In all professional health care courses there are strict rules about the minimum number of hours of training in both practical and theory experience, in total and by speciality, which are laid down by the UK Statutory Bodies. This means that the University is required to keep records of students' attendance, on placement and in University to ensure that the correct numbers of hours have been completed. This is in order for the student to obtain registration in their chosen profession at the end of the course.
The procedures outlined in this Sickness/Absence Protocol apply to the whole of a student’s course.
Placement Setting Contact
Students must contact their placement setting at least three weeks prior to the start of their placement to introduce themselves. Prior to starting placement students must ensure they are fully aware of the dress code, start and end times of the working day and obtain details of the rota. Students who need to request a particular shift or day off should discuss this with placement staff at this point. Students should be aware that making a request does not mean it will be granted. In the event that students have child/family/caring commitments it is recommended that they contact their placement setting as soon as possible to ensure that sufficient time is available to put appropriate arrangements in place.
It is not possible for students to choose the days or times when they are on the duty rota. The Placement setting supervisor will decide when a student is on the duty rota. It may be possible to negotiate times and days, however this is only possible if the placement provider is able to accommodate the request.
Students should arrive at their placement in enough time to enable a shift handover.
Whilst Students are supernumerary there is an expectation that they will:
work the same shift pattern as the placement area to which they have been allocated including some weekends
work a variety of shift patterns e.g. early shifts, late shifts, days and nights
In addition Midwifery students will:
work 50% of the time with their Mentor.
Supernumerary Status
A students status on practice learning days (placement) is supernumerary i.e. students should not form part of the established staffing numbers for the placement area. In some rare instances students may be required to help out in unforeseen circumstances during placement/supernumerary time. When this occurs the supernumerary/placement time needs to be rescheduled in agreement with the placement area. A student’s supernumerary status will be discussed at every placement meeting with their academic assessor or at every Tripartite Review meeting for apprenticeships.
Students are expected to know their own limitations and always work within their clinical capabilities. There is also an expectation that students begin to work more autonomously as they reach Part 3 and head towards qualifying. In the event that a student feels that their overall learning experience has been compromised and that they have been used as part of the staffing establishment, they must contact the university immediately. Students can make contact;
with their personal tutor.
with their academic assessor (who may also be their personal tutor)
For students who are also employed by healthcare employers:
EU working time directive must be adhered to i.e no more than 48 hours in a week
Staff bank work should not be undertaken during supernumerary practice hours. Doing paid work during placement/supernumerary time may lead to Fitness to Practice disciplinary proceedings.
Attendance Recording
Students must record their time on placement and have this verified by their mentor. The completed time sheet must be submitted to the University. Failure to record time accurately or submit a completed time sheet will result in an unauthorised absence. Students will then be required to make the time up. The method of recording time on placement varies from course to course. The main methods are via the on line PARE system (Online PARE) or by completion of a paper based form.
Students are not permitted to work more than 12hrs, plus breaks.
Students are asked to inform the Practice Educator Facilitator (PEF) if they are being asked to work more than 12 hours, plus breaks, at any time.
Students are not permitted to undertake additional hours each week during their placement to make up any lost time.
Students should approach their Personal Tutor should they have any queries regarding additional hours.
Nursing and Midwifery students will be advised from the end of April if they have any time to make up (additional hours). This time will be undertaken during the August Re-coup/Reassessment period.
Diagnostic Radiography
Students are expected to work 100% of their clinical placement time. Any missed time due to sickness must be worked back as discussed with your course team and placement site.
The Medical Imaging Department recognises the following bank holidays: • New Year’s Day • Good Friday • Easter Monday • May Day • Spring bank Holiday • Summer bank holiday • Christmas Day • Boxing Day
If a student is rostered to be in clinical placement in a week which contains one of the above bank holidays, they are NOT expected to be in placement. They will not be credited any hours for this day, but the weekly hours for that week will be reduced by 7 hours. If a student opts to work a recognised bank holiday, in agreement with the placement provider, they may record the number of hours they work to the Pare system, and these hours will count to their total clinical placement hours.
It is anticipated that elective placements will honour this arrangement but this will need to be discussed with the placement provider.
If a student is placed in a non-English hospital, the same bank holidays are still honoured and no amendments are allowed for the provision of local bank holidays. A student rostered in placement during a Scottish/Isle of man bank holiday would be expected to work as per their usual rota, providing this is acceptable to the department and they have the appropriate clinical experience and supervision. If this is not appropriate, the student must work the missed hours at an alternative time. All attempts will be made to ensure the student is not at a disadvantage as to when the clinical hours are worked.
Students must complete at least 2300 practice hours and 2300 theory hours in order to qualifyStudents can complete a maximum of 48 hours per week (Monday-Sunday) towards the total hours for the course. This is the combined total of any theory, practice, educational requirements and recouped hours.
It is expected that students will only complete 48 hours as the exception rather than the rule. Students must ensure that they do not put themselves or their patients at risk by undertaking 48 hour weeks on a regular basis. The University will invite students to a student support session in the event that it is identified that a student is placing themselves at risk.
Theory Hours
During a ‘theory’ week students are automatically credited with a standard 37.5 hours, this is made up of the hours attended at University with the remainder made up from self-study. A register is kept of attendance at lectures and other theory sessions. Any hours of ‘theory’ that are missed by a student must be recouped. This is achieved by completing ‘Additional Theory’.
Theory hours can be recouped at any time during the course. Students are able to recoup a maximum of 10.5 theory hours per week. In order to record additional theory hours students are required to complete theAdditional Theory Form - Midwifery and have it authorised by their tutor.
Students can use a maximum of two weeks of annual leave per academic year to make up theory time if necessary.
Practice Hours (Placement)
During a ‘practice’ week students are credited with the number of hours they attend placement plus a standard 7.5 ‘theory’ hours. Breaks and lunch times are not included in the hours recorded. For every six-hour shift completed, a minimum mandatory 30minute break is required, which pare will deduct from the hours total for the day automatically. You must not alter the total hours for the day to add break time back in. The maximumhours that should be entered on theOnline PARE systemis 40.5 (40.5 hours undertaken on placement + 7.5 theory hours = maximum of 48 hours).
All hours on placement must be recorded via the Online PARE system.
Whilst attending placement students are able to include time in their total hours for undertaking ‘Educational Requirements’. Educational requirements are: attending home births, staying on for continuity of care with a labouring woman where delivery is imminent and during case load holding when required to be on call. These hours will be recorded on a student’s record, but will not count towards ‘practice’ hours unless a student subsequently misses any time on the placement due to illness
Examples of hours that can be completed weekly on practice (Placement)
During hospital placements, students will normally undertake 12 hour shifts. This results in shift patterns that require attendance of three 12 hour shifts in the first week and two 12 hour shifts in the subsequent week (or vice-versa).
These are given as an example of what could be recorded there are a large number of combinations of what could happen. In the event that a student needs clarification please contact the placement unit on plustudents@cumbria.ac.uk .
Week 1: 3 x 12 hour shifts = 36 hours + 7.5 hours theory = 43.5 hours in this instance up to a further 4.5 hours of ‘educational requirement’ time or theory can be undertaken. This will make a total of 48 hours (the maximum hours allowable)
Week 2: 2 x 12 hour shifts = 24 hours + 7.5 hours theory = 31.5 hours in this instance a up to a further 16.5 hours of ‘educational requirement’ time or theory can be undertaken. This will make a total of 48 hours (the maximum hours allowable).
Add your additional hours to your timesheets on pare (all usual rules apply) and make sure to get them signed. *To note the hours total for the week for practice must not go above 40.5 hours.
Whilst students are able to undertake additional placement hours relating to educational requirements or for recouping hours throughout the year during placement weeks, they are not permitted to attend placement in order to ‘bank’ hours to cover future absences. The University will check and notify students via e-mail of the hours that they need to recoup aroundthe beginning of Semester 3."
Students must not make up practice hours during annual leave.
Students are not required to record any theory hours (these are known as Flexible Study days or FSD) on the PARE timesheet.
Students are required to record their attendance or non-attendance on placement on the timesheet using the following codes:
A (Absent) – For any occurrence that you have that is not planned but not be- cause of your personal sickness. Examples here might be related to childcare, ad- verse weather, appointments that are not moveable, compassionate leave
DO (Day Off)
NS (Night shift)
P (Practice)
PL (Planned Leave) – relates to any annual leave
S (Sickness Absence)
What about University time during placement? How will this be captured?
When students have a day during a placement week where they are required to attend University, then this should be left blank. Attendance in University is captured through the Register system. Students undertaking a self-directed study day should also leave the day blank.
The Placement unit are aware of the dates for attending University and will capture these in a student’s record. This means that unless there are exceptional circumstances students should not change the directed study days to suit their preference, as this will result in complications on a student’s attendance record.
What if a student has days when they are in University what should the total hours in practice be for the week?
In weeks where there is one University related day the practice hours should be a total of 30 hours. In weeks where there are two University related days the practice hours should be a total of 22.5 hours.
Social Work Students
Social work placements are measured in days rather than hours. Students must undertake the required number of days based on a normal working day of 7 hours and 24 minutes. Where the student is unable to undertake full days due to personal issues, or the working hours of the placement causes a significant shortfall, then the student may be required to undertake additional days.
