Practice-based learning (placements) in leadership will enhance your leadership skills which is essential for your patient care and your future career. 

What does a leadership placement involve?

 Your leadership placement may be in a non-clinical setting and you will be developing your leadership qualities such as problem-solving skills, effective communication, organisational skills, and collaborative and independent working skills - all essential attributes for your future career as a health professional.  It is often a hybrid model so may involve face-to-face and/or virtual working depending on the setting and will usually be working with a small group of other students. 

Your placement will usually involve the following:

• Developing a project idea 

• Project scoping

• Managing and completing a project: this may include service improvements, evaluations, audits and designing resources

• Attending leadership meetings with other professionals; you will observe and learn from observing leadership qualities in others

• Peer support with other students

• Working collaboratively

• Working independently

• Completing leadership training

HEE Leadership Placement Guide

This document by Health Education England is a comprehensive guide to leadership placements. It includes information on what to expect on a leadership placement and top tips before you start and during your placement.  

Guide to Practice-Based Learning (PBL) for Allied Health Professional (AHP) Students in Leadership (hee.nhs.uk)  

More information

Please watch the South Yorkshire ICB AHP faculty conference on Leadership placements and/or AHP Practice CoP conference on Leadership Placements. 

https://youtu.be/XB2XbvkL6MA?feature=shared or https://youtu.be/cM4Eo-RMd0I?feature=shared 

What is research? 

Systematic investigations that produce useful knowledge to answer important questions. Research underpins practice, and evidence-based medicine is the bedrock of clinical practice. Allied Health Professions (AHPs) are integral to leading, implementing and engaging with research across health and social care to improve the lives of the individuals they work with.

What does a research placement involve?

 During this placement you may be involved in more than one study and be involved with any part of the research process or a study. This may include any of the following: 

• Contributing to the design of a study: supporting the development of research questions or study design

• Writing a literature review

• Identifying or applying for funding for a research project

• Preparing ethics proposals

• Data collection: you may be involved in collecting clinical data, planning and organsing participants, running focus groups

• Data analysis: this may be quantitative or qualitative analysis

• Interpreting the data and drawing conclusions

• You may be involved in writing up a study

• You may be asked to do some training; this may include Good Clinical Practice Training  and/or  the Data Security Awareness Course

HEE Guide to Practice-Based Learning for Allied Health Professional (AHP) Students in Research

This guide includes background, introduction, definitions, tips and benefits of research placements. 

Read this before you start a research placement as it will help you prepare. 

Guide to Practice-Based Learning for Allied Health Professional (AHP) Students in Research (hee.nhs.uk) 

For more information

Please watch this webinar on AHP research placements, led by SHU Physiotherapy Students on a leadership placement.    https://youtu.be/7Zi1A6JEPrA?feature=shared 

Education is critical to service delivery and quality improvement. 

The desire to expand practice-based learning opportunities in educational settings and to find new solutions will aid us in providing safe and effective healthcare. This will necessitate new positions and opportunities, as well as novel ways of working. Practice-based learning must adapt to meet these requirements, and AHP learners are encouraged to participate in practice-based learning that goes beyond clinical work and covers a broader range of AHP practice. Education is a key skill for all health professionals. 

Why include Education in Practice Based Learning? 

In education, practice-based learning refers to learning settings and placement designs in which AHP learners can build the skills needed to facilitate effective teaching and learning. 

This could be for the purpose of gaining the knowledge and skills needed to teach other health care practitioners, either in a classroom (university) or in a clinical environment. It may also entail gaining the information and abilities needed to teach patients/service users, whether adults or children, as well as the ability to work with people who have special educational needs. It will also cover the acquisition of the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed as an independent learner.

HEE Guide to Practice Learning in Education

This guide from Health Education England will give you details about education placements, what to expect and top tips to help you prepare for your placement.  

AHP - Website Content - Guide to Practice Based Learning for Allied Health Professional (AHP) Students in Education .pdf - All Documents (sharepoint.com)  

More information 

A short presentation detailing what an Education Placement is for AHP students. The presentation was by Physiotherapy Students who were on a Leadership Placement at Sheffield Hallam University 

https://youtu.be/yenRQLXeGJw?feature=shared