Practice Education Protocols and Essential Information

Supervision, defined by the College of Occupational Therapists London, is ‘a professional relationship which ensures good standards of practice and encourages professional development’.  This has expanded to include ‘supervision is not the equivalent of performance review, of counselling or of monitoring; it is a relationship concerning accountability and responsibility for work carried out’ (COT, 2006). AOTI, 2010 define professional supervision as “a partnership process of on-going reflection and feedback between a named supervisor and supervisee in order to ensure and enhance effective practice” (AOTI 2010). 

Some common elements can be drawn from the wide array of definitions around supervision:

• Supervision involves a professional relationship.
• It is a process.
• It is active/dynamic, having objectives.
• It may involve a range of activities.
• It is supportive.
• It relates to standards, effectiveness and competence.
• It relates to the acquisition and development of knowledge, skills and values.
• It can incorporate personal, professional and organisational elements.
• It can be reflective when related to practice.

Supervision is an integral part of Practice Education placements for students. The educational and supportive supervisory functions of Practice Education supervision are closely aligned to those of professional supervision for qualified staff; therefore, the experiences that students gain from being supervised and of taking on the responsibilities of being a supervisor begin early in an Occupational Therapist’s career (AOTI, 2010).

Supervision can be separated into the following 4 sections:

Competency Review (Learning and Development): Progress from last week (including student self-appraisal from reflection), what went well, what were the challenges, what is to be completed by the next week and to what standard.

Development of reasoning and reflection (Developing practice thinking): Discussion on case study or other cases regarding the occupational therapy process, best practice, local policy and procedure, application of theory or duty of care. Encourage multiple perspectives including those of the service user to develop critical thinking skills.

Support and encouragement (Developing as a professional): Discuss personal challenges of working in this setting and strategies for management of self and as well as professional approaches to others. Practice Educators need to give space for students to be supported in managing emotions, stress and anxiety generated from new experiences on placement. They are being socialised into the profession so supervision can facilitate a sense of ‘belongingness’ to this placement and to the profession.

Accountability (Developing professional autonomy and confidence): Ask student to report on how they have used their initiative this week, such as what they have researched or read, what progress they have made on project work or what ideas they have for the development of new resources. Encourage and reinforce appropriate use of time in the workplace as they need to develop as independent and proactive professionals.

Formal Supervision is vital, and Practice Educators must acknowledge the importance of supervision sessions and ensure that the appropriate time and space is allocated and protected. Supervision should occur weekly at pre-arranged times, in a quiet environment and supervision sessions should last approximately 1 hour and should form as an essential feature of the placement and a key element in the supervisory relationship. All supervision sessions must be documented, and a copy of the documentation must be given to the Practice Educator and student.

Frequency and format of supervision:

• Supervision should be scheduled as a weekly formal meeting - 1 hour in duration. The date/time of each supervision session should be agreed at the beginning of each week.
• Supervision should be held in a suitable environment that is private and distraction free.
• Supervision should be a collaborative process with both parties setting objectives, engaging in discussion, and planning future actions.
• Supervision should be recorded on the weekly supervision form (Appendix Section). The Practice Educator and student can turn take documenting or agree who will document at the beginning of the supervisory relationship. In either case, all information documented must be agreed by both parties and must be completed before the completion of the supervision session.
• All supervision documentation should be retained by the student at the end of placement and included in their CPD portfolio.

Supervision Resources:

• Students and PEs should prepare for the supervision meeting using the Trinity pre-supervision forms (see appendix section). The completion of the student pre-supervision form is mandatory while the completion of the PE pre-supervision form is optional.
• The learning contract/personal development plan should be an integral part of supervision and should be reviewed or added to during the supervision session.
• Students and Practice Educators should ensure to have the Timelines and Expectations Document (see appendix section) and Placement Assessment Form (see appendix section) at each supervision session – for reference and discuss where necessary.

In the interests of reducing the risk of the transmission of infectious disease from patients to students, or student to patient, all students must undergo a health screening in order to fully register on the Occupational Therapy course.

Students who do not undertake all elements of the Health Screening test in a timely manner will not be permitted to attend their Practice Education placement.

General guidelines for completing the health screening process and relevant documentation is available on the orientation website:  https://www.tcd.ie/students/orientation/undergraduates/health-screenings.php

1. Students must return satisfactory proof from their registered GP or Trinity College Health that they are not currently infected with Hepatitis B (core and surface) or C. In the case of a positive result from the above, a student must demonstrate a negative Hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAG) and HBV-DNA viral load or a negative PCR test for Hepatitis C RNA.
2. Students must show they have been vaccinated for Pulmonary Tuberculosis (TB) with evidence of a BCG scar which their registered GP or Trinity College Health must record. If they do not have a visible scar their registered GP or Trinity College Health will be required to facilitate a Mantoux test. If a student has difficulty obtaining a Mantoux test or if their result is positive they will be required to provide a chest X-Ray.
3. Students must ask their registered GP or Trinity College Health to certify their immunity to Chickenpox, Measles, Mumps and Rubella. A blood test will be required to confirm this if no certificate of immunity is presented. A student may be requested to attend Trinity College Health to undergo vaccination for Chickenpox, Measles, Mumps and Rubella if required.
4. Trinity will only accept an original test result from a recognised medical establishment, stamped and authorised by a qualified official and carried out not more than nine months prior to entry. The University reserves the right in all cases to require a confirmatory test in a testing centre of its own choosing.
5. Overseas applicants are advised to undergo testing in their home country and to post the results directly to their department of study ASAP. Incomplete documentation will not be accepted. Failure to complete all Trinity health screening requirements by the 04/10/2019 may result in a student being withdrawn from their course and a re-admission fee will apply.
6. Precautions against infectious diseases are governed by the Blood Borne Viruses (BBV) regulations which have been agreed by the Medical Schools of Ireland and represent the consensus view of the Council of Deans of Faculties of Medical Schools in Ireland.
7. Before commencing clinical contact with patients, students may be required to undergo further testing to determine the effectiveness of their immunity to Hepatitis B. Depending on the results of the tests, students may be required to complete a series of vaccinations or obtain a booster. Full details will be provided following registration.

All costs associated with Health Screening must be met by the student.

During practice education placements students may be exposed to many unknown microbiological hazards. All placement sites have a local policy on infection control measures that are standard practice in their work area. It is the students’ responsibility to read any relevant information in their policies. The student must always follow safe working practices and adhere to all infection control policies. Cross infection is a major risk to patients within hospitals/other practice education sites. Many patients have a lowered tolerance to infection. Universal precautions should be taken with all patients regardless of their health status. Basic infection control measures of hand washing, covering cuts/abrasions with waterproof dressings, keeping hair back from face, and maintaining high personal standard of hygiene is vital. Students should be guided by their practice educator and consult them if in any doubt about correct procedure.

In particular, please note policies on COVID-19, Swine flu, Methycillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), winter vomiting virus and Clostridium precautions.

The HSE recommends that all allied healthcare students should get the flu vaccine to prevent the spread of flu and save lives. Healthcare workers, including students, are at an increased risk of exposure and infection to flu. This then may increase the risk to family, colleagues, and patients. TCD Health Service can provide students with the flu vaccine (€15). It can also be obtained from your GP or Pharmacist. More information about flu and flu vaccination is available here: https://www.hse.ie/eng/health/immunisation/pubinfo/flu-vaccination/

All students are encouraged to take a course in First Aid, in their own time. The cost associated with same must be covered by students. The following agencies offer First Aid courses: St. John’s Ambulance Brigade of Ireland, 29 Upper Leeson Street, Dublin 4, Telephone: 6688077 and Order of Malta – Ireland, St. John’s House, 32 Clyde Road, Dublin 4, Telephone: 01 6140035.

Garda vetting is completed as part of the students’ admissions procedure to Trinity College and is administered centrally by the Trinity College Academic Registry Office.

The Discipline of Occupational Therapy is informed, by an official from Academic Registry, when each student has received a satisfactory result from the Garda vetting procedure.  Proof of Garda Clearance Vetting Outcome will be provided directly to each student from Academic Registry and students will be expected to provide this proof of Garda Clearance document to their respective practice educator on each placement over the four years prior to undertaking each placement. Please note that this document cannot be provided to the practice education site by any other persons or University staff and individual Garda Clearance Vetting outcomes are not held in the office of the Discipline of Occupational Therapy.

For more information, please see the TCD Orientation website.

If, as a result of the outcome of the Garda vetting procedure a student is deemed unsuitable to attend practice education placements, he/she may be required to withdraw from the Occupational Therapy course.

Students studying on the Trinity Occupational Therapy programme are covered by Public Liability Insurance to the sum of not less than €6,500,000 in any one event.

Proof of this indemnity is sent to each placement site by the Practice Education Coordinator and/or Regional Placement Facilitator prior to the placement commencement date.

Students are required to work the same hours as their assigned practice education site e.g., 35 hours per week. They must work a minimum of a 35-hour week to attain the (required) 1,000 hours to graduate. In working a minimum of a 35-hour week, it is expected that the student will have over 1000 hours of practice education accumulated at the time of graduation. Planning for excess hours therefore assists with the management of unanticipated leave as/when required.

The following are NOT included in placement hours:

• Lunch Break - minimum of a half hour
• Sickness or any other absences (example: emergency medical appointment; compassionate leave)
• Bank holidays or statutory days.

The following ARE included in placement hours:

• Mandatory Study Time (off site or on site) – 3 hours per week
• Halfway and final return days (to the University) – full days

Please see the table below for estimated placement hours over the course of the 4 years.

All hours worked are to be recorded on the Practice Education Assessment Form (“Student Hours log” section) on a weekly basis. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure the hours are recorded accurately on this form and certified by the Practice Educator.

Upon completion of the final assessment, both the student and PE must calculate the total hours worked and record any absences and/or public holidays over the course of the placement (page 1 and 2 of the assessment form).

Upon retrieval of the assessment forms, the Practice Education Coordinator will review and record the total placement hours and input these hours into a database of student placements/student placement hours. This database is monitored and maintained by the Practice Educator Coordinator within the Discipline of Occupational Therapy.  Should any issues/concerns arise regarding a student’s placement hours this is managed promptly by the Practice Education Coordinator.

Students are expected to arrive for work on time and be fit for work. Punctuality and appropriate time management are expected work-based professional behaviours. Students who persistently arrive late and have been given warnings, may fail the placement due to poor time management.

It is acknowledged that study is an important component of practice education. Study hours can only be calculated from time spent on placement-related learning, up to a maximum of 3 hours per week. Study time must be negotiated between the student and their practice educator, and must have an agreed learning outcome relevant to the learning contract/personal development plan for that placement. This study time is at the discretion of the Practice Educator and does not have to be on a Friday afternoon.

Attendance at all Practice education placements is compulsory. Please see below for an outline of procedures in cases of absenteeism from placement.

Emergency or Illness related absence
If a student needs to be absent for placement on unexpected medical grounds, they need to inform the Practice Educator (by telephone) and Practice Education Coordinator or Regional Placement Facilitator (by telephone or email) within 30 minutes of their expected start time. A text from the student to say they will be absent from placement is not acceptable. If a student is absent from placement for more than two consecutive days due to illness they must provide the Practice Educator and Practice Education Coordinator with a medical certificate to support their absence.
This certificate should be returned to the college with the final assessment form.

Figure 10. Sick leave Process
The number of days a student is absent will be recorded on the assessment form. Significant periods of sick leave during placement may have consequences for overall placement hours and should be brought to the attention of the Practice Education Coordinator or Regional Placement Facilitator at the earliest opportunity, as it can also impact on the student’s competency achievement and thus overall competency. Missed placement hours may need to be made up to compensate for loss of practice education experience hours. This can be negotiated between with the practice educator and the student with assistance from the Practice Education Coordinator or Regional Placement Facilitator.

Medical or Hospital Appointments
Students who require time off for medical appointments must seek permission in-writing from their Practice Educator and Practice Education Coordinator. They need to provide an attendance note to the Practice Educator from the medical professional they attended. This attendance note should be returned to the college with the final assessment form.

Dental Appointments/Emergencies
Time out of clinical placement is not permitted for routine dental appointments. These appointments should be made during non-placement time. Exceptions to this rule can be made in an emergency situation whereby the student must discuss with the Practice Educator and Practice Educator Coordinator.

Compassionate Leave
If the student requires compassionate leave, they must contact the Practice Education Coordinator and explain the amount of leave required. The Practice Education coordinator will liaise with the Practice Educator and agreements will be made if hours are to be made up on an individual basis.

Holidays
Holidays/short breaks may not be taken during placement as this is a work-based placement with a commitment to the clinical sites.

Sporting Events
Individual requests may be made for a sporting event that a student requires time off from their practice education placement. These requests will be considered by the Practice Education Coordinator and/or Regional Placement Facilitator however they are generally only granted in exceptional circumstances. Such requests must be made before the placement commences and if this is not possible, they must be made at least 2 weeks in advance of the event. In all instances, it is essential that all requests are made in a timely and professional manner. Please be advised that attending sporting events during your placement will have an impact on your placement hours and competency development.

COVID-19 related absence
Please refer to COVID-19 document for further detail regarding COVID-19 related absence.

Other Absence Requests
Individual requests may be made for a special event (excluding holidays) that a student requires time off from their practice education placement. These requests will be considered by the Practice Education Coordinator and/or Regional Placement Facilitator however they are generally only granted in exceptional circumstances. A full day off placement for a wedding is only permitted for immediate family members.

*Please note that students who do not comply with the above procedures may risk obtaining a ‘not competent’ grade.

If a student is unable to complete a placement in full due to medical reasons they must immediately contact the relevant Practice Tutor (PT)/ Practice Education Coordinator (PEC) /Regional Placement Facilitator (RPF). The named Practice Education representative (PT/PEC/RPF) will assist the student in following the appropriate procedures in accordance with the Discipline of Occupational Therapy’s policies. Withdrawal from a placement without supporting medical documentation will automatically result in a “not competent” grade being awarded for that placement.

In order to ensure that the process of medical withdrawal is managed effectively the student must therefore:

1. Provide evidence of supporting medical documentation to the Practice Education Coordinator prior to formally withdrawing from the placement
2. Liaise directly with his/her college tutor to obtain permission from the Senior Lecturer to complete an additional placement during the supplemental period.  
   If the appropriate procedures are followed and permission is granted by the Senior Lecturer another placement will be arranged by the Practice Education Coordinator and this placement will be regarded as the student’s first attempt at this placement.

Prior to returning to a placement following an approved medical withdrawal the student must:

• Provide a second medical certificate which clearly outlines their fitness to return to placement. This certificate must satisfy the Discipline’s specified requirements and must be provided in advance of the student’s next placement. If required, the Discipline can request further clarification regarding the content of the medical certificate.
• Where a student has been granted a year “off books” following a medical withdrawal from placement, the Discipline can request the student to furnish evidence of action(s) taken to address the specific issues which resulted in a medical withdrawal from placement. In order to be permitted to return to the course and/or repeat a placement a student who is ‘off-books’ following a medical withdrawal is required to submit satisfactory medical certification to the Discipline before the student may be permitted to return to the course and repeat the placement.  It is recommended that the student seeks advice from the Discipline/College Tutor/TCD College Health in this regard prior to commencing the year “off books”.

If a student makes a medical withdrawal from a placement having completed ≥80% of the placement, their placement competency status at the time of medical withdrawal will stand. If the student is in good standing a decision may be made by the court of examiners (based on the practice educator’s assessment of competency) to allow the student to pass the placement. If a student is not meeting the required level of competency with ≥80% of the placement completed and then takes a medical withdrawal, their placement status (not competent) will be considered by the court of examiners and may stand, and the placement may be recorded as a fail.

The table below provides guidance for the student and the Practice Educator regarding the management of practice education related documentation.

All practice education sites are advised to follow their own guidelines in relation to the storage and retention of student records, in line with and in compliance with local standards/policies.

The Discipline of Occupational Therapy advises that all student records are not kept at the placement site and therefore should be deleted or shredded. If the student has requested that the Practice Educator acts as a reference, and the Practice Educator wishes to store the students assessment form as a reference point then the student must sign the Consent Form for Retention of Copy of Student Practice Education Assessment Form (PDF 595kB).

In the event of a ‘not competent’ grade given to a student, the Practice Educator should send all student related documentation to the college for secure storage.

Each student is required to compile and maintain a practice education/continuous professional development portfolio. This portfolio should be a systematic and organized collection of evidence collected by the student to monitor the development of their knowledge, skills and attitudes in practice education and their progress towards attaining competence as entry-level occupational therapy practitioners throughout the four years of their course. This portfolio should include items such as the student’s curriculum vitae, personal learning style questionnaire, professional development form, practice education assessment forms, practice education learning contracts, supervision records etc.

Please refer to Guidelines for Developing CPD Portfolio (PDF 655 kB) for further detail.

In the course of practice education placements, students may have occasional, regular or ongoing access to confidential material pertaining to clients, members of the public, or clinical staff. Student must observe the highest standards of ethics in their handling of such information. Students are required to adhere to service providers’ guidelines and policies on confidentiality during their practice education placements in line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Confidentiality of service users must be respected and protected at all times. Students must become familiar with their obligations. For example:

• Case notes and records are the property of the placement provider and must never be removed from the practice education placement setting
• Students must maintain the boundaries of confidentiality outside their practice education placement in any discussions, presentations, or reflective practice assignments. Names of clients or healthcare settings should never be mentioned when discussing client cases with other students, in seminars, or any student assignment – instead use pseudonyms, refer to team members by their role rather than name, and describe the placement provider in general terms rather than by name of institution.
• Never discuss client cases where the conversation may be overheard by parents, relatives, or people not associated with the service.

Gaining a service user’s consent to occupational therapy is a fundamental aspect of practice and as such is contained within both the CORU Code of Professional Conduct & Ethics for Occupational Therapists (CORU, 2019); and the AOTI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct for Occupational Therapists (AOTI 2013) and practice educators are advised to ensure that service users are fully informed of the student’s status and have given their permission for interventions to be carried out by a student.

Students are responsible for familiarising themselves with the local regulations to ensure that they do not abuse the IT facilities offered to students on placement. Computer pass words must be kept secure. Any computer facilities offered to students during placements are provided for university work only, i.e. for use in learning and pursuit of their studies. They must not abuse these facilities for any other purpose, e.g. playing computer games, excessive social use of e-mail, or for recreational internet use.

Student studies may involve internet searches drawing upon on anatomical terms and phrases. This may generate unwanted links to objectionable websites. Students are advised to use wherever possible, specific health science related search engines which have been recommended by the Trinity library.

Students may accidentally access internet sites they did not mean to. This might happen because they have clicked on a misleading link, they clicked on a link by accident, or because a site has been hijacked. They may also find that they get bombarded by unsolicited and explicit ‘pop-up’ advertising. If any of these things happen whilst students are out on placement, they should:

• Take a note of the URL (web address) of the site and the time it was accessed
• Tell someone immediately. If possible, show them what happened
• Record the details of the site accessed, before logging off the computer.
• Tell their practice educator as soon as possible
• Tell local IT staff (any alerts regarding inappropriate internet use will go to them first)

Organisations offering practice educations placements may have a policy regarding the use of mobile phones, including camera phones, stating where and in what circumstances such devices are permitted or prohibited. In general, if students cannot see a sign permitting the use of mobile phones, it should be assumed that their use is prohibited. Mobile phones should not be carried on your person during practice education placements.

Students are advised that service user confidentiality, privacy and dignity must be maintained at all times. They must never use mobile camera phones to take photographs and video recordings of service users during practice education placements.

Students must adhere to the dress code of the practice education placement at all times (unless otherwise advised by the Practice Educator/Practice Tutor of the specific placement site).  Students are required to wear:

• Clean and ironed student Occupational Therapy uniform top with the Trinity logo
• Clean and ironed green trousers
• Black/navy socks
• Black/navy shoes
• Official name badge provided by the Department

The uniform is to be washed daily after each wear to reduce the risk of cross infection and must be replaced as necessary over the four years of the programme.

In addition, it is important to note:

• No jewellery may be worn, with the exception of wedding band rings and a single stud earring in each earlobe.
• Wrist watches or bracelets may not be worn on hospital placements in line with the HSE infection control policy.
• Long hair must be tied back neatly so that it does not hang over face or over the patient. Hair accessories should be plain and discreet.
• Make-up, if worn, should be subtle. False tan should not be worn.
• Nails must be kept clean and short. Nails should not be visible from the palmar aspect of the hand. Nail varnish, nail decoration, false nails, tips, extensions, or gel/acrylic nails are not permitted.
• Other than ears, body piercing or tattoos may not be permissible in many practice education placements and may have to be covered.
• Footwear should be suitable for moving and handling and must be in adherence to local policy. Additionally, footwear must be plain, non-slip soles, flat, closed toe, clean and in a good state of repair. Runners and cloth shoes are unacceptable.
• Uniform should fit comfortably, allowing for movement and covering mid-drift.
• Perfume or aftershave should not be worn as it can cause an allergic reaction with some clients.
• Mobile phones should not be carried on your person during practice education placement.

Students who have failed a placement and who have been permitted to take supplementary placements will meet formally with the Practice Education Coordinator to:

• Clarify concerns regarding the student’s professional conduct or professional competence and to identify additional supports if required
• Establish clear learning objectives for the student’s professional conduct or professional competency development
• Outline possible placement structure and time frames

Every effort will be made to structure supplemental placements within the same academic year to enable students to rise with their peers, but this may not always be possible due to timing constraints and placement availability. The process for supplemental placement is outlined in the table below.

If a student receives a “not competent” grade in two placements over the course of the Trinity College Occupational Therapy degree programme s/he will be excluded from further participation in the programme. This decision will be at the discretion of the Court of Examiners and will be made following the student obtaining a 2nd “not competent” grade.

All decisions related to student progression are at the discretion of the court of examiners.

Please see Calendar for more details.

The following statement relates to the information that is in effect for students.

If professional misconduct is suspected, the Practice Educator must immediately notify the Practice Education Coordinator as well as the Head of Discipline, the student and their College tutor.

Students are then invited to meet with the Head of Discipline, Practice Education Coordinator, Practice Educator, and their College Tutor as appropriate. Issues are identified and a plan of action is agreed by all parties identifying clear targets and behaviours and the student is made aware of these.

In the first instance, if the student does not amend their behaviour accordingly it is the responsibility of the practice educator to reflect the seriousness of the professional misconduct in the ‘comments’ section of the student’s assessment form and to determine if that misconduct is sufficient to warrant an overall ‘not competent’ grade.

In the event of a serious breach of conduct, and/or an escalation of misconduct with no further improvement the student will fail the placement. The matter is referred immediately to the Head of Discipline who consults with the Junior Dean’s Office in Trinity College Dublin where the procedures are evoked as outlined in the Conduct and College Regulations.

At all times, clients’ and patients’ interests and safety take precedence over students’ education. Situations may arise where there are concerns regarding a student’s fitness to participate in practice education placements. Such cases not falling within the remit of Garda vetting or College disciplinary procedures may be considered by a School’s Fitness to Practise Committee. Where an alleged disciplinary offence comes before the Junior Dean, the Junior Dean may decide to refer the case to the Fitness to Practise Committee of the relevant school if the Junior Dean considers this to be a more appropriate way of dealing with the case. Where a fitness to practise issue arises in the context of an academic appeal, the relevant body hearing the appeal may decide to refer the case to the Fitness to Practise Committee of the relevant school, if it is considered to be a more appropriate way of dealing with the case.

The School Fitness to Practise Committee is convened as required, at the request of a Head of Discipline, to consider matters of concern in relation to professional practice. This committee is appointed by the School Executive Committee, with representation from two members from within the School and one member from a non-Faculty School. Students called to appear before the Fitness to Practise Committee are entitled to be represented by their tutor. For further information see TCD Undergraduate Studies website and the Calendar Entry.

If there is sufficient evidence to demonstrate that a student’s action, inaction and/or decision-making whilst on placement is negatively impacting on the quality of client care and/or service delivery of the placement site and/or that the student’s support requirements is encroaching on the Practice Educator’s clinical and personal commitments on a consistent basis, a collaborative decision can be made by the placement site (appointed Occupational Therapy manager/Manager) and the Head of Discipline to terminate the student’s placement in advance of the placement finishing date. If a placement must be terminated on the above grounds, the student will receive a “not competent” grade in their final assessment. In most cases, the provision of this grade will be directly related to the student’s actions and/or decision making which have warranted the placement termination. Should the above circumstances arise it is essential that the placement site liaise closely with the Discipline of Occupational Therapy Practice Education Team and that all relevant documentation is completed to support this decision-making. A formal notification will need to be put forward by the placement site (appointed Occupational Therapy manager) outlining the reasons for termination of the placement.

The student’s assessment form will need to be reviewed and completed by the Practice Educator at the time of the placement termination whereby the reasons for the termination are directly linked to the student’s competency demonstration. Time will need to be allocated by the placement site/Practice Educator to clearly explain the reasons for the termination of the placement and the status of the student’s competency at the time of the termination – verbally and/or in writing depending on the student’s learning style/preferences. The Head of Discipline may need to request additional supporting evidence to support the premature termination of the placement and if this is required, a formal request will be put through by the Head of Discipline to the placement site. In all cases relating to premature termination of placements, there should be a high emphasis on documentation/recording so that clear evidence is available to support all decision-making processes.

Students who fail (receive a “not competent” grade) one placement may repeat that placement in a different clinical venue but in the same area of practice. 

If a student receives a “not competent” grade in two placements over the course of the Trinity College Occupational Therapy programme s/he will be excluded from further participation in the programme. This decision will be at the discretion of the Court of Examiners and will be made following the student obtaining a 2nd “not competent” grade.

All decisions related to student progression are at the discretion of the court of examiners.

Notwithstanding the provision of any other regulations of Occupational Therapy, a recommendation may be made to the University Council for the exclusion, at any stage, from the department of any student whose progress or performance is unsatisfactory, or to the Board of Trinity College, the exclusion of any student whose conduct is unsatisfactory.

Trinity College strives to create an environment that is supportive and conducive to work and study. The Discipline of Occupational Therapy promotes, and is committed to, supporting a collegial environment for its staff, students and other community members, which is respectful and free from discrimination, bullying, harassment and sexual harassment. The Trinity College Dignity and Respect Policy has a strong preventative focus and highlights that staff and students have a duty to maintain an environment in which the dignity of everyone is respected.

The policy includes practical advice on tackling communication breakdowns or inter-personal disputes. The policy also sets out a framework for complaint resolution using informal and formal procedures and through the use of mediation. The policy contains useful information on support sources forall parties to a complaint. For further information see Dignity and Respect and Student Complaints Procedure.

Arrangements for dealing with protected disclosures, more commonly known as “whistleblowing”, are in place under the provisions of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014. Students may wish to make a protected disclosure in good faith where they have reasonable grounds for believing that the health or welfare of patients/clients or the public may be put at risk, or where there is waste of public funds or legal obligations are not being met, so that the matter can be investigated. Such legislation provides statutory protection for health service employees (and students on practice education placement) from penalisation as a result of making a disclosure in good faith and in accordance with recommended procedures. Further information is available on the HSE website.

• Students can discuss their concerns with their Practice Educator in the first instance and seek support to follow the site-specific policy
• If a student’s concerns remain following this and/or a student does not feel that they can discuss their concerns with their Practice Educator for any reason, they should contact the Practice Education Coordinator
• Failing this, they should contact another member of the Department to discuss their concerns. 
• If a formal disclosure is warranted, the student will need to put the details of their concern in writing and submit to the authorized authority or agency.

Many students may self-manage their disabilities during practice education placements. However, those needing reasonable accommodations can seek support from Trinity College's Disability Service, as detailed in the Reasonable Accommodation Policy for Students with Disabilities. For a full copy of the policy, visit: Trinity College Disability Service RA-Policy and (as/if required) apply for reasonable accommodations on your student portal by following these steps.

Once registered, students must independently choose whether to disclose their disability during practice education placements and whether to utilise any reasonable accommodations. The decision is entirely up to the student, and they will receive no external direction on this matter. Nonetheless, the Discipline of Occupational Therapy does endorse disclosure on placements.

Should a student opt to disclose their disability, they can share their Professional Learning Education Needs Summary (PLENS) with their Practice Educator. This will be coordinated with the Practice Education Coordinator to ensure compliance with protocols such as data protection and pre-placement meetings.

If a student decides not to disclose their disability, they cannot receive any reasonable accommodations during their placement.

Outline of the PLENS process

1. Use of car to get to and from the placement site. If students intend to use their car to get to and from a placement site, students must contact their insurers to inform them of this change of use as there may be additional insurance cover costs. There is no mechanism for reimbursement or payment of any additional insurance charges.
2. Students must identify if they are can use and will appropriately insure their cars on placement in the Student Practice Education Declaration Form (see appendix section) completed prior to placement allocations.
3. Use of car for travel on placement business. Practice educators identify if a car is needed when making a placement offer. On these placements students may be asked to use their car.
   a) To travel between locations/ work bases in the course of their working day.
   b) To participate or independently complete home/ school or other client related visit or to attend meetings
   c) To deliver items such as equipment or assistive devices
4. Students must contact their insurance company and request business class insurance for the duration of a placement where they are using the car for placement business. There is no mechanism for reimbursement or payment of any additional insurance charges.
5. It is the policy of the University that students do not carry service users in their cars.
6. Some placement providers may have local car insurance requirements and may request a student to sign that they have the appropriate insurance and a disclaimer that in the event of an accident the placement organisation is not liable.
7. If a PE is considering transporting students to facilitate their participation in off-site work, the PEs must contact their insurance provider to establish if they have adequate insurance cover before travelling

If a PE is considering transporting students to facilitate their participation in off-site work over the course of the placement, the PEs must contact their insurance provider to establish if they have adequate insurance cover before travelling. There is no mechanism for reimbursement or payment of any additional insurance charges via Trinity College Dublin however it is advised that the PE raises this with site-based management to explore options available for reimbursement.