• Offered for Year: 2024/25

• Module Leader(s): Ms Helen Raffell
• Lecturer: Dr Janet Webster
• Other Staff: Miss Lucinda Somersett

• Owning School: Education, Communication & Language Sci
• Teaching Location: Mixed Location

Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Aims

This module allows students to build on the knowledge and skills they developed in Clinical and Professional Education III. The module has the following aims:
1.       To enable students to understand the professional role and responsibilities of a speech and language therapist
2.       To provide clinical practice that will allow students to demonstrate professionalism and their adherence to the HCPC guidance on Guidance on Conduct and Ethics for Students.
3.       To provide clinical practice than will enable students to experience and understand the role of the speech and language therapist across a range of client groups and in a range of therapeutic contexts.
4.       To provide clinical practice that will allow students to implement, under supervision, a case-based management approach, applying theory of assessment and intervention to client management.
5.       To provide an opportunity to undertake a clinical based project involving a clinical audit, service evaluation or service development.


In relation to HCPC Standards of Proficiency, this module provides initial opportunities for students to demonstrate that they can practise safely and effectively within their scope of practice (1), practise within legal and ethical boundaries of their profession (2), look after health and wellbeing, seeking appropriate support where necessary (3), practise as an autonomous professional, exercising their own professional judgement (4), recognise the impact of culture, equality and diversity on practice and practise in a non-discriminatory and inclusive manner (5), understand the importance of and maintain confidentiality (6), communicate effectively (7), work appropriately with others (8), maintain records appropriately (9), be able to reflect and review practice (10), assure the quality of their practice (11), draw on appropriate knowledge and skills to inform practice (13), establish and maintain a safe practice environment (14). This requires an understanding of the issues as well as the need to demonstrate the skills. The specific standards included within the taught elements of this module are: 1.3, 2.4, 3.1-3.4, 5.7, 6.1, 6.2.

Within the final block placement, there is a focus on the transition from student speech and language therapist to newly qualified practitioner, with increased consideration of caseload management, prioritisation and service provision issues. There is a continued focus on developing reflective skills so that they are able to reflect on and review practice (10), with additional opportunities to reflect on multi-professional practice. The clinical practice within external placements allows students to work with a greater range of client groups in varied settings and to practise the skill-based competencies covered within the Standards; these are assessed within the clinical evaluation report (see mapping document) and include: 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.5-2.7, 2.9, 2.10, 4.1, 4.3, 4.4-4.7, 5.1, 6, 6.3, 7.1, 7.4-7.9, 8.1, 8.2, 8.4, 8.5, 8.10-8.12, 9.1-9.3, 10.1, 10.2, 11.1-11.5, 13.1-13.7, 13.12-13.14, 13.16, 13.17, 14.1-14.5.

Outline Of Syllabus

General clinical induction session
Semester 1 service quality improvement placement in which clinic based project carried out (1 full day on placement for 11 weeks with additional ½ day dedicated to project work)
Semester 1 drop in session to discuss projects
Semester 2 clinical viva tutorials
Semester 2 block placement (5 days for 6 weeks; this will typically involve one day each week dedicated to planning and preparation)


Within both clinical placements, there will be opportunities to:
1.       Review case history information and/or take a case history
2.       Plan & implement assessment
3.       Consider the implications of the communication impairment for the client within a holistic framework
4.       Consider ultimate, long-term & short-term goals for intervention
5.       Implement intervention – establishing rapport with clients, devising an intervention programme, developing materials, reviewing progress etc.
6.       Evaluate the impact of intervention, considering the effectiveness of intervention and the outcome for the client
7.       Write professional reports
8.       Reflect on and evaluate skills of self and others
9.       Consider the roles of other members of the multi-professional team and liaise/work alongside other professionals as appropriate to the placement
10.       Manage a small caseload, which may involve deciding on different assessment options, prioritising for assessment, prioritising intervention needs, managing the different assessment and intervention needs within a clinic schedule, working with the clients, justifying discharge criteria, etc.
11.       Manage a small caseload, which may involve deciding on different assessment options, prioritising for assessment, prioritising intervention needs, managing the different assessment and intervention needs within a clinic schedule, working with the clients, justifying discharge criteria, etc.
12.       Consider quality of practice at a client and service level


In relation to the RCSLT curriculum guidance, this module contributes to the mandatory placement hours (3.4.1). During the block placement, students may work with any of the client groups listed in section 4.3.2. This module contributes to the mandatory placement hours (3.4.1).
he Clinical and Professional Education modules focus on developing the knowledge and skills to meet the key graduate capabilities: advanced communication skills (4.2.1A), promoting inclusion and access (4.2.1B), health promotion (4.2.1C), interprofessional practice and team working (4.2.2A), working with service users, families and carers (4.2.2B), advocacy (4.2.2C), self development and self management (4.2.3A), professional commitment/clinical business skills (4.2.3B), developing others (4.2.3c), innovation and change (4.2.3D), use of the evidence base to support clinical reasoning and practice (4.2.4A) and service evaluation and development (4.2.4C). Students have the opportunity to develop their skills within a broad range of clinical settings and with a range of client groups. Students have an opportunity to participate in service evaluation, audit or service development project related to clinical practice.

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Total hours exceed those recommended for a 40 credit module due to the hours on placement. The placement hours contribute to the mandatory hours required in the RCSLT curriculum guidance.

An interactive induction session enable students to understand their professional role and the therapeutic contexts in which they are going to be working in. Students also receive placement-specific induction sessions provided by the placement provider. There are additional tutorials to support preparation for the unseen viva and written unseen examinations.

In clinical practice, students are required to demonstrate application of theory to clinical practice in assessment, intervention and evaluation of therapy. The semester 1 external placement allows students to engage in clinical practice and undertake a service development report set by the placement provider. The external block placement allows students to be embedded in clinical practice, with opportunities to work with a variety of clients in a range of therapeutic contexts. On placement, there are regular opportunities for students to reflect on their skills and knowledge and to receive feedback from the practice educators.

Whilst on placement, students have the opportunity to work directly with service users. Students also have opportunities to observe and to work alongside other professionals, as well as parents, family members and carers. There may also be opportunities for inter-professional learning, with students from other professions e.g. student teachers, students from other allied health professions.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Exams

Other Assessment

Zero Weighted Pass/Fail Assessments

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Clinical Evaluation Report is completed by the Practice Educator. It is a competency based report which assesses professional and statutory standards of proficiency.

Written Service provision report. 3000 words plus executive summary. This is a professional report where students write up their findings of the placement based audit or service evaluation project. In addition to the 3,000 words, students also provide an executive summary.

Clinical Unseen Viva: Within the viva, students have 35 minutes to observe a short video of a client and make notes. They then have a 30 minute oral viva with two examiners to discuss the client.

Written Unseen Exam: 2.5 hours. Within this exam, students watch a 30 minute video of a client and receive background information and assessment results. They review this information over the first 60 minutes of the exam. The student then writes a professional written report about the client for the remaining 1.5 hours of the exam.

The oral viva focuses on professional oral communication and the ability to explain intervention to a carer. The unseen written report focuses on the production of a written professional report. It allows the student to integrate observations with formal assessment results to produce a communication profile and intervention plan. Across the two unseens, students are assessed on both clients with developmental and acquired communication difficulties.

Assessment is spread equally across the semesters. The different credit weighting across semesters 1 and 2 reflects the different amount of placement hours, with semester 2 consisting of the six week block.

Reading Lists

• SPE4052's Reading List

Timetable

• Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
• SPE4052's Timetable