Users Process Observations

Process/Code issues:

Supporting internal placements, the paperwork doesn’t have any proportionate measures for internal placements where we know the students will be covered by insurance etc. Some of the questions on Appendix 1 and 2 are inappropriate.

The Insurance page on the LJMU website has been set up but, has this has not been publicised and no information/guidance has been given. It would really help if there could be a clearer process for communicating updates/changes to the Code.

There resource implications with the new paperwork in that it takes a lot more time to administer it.

Changes to paperwork:

On Appendix 1 where it asks for ‘Student and Student Group’ it would be clearer if it stated ‘Student/Student Group Number’

It would help in Appendix 2 for the student to identify the type of placement e.g. work shadow.

Students often complete the ‘Visiting Tutor’ work place address in Appendix 2 as the address of the placement and ‘Placement Learning Provider’ contact details with their University Placement (or Visiting) Tutor contact details – if it could be made clearer what the form is asking for and use consistent language, this would really help.

Where it asks about the level of insurance in Appendix 2 it would help to include a statement saying ‘Please return this form with a Certificate of Insurance attached’ or something similar. Particularly if this is a compulsory part of the process. It is still not clear whether a placement can go ahead without the insurance certificate and LEAs/NHS will not provide certificates.

Placement providers very seldom respond to requests for feedback once the placement is completed. It may help to include in the question where it states ‘We confirm that we will provide the University with feedback about the progress of the placement when requested, including any feedback required by professional validating bodies.’ an option to state their preferred way of delivering feedback.

General Observations

What’s working well	What’s not working well
An online system for the Health and Safety feedback (Appendix 4) from students is working well (local development).	Incident reporting is difficult as people do not report things straight away. The work that has to go into chasing students for the paperwork is much greater than previous years.
The local support, knowledge and advice on the Placement Learning Code of Practice through the Faculty of Science WOWSSU has been excellent.	Advice sought from the Health and Safety Unit has not been timely and has delayed completion of documentation for students. Categorisation of placements has been difficult to call. Work shadowing placements have emerged as a popular option for students in my field (and will continue to be a given profile of students) and the paperwork and processes need to be proportionate to the requirements of the provider. Providers are offering these types of placements in some cases on the basis that they do not want to complete the lengthy documentation for placements. In one case a school offered ‘repeat visitor passes for as long as the student wants' but would not take them on a placement as defined by the Code. We have also encountered issues with 1) students not engaging at all with pre placement processes and 2) inappropriate behaviour on placements causing the student to be refused continuation of placement activity. Both of these cases are to be discussed with Marie Ward on 26.3.15 to explore if anything can be set out under student grievance procedures to tackle such instances.
The spreadsheet of where students are up to in the process is very useful (local process), as is the help of WOWSSU staff in reminding students what they need to do.	Requiring the placement host to sign the learning agreement before they can start means that students have to have an extra meeting with me to sign the agreement after the host (I don't like to send it out already signed by me) which potentially delays the start of the placement. Would it possible for the learning agreement to be signed by tutor and host after the placement has officially started? I used to do this in pre-Code of Practice days as it allowed students to get a better idea of what they were going to be able to find out whilst on placement. They would often come to me after the first day on placement to discuss their research question and have their learning agreement signed.
The WoWSSU office in Byrom St	The Insurance scenario for Work Based Learning and Sandwich Placement students Many small voluntary organisations have no insurance suitable for a placement student. Public liability is insufficient if they are for example dealing with animals. There seems to be no legal way round this - I believe many universities are breaking the law by putting their uninsured students at risk
Having a point of contact to support this process. Very organised and pro-active to support myself as the module leader.