These profiles highlight innovative student placements primarily involving direct face-to-face contact with patients.
A face-to-face placement following a patient journey
Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust trialled a 3:1 peer-learning model in the acute assessment unit.
Find out more
Who was involved? Lynne O'Hanlon, therapies placement education coordinator
Read the full placement profile:
Placement profile: Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust
A face-to-face placement in a virtual ward team, Coventry
Physiotherapy student Albert Ashley learned that community work offers a great insight into how individuals manage at home.
Find out more
Who was involved? Albert Ashley, physiotherapy student
Read the full placement profile:
Placement profile: Coventry University and Lyng Medical Centre.
A role-emerging placement in a care home, London
The therapy team at the care home therapy in-reach service at St Georges NHS Trust planned a role-emerging placement for physio and occupational therapy students.
Find out more
Who was involved? Mary-Jane Boswell, physiotherapist, care home therapy in-reach service
Read the full placement profile:
St Georges NHS Trust
Whole team supervision in an oncology setting, Cardiff
At the Velindre Cancer Centre students spend time in a variety of different areas to increase the breadth of their experience.
Find out more
Who was involved? Helena Goode, oncology physiotherapist
Read the full placement profile:
Placement profile: Velindre Cancer Centre, Cardiff
5:1 MSK model, Herefordshire and Worcestershire
Evesham community hospital successfully implemented a 5:1 student model with a whole team approach to supervision.
Find out more
Who was involved? Gordon Smith, team leader and senior lecturer
Read the full placement profile:
Placement profile: Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS trust and the University of Worcester
Rollover MSK placements, Swindon
Clinical educator lead Tara O'Leary and her team offer placements throughout the year to students at three different universities.
Find out more
Who was involved? Tara O'Leary, clinical educator lead
Read the full placement profile:
Great Western Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Exposing students to placements in private practice with great results, Southampton
Go Physio Clinical Director Paul Baker has designed a placement model to enhance student learning in the private setting, focusing on clinical skills, patient interaction, creating resources, hosting live social media broadcasts and more.
Find out more
Who was involved? Paul Baker, clinical director
Read the full placement profile:
Placement profile: goPhysio
A research and critical care placement, Kent
Georgia Loft split her time between clinical practice and research while working on critical care and surgical wards with her educator Dr Sarah Elliott, a consultant physiotherapist.
Find out more
Who was involved? Georgia Loft, Brighton University physiotherapy student and Dr Sarah Elliott, a consultant physiotherapist, Medway Maritime Hospital
Read the full placement profile:
Placement profile: Brighton University
Placement profile: Medway Maritime Hospital
A blended placement of virtual learning and on ward experience, Yorkshire
Physiotherapist and AHP clinical educator Rachel Slusarczyk supported students with face-to-face, virtual and self-directed learning.
Find out more
Who was involved? Rachael Slusarczyk, physiotherapist and AHP cinical educator, Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS Teaching Hospitals
Read the full placement profile:
Placement profile: Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS Teaching Hospitals
A clinical research placement within an acute hospital trust, Leicester
Hannah Young and Heather MacKinnon believe strongly in the importance of basing clinical practice on thorough, well-researched evidence. As part of that integrated approach, they have set up a clinical research placement for pre-registration physios in the UK.
Find out more
Who was involved? Hannah Young, specialist renal research physiotherapist and Heather MacKinnon, prehab project manager, Leicester Kidney Lifestyle Team, University Hospitals of Leicester
Read the full placement profile:
Placement profile: Leicester Kidney Lifestyle Team, University Hospitals of Leicester
A placement with an independent charity providing specialist neurological treatment, Essex
Mary Joy, a Physiotherapy team lead supported students on placement treating patients with complex neurological and physical disabilities.
Find out more
Who was involved? Mary Joy, acting physiotherapy team lead, the Marillac Neurological Care Centre
Read the full placement profile:
Placement profile: Marillac Neurological Care Centre
A face-to-face placement that turned into a virtual experience, University of Essex
University of Essex student Amy Smith started a face-to face placement on an acute stroke ward. Due to self-isolation she had to move on to a remote platform and adapt to a different working environment.
Find out more
Who was involved? Amy Smith, student physiotherapist, University of Essex
Read the full placement profile:
Placement profile: University of Essex
Paediatric physiotherapy services from all Health Boards across Wales work together to facilitate a fantastic placement experience
Swansea Bay physiotherapists Helena Webb and Rebecca Kennedy created a new placement model including virtual education sessions led by paediatric specialists from all Welsh health boards to enhance student learning, ease pressure on educators and inspire the future workforce.
Find out more
Who was involved? Helena Webb and Rebecca Kennedy, Swansea Bay University Health Board
Read the full placement profile:
Placement profile: Welsh Boards
Collaborative team approach to a community rehabilitation placement, Yorkshire
University of Bradford student Sam Evans worked across two community rehab sites, spending time with the whole multidisciplinary team to enhance his learning.
Find out more
Who was involved? Sam Evans, student physiotherapist, University of Bradford
Read the full placement profile:
Placement profile: Airedale
Blending face-to-face contact with remote learning and project service evaluation in tertiary rehab, London
The Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals created a multidisciplinary, flexible, whole-team approach to a student placement, incorporating blended learning and service development to benefit all.
Find out more
Who was involved? Heather Probert, therapy lead, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals
Read the full placement profile:
Placement profile: Harefield
A 4:1 coaching placement in elderly rehab, Cumbria
Rotating across two acute rehab wards, students worked together to assess and treat patients, learned from each other, coached a team and completed a group service development project.
Find out more
Who was involved? Adele Anderson, advanced specialist physiotherapist in elderly rehabilitation and frailty, North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
Read the full placement profile:
Placement profile: North Cumbria
'An MSK placement with a difference', Sussex
As part of a whole-team musculoskeletal (MSK) placement, student Luke Zubiena spent one day a week with Sally York in her First Contact Physiotherapy (FCP) clinics in primary care.
Why was it innovative?
The advanced practitioners clearly demonstrated evidence of working within the education pillar whilst supporting practice based learning. The placement offered a unique insight into the management of MSK conditions from first contact to intermediary care and the different roles and skills of the team.
Who was involved?
- Sally York, physiotherapy and FCP professional lead at Sussex MSK Partnership Central.
- Luke Zubiena, a third-year student from the University of Brighton.
Top tips
- Build in opportunities for inter-professional learning.
- The variety of experiences gave a unique insight into the management of MSK conditions.
- Having a taster of FCP within an MSK placement worked well.
Read the full placement profile:
Placement profile: Sussex MSK Partnership Central
Incorporating non-clinical time to benefit all, Newcastle upon Tyne
Karen Caulfield restructured her placement offering within an acute paediatric setting to better suit the team by including a non-clinical day for the student to focus on project work.
Why was it innovative?
As the majority of the team worked part-time, Karen thought flexibly and created a new placement structure to work better for them. The student had a day of non-clinical for project work which not only allowed for consolidation of their learning and presentation skills but also created a resource that the department will continue to use and resulted in less pressure on the clinical team.
Who was involved?
- Karen Caulfield, advanced paediatric practitioner, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Top tips
- Planning ahead and setting clear objectives can keep everyone on track.
- Go for it – it was a risk that paid off.
Read the full placement profile:
Placement profile: Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Support workers playing a key role in student learning, Dudley
From offering high standards of supervision to creating a friendly space, Lorraine Allchurch explains the benefits of support workers being very much involved in a whole-team placement experience.
Why was it innovative?
This profile showcases a support worker’s role and value in practice-based learning. With clear consideration to what and how support staff can contribute within their scope of practice, Lorraine explains the benefits this has brought to students, educators and the support workforce, boosting placement capacity and quality.
Who was involved?
- Lorraine Allchurch, assistant therapy practitioner/lead AHP support worker, the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust.
Top Tips
- Involve all members of the team.
- Have clear boundaries and learning expectations for both the student and the support worker.
- Provide formal opportunities for the support worker to give valuable feedback.
