What will I learn on this module?
Your final practice placement builds on placements A and B A alongside theory modules to consolidate your occupational therapy knowledge and skills. During this placement you will take a more active and increasingly independent role in delivering safe and effective occupational therapy as you progress towards becoming an autonomous practitioner.
You will apply learning from across your university modules, integrating theory with practice. With supervision, you will contribute to occupational therapy services, reflect on core values important to service users and carers, and explore how the environment can enable or inhibit participation.
We will continuously reflect on the core values of our programmes which have been co-produced with people with lived experience: we value the importance of intentional relationship building, we are curious about people, their contexts and their communities, and we work towards embracing aspirations for the future. You will continue to enact and reflect on these values within your professional practice, developing cultural awareness, collaborative working, and professional behaviours, while strengthening your organisational and decision-making skills. You’ll also continue to grow as a reflective, evidence-based practitioner, linking practice to theory from across all three years of study.
University sessions will support your learning before, during, and after placement, helping you manage workload, reflect on emotional responses, and develop strategies for maintaining your professional resilience.
As part of your inter-professional education, you will reflect on your own role within teams and organisations and think about your contribution to leadership and advocacy, keeping people at the centre of services.
At level 6, you will be skilled at using critical reflective skills to extend your knowledge in complex learning scenarios and will integrate this reflection into the Aptem system demonstrating you are meeting the KSBs required for your apprenticeship.
This module prepares you for professional registration and future employment, guided by the standards set by RCOT and HCPC. It also contributes 370 clinical hours to the required minimum1,000 hours of supervised practice required for HCPC registration. Some university-based learning may count toward your final placement hours.
How will I learn on this module?
This module has integrated components to teaching and learning:
• Small number of blended workshops to support preparation for practice placement
• 10 weeks of experiential learning in a professional area different to your current work environment working alongside qualified occupational therapists
• Specific small group training and online training in mandatory skills, e.g. Moving & Handling, Basic Life Support, Safeguarding.
There will be an online mid-placement workshop which is an opportunity for peer support during placement, to integrate theory with your practice experiences and to reflect on working together in teams.
You will have the opportunity to gather examples of activities and evidence of your learning, self-appraisal and reflection to record on the Aptem system. This aims to enhance your learning by taking you beyond the limits of the individual module, and helping foster lifelong learning, as reflection supports inquiry and integration of learning. You will also utilise transferable knowledge and skills from your day-to-day work setting into a new area of practice building your competence and confidence as a practitioner.
How will I be supported academically on this module?
You will be supported throughout the placement by your module tutor and academic staff, with key contact points before, during, and after your placement. University-based sessions will help you prepare for practice, reflect on your experiences, and plan for your ongoing development.
In practice, you will be guided by a qualified occupational therapist (your practice educator), who will support your learning through regular supervision and feedback. You will also be encouraged to learn from other professionals and team members within your placement setting to broaden your perspective and deepen your understanding. You will also be supported by your personal tutor who will carry out a tripartite formative meeting at the mid point of your placement, and your work-based coach will also support you through the PRM process.
Attendance at the mid-placement workshop provides opportunity for reflection, peer learning and support.
What will I be expected to read on this module?
All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)
What will I be expected to achieve?
Knowledge & Understanding:
1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of occupational engagement and performance, and the evolving role of occupational therapy within your practice context.
Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
2. Integrate and apply occupational therapy theories and professional principles to show advanced reasoning and decision-making throughout the therapeutic process.
3. Deliver safe, effective, and person-centred occupational therapy practice with increasing autonomy, meeting the required placement learning outcomes.
4. Critically evaluate and apply research evidence to inform and improve your practice.
Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
Demonstrate leadership in collaborative, ethical, and culturally
How will I be assessed?
Formative assessment:
Ongoing formative assessment of practice where strengths and areas for development are identified. This will be supported through regular supervision meetings between the student and the practice educator and will be summarised during a mid-point contact with an academic tutor.
Both weekly supervision and the mid-point contact will be summarised in writing and any additional action plans documented and added to the assessment documents as part of ongoing supervision records.
Summative assessment
Level 6 Practice Placement Learning Outcomes (ALL MLOs)
You will be assessed by your Practice Educator on a pass/fail basis in line with specified level 6 learning outcomes. You will receive written and verbal feedback on your strengths and areas for development from your Practice Educator.
In the event of a fail outcome, the OT-PAD will be completed in full, with final assessment summary detailing action plan for resit placement. Your personal tutor will support you to develop your action plan based on the feedback.
The summative assessment will promote achievement of all MLO’s.
Pre-requisite(s)
All level 4 and 5 OTDA modules
Module abstract
This final placement gives you the opportunity to consolidate your learning and take an active role in delivering occupation-focused practice in a real-world setting.
Over 10 weeks, you will work as part of a team in a specific area of practice, learning from and with service users, occupational therapists, and other health and social care professionals. You will be supported by a qualified occupational therapist (your practice educator), who will guide your learning through regular supervision, feedback, and assessment.
This module builds on your previous placements and university learning, helping you integrate theory with practice and demonstrate the learning outcomes expected at this stage of your professional development.
University sessions before, during, and after placement will help you prepare for practice, reflect on your experiences, and plan for your future as a registered occupational therapist.
