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Supporting pre-registration learners

Supporting pre-registration learners (students and apprentices)

The Education and Learning Team is here to help all those involved in the education of our future occupational therapists. We work with students and apprentices (learners), practice educators, university programme teams and many other people in roles which support the education of our future occupational therapy workforce.

The team is led by Carolyn Hay, an occupational therapist and educator. Our quality and accreditation team support the programme teams in meeting and continuing to meet the Learning and development standards for pre-registration education (RCOT 2019) and we work closely with the professional development team.
RCOT Carolyn Hay

Carolyn Hay, Head of Education

Introduction

There are over 7000 pre-registration learners studying across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. About 3500 new learners begin their studies each year.
We are committed to ensuring our future occupational therapists have a positive introduction to the profession and those involved in both their university and practice-based learning feel supported to be the best they can be.

This page has a range of resources to support many aspects of pre-registration education. Expand your screen to the right-hand side to find links to key resources. Click on the headings below to find out more about each of the topics and associated resources. We regularly add new resources.

Send us your feedback here.

Accreditation of pre-registration programmes

Our Learning and development standards for pre-registration education describe the profession’s expectations that education providers must meet when delivering an occupational therapy pre-registration programme in the UK. RCOT manages an Accreditation Process, using these Standards to assess occupational therapy pre-registration programmes and ensure quality in their design and delivery.

The World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) is a federation of occupational therapy organisations recognised by the United Nations, with official standing with the World Health Organization.

WFOT sets the minimum standards for occupational therapy practice internationally. As an organisational member of WFOT, RCOT holds the delegated authority to confer WFOT approval. This ensures that graduates of an RCOT accredited pre-registration programme hold a qualification recognised in most WFOT member countries.

Therefore, RCOT’s Accreditation Process ensures that UK occupational therapy pre-registration programmes:

  • meet the education standards set by the profession;
  • meet the education standards set by the international community;
  • are responsive to current and predicted local, national and global issues which may affect the profession;
  • produce graduates who are fit for academic award, practice, purpose and the profession;
  • produce graduates who hold a qualification recognised in any WFOT member country.

The team supporting your accreditation and ongoing quality assurance are Clair Parkin, Caroline Grant, and Anna Pratt. They can be contacted at qa@rcot.co.uk.

Find out more about our accreditation and quality processes.

 

Principles of practice-based learning

We worked with the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy to develop a set of placement principles and launched these in October 2022. We have now co-badged these with eight other professional bodies to produce an updated version. We have renamed these the ‘AHP principles of practice-based learning’ to show our collaboration as a group of AHPs.

These principles support the development of quality, sustainable placement opportunities for pre-registration occupational therapy and AHP learners. We want to make it easier for everyone involved in practice-based learning to come together and create placements that work for all.

 

Download Principles of Practice-based learning: working together to develop our future workforce.

The seven principles of practice-based learning are:

Principle 1

Practice-based learning opportunities are co-produced

Principle 2

Practice-based learning takes place across all areas, pillars and levels of practice

Principle 3

Practice-based learning environments must be inclusive and welcoming to all

Principle 4

Practice-based learning uses flexible, appropriate and supportive models of supervision and delivery

Principle 5

Practice-based learning is designed with a whole team approach

Principle 6

All those involved in practice education are valued, respected and recognised within their roles

Principle 7

Practice-based learning is evaluated; capturing data to drive improvement and demonstrate impact

 

Watch the Autumn 2022 launch webinar below to learn more about why we have developed these principles, the evidence that supports them, and how you can consider their integration to further enhance and broaden your placement offers. We’ll share the Autumn 2023 webinar soon.

 

Download this overarching document detailing each of the principles
Access the reflective template online

Visit our news section to find out more about our collaboration:

We want to integrate the principles into all our placement related resources. In time, our resources will identify which placement principles they are related to and refer to relevant elements of the Career Development Framework (2021) and the Learning and development standards for pre-registration education (2019).

About Placement Café

At the Placement Cafe, we’re bringing together people who support placements for pre-registration learners. It's an opportunity to network and discuss ways of creating quality, sustainable opportunities. The café will be held on Teams on a monthly basis, with a new theme each month.

Our aim is to provide a space for practice educators and those involved in supporting OT placements, allowing you to:
•    meet with peers
•    share your good practice
•    problem-solve your challenges
•    bring your innovative ideas to life.
 
*The café is open for both RCOT members and non-members involved in the delivery of placements. Currently, we don’t host a café for learners (students and apprentices).

Banner reading Placement Cafe with two people at a table drinking tea

How to join the cafe

Placement Cafe details can be found on our new page.

Webinar series sharing good practice

Our webinars were facilitated by Kalimah Ibrahiim an Occupational Therapy lecturer at the University of East London, and Chair of RCOT England Board. In the final webinar of the series, we held a panel discussion exploring some of the myths around supporting placements.

Carolyn Hay, Head of Education, RCOT and Tamsin Baird, Education Adviser at CSP, spoke on the new Principles of practice-based learning: working together to develop our future workforce, a set of principles developed by the CSP and RCOT that can be applied by everyone. View the recording.

RCOT and CSP created the Principles of practice-based learning with a shared goal to support the development of quality, sustainable placements for our future workforce. Placements that are designed, developed and evaluated across practice, universities and learners (students and apprentices) to enable them to work better for all.

Webinar 1 – Innovation in placement creation, 2 November 2022

Principles of practice-based learning considered 

1.   Practice-based learning opportunities are co-produced 

4.   Practice-based learning uses flexible, appropriate and supportive models of supervision and   
      delivery 

7.   Practice-based learning is evaluated; capturing data to drive improvement and demonstrate  
      impact 

00:03:00 From innovative emergency response to sustainability.  The Peer Enhanced e-Placement (PEEP) model. 

Professor Lisa Taylor, Professor in Employability and Learning Innovation, University of East Anglia  

00:25:13 Occupational therapy placement in public health. 

Cate Bennett, Principal Occupational Therapist, Nottinghamshire County Council 

Teresa Rushton, Occupational Therapy Practice Placment Coordinator, University of Derby 

00:47:40 Student-led Clinical Learning Environment (SLCLE) clinical placement expansion project. Using a coaching approach to facilitate multidisciplinary student learning to enhance students’ confidence and skills. 

Elizabeth Julian, Therapies Placement Manager 

Sharon Marshall, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust 

01:04:04 Questions, reflections and feedback 

Please do provide feedback on this session via https://forms.office.com/r/Sa3NneATZz  

Webinar 2 – Practice-based learning as a CPD opportunity, 7 November 2022

Principles of practice-based learning considered 

2.   Practice-based learning takes place across all areas, pillars and levels of practice 

4.   Practice-based learning uses flexible, appropriate and supportive models of supervision and  delivery 

5.   Practice-based learning is designed with a whole team approach 

00:02:57     A team-based approach to practice-based learning whilst providing CPD opportunities. 

Elma McAvoy, Occupational Therapy Practice Education Coordinator, Southern Health and Social Care Trust 

00:25:12    Practice-based learning as a CPD opportunity – Long-arm supervision. 

Claire Hedley, OT Practice Education Lead, NHS Education Scotland 

00:39:10    Pre-registration education: a CPD opportunity for you! 

Carolyn Hay, Pre-registration Education Manager, RCOT 

01:26:00    Questions, reflections and feedback 

Please do provide feedback on this session via https://forms.office.com/r/Sa3NneATZz

Webinar 3 – Practice-based learning – your legacy: inspiring stories fro inspired learners, 14 November 2022

Principles of practice-based learning considered 

1.   Practice-based learning opportunities are co-produced 

4.   Practice-based learning uses flexible, appropriate and supportive models of supervision and delivery 

00:02:26    Practice-based Learning – our legacy. 

Claire Hedley, OT Practice Education Lead, NHS Education Scotland 

00:19:48    Practice-based learning – your legacy: inspiring stories from inspired learners. 

Laura Ingham – R&D Lead, Occupational Therapy  & Lead Practice Education Coordinator, Occupational Therapy Service, SBUHB 

Dion Sutton – Occupational Therapist, Former Pre-registration student, School of Healthcare Sciences, Cardiff University 

00:50:49    Questions, reflections and feedback 

Webinar 4 – Broadening practice-based learning opportunities, 21 November 2022

Principles of practice-based learning considered 

2.   Practice-based learning takes place across all areas, pillars and levels of practice 

4.   Practice-based learning uses flexible, appropriate and supportive models of supervision and delivery 

5.   Practice-based learning is designed with a whole team approach 

00:03:12    Delivering a non-traditional placement with housing partners. 

Helen Brown & Fran Mills, University of Derby 

Jenny Watson & Jane Hadson, Derby Homes 

00:25:13    A leap into the unknown: delivery of a personalised care improvement project. 

Amanda Sangster, NHS England Personalised Care Delivery Partner 

Paige Yarwood, Occupational Therapist TEWV NHS Foundation Trust 

Torie Rennie, Occupational Therapist  

00:53:08    Broadening practice-based learning opportunities.  Everyone needs a PAL! 

Anita Volkert, Lecturer in Occupational Therapy / AHP Practice Placement Lead 

Katrina Bannigan, Head of Department and Professor of Occupational Therapy 

01:04:04    Questions, reflections and feedback 

Please do provide feedback on this session via https://forms.office.com/r/Sa3NneATZz  

Webinar 5 – Exclusion, prejudice & discrimination supporting EDB in a placement environment, 30 November 2022

Principles of practice-based learning considered 

2.   Practice-based learning takes place across all areas, pillars and levels of practice 

7.   Practice-based learning is evaluated; capturing data to drive improvement and demonstrate  
      impact 

00:02:35    Learning from equality, diversity and inclusion incidents 

Simone Welch, Specialist Senior Occupational Therapists, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust 

00:19:33    Bridging the gap to leadership: working collaboratively with students and external partners to tackle racial inequalities in practice learning. 

Dr Channine Clarke, Head of Practice Learning and Development, University of Brighton 

Marie Ruel, Bartolomeu Cunha, Occupational Therapy Students, Canterbury Christ Church University  

00:45:03    Developing resources for just, equitable and inclusive practice placements: a fireside chat with OT@Brunel 

Sheherazad Kapadia, Sydney Lai, Winnie Chan, Carolyn Connage, Jou Yin Teoh, Brunel University  

01:02:39    Questions, reflections and feedback 

Please do provide feedback on this session via https://forms.office.com/r/Sa3NneATZz

Webinar 6 – Panel discussion: demystifying practice-based learning, 7 December 2022

Principles of practice-based learning considered 

1.   Practice-based learning opportunities are co-produced 

2.   Practice-based learning takes place across all areas, pillars and levels of practice 

3.   Practice-based learning environments must be inclusive and welcoming to all 

4.   Practice-based learning uses flexible, appropriate and supportive models of supervision and delivery 

5.   Practice-based learning is designed with a whole team approach 

6.   The practice education team are valued, respected and recognised within their roles 

7.   Practice-based learning is evaluated; capturing data to drive improvement and demonstrate impact 

00:03:00    From innovative emergency response to sustainability.  The Peer Enhanced e-Placement (PEEP) model. 

Professor Lisa Taylor, Professor in Employability and Learning Innovation, University of East Anglia  

00:25:13    Occupational therapy placement in public health. 

Cate Bennett, Principal Occupational Therapist, Nottinghamshire County Council 

Teresa Rushton, Occupational Therapy Practice Placment Coordinator, University of Derby 

00:47:40    Student-led Clinical Learning Environment (SLCLE) clinical placement expansion project. Using a coaching approach to facilitate multidisciplinary student learning to enhance students’ confidence and skills. 

Elizabeth Julian, Therapies Placement Manager 

Sharon Marshall, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust 

01:04:04    Questions, reflections and feedback 

Please do provide feedback on this session via https://forms.office.com/r/Sa3NneATZz  

Resources for educators and learners

Access resources to support practice educators and those involved in placements. 

Resources to support learners (students and apprentices)