Problems with placements

As a student you may come across 2 types of placement.

Certain professional degree courses involve compulsory assessed placements.  On your course, these may also be referred to as clinical attachments or school experiences.  

The other type of placement is one-year work experience for Degrees with employment experience.

The following information relates to compulsory assessed placements.

Problems with placements can have serious consequences.  You must pass the placements to obtain your degree. Poor progress reports, failure, or early termination of a placement could result in your fitness to practise being reviewed or a referral to Faculty Student Review Committee.

It is important that you tackle any problems that arise promptly.

Talk to your placement supervisor/mentor 

• Their job is to support you as well as assess you.  
• A good placement will include an induction session, with opportunity to ask questions and sort out practical issues.  
• Ask your supervisor to clarify anything you are unsure of.  
• Let them know if there are any practical or personal issues preventing you from meeting your responsibilities. For example, if shift patterns are genuinely a problem, it may be possible to re-negotiate them.  

If your supervisor has concerns about your performance during the placement, they should let you know.  Unless these are so serious that the placement is terminated early, your supervisor should work with you to try to overcome the problems.

If you encounter problems during your placement, for example lack of support or lack of opportunities, you should raise these with your supervisor promptly.

Talk to your placement tutor

• Your department will have a member of staff responsible for overseeing placements.
• If you have concerns about your placement that cannot be resolved with your supervisor you should talk to this placement tutor.  
• They can advise you how to tackle the problems, or talk to the placement on your behalf.
• If necessary the placement tutor may be able to arrange a different placement for you.