Student placement planning in 2017Framework

Student placement planning in 2017Framework

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Authorised and published by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne.

© State of Victoria, Department of Health and Human Services April 2017.

Contents

Introduction...............................................................................................................................................Developing the Student placement planning framework.............................................................................

Section 1: Key principles for Student placement planning in 2017.....................................................

Section 2: Guidelines for Student placement planning in 2017.........................................................

Section 3: Process for Student placement planning in 2017..............................................................Preliminary activities.................................................................................................................................

Phase 1: Meetings....................................................................................................................................

Phase 2: Preparing for planning in Placeright...........................................................................................

Phase 3: Planning in Placeright................................................................................................................

Supplementary activities...........................................................................................................................

Section 4: Tools......................................................................................................................................

Section 5: Evaluation.............................................................................................................................Section 6: Appendix ......................................................................................... ...............21

Introduction

Each year, Victorian health and human service organisations accommodate thousands of students who are undertaking student placements. This education provides students with an important opportunity to gain practical experience and consolidate theoretical, classroom-based learning. It is also an essential component of many courses and a requirement for registration in many health and human service professions and occupations.

Consequently, the demand for student placements is high and coordinating student placements places a significant administrative burden on both the student placement providers and the education providers involved.

Following extensive stakeholder consultation, and in response to requests for assistance to address these challenges, the former Department of Health (the department) established 11 Clinical Placement Networks (CPNs) across Victoria in 2010.

In 2014, following consultation with stakeholders, the CPNs were reconfigured to form nine Clinical Training Networks (CTNs).

From 2016, 7 Workforce Networks were established which include two metropolitan networks (NorthWest Metropolitan and SouthEast Metropolitan), along with the five rural networks (Barwon-South Western, Grampians, Loddon Mallee, Hume and Gippsland).

The key aims of the current network arrangements are to facilitate improved communication and collaboration between education stakeholders, and to support the development of coordinated approaches to student placement planning and allocation. Each Workforce Network has a Coordinator who is responsible for stakeholder engagement and supporting the work of the Workforce Network.

Developing the student placement planning frameworkThe student placement planning framework (‘the framework’) was developed in consultation with stakeholders, and trialled in 2011. The framework and placement planning activities have been evaluated annually since the trial in 2011, and the results from each evaluation have been made publicly available and used to inform student placement planning activities in the following year.

The 2016 evaluation results are available at https://www2.health.vic.gov.au/health-workforce/health-workforce-governance/workforce-networks/workforce-networks-news

Stakeholder input will continue to be essential to refining a system that meets the needs of student placement stakeholders, while also providing a strong foundation from which to continue the initial work addressing the issues that have limited effective planning and capacity development.

Student placement planning in 2017 processFor the student placement planning in 2017 process timeline, please refer to page 7.

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Student placement planning in 2017 - Framework Page 7

Section 1: Key principles for Student placement planning in 2017

The framework is underpinned by six key principles, from which guidelines, process and standard operating procedures have been developed. These principles have been validated by stakeholders during the consultation and evaluation processes since 2011. The framework is supported by tools (including Placeright) for use by participants in Student placement planning in 2017. See Section 4 for further information.

1. Broad participation and inclusionAll education stakeholders, who provide courses requiring student placements for entry to practice to allied health, medicine, midwifery, nursing, paramedicine, community services, disability, individual support, health services assistance and mental health workforces in Victoria have an opportunity to participate in Student placement planning in 2017, subject to discipline/course specific scope and focus.

All organisations that are eligible for Workforce Network membership: Higher education, Registered Training and VET providers, interstate educational institutions that place students within Victoria, public and private health and human service organisations, aged care providers, mental health service providers, community health services, general practice, private providers and other student placement settings.

2. Transparency and opennessTo support effective communication, education providers and student placement providers will be asked to provide accurate information about placement demand, course placement requirements, availability, preferences and pre-existing arrangements, including commitments to place specific numbers of students each year (pre-commitments). Participants will use Placeright to share information and arrange placements and will be asked to upload information (including student placement terms and conditions) to ensure accurate reports can be generated. Participants will be asked to openly share information about their respective organisations, their available placements and requirements, pre-committed placements, student placement terms and conditions and course placement requirements at face-to-face planning meetings.

3. Consistent approachTo progress the development of a single system for student placement planning, and for the benefit of organisations that are members of multiple Workforce Networks, the framework will be replicable in all Workforce Networks across the state.

4. Collaboration and collegialityThe participants in Student placement planning in 2017 will work collaboratively to achieve positive outcomes for all participants, notwithstanding the role of participants to represent the needs of their respective organisations.

5. Facilitation not allocationStudent placement coordinators or their equivalents, from both education providers and student placement providers, will retain control and responsibility over placement planning, placement requests, offers and confirmations for their organisations. Student placement planning in 2017 will be facilitated by Workforce Network staff and the department, however, these parties will not bear any responsibility for allocating placements, advocating on behalf of organisations or representing particular organisations.

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6. Respect for existing relationshipsIt is recognised that a number of organisations have well-established and beneficial relationships with partners which include commitments to place specific numbers of students. Pre-commitments are placement bookings which exist prior to the commencement of formal planning activities. The details should be known by both parties (and discussed in Phase 1: Meetings), requested by education providers, offered by placement providers and confirmed by education providers using Placeright at the specified time (within Phase 2: Preparing for planning in Placeright), prior to the formal requesting process (Phase 3: Planning in Placeright) by education providers. Relationships, preferences and pre-commitments can be maintained and supported within the framework.

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Section 2: Guidelines for Student placement planning in 2017

Based on the key principles outlined in Section 1, the following guidelines have been developed.

1. Broad participation and inclusion In 2017, student placement stakeholders in Victoria are eligible to participate in facilitated student placement planning, subject to the following:

• Placements arranged according to the framework are for students enrolled in entry to practice courses leading to qualifications in health and human services settings. An entry to practice course is any program that enables graduates to apply directly for initial registration (where applicable) and/or initial employment within a profession/occupation. See examples in Section 6: Tables 1 and 2

• Participants will represent either education providers seeking student placements, or student placement providers with placements available in the coming academic year

• Participants will have sufficient authority to request, allocate and agree to placements on behalf of their organisations. Student placement coordinators (or equivalents) should attend the student placement planning meetings.

The scope of student placement planning activities will be expanded in time, subject to review and consultation.

Participants from all sectors are eligible to participate. This includes organisations in public, private, community, aged care, mental health and not-for-profit sectors.

2. Transparency and openness • Participants will provide relevant information pertaining to their student placement requirements when

they attend the student placement planning meetings. • Participants are also required to record relevant information about their organisation and placements

in Placeright. This will include education providers updating their placement demand information (post enrolment census) in the following academic year (see Section 5 Evaluation).

• To assist planning, participants will have access to availability reports via a real-time availability search, which should be reviewed by education providers prior to making requests.

3. Consistent approach • Participants will be engaged in the same process for student placement planning, irrespective of

organisation or geographic location.• Participants will be requested to provide information (as per Guideline 2) using standardised

templates and tools provided by the department. For participants, this will include Placeright.

4. Collaboration and collegiality • Participants will be responsible for clearly representing the needs of their respective organisations

(see Guideline 5).• Participants will work collaboratively with other participants, the Workforce Networks and the

department, including Workforce Network staff.• Participants will support efforts to assist other participants where possible, being mindful of others’

student placement needs.

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• In participating in student placement planning activities, participants undertake to achieve positive outcomes for all (where possible).

5. Facilitation not allocation• Student placement planning will be facilitated by representatives of the department including

Workforce Network Coordinators.• Representatives of the department including Workforce Network Coordinators and Information

Support Officers are not responsible for requesting or allocating placements, advocating on behalf of organisations or representing organisations during any phase of student placement planning.

• Student placement coordinators (or alternate staff) from student placement providers retain control over, and responsibility for, placement planning for their organisation (inclusive of the activities in Guideline 2).

• Student placement coordinators (or alternate staff) from education providers retain control over, and responsibility for, placement planning for their organisation (inclusive of the activities in Guideline 2).

• All participants are cognisant that, while every effort will be made to achieve positive outcomes for all, the department cannot guarantee that all participants will have their entire student placement requirements met.

• At the completion of Student placement planning in 2017, where additional student placements are required, these will be arranged directly between stakeholders, according to the policies and practices of the respective organisations.

6. Respect for existing relationships• Participants are encouraged to maintain existing relationships with their partners.• Participants who have pre-commitments or pre-committed placements, that is, firm commitments to

place specific numbers of students under pre-existing arrangements (including arrangements made with other parties as part of funding submissions) can uphold these commitments, and book them in Placeright (as per Key Principle 2).

• Participants are encouraged to develop new relationships to meet student placement needs (as per Key Principles 2 and 4).

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Section 3: Process for Student placement planning in 2017

Student placement planning in 2017 has three (3) phases in addition to preliminary and supplementary activities, and an evaluation (Refer to timeline on page 7). The phases for each discipline/course are shown at Table 2 below:

Table 2: Participant activities for Student placement planning in 2017Participants by course and discipline

Preliminary activities

Phase 1: Meetings

Phase 2: Preparing for planning in Placeright

Phase 3:Planning in Placeright

Supplementary activities Evaluation

Register to participate in Student placement planning in 2017

Attend student placement planning meeting(s)

Student placement providers and education providers enter/update organisation information in Placeright

Student placement providers and education providers Request/ Offer/ Confirm student placements in Placeright

Student placement providers and education providers make further student placement arrangements directly

Education providers update information for demand report (post enrolment census) in Placeright

Complete evaluation activities

Allied Health disciplines

Midwifery and Nursing

Paramedicine

Medicine *1 - - As required As required

CHC33015

CHC43115

CHC43315

CHC43515

CHC52015

CHC53315

CHC43015

HLT33015

HLT33115

HLT43015

Preliminary activities

RegistrationStakeholders will be invited to register to participate in Student placement planning in 2017 and will be asked to nominate the meetings they will attend.

Student placement coordinators (or equivalents) and administrators from education providers and student placement providers are suitable participants.

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Persons attending the meeting(s) must have sufficient authority to discuss the organisation’s student placement requirements (this will be the student placement coordinator or equivalent).

New Placeright usersAs part of the registration process, registrants whose organisations do not have access to Placeright will be contacted via email to nominate an individual to be set up as the ‘organisation administrator’. Placeright login details will be sent to the nominated organisation administrator via email from Placeright. This administrator can then grant access to additional Placeright users in their organisation.

Any additional users added to Placeright by the administrator will also receive login details via an email from Placeright. Upon entering Placeright for the first time, a user will be prompted to accept the Placeright terms and conditions.

Upon accessing Placeright for the first time, student placement providers should take the opportunity to consider their organisation set up and capacity, whilst education providers should consider their placement requirements. Workforce Network staff will assist participants with these activities as required.

Participants will be supported with initial Placeright setup and use by the Workforce Network Coordinators and the statewide team of Information Support Officers who will have a significant role in assisting participants to prepare for Student placement planning in 2017. Additionally, information and training resources designed to assist with using Placeright are available within Placeright.

Existing Placeright usersAs part of the registration process, registrants whose organisations have access to Placeright will be advised to contact their own organisation’s ‘organisation administrator for Placeright’ to arrange access.

All registrantsAll registrants will receive a participant kit with further information about their participation in Student placement planning in 2017, including the timeline, checklist and meeting schedules.

Phase 1: MeetingsThe Student placement planning in 2017 meetings will provide an opportunity for student placement providers and education providers to discuss their student placement requirements. Meeting attendance is encouraged for planning participants as the evaluation of Student placement planning in 2015 and 2016 showed that participants who attended a planning meeting reported higher satisfaction with student placement planning processes.1 2 Student placement coordinators (or equivalents) and administrators from education providers and student placement providers should register for planning. Persons registering to attend the meeting(s) must have sufficient authority to discuss the organisation’s student placement requirements (this will be the student placement coordinator or equivalent).

The purpose of the meetings is to facilitate education providers and student placement providers to work openly, transparently, collaboratively and collegially. These meetings will provide an opportunity for participants to network and to establish new relationships/partnerships, as well as to develop their existing relationships. The meetings will also enable participants to discuss items pertinent to student placements from their respective perspectives (as education or student placement providers). These items include curriculum overview, placement schedules, student placement learning needs, assessments, supervision, and placement suitability.

1 Ipsos, 2016, Clinical placement planning in 2015 Evaluation Final Report, Ipsos, Melbourne. 2 Ipsos, 2017, Clinical placement planning in 2016 Evaluation Final Report, Ipsos, Melbourne.

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Phase 2: Preparing for planning in Placeright Student placement providers will complete the following activities in Placeright during Phase 2:

• initial access and organisational structure set up• partnership set up• capacity planning• adding or updating agreement document information • uploading student placement terms and conditions and other relevant documentation to the Placeright

Document Library.

Education providers will complete the following activities in Placeright during Phase 2:

• initial access and organisational structure set up• partnership set up• adding or updating agreement document information • entering proposed enrolment and student placement requirements (by subject and study period).

These activities will enable participants to generate certain reports, which can be used for planning purposes or shared with partners (in the Placeright Document Library). After completing their organisation set up in Placeright, student placement providers can generate and share their organisational structure report with education provider partners in Placeright. Education providers can generate a demand report showing their student placement requirements in Placeright once enrolment and student placement requirements have been entered.

Education providers will be able to utilise the Availability Search for existing partners by discipline/course and placement type at the conclusion of Phase 2. This search will reflect the information entered into Placeright by student placement providers at the time the search is conducted. This search will assist education providers to ascertain whether there are available placements before making student placement requests and is intended to assist education providers to strategically make placement requests, and maximise their chances of receiving placement offers. The provision of this search function to participants supports the principle of openness and transparency.

Student placement providers should note that their education provider partners will be able to search for available placements in real time via the Availability Search function (as detailed above), which makes it vital for capacity and booking information to be kept up to date.

After the student placement planning meetings, participants will work together to ensure pre-committed placements are arranged. This will entail education providers specifically requesting only genuine pre-committed placements from partners, and confirming offers for these placements when received (Phase 2).

Where participants have pre-existing arrangements, that is, pre-committed placements, with their partners, the student placement planning meeting will provide an opportunity for the parties to discuss and confirm the same. To uphold the principles of openness and transparency, broad participation and inclusion, only genuine pre-committed placements should be subject to such discussion at the student placement planning meetings, and participants will be asked to refrain from making new requests, offers and confirmations. These activities will be completed in Phase 3: Planning in Placeright.

The student placement planning meetings will not replace any other planning activities within the framework, and will not be an opportunity to request, offer or confirm placements. They will therefore not replace the need for all participants to use Placeright for these activities. Guidelines for the Student placement planning in 2017 meetings are included in the Participant kit and outline the expectation of participants at these meetings.

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The Student placement planning in 2017 meetings will be facilitated by representatives of the department, including Workforce Network Coordinators.

Medicine participants are not required to use Placeright during the 2017 process.

Phase 3: Planning in Placeright During Phase 3, participants will use Placeright to plan their student placements. Education providers will verify their partnerships and then request student placements from those student placement providers with whom they have partnerships. Through Placeright, student placement providers will consider all requests and make placement offers to their partners. Education providers will then confirm (accept), decline or request changes to the offer. Once all modifications to the placements are confirmed, the planning cycle is completed.

As part of Student placement planning in 2017, there will be final dates by which each activity in Placeright must be completed. This is to ensure that education providers have the opportunity to review all of their placement offers, and thereby selectively confirm only those placements they intend to use. Participants are able to complete the request, offer and confirm cycle in Phase 3 in advance of the final date for each activity, at their discretion, as long as it is not before 25 September 2017.

Education providers are able to confirm offers before the due dates, and where they receive the desired offers from their preferred partners should do so. Where education providers make simultaneous duplicate requests to a number of student placement providers, and then receive an offer that they confirm from one of these student placement providers, unwanted offers from other student placement providers should be declined. To support the principles of transparency and openness and collaboration and collegiality, it is anticipated that this process will be undertaken expediently in order for availability to be adjusted accordingly and be as accurate as possible. This will assist student placement providers in managing their available placements.

Education providers will again be able to perform an Availability Search by discipline/course and placement type for their existing partners at the conclusion of Phase 3. This search will reflect the information entered into Placeright by student placement providers at the time the search is conducted. This search will assist education providers to ascertain where there are remaining available placements before making supplementary student placement requests. The provision of this search function to participants supports the principle of openness and transparency.

Medicine participants are not required to use Placeright during the 2017 process.

Supplementary activitiesAfter the three phases of Student placement planning in 2017 have been completed, any further student placements (which have not been arranged by the conclusion of Phase 3) will need to be arranged directly between stakeholders, according to the policies and practices of the respective organisations. Placeright can be used for supplementary and future student placement planning.

While every effort will be made to achieve positive outcomes for all participants during the planning activities, the department cannot guarantee that all participants will have their entire placement requirements met.

It is recognised that the success of Student placement planning in 2017 is reliant on the full participation of health and community services education stakeholders as outlined in the framework. Over time, it is anticipated that these student placement planning activities may become standard practice for arranging student placements and reduce the need for supplementary student placement planning activities. Irrespective of this, it is expected that health and community services education stakeholders will need to be flexible in managing unforeseen changes to student placement requests and availabilities, and contingency planning will continue to be necessary at an organisational level and within partnerships.

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Section 4: Tools

The Participant kit contains working documents to assist participants, including a timeline and checklist, process overview chart, meeting schedule and documents for the meetings (i.e. - Pre-commitments worksheet).

A range of complementary resources within Placeright will be available to support users. This includes a user guide and context sensitive help. Workforce Network staff will also be available to support participants.

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Section 5: Evaluation

Evaluation of Student placement planning in 2017 will be integral to the further development of student placement planning activities in Victoria and the development of Placeright. The evaluation will commence in late 2017. The evaluation will occur in two (2) stages:

• Stage 1: To evaluate student placement planning activities and Placeright. A survey will be distributed to all participants by the end of 2017.

• Stage 2: To identify the outputs and impacts of Student placement planning in 2017. This activity will occur in the 2018 academic year to consider the supply of and demand for student placements. As part of this work, education providers will be supported to update their student placement demand information in Placeright (post enrolment census).

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Section 6: Appendix

Table 1: Examples of courses and eligibility for inclusion in planning activities

Number Qualification (prior to study)

Registration status (if applicable prior to study)

Qualification (on completion of current study)

Registration (where applicable)/ professional entry status (post study)

Eligibility for student placement planning in 2017

1 No healthcare qualification

No registration HLT43015Cert IV in Allied Health Assistance

No registration Eligible (initial entry to practice in occupation)

2 No healthcare qualification

No registration Bachelor of Speech Pathology

Speech Pathologist

Eligible

3 Bachelor of Exercise & Sports Science

No registration Masters of Clinical Exercise Physiology

Exercise physiologist

Eligible (initial entry to discipline)

4 Bachelor of Psychology (Hons)

No registration Doctor of Psychology (Clinical psychology)

Psychologist Eligible (initial registration)

5 No healthcare qualification

No registration Bachelor of Psychological Science (Years 1-3)

Not psychologist at end of course

Not eligible (do not enter profession)

6 (See example 7 below)

No healthcare qualification

No registration Bachelor of Applied Science (Medical Radiation Years 1-3)

Provisional registration as a Medical Radiation Practitioner

Eligible (initial provisional registration and entry to discipline)

7 (See example 6 above)

Bachelor of Applied Science (Medical Radiation Years 1-3)

Provisional registration (This is required to complete internship)

Internship must be completed to be eligible for full registration

Full registration Medical Radiation Practitioner

Not eligible (This is an internship; already provisionally registered)

8 No healthcare qualification

No registration Bachelor of Paramedicine

Paramedic Eligible

9 Bachelor of Nursing

Registered Nurse

Bachelor of Paramedicine

Paramedic Eligible (initial entry to new discipline)

10 No healthcare qualification

No registration Diploma of Nursing

Enrolled Nurse Eligible

11 No healthcare qualification

No registration Bachelor of Nursing

Registered Nurse

Eligible

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Number Qualification (prior to study)

Registration status (if applicable prior to study)

Qualification (on completion of current study)

Registration (where applicable)/ professional entry status (post study)

Eligibility for student placement planning in 2017

12 No healthcare qualification

No registration Master of Nursing Science

Registered Nurse

Eligible

13 Certificate IV Enrolled Nurse Diploma of Nursing

Enrolled Nurse Not eligible (up skilling only)

14 Certificate IV or Diploma of Nursing

Enrolled Nurse Bachelor of Nursing

Registered Nurse

Eligible (changed registration status)

15 Overseas Registered Nurse

Not registered in Australia

IRON Registered Nurse

Eligible

16 No healthcare qualification

No registration Bachelor of Midwifery

Registered Midwife

Eligible

17 Bachelor of Nursing

Registered Nurse

Graduate Diploma of Midwifery* 3(placement model)

Registered Midwife

Eligible (initial registration in new discipline)

18 Bachelor of Nursing

Registered Nurse

Graduate Diploma of Midwifery (employed model)

Employed model

Not eligible (subject to organisation’s employment arrangements)

19 Bachelor of Nursing or Bachelor of Paramedicine

Registered Nurse or Employed Paramedic

Bachelor of Midwifery

Registered Midwife

Eligible (initial registration in new discipline)

20 No healthcare qualification

No registration CHC33015Cert III in Individual support (Ageing)

Unregulated worker

Eligible (initial entry to practice in occupation)

21 CHC33015Cert III in Individual support (Ageing)

Unregulated workerMay be working as a PCA/PCW

CHC43015 Certificate IV in Ageing Support

Unregulated worker

Not Eligible (upskilling only)

22 No healthcare qualification

No registration CHC43015 Certificate IV in Ageing Support

Unregulated worker

Eligible (initial entry to practice in occupation)

23 No healthcare qualification

No registration CHC43115 Certificate IV in Disability

Unregulated worker

Eligible (initial entry to practice in occupation)

3

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* While students undertaking an ‘employed model’ of clinical training in midwifery are completing a professional entry course, their

placements are subject to the organisation’s employment arrangements and do not need to be booked in Placeright.

Table 2: Examples of qualifications/courses requiring minimum work requirement hours as per CHC Community Services and HLT Health Training Packages release 2.0 at training.gov.au and eligibility for inclusion in planning activities

CHC33015 Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing)

CHC33015 Certificate III in Individual Support (Disability)

CHC33015 Certificate III in Individual Support (Home & Community)

CHC33015 Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing, Home & Community)

HLT33015 Certificate III in Allied Health Assistance

HLT33115 Certificate III in Health Services Assistance

CHC43015 Certificate IV in Ageing Support

HLT43015 Certificate IV in Allied Health Assistance

CHC43115 Certificate IV in Disability

CHC43315 Certificate IV in Mental Health

CHC43515 Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work

CHC52015 Diploma of Community Services

CHC53315 Diploma of Mental Health

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