Attendance and absence

You should attend all scheduled teaching sessions that we set for you, either in person or online, and use the student Check-In system, if required. Regular attendance is vital to your progression through your degree programme. If it looks like you're not engaging with your studies, we will reach out with guidance and support. 

University Regulations state that you should be present at any time at which teaching or other academic engagements have been arranged for your programme (including Saturdays).

Our Student Academic Engagement and Wellbeing Policy, sets out how we support you during your time at university to achieve your full academic potential. Our Student Academic Engagement and Wellbeing Procedure outlines what we do if we are concerned that you may need extra support.

Absence

If you are ill during teaching weeks, please notify the University via your e:Vision account (in the ‘Your Support’ section). You can self-report your illness for a maximum of ten days in any one academic year, with a maximum of seven days for any one period of illness.

An absence of more than seven days, but no longer than four weeks, can be approved by your Chair of the Departmental Education Committee. Any longer absence during a semester which will be counted towards completion of your degree programme requires the approval of Special Cases. See information on taking a Leave of Absence.

If you stop attending scheduled teaching sessions without saying you are withdrawing and do not respond to our efforts to make contact with you within a specified time-scale, the Departmental Education Committee will assume that you have withdrawn from your studies. 

PSRB attendance requirements

In accordance with the NMC Standards for Pre-registration Midwifery Programmes (NMC 2019) to complete the programme successfully you must complete a minimum of three years and 4600 hours. Failure to do so may affect your progression and award.

Mandatory training

Mandatory training is an essential aspect of your programme and is a mix of face to face sessions and online activity. 

Your attendance at face to face sessions and completion of online activity is compulsory. Registers are taken for face to face sessions and evidence is required for completion of online activity. Failure to attend face to face sessions or complete online mandatory activity will be followed up rigorously and will result in you being prohibited to attend practice placement. Please refer to the published assessment schedules for the final date that each requirement should be completed by. 

Mandatory sessions - Nursing

Content includes:

• Basic Life Support

• Moving & Handling

• Fire Safety

• Safeguarding Adults

• Conflict Resolution

• Preventing Radicalisation – Basic Prevent Awareness

• Equality, Diversity and Human Rights

• Infection Prevention and Control

• Data Security Awareness

• Safeguarding Children

• Health Safety & Welfare

• Breakaway (Year 1)

• Blood Transfusion (Year 2)

• First Aid (Year 3)

• Practice Supervisor Training (Year 3)

What if I cannot attend scheduled teaching or practice sessions? 

It is your responsibility to ensure you notify those detailed below if you are unable to attend the University or practice learning for any reason. This is a mandatory requirement if you are enrolled on a programme leading to professional registration. You are responsible for meeting learning outcomes for missed sessions. Lesson lecture notes are usually available on the VLE; alternatively you should discuss the missed session(s) with the module leader.

All absences must be reported to:

• Personal supervisor

• Student Services Team

• ATB/023a, Area 1 Seebohm Rowntree Building, University of York, York, YO10 5DD

• 01904 321321

• dohs-student-experience@york.ac.uk

When a full-time student advises the Department of Health Sciences of absence due to illness, or other reason, then the absence will be recorded for the full period – which means including private study time, not just attendance at timetabled taught sessions or practice.

Sick leave

All sickness or absence from theory or practice must be reported to Student Services at the details above, preferably before 9:30 am on the morning of your first day of sickness. If you are sick or absent from your practice placement, you must also call your placement to inform them as soon as possible. This should be done well in advance of the start of your placement shift.

For sickness lasting four to seven days, a self-certification form should be completed. The original certificate must also be sent to Student Services. If you are a sponsored student by your employer, the original certificate goes to Student Services, and you need to send a photocopy to your employer. From the eighth day of sickness, a doctor's certificate is required and should be sent to the appropriate office as mentioned above. If you become sick while on placement, you must also record this on your Placement Attendance Record located in the hours section of your electronic documentation (PebblePad).

You should inform your practice area and Student Services as soon as you are fit to return to placement, even if this falls on your day off.

Reporting absence from practice

If you are unable to attend your placement, you must notify the placement area and the Department’s Student Services team, preferably before the start of duty on the first day of absence. 

You should record your absence and the reason for it on your placement attendance record (Placements on the Web (POW)), guidance for which is in your PebblePad, on the practice hours page.  

If your absence was due to sickness, you should notify your placement as soon as you are fit to return to duty, even if you are not rostered to attend on that day. You should also inform Student Services that you are fit. Your attendance is monitored by the Student Services. In monitoring attendance and absence, the Department wishes to ensure that, during periods of difficulty, students access the support they need.

It is essential that you keep  placement areas informed of absence and your plans to return to placement, in a timely manner. Failure to do so could lead to a plan linked to the Special leave, compassionate leave and carer's leave

If you need special, compassionate or carer’s leave, you should request approval for absence from your personal supervisor. If you require additional or more protracted leave for the circumstances, you should contact your programme leader.

Illness & assessment

If your illness interferes with your studies, please see the Exceptional Circumstances section of the Handbook.

Adverse weather

On occasions severe weather conditions may have an impact on your practice and theory attendance. There may be weather warnings issued by the National Severe Weather Warning Service. In these circumstances all students are advised to check the University adverse weather website for advice on University closures and the local radio and television for up to date travel information.

Although University sites may be closed during adverse weather conditions, your placement is unlikely to be closed. However, please exercise extreme caution when travelling and only travel if you feel it is safe to do so. Should you be unable to travel then please notify your practice assessor/supervisor and make alternative arrangements. This might involve, for example, rearranging your shift for an alternative time when you are able to travel.

You are advised to stay in close contact with your Academic Assessor and Practice Assessor if you need to re-organise progress reviews, discuss making up hours or for any further advice or support.