Selection, Monitoring and Quality Assuring Practice Providers
The Professional Practice team, supported by the Office of Placement and Work based Learning, undertake various activities to ensure quality of the selection, monitoring, evaluation and contract management of practice areas and organisations. Therefore, ensuring the provision of learning opportunities for students that are meaningful, safe and meet the learning outcomes of their programme and their required professional standards.
Provider Selection
The placement audit documents the criteria that a placement area must meet before they can host students. This is completed by the Professional Practice team and shared and agreed by the manager in the placement organisation. The audit contains contact details of the placement and a record of policies, such as equality and diversity. Statements around the ability of the placement to provide learning opportunities for the student and the support that is available via the practice educators is provided. This audit is also the source of the professional practice placement profile. This details information for the student regarding the context of their placement and the range of learning they could experience, to aid student preparation and management of their expectations. After the audit is completed, and all criteria has been met, the partnership agreement is issued, between the University and the placement organisation, detailing the responsibilities of each party.
The audit is kept on file and reviewed every three years. This confirms that the student placements meet the course requirements, and that the organisation has public liability and a suitable risk assessment in place. If you oversee a large service, you can complete one audit and list the teams it covers eg MSK, respiratory, etc.
Placement Audit https://forms-Physiotherapy Audit
The placement profile is kept on file and can be updated as required. This is the information we share with the student when their placement is released so they know who to contact, area of physiotherapy specialism and learning opportunities. A profile needs to be completed for each team.
Placement Profile https://forms – Physiotherapy Profile
Service Level Agreements/Honorary Contracts/Placement
Agreements: Service level agreements should be in place for all placements. Students are covered by the University’s insurance. Additional cover is provided if the students are members of the CSP and all students are actively encouraged to be student members.
Student Honorary Contracts: In addition to the standard university contract that students enter into when they enrol on their programme, they are asked to read and sign a student honorary contract as part of the admissions process. This outlines what the University expects from the students whilst enrolled on the programme, including professional behaviour, mandatory training, attendance and maintaining confidentiality. It also provides the student with information on the support available, how UON will share and use their personal data and the student’s entitlement in terms of travel and financial matters. Upon signing the contract, students agree to the terms of placement provision and allocation.
Monitor Quality and lessons learnt
The quality of professional practice placements is monitored by:
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- Formal audits
- Placement visits: completed by a member of the programme team
- Student evaluations: online and anonymous, requiring the student to reflect on their experience.
- Practice educator training and on-going planned CPD events.
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These activities provide the opportunity to monitor the continuing suitability of the placement area. The audit is updated should an issue arise that would require further investigation, and the escalation policy following a reportable incident is followed. Depending upon the issue raised, this can be recorded on the audit and an action log raised so issues can be investigated, resolved and lessons learnt.
Student outcomes are emailed back to the placement by the administrator. This will provide an opportunity for student reflection and provide the professional practice tutors and practice educators with feedback on the placement experience. Identified areas for development and good practice are shared and discussed with PPEs as appropriate. Placement debriefs are conducted between the student and their personal academic tutor, which also informs the monitoring process. The University offers placement debriefs to practice educators when there have been extenuating circumstances associated with the placement and student.