Fact Sheet
Clinical placement planning in 2016 – Fact Sheet1
Clinical placement planning
Clinical placement planning is a key activity which has been undertaken within the Workforce Networks (formerly Clinical Training Networks) since 2011. During a formal facilitated process clinical education stakeholders work together to develop and consolidate partnerships, share their clinical education requirements and plan clinical placements for the following year. The clinical placement planning activities are formally and independently evaluated each year.
Clinical placement planning is conducted according to a framework, which has been developed and reviewed in consultation with stakeholders.
The Clinical placement planning in 2016 framework is underpinned by six key principles, from which guidelines, a process and standard operating procedures have been derived. These key principles are:
•Broad participation and inclusion
•Transparency and openness
•Consistent approach
•Collaboration and collegiality
•Facilitation not allocation
•Respect for existing relationships
Disciplines included in Clinical placement planning
The following disciplines will be included in Clinical placement planning in 2016 for professional entry/entry to practice courses:
Allied Health Science disciplines:
•Audiology
•Biomedical Science
•Medical Laboratory Science (previously referred to as Medical Laboratory Science – Medical Laboratory Science)
•Nuclear Medicine (previously referred to as Medical Radiation Science – Nuclear Medicine)
•Optometry
•Orthoptics
•Pharmacy – Hospital Pharmacy
•Radiation Therapy (previously referred to as Medical Radiation Science – Radiation Therapy)
•Radiography (previously referred to as Medical Radiation Science – Diagnostic Imaging / Medical Imaging / Radiography)
Allied Health Therapy disciplines:
•Allied Health Assistance
•Dietetics
•Exercise Physiology
•Occupational Therapy
•Orthotics and Prosthetics
•Physiotherapy
•Podiatry
•Psychology
•Social Work
•Speech Pathology
Nursing and midwifery disciplines:
•Nursing – Enrolled
•Nursing – IRON
•Nursing – Registered
•Midwifery
Paramedicine
Medicine
Participating in Clinical placement planning
Clinical placement coordinators (or equivalents) and administrators from education providers and clinical placement providers who arrange clinical placements for professional entry courses for the disciplines listed above are suitable participants. All registrants will be asked to agree to the conditions of participating in the process, which are detailed on the registration form.
As part of the process, meetings will be conducted. Persons attending the meeting(s) must have sufficient authority to discuss the organisation’s clinical placement requirements (this will generally be the clinical placement coordinator or equivalent).
The Clinical placement planning process
Preliminary activities: from 4 April2016
Registration for participating and attending meetings: 4 April – 8 July 2016
Eligible persons are advised to register via the link on the website:
Allied Health Science disciplines and Paramedicine clinical placement providers and education providers should register to attend the statewide meeting for their discipline.
Allied Health Therapy disciplines, Midwifery, Nursing and Medicine clinical placement providers should register only in the Workforce Network in which they are physically located. Where an organisation has sites or facilities in different Workforce Networks, the clinical coordinators from each campus or site can register to participate in the Workforce Networkswhere the site/facility is located.
Allied Health Therapy disciplines, Midwifery, Nursing and Medicine education providers should register in whichever Workforce Networks they currently place or intend to place students, or in Workforce Networks where they will be seeking partnership.
After registering to participate in Clinical placement planning in 2016, registrants will be prompted to select the meetings they wish to attend. At the meetings participants will discuss precommitted placements, partnerships /relationships and share information about their respective organisations, their available placements and requirements, clinical placement terms and conditions and course clinical placement requirements. Only persons with sufficient authority to discuss the organisation’s clinical placement requirements should nominate to attend the meetings.
Although attendance at preparation meeting(s) is not a condition of participating in planning, it is strongly encouraged for clinical coordinators (or equivalent) but is not required for administrative staff.
Within 5 business days of registration a confirmation email and a Participant kit will be emailed.
Phase 1: Meetings: 21 July – 28 July 2016
For Allied Health Science disciplines and Paramedicine participants from all Workforce Networks, a statewide meeting will be held (in Melbourne):
Date / For allied health science disciplines and paramedicine / Location21 July 2016 / Statewide meeting: all Workforce Networks / Melbourne
For Allied Health Therapy disciplines, Midwifery and Nursing participants, meetings will be held at the following locations within each Workforce Network:
Date / For allied health therapy disciplines, midwifery and nursing / Location21 July 2016 / NorthWest Metropolitan and SouthEast Metropolitan Workforce Networks / Melbourne
22 July 2016 / Gippsland Workforce Network / Traralgon
25 July 2016 / Barwon-South Western Workforce Network / Geelong
26 July 2016 / Grampians Workforce Network / Ballarat
27 July 2016 / Loddon Mallee Workforce Network / Bendigo
28 July 2016 / Hume Workforce Network / Wangaratta
Further details about venues and times will be provided directly to registrants via email.
Subject to registrations, meetings for medicine participants will be scheduled as required.
Phase 2: Preparing for planning in viCPlace: 1 August – 9 September 2016
viCPlace will be used by participants of planning with access provided to new organisations by the commencement of Phase 2.
Participants can set up viCPlace for their organisation in this phase, as well as go through the request, offer and confirm cycle for precommitted placements (ie those placements for which arrangements existed prior to the commencement of the planning process).
Phase 3: Planning in viCPlace: 12 September – 28 October 2016
Participants will request, offer and confirm placementsfor 2017 using viCPlace.
viCPlace
Participants from organisations using viCPlace for the first time will be requested to chooseone person from their organisation to be the ‘viCPlace organisation administrator’.
Participants from organisations with existing viCPlace access will be emailed further information by the department.
For more information about viCPlace see page 6.
Supplementary activities: from 31 October 2016
Participants will continue to manage their partnerships and placements using viCPlace.
A formal evaluation survey will be distributed to participants during supplementary activities.
In April 2017 (post enrolment census) education providers will update their demand data in viCPlace.
Related departmental initiatives
viCPlace
viCPlace is a secure, web-based information system that helps Victorian clinical placement providers plan and administer clinical placements with partner education providers.
Public health services will report 2017 professional-entry clinical placement activity via viCPlace to inform the allocation of Training and Development Grant: professional-entry student placement subsidy (see Training and Development Grant: professional-entry student placement subsidy information below).
Training and Development Grant: professional-entry student placement subsidy 2015-16
Information on funding for professional entry placement activity for eligible public health services and disciplines is accessible at:
Standardised Schedule of Fees for Clinical Placement of Students in Victorian Public Health Services(the Schedule)
Please note, the Schedule is currently under review and an updated document will be available at the below link prior to the Clinical placement planning in 2016 meetings in July 2016.
More information will be provided at the meetings.
Best Practice Clinical Learning Environments (BPLCE)and Resources
The BPCLE Framework is a guide for health services, in partnership with education providers, to coordinate and deliver high-quality clinical placements for health learners. Resources are provided to assist organisations to implement the framework.
For more information about BPCLE:
Standardised Student Induction Protocol (SSIP)
The Standardised Student Induction Protocol provides education and placement providers with a more efficient and standardised approach to student induction to healthcare settings across Victoria. The SSIP may also assist new education or clinical placement providers to establish student induction procedures.The SSIP will be available at:
Student Placement Agreement (SPA)
The Student Placement Agreement provides an outline of standardised terms and conditions under which students of education providers are placed at clinical placement providers to obtain clinical education. The SPA will be available at:
More information
For more information about clinical placement planning:
To receive this publication in an accessible formatAuthorised and published by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne.
© State of Victoria, Department of Health and Human ServicesMarch 2016.
Clinical placement planning in 2016 – Fact Sheet1