Paperwork and policies

UoE Physiotherapy Practice Education Handbook 25-26

Your one-stop shop for all things Physiotherapy placements at Essex.  

ePAD

As stated above, placement documentation has now moved online.  This is in the form of an ePAD, which houses all of the documentation students, educators, and the placement team need whilst on placement. 

For students: To access the ePAD, follow this link and select 'single sign-on'.  Then log in with your usual UoE account username and password.  

For educators: Your student will "invite" you to link up to their ePAD in the first few days of placement.  They will do this by inputting your email into their ePAD, which will send you an email to confirm you would like to work with them on their ePAD.  Once all is confirmed, you will be able to see the student's ePAD and collaborate on this throughout their placement.

If you need support with the ePAD, please click this link.  If you don't find this guidance helpful, you can access help via the ePAD helpdesk at epadhelp@essex.ac.uk. 

Physiotherapy student assessment documentation

The Common Placement Assessment Form (CPAF) provides a standardised way to assess all physiotherapy learners out on placement in all practice settings, no matter which university they attend.  For guidance on the Common Placement Assessment Form (CPAF), please click here or see the resources below.

BSc students complete two level 5 and three level 6 placements. 

MSc students complete two level 5 and three level 6 placements.

BSc Apprentices complete two level 5 and 2 level 6 placements.

PDF's of both assessment documents are below for ease, but please remember that these are now housed within the ePAD to be completed electronically.

In Danger of Failure

We operate a specific process for raising and managing concerns about students’ attainment during practice education.  It must be adhered to at all times so we can best support you and the student involved.

If you have concerns about a learner's performance at any stage of a placement, please contact the practice education lead immediately on 07785286371.

Do not email, ring another number, or contact a visiting tutor. Doing anything other than this will compromise our ability to respond, put in place additional support the student may need, or for the student to fail the placement. 

Fitness to Practice

All University students are required to comply with University conduct regulations.
Additionally, Physiotherapy students have additional responsibilities placed upon them regarding not only their conduct but also their professional suitability, as outlined in the relevant HCPC and CSP codes of practice.
Anyone (practice educators, members of the public, academic staff, etc) who perceives a student not to be meeting these responsibilities can invoke a lead Fitness to Practise Procedure. 

Further information can be found here.

Contact the practice education lead on 07785286371 if you have any questions or concerns in this regards, who can support you with this process.

Professional Clinical Appearance Code of Practice

Healthcare students at the University of Essex have a responsibility to present themselves in a professional manner that mirrors national and local policy on clinical uniform and workwear. This responsibility is also set out in relevant professional and statutory regulatory bodies codes of practice and professional standards. As the University has a duty to prepare students for qualified practice, and enable them to move seamlessly into employment, we aim to facilitate the development of this professional attitude and compliance with relevant codes of practice throughout their time with us.

The University’s Placement Learning Whistleblowing procedure applies to all students
registered on schemes involving professional practice placements, including health, social
work and education. The procedure supplements the University’s general Whistleblowing
Policy. It relates to incidents occurring when on placement which contravene relevant
professional codes of practice, whether or not they are directly related to the educational
process and whether they involve a colleague or an employer. 

Placement reflections

Following each placement students produce a reflection on an aspect of their placement experience. This is shared with their university tutor for formative feedback, with the aim of supporting the students reflective thinking and writing skills. 

A template is provided below to record these reflections. 

BSc students must use this template.

For MSc students the template is optional. 

Skills Journal

Throughout placements, students must compile a log of their evolving skills. 

Each skill is to be recorded using the template on your ePAD.  This can be countersigned by a competent member of staff e.g. your educator or a member of the MDT supervising you. 

The log should be signed once the student has demonstrated application of the skills safely and within the appropriate context. It is NOT a competence log. Therefore students do not have to demonstrate the skills multiple times before signing.