Training programme planning

RotationGrid brings structure to training programme planning

It gives teams one place to plan placements, manage trainee data, configure programme rules, and review capacity without losing track of context. Use this page to get the product view first, then move into the guide that matches your work.

Structured planning Keep placements, gaps, and changes visible in one programme-scoped timeline.

Shared programme rules Keep local setup, validation, and reporting logic aligned across the programme.

Recovery-friendly Use audit history, version checks, and restore workflows to protect operational work.

What RotationGrid helps you do

RotationGrid combines operational planning and governance workflows in one calm workspace. Different tabs support different jobs, but the main product model stays consistent across roles.

Capacity Grid shows placements by site and time period, with heatmap mode and scenario planning.
Trainee List and the trainee record manage people, placements, ARCP events, and notes.
Reports & Gaps summarizes fill rate, shortage patterns, grade mix, and exports the workbook.
Programme Setup holds a programme's stages, grades, capacity groups and rules.
Manage Sites configures hospitals, leave types, and site capacity.
Admin manages users, programmes, and organisation details.
Org Report provides organisation-wide reporting for users with user management access.
Blueprints stores shared setup models for platform admins.
Platform holds platform-wide user tools and backups, for platform admins.
Recycle Bin supports restore workflows for soft-deleted records.

How the planning model works

The app separates platform, organisation, and programme concerns so local operational data stays scoped correctly.

An organisation is the top-level body, for example a deanery.
A programme sits inside an organisation.
A template is a local setup record used by an active programme.
A blueprint is a platform-level starter model that can be copied locally.
A placement is one trainee at one site, from a start month for a number of months. Some app labels call it a block or a post.
A scenario is a set of trial changes laid over the live plan, used for testing changes without affecting the live plan.

How people move through the product

Most users follow the same top-level flow after sign-in. The tabs you can open depend on the permissions attached to your account.

Sign in with your email and password, or use the magic link option to receive a one-time sign-in link by email.
If your account has no programme yet, a two-step setup runs first. Choose your specialty, then name your organisation and your programme. The specialty card lists the training stages, the capacity pools, and the intake cycle that it creates. Choose with care: you cannot change the specialty after you add trainees, although Programme Setup can edit every part of it.
On first login an onboarding tour walks through the main areas. Re-run it any time from the ? help menu.
A new programme shows a short list of next steps in place of the capacity grid. The grid has one row for each site and shows each trainee's placements on it, so it stays empty until you add training sites and trainees. Your first trainee walks through this.
Choose an organisation and programme in the header.
Open the tab that matches your task.
Make changes inside the selected programme context.
Review validation warnings, audit history, and restore options when needed.

How permissions work

Permissions are role-based and scoped to either an organisation or a specific programme. Platform admins are the exception, because they can work across all organisations and programmes.

Platform admins are RotationGrid staff. They run the service, maintain the shared specialty setups, and can open any organisation to support it.
Organisation admins manage organisation-level setup, users, programmes, and local templates.
Training programme directors manage day-to-day planning inside their assigned programmes.

Manage your own account

The header holds two controls that belong to you rather than to a programme: the settings button, and the ? menu.

Account settings — change your display name or email address, and choose whether to receive the weekly validation-breach digest. The preference is Email me about new validation breaches; it is per-user, and turning it off stops the emails without affecting anyone else.
? → What's new — what has changed in RotationGrid itself, newest first. A dot on the ? button means there are entries you have not read.
? → Your role guide — the guide in this manual for your role.
? → Using the grid — Working in the capacity grid.
? → All documentation — this manual.
? → Re-run tour — replays the guided tour of the main areas that runs on your first sign-in.

Important operational rules

A few system rules affect almost every workflow. These are worth understanding before you start editing records.

Records use soft delete — nothing is permanently removed immediately. Recovery happens through Recycle Bin.
Programme context matters. The organisation and programme selected in the header control every tab you see.
Version checks can prevent overwriting someone else's recent change. If a save fails with a conflict, refresh and re-enter the change.
Audit history records every create, update, and delete. Some changes can be undone or redone from the trainee record.
The planner mode toggle (Live / Testing / View) controls whether you are editing the real plan or working in a scenario sandbox.

Start with the guide for your role

Choose the guide that matches your main responsibility so you can start with the right tasks, scope, and boundaries.

Your first trainee Add a trainee, look up their GMC name, and plan their first placements, step by step. Worked examples Five common jobs from start to finish, from the August changeover to a site losing posts. Training programme director Run day-to-day planning, validation, reporting, and trainee management. Organisation admin Manage users, programmes, local setup, and restore workflows. Roles and permissions Compare what each role can do and how organisation and programme scope apply.

Next steps

After you choose your role guide, keep the reference pages nearby if you need quick definitions, permission comparisons, or recovery guidance.

Working in the capacity grid Read roles and permissions Read the glossary Open troubleshooting