National audit of higher training posts in child and adolescent psychiatry in Ireland

Aims and method The audit aimed to assess current senior registrar posts in child and adolescent psychiatry in Ireland in terms of working environment, conditions and training issues. The posts were compared with standards set down by the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Specialist Advisory Committee of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the National Higher Training Subcommittee of the Irish Psychiatric Training Committee. Results The audit cycle was completed twice and a 100% response rate was achieved on both occasions. Clinical implications Higher training posts in child and adolescent psychiatry in Ireland compare favourably to standards for training and education, but poorly for working environment, case- load and educational supervision.