Organisation of Clinical Placements

When places are offered on the Course, trainees are allocated to a clinical base.  These bases are chosen so that trainees will be able to undertake their placements during the first two years within their base NHS Trust or a nearby one.  Other placements are organised so that they also occur within the allocated base, but this is not always possible, especially when trainees choose to undertake specialist placements which may fall within other geographical areas within our region.

Under the current system, first year trainees complete their first and second placements in adult mental health and children and families, with half the year group starting with adult and the other half starting with child.  In the second year, the third placement is in intellectual disabilities or older adults, while the fourth and fifth placements are specialist placements.

The final sixth placement will be either intellectual disabilities or older adults.  The core competencies criteria allow flexibility around these traditional arrangements, and we are able to provide one year placements across different specialties in some circumstances.

Specialist placements will be chosen after discussion between the trainee and their Advisor and the Placement Organiser. Placements are then allocated within the available placement resources.

Placement Planning and Monitoring

Initial Placement Meeting/Placement Contract

The advisor meets with the supervisor and trainee at the beginning of the first placement to agree a placement contract.  This discussion will cover arrangements for work particularly related to the specialty, identifying particular aspects of work that the trainee needs to develop and supervision arrangements.  In subsequent placements, the responsibility for agreeing the placement plan rests with the trainee and supervisor (unless this is the first time that a supervisor has provided a placement on the Course, in which case the advisor will join the initial placement meeting).  The contract should be copied to the Course by the trainee within two weeks of the start of the placement so that the content can be monitored.

For all placements after the first one the trainee will be expected to contact the supervisor before the placement starts, to discuss the practical arrangements and initial ideas for the placement plan.  The supervisor will be expected to complete the standard Placement Contract form with the trainee, within a fortnight of commencement of the placement, and the trainee should copy this to the Course.

Midplacement Review

Half way through each placement the trainee's advisor meets with the supervisor and trainee for a mid-placement review.  There are opportunities for the advisor to meet both the supervisor and the trainee alone to discuss general progress and to identify any problems that need to be addressed when the three meet together.  In the joint meeting the trainee's current work and the placement plan are reviewed to identify any additional work that needs to be carried out.  The supervisor is asked to give feedback to the trainee on their performance so far in the placement, making use of the headings on the evaluation form; the trainee gives feedback on supervision and any problems are addressed.  There is also an opportunity for the Advisor to ask the supervisor how well they thought the Course prepared the trainee for the placement.  A record of the mid-placement review is made and sent to the supervisor and trainee.

End of Placement Arrangements

At the end of the placement the supervisor completes the Supervisor's Assessment of Trainee Form and discusses this with the trainee.  Trainees are also asked to provide feedback about the placement and supervision on the forms provided.  This should be done after the Supervisor's assessment is completed.  Trainees also need to keep a log of their clinical work.  All the forms need to be returned promptly to the Placement Organiser.

In several placements trainees will have to write up some of their work for examination - either as case reports or service research projects.  In addition, at the end of each placement, trainees will have to make an oral presentation about their clinical work to members of the academic staff.

If at any stage during the placement either the trainee or the supervisor is concerned about any aspect then contact is made, as soon as possible, with the trainee's advisor or the year tutor to discuss the matter. Potential difficulties can then be tackled at an early stage.