7.3.6 Student Placement |
POLICY STATEMENT
The Centre is committed to providing placements to students from a variety of backgrounds. It is vital that students receive learning opportunities of a high standard, which promote quality in their particular field.
Students enhance the work of the Centre by being encouraged to bring new ideas, question and challenge existing practice.
RELEVANT CHAPTERS
Contents
1. Children's Centre Aims
- To communicate to Colleges, Schools and Universities the Centre's expectations with regard to student placements and ascertain their expectations of the placement.
- To ensure that students are aware of and understand the policies and practice which relate to the Centre as a whole, in order to avoid difficulties for both the student and users of the Centre.
- To offer a range of quality learning experiences to all students.
- To ensure that the student feels supported and has the opportunity to discuss any worries or difficulties in confidence
- Where a report is required, it will be honest, fair and non-judgemental.
- To ensure that students are treated equally and without discrimination.
- To ensure the confidentiality of the people who use the Centre.
- In all cases the welfare of the children will take precedence over the needs of the student
2. Children's Centre Objectives
In order to achieve the aims the Centre will :-
Provide a student placement book, which will be kept in the secretary's office, and contain the names of students and tutors, contact numbers and dates of placement.
Liaise with Colleges, Universities and Schools prior to the placement. A written summary of what the student wishes to achieve and the college requirements will be requested. Students will be encouraged to visit the Centre prior to placement.
Provide an information file, which will be available to all students and contains;
- The aims of the Centre and Centre Policy
- Introduction
- Times of opening and closing
- Staffing list
- General information
- The role of the student
- Fire evacuation procedure
- Health & Safety guidelines
- Handling aggression
- List of policies
- Centre, nursery and family support leaflets
Provide an appropriate curriculum, which will be negotiated with the student by the person responsible for their placement, e.g.
- Teaching and work experience students - Nursery Teacher
- Social Work students - The designated Practice Teacher (SW) or Social Worker
- Others - The supervisor will be the person who manages the service in which the student is most often placed
Provide a designated student mentor, who will be available to all students and will ensure that opportunities are made for them to discuss any worries or difficulties. The student mentor will also have an introductory meeting to address any queries and pass on information.
Observe confidentiality - Students who are in short term placements and who are on work experience from school will not be included in discussions of a confidential nature. However if the placement is long term the student will be given information on a 'need to know ' basis.
Ensure that the needs of children are paramount and therefore students will not be admitted in numbers, which hinder the essential work of the Centre. Unless registered as a 'fit person', students will not have unrestricted access to any children.
Ensure that the student will be regarded as a member of the team and should observe all the principles, policies and practice of the Centre.
In the case of complaints either against or by the student, the following procedures should be followed:-
- Student and either practice supervisor or mentor discuss and try to reach a satisfactory outcome.
- If no satisfactory outcome can be achieved, the Head of Centre to be informed and discussion to take place.
- If no satisfactory outcome can be reached at this stage - tutor or teacher to be contacted and involved in a meeting or meetings and decisions taken about further action.
End