Preparing Community Health Services to Participate in Student Placements 

Proactive Planning

Community Health Services (CHS) are approached regularly, often on a weekly basis to accept students on placement. It is important for agencies to have a clear understanding of their capacity to participate in student placement activities and to consider the role that students could have within the organisation.

Teams and discipline areas need to consider the types of student placement they are able to effectively support. If an organisation is proactive and clear about what it can offer a student on placement and is able to present projects and specific activities, it is able to have projects undertaken that contribute positively to its overall operations.  With regular planning and review CHS are prepared to undertake student placements and are in a position to approach teaching institutions and inform them of placement opportunities. 

Strategic considerations for Community Health Services

Student placements need to be planned and built into the strategic framework and directions of the organisation. It should be seen as an integral part of the organisations operation by senior management and staff.

Organisations need to consider:

• The role of education and the value of nurturing an organisational culture of learning
• What disciplines the organisation can support students on placement
• It's capacity to provide appropriate supervision for students
• Potential risks associated with student placements

Discipline/programme teams need to consider:

• Regular review of current service and programme areas to identify possible opportunities to involve students
• What types of projects and placements would be suitable for students
• What the team can offer a student on placement
• What contribution a student could make to the team
• Potential benefits to the organisation and clients
  

Requests for student placement from teaching institutions

Having one entry point for student placement requests within an organisation assists coordination and management of placements. This could be either:

• A designated person or role within the organisation
• Within the Human Resources team of the agency

Accepting a student placement

Following discussion with relevant Programme/Discipline Manager, the decision to take on a student should take into account:

• Appropriateness of placement
• Availability of a suitable supervisor
• The workload of staff involved with the placement
• Adequate physical space, resources and facilities to accommodate students