Assessment of practice
Continuous assessment of practice
To fulfil the required assessment process a minimum of three formal interviews must take place during each practice placement. Completion of these interviews and the subsequent formation of an action plan must be completed with at least the mentor and student present.
Students
If at any time during the placement the student has any concerns regarding their continuous assessment of practice they must inform the Practice Learning Facilitator (PLF) and/or their academic supervisor (the group supervisor who is allocated for this module). This must be done as soon as any concern arises, and not left until the end of the placement or until the evaluation of practice. The student must inform the mentor that they have contacted one of the above persons.
Mentors
If at any time during the placement the mentor has any concerns regarding the student’s behaviour and/or the student’s ability to achieve the learning outcomes she/he must inform the PLF and/ the academic supervisor as soon as an issue arises. The mentor must make the student aware of any concerns, which should also be recorded in the student’s assessment document
Initial Interview
This must take place during the first week of the placement, and involves a discussion between the mentor and student about the following:
- special needs identified by the student prior to commencing the placement
- action plan from previous placement
- opportunities for achieving the learning outcomes
- learning experiences not under the direct supervision of the mentor
- orientation to the placement area
- dates for the two subsequent interviews (interim and final)
Interim Interview
This interview must take place midway through the placement and provides opportunity for discussion of the student’s progress and provision of appropriate guidance and feedback If the mentor has concerns about the student’s behaviour and or progress then this must be communicated to the PLF and or link teacher. Concerns must be discussed with the student, and recorded in the assessment document. This ideally should be in the presence of the PLF and/or link teacher, in order that a specific action plan can be devised, to support the student in achieving the learning outcomes.
Final Interview
This interview must take place before the student leaves the clinical area at the end of their placement. The student should attend this interview having self-assessed the achievement of the relevant learning outcomes. The student and the mentor discuss to what extent the learning outcomes have been achieved, in order that the mentor can verify the evidence presented by the student, and that this meets the required standard. The mentor’s decision as to the achievement of the learning outcomes is final. Should concerns have been raised at the interim interview or prior to the final interview then the PLF and or academic supervisor must be informed. It is good practice for one or both to attend the final interview. Any learning outcomes not achieved at the required level must be clearly identified and recorded in the document with the reason why.
If unsafe practice is identified within the CAP document, this will be investigated and if confirmed, may result in the CAP document being deemed a fail at the 1st or 2nd attempt as appropriate