equivalence (WTE).
Evidence Volume
no more than 1500 pages
Additional Notes
It is your responsibility to ensure you choose the correct KSE cohort based on your knowledge, skills and experience.
We recommend that you do not submit more than one PDF document for each organisation per HLO.
Creating a cohesive narrative within your case histories enables the evaluators to get a better understanding of your capabilities. Therefore, all case history evidence should be organised by case and coordinated to tell the story of the patient and the work of the applicant.
The organisation the case originates from and then within that they should be organised by diagnosis. If numbered the cases should continue to ascent even when the organisation changes.
Please use WBPA, Reflections to triangulate the evidence in your case histories though these wouldn’t be sufficient in itself.
The case histories have to be from real world settings rather than a review written retrospectively.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Old age psychiatry CESR portfolio?
How many framework units does Old age psychiatry require?
What evidence is required for Old age psychiatry specialist registration?
How long is the currency window for Old age psychiatry?
Start Your Old age psychiatry Portfolio
Map your evidence to the Old age psychiatry framework, track readiness, and export your GMC submission.