Practice Placement 4a OT | OCCT3038 | University of Southampton

Module overview

This module provides an opportunity to experience current practice in a variety of locations across Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and surrounding counties. Principle providers of placement will be in health or social care settings (with some additional placements in non traditional settings such as schools, prisons, private and voluntary organisations). You will work with an experienced HCPC registered therapist(s) who will act as the main educator and point of contact for the entire placement. You and the placement educator will be allocated a Locality Contact (a member of the academic staff in the School's OT team) who will provide a link to the academic programme and will meet you at least once during the placement. You will be supernumerary to the staff in the area in which you are placed.

This particular placement has a focus on you making an active contribution to the assessment and treatment/management of service users in a specific area of practice. You will take an active part under supervision of the placement educator who will support you to take responsibility for and work independently with a selected case load.

Integration of Service Users

The experience of working closely with service users of all ages, cultural backgrounds and across practice specialities is an essential ingredient to the learning and assessment of competency in Occupational Therapy programmes. This placement links to work carried out in other modules throughout the two years where specific service user group needs and/or interventons are investigated. You need to be aware of service users' lived experiences derived from narratives, research and evaluation of practice. This will improve your knowledge base and also underpin any self-development activities linked to practice placement. This combination of theoretical evidence and practice-based work will ensure that the profile and needs of service users are dealt with in a proactive and positive manner in all your scholarly and practical activities.

Multi-Professional Learning

The partnership between the academic and practice organisations is an essential ingredient in the development, delivery and evaluation of Occupational Therapy programmes. During other modules/placements throughout the programme you will have had opportunities to work alongside and learn together in mixed groups of health professional students. This will be replicated in practice placement experiences where different professions frequently work together within teams. It is envisaged that these experiences will have an impact on how, and what you explore and in particular may be a feature of aspects of your personal and professional development activities for the future.

Aims and Objectives

Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

Manage a caseload, assessing service users, negotiating and analysing information with them , prioritising problems and planning appropriate management programmes, recognising their physical, psychological and social/cultural needs.
Communicate effectively with service users and carers taking account of ethical considerations and respecting rights, dignity, and confidentiality.
Manage yourself and liaise appropriately with others to optimise outcomes for the service users you work with.
Utilise previous experience and adapt therapeutic/management practice to accommodate varying circumstances and the health/social care environment.
Provide evidence of a search strategy and relevant literature related to a complex case/specified project, carried out for the area of practice.
Evaluate and reflect on the outcome of decisions with service users and be able to appropriately alter or discontinue interventions, or make referrals to other services.
Provide evidence of personal and professional reflection and planning appropriate to continuing professional development and future professional registration.
Critically appraise a range of therapeutic interventions with reference to appropriate evidence, in order to implement a management programme safely, effectively and efficiently.
Develop constructive working partnerships with members of the multidisciplinary team providing comprehensive accurate records and reports as necessary.

Syllabus

The integration of knowledge, skills and attitudes specific to the speciality area of the placement reflect the five sections of practice: safe conduct, professionalism, interpersonal skills, therapeutic skills and management skills as defined in the pre-set practice placement assessment criteria.

Introduction to the Continuous Professional Development process, includes developing learning outcomes/objectives, reflecting on a learning experience and producing a detailed practice case study/project.

You will receive support from a placement educator and take an active role in, and where appropriate be responsible for a caseload under supervision.

You will have opportunity to work with and learn from other health professionals and appropriate staff within the placement setting as well as the named placement educator, to facilitate understanding of the multidisciplinary and complex nature of health and social care provision.

Learning and Teaching

Teaching and learning methods

Your learning will be facilitated by a placement educator(s) who will use a variety of methods, including:

demonstration within the placement facility
supervised service user contact
staff and learner led presentations
case study/project presentations
ward rounds/case conferences
attendance at clinics/team meetings and opportunities to observe specialist treatments such as surgical interventions, where appropriate
departmental in-service programmes
peer support in the university and practice-based setting
support from placement educators and visiting academics (locality contacts)
eLearning resources: blackboard site
learning resources in practice area
On-line practice placement handbook

Study time
Type	Hours
Placement Hours	240
Total study time	240

Resources & Reading list

Textbooks

Royal College of Occupational Therapists (2021). Professional Standards for Occupational Therapy Practice. London: Royal College of Occupational Therapists.

Alsop, A & Ryan, S (2000). Making the most of Fieldwork Education: A Practical Approach. Cheltenham: Stanley Thornes.

Assessment

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

Assessment of Practice

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Assessment of Practice	100%

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Assessment of Practice	100%