We've put together some information and resources to help you support, supervise and assess occupational therapy learners in the practice setting.
These resources cover:
These additional resources will help you to shape a fulfilling experience as a Practice Educator and enhance the learner's experience with you.
The course practice leads are Sally Drake ([email protected]) and Catherine Patrick ([email protected]). Please contact us if you require further information that is not covered here.
In collaboration with our placement provider partners, we've developed an online workshop to prepare you to become a Practice Educator for an ARU learner. A Practice Educator is a registered healthcare professional who is responsible for learner supervision and assessment.
Access the course and find out more about the latest Practice Educator updates.
This is a two-year full time MSc (pre-registration) course to enable registration with the HCPC to practice as an occupational therapist.
The course director for the MSc is Cara Lawrence ([email protected]).
Watch our video about the content of the course and how it is structured.
The course includes a number of placement blocks that are completed in a range of different settings and specialities.
All learners will use the Occupational Therapy Placement Assessment Framework (OTPAF), developed collaboratively across the region and validated by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT). The OTPAF is completed electronically via the ePAD system; for reference see the relevant assessment form for each placement block below.
Training will be accessible via our online practice educator training and additional practice educator cafes. Contact [email protected] if you require further information.
The Royal College of Occupational Therapy also has some excellent resources:
This is a degree apprenticeship, with campus-based learning take place at ARU in Cambridge.
The course director for the BSc Occupational Therapy apprenticeship is Sally Drake ([email protected]).
Find out more about the degree apprenticeship, including module details and credits.
If a learner has been assessed and identified as struggling and there is a possibility they may not pass the placement, then it is important to identify their learning needs and develop an action plan for working in your area of practice.
An action plan is a tool that can be utilised to set goals for behaviours and performance whilst creating discussion and a clear focus between the University, the educator and the learner.
An action plan should ideally identify learning outcomes that have not been met thus far; learning activities required to meet targets; identifying support needed; agreed timescales and evidence needed to prove development (Walsh, 2014).
The visiting tutor should be contacted first and the action plan (below) completed collaboratively with the learner, educator and the visiting tutor.
Occupational Therapy action plan (Word doc)
An action plan should be regularly reviewed at agreed points to ensure the learner is making progress. Utilising an action plan can support the learner to achieve their goals, or provide evidence as to why a learner has failed to achieve their set learning outcomes or developed sufficiently despite support.
A review date should be set in the initial meeting and agreed by the practice educator, visiting tutor and the learner. These reviews should take place weekly until the learner is performing at the required level or has failed the placement.
Occupational Therapy review of action plan (Word doc)
It is the responsibility of learners to notify their placement if they are not able to attend. Learners must ensure that they formally notify the placement area, using the correct local procedures, if they're unable to attend placement for any reason.
Good practice is to call before the shift is due to start and learners should ensure that a that a record is kept of the name of the person spoken with and the date/time of the phone call. Learners must follow their placement provider's policies, and this may include calling in on each day they are not attending placement (unless they have a medical certificate which indicates they will be off sick for a period).
The learner then records their absence in the MyProgress ePAD.
Clinical practice is a fundamental aspect of the development of professionalism, with clinical assessors responsible for the assessment of competence which establishes a learner's fitness for practice. This is mirrored within the academic environment with Personal Tutors playing a key role in the development of educational proficiency and professional behaviour within the university setting.
Therefore, to ensure a holistic approach to the assessment and management of learner professionalism between the practice learning setting and academic institution, our intention is to include a transparent monitoring and recording system that supports the identification of low and higher-level concerns.
The LiP process is a mechanism to report and action any unprofessional behaviour during the learner's period of registration. When a lapse is reported, this will trigger actions between key stakeholders to award tariff points to develop a facilitative action plan together with the learner before they lead to more significant fitness to practice issues.