Placement Guidelines for Supervisors

HPS328- Transitioning to Work

Placement Guidelines for Supervisors

Trimester 2 2016

Dear Placement Supervisor

Thank you for your willingness to consider supporting a Deakin student for a work placement of a minimum of 140 hours. The third year unit, Transitioning to Work, is primarily a work placement unit. The aim of the unit is to provide students with experience of a workplace related to their studies in psychology. It is intended that by engaging students in meaningful work at an appropriate level in such a workplace they will obtain a realistic view of potential career options available to psychology graduates. The unit learning outcomes of the unit are as follows:

Students will be able to:

ULO1.Integrate their experiences from their placement and discipline studies to provide oral examples of graduate learning outcomes in an interview setting.

ULO2.Critically evaluate their experiences during placement to improve on their areas for development and evaluate their career aspirations following their degree.

ULO3. Conduct themselves professionally in a workplace that directly benefits their career path within broader psychology related industries, and demonstratecompetence in key employment related skills including the capacity to work both collaboratively and independently, reliably, responsibly and safely.

ULO4. Apply and integrate relevant psychological knowledge and skills within an authentic work placement.

This guide is designed to help you understand what would be involved in hosting a work placement and gives a brief introduction to the requirements of the unitas a whole and placement in particular. It also provides information about whata student on placement may be able to offer your organisation. If you require more information please do not hesitate to contact me (see contact details below). Thank you again for your willingness to assist.

Best Wishes

Sandra Hooper

Unit Chair

HPS328

Phone: +61 3 92446470

Email:

What can Psychology students offer?

A degree in Psychology provides students with a unique blend of skills spanning scientific enquiry and analysis through to a detailed understanding of the intricacies of human behaviour. It is a great base degree which helps students develop many skill sets sought by a wide variety of employers.

Skills include:

A high level of critical thinking and problem solving ability, judgement and decision making
Strong knowledge and understanding of research design methods, literature analysis and information sourcing
Well-developed capability in statistical analysis, including use of appropriate technologies such as SPSS
Strong written and oral communication skills with the ability to deliver quality presentations
Well-developed interpersonal skills and a high level of self-awareness
Strong understanding of human behaviour and individual differences including motivation, personality and social interaction
An appreciation of mental health issues and their impact at an individual, family and societal level
Detailed understanding of diversity and cultural differences
Strong understanding of the development and functioning of teams with an ability to work collaboratively

In addition, students with a psychology degree will have gained skills in specialised topic areas which may include; child and adult developmental psychology, forensics, organisational psychology, studies of addiction, cognitive psychology, psychopathology, personality, behavioural neuroscience, and social psychology, to name just a few.

Benefits of hosting a work placement

Many organisations have found that hosting students on work placements can provide a number of benefits. These can include:

benefitting from the input provided by the student in terms of current psychology specific knowledge, competencies and practical skills;
gaining an extra staff member for no cost for a specified period, thereby providing opportunities to trial or develop new resources, projects or a service program;
having opportunities to assess potential employees prior to formal recruitment; and
having access to fresh and objective perspectives

What are appropriate duties/work tasks?

Students understand that they are not able to undertake work as a psychologist on placement. It may be possible for some of them to find a placement which enables them to work in a psychological practice or with a registered psychologist but this is not the intention or requirement of this placement. Students are required to find a placement which gives them the opportunity to demonstrate, utilise, learn and/or develop the following skills/competencies; all of which are generally sought by most employers:

Communication: verbal and written
Team work
Planning and organising
Problem solving
Critical thinking
Self-awareness
Independence/Autonomy/Initiative
Reliability/Responsibility (Professionalism)

Examples of these skills and competencies can be found in Appendix B.

The assessments for this unit, and the supervisor’s feedback report, will require reflection on the student’s capability in these areas so it would be ideal if the work undertaken could offer opportunities to demonstrate as many of them as possible.

Though every placement experience will be different,where possible, all experiences should generally include:

an orientation to the host organisation’s operations;
an observation of work operations;
participation in the workplace operations of the host organisation as negotiated with the placement supervisor;
opportunities to utilise and enhance key employment related skills such as personal communication skills (both verbal and written) in one to one, small and larger group situations; self-management, initiative and problem solving;
appropriate administrative or project work relevant to the host organisation; and
opportunities to utilise and apply the knowledge and skills acquired from university course work to organisational operations and needs.

Time Requirements on Placement

The placement requires that the student completes a minimum of 140 hours of relevant, voluntary work. This can be covered in any configuration either before or during trimester 2 (which commences 11th July 2016)and should take into account your needs and those of your organisation, as well as the student’s requirement to manage any existing work/study commitments. The 140 hours of placement must be completed by 30th September 2016 (end of week 11 of trimester 2)at the latest, to ensure all necessary assessments and supervisor reports can be submitted in line with university marking requirements.

Students are asked to log the hours taken up in placement time including any related project hours which may be completed off-site if you have agreed to that arrangement.(SeeLog Book Template in Appendix A).We ask that you sign the entries in the log book to confirm authenticity.

Costs

Please note that there is NO obligation on your organisation to pay the student any allowance, or to reimburse costs for accommodation or travel expenses incurred during the student’s placement. The student is responsible for all costs and for ensuring that he/she has sufficient funds to cover the placement.

Placement Supervisor

You have been nominated to act as the Placement Supervisor for the student based on the understanding that you have a minimum of two years’ experience (in the organisation and/or the role associated with the student’s placement) and that you are able to provide appropriate guidance. AsPlacement Supervisorwe ask that you take responsibility for providingthe studentwith opportunities to engage with the workplace at an appropriate level. We also ask that youprovide written feedback on the student’s participation and performance during the placement; at the mid-point and end of the placement. Details of the end-of-placement requirement are provided in Appendix C but the formal report documentation will be forwarded to you by our administrative staff at the required time.

We hope that your supervisory relationship with the student will enable him/her to learn about the organisation and to discuss aspects of his/her skill development and career. We encourage you to meet with the student for one hour every five days of placement, if possible,as a form of formal supervision. This time can include a review of the student’s work or project progress, career goals and aspirations, etc. Preferably this should take place in uninterrupted space and time.

It would be ideal if informal supervision activities could take place between those formal meetings. Often the best time for learning is immediately after an event. So whenever possible, we ask that you attempt to address any issues that arise, immediately as a form of debriefing (in addition to the formal supervision outlined above). We would also ask you to encourage student reflections on their placement experiences.

The table in Appendix Dsummarises the rights and responsibilities of the Placement Supervisor, Unit Chair (Deakin representative) and student. If you have any concerns about the student and the progress he/she is making, please contact the Unit Chair or appointed Deakin representative as soon as possible.

Conduct on Placement

While on placement, students are expected to follow the host organisation’s standards of behaviour;they have been asked to clarify these items with you, the Placement Supervisor. Things to consider include punctuality, dress, and organisational responsibilities. Students are expected to conduct themselves in an appropriately professional manner at all times.If you have any concerns about the student’s behaviour, please contact the Unit Chair or appointed Deakin representative as soon as possible.

Attendance & Absences

Students are expected to be in attendance at your workplace for the full number of negotiated hours per week, as set out in their Placement Proposal, unless you have formally authorised for some of these hours to be completed off-site. Students must make sure that you or a nominatedorganisation staff member knows where they are going if they leave the work premises during set working hours.

In the case of illness or personal or family emergency, if a student needs to be absent from the placement, they have been advised to notify youpromptly.

Confidentiality

Students are required to respect the confidentiality of all information made available to them about the people, activities or any other aspect of yourorganisation’s business.In particular, they have been made aware that any information related to users of the agency’s services must be presumed confidential unless stated otherwise. They have been asked never to discuss clients using identifying information at home, on Cloud Deakin or in the classroom. Students have also been reminded of the very public nature of social media forums such as Facebook, Twitter etc. and advised that comments regarding placements should not be made on these mediums.

We have also encouraged students to discuss with you how material can be presented for the purposes of assessment while preserving confidentiality.

Formal Processes

A formal contract is required to be created between Deakin University and your organisation before any placement can commence. Once your organisation has been identified as a prospective placement, students have been asked to contact the Placements Administration Support Officer to set this formal process in motion.

Please note that the student is not able to begin the placement until the Administration Support Officer has confirmed with you both, that that Placement contract is fully signed and in place.

Thank you again for your willingness to be involved with this Work Placement Unit. We hope you will find the experience a positive one for yourorganisationas the student shares and applies the skills and knowledge he/she has gained through his/her Psychology degree to date.

Appendix A: Log Book Template (example only)

Student Name: Date:
Starting time: Finishing Time: Total Hours:
Start/Finish / Task
Brief Reflection: (Key Learnings/ Competencies Used or Developed/Personal and Professional Responses/ Critical Incidents)

Placement Supervisor Signature: …………………………………………………………..

Appendix B: Examples of Placement Competency/Skill Areas

It would be ideal if the work undertaken by the student could offer opportunities to demonstrate or develop as many of the eight broad competency/skill areas highlighted as possible. Examples of what constitutes each of the eight competencies/skills are listed below:

Communication/Interpersonal interaction:

Using appropriate language and tone in verbal and written communications
Using most appropriate/relevant style and medium of communication for particular situations
Being able to communicate ideas clearly and comprehensively in both verbal and written form
Providing clear and concise written reports/summaries of activities/actions

Team work:

Contributing to discussion in team meetings
Working with others in a positive and collaborative manner
Reliably undertaking work allocated by the team

Offering assistance to others when it is needed

Planning and organising:

Prioritising work tasks appropriately
Completion of tasks by required deadlines or within specified timeframes
Being able to create a realistic and achievable action plan for a piece of work
Being on time for work, meetings, events, and other commitments

Problem solving:

Identification of problem and breaking down into smaller more manageable pieces
Ability to create realistic solutions to problems
Generating multiple approaches to solving complex problems
Displaying innovation and controlled risk taking in considering solutions

Critical thinking:

Ability to evaluate data or information analytically and objectively
Using judgment to determine the relevant importance of various factors in a complex problem
Making informed decisions by analysing and reflecting on new knowledge
Displaying open-mindedness

Self-awareness:

Displays insight into how his/her actions can impact others
Ability to articulate capabilities and apply them to work
Seeking assistance in areas of less capability
Ability to identify areas for growth and reflect on ways to improve

Independence/Autonomy/ Initiative

Ability to undertake work without constant supervision
Making recommendations for improvements to processes
Initiating discussion about work requirements rather than waiting for someone to ask/advise

Reliability/Responsibility (Professionalism)

Attending for work (and other commitments) on time and at agreed hours
Doing what he/she says he/she will do
Presenting in a professional manner at all times
Taking responsibility for actions or, outcomes which eventuate due to his/her actions

Appendix C: Placement Feedback Report (example only)

Student Name: ______

Specific Competencies (as
defined in Appendix) / Rating
Communication/Interpersonal
Interaction / Very Poor / Poor / Satisfactory / Good / Very Good / Not applicable
Comments
Team Work / Very Poor / Poor / Satisfactory / Good / Very Good / Not applicable
Comments
Planning and Organising / Very Poor / Poor / Satisfactory / Good / Very Good / Not applicable
Comments
Problem Solving / Very Poor / Poor / Satisfactory / Good / Very Good / Not applicable
Comments
Critical Thinking / Very Poor / Poor / Satisfactory / Good / Very Good / Not applicable
Comments
Self-awareness / Very Poor / Poor / Satisfactory / Good / Very Good / Not applicable
Comments
Independence
Autonomy/Initiative / Very Poor / Poor / Satisfactory / Good / Very Good / Not applicable
Comments
Reliability/Responsibility (Professionalism) / Very Poor / Poor / Satisfactory / Good / Very Good / Not applicable
Comments

General Work and Personal Characteristics

Characteristic / Score / Comments
Very Poor / Poor / Satisfactory / Good / Very Good
Motivation/Attitude
Ethical considerations
Punctuality
Openness to feedback
General presentation

Please outline what you see as the student’s strengths and development areas -:

Strengths / Development Areas – where could he/she develop to improve his/her level of employability

Please feel free to add any further comments below:

Signatures confirming the joint completion and acceptance of the Placement Feedback Report:

Student Name & Signature: ______

Placement SupervisorName & Signature: ______

Date:____/____/____

Placement Supervisors: Once this form has been completed and signed by you and the student, could you please provide a scanned or .pdf version to the student so that he/she can submit this report for his/her assessment.

Thank you for your time and effort in supporting this placement.

Appendix D: Rights and Responsibilities

The Placement Supervisor / The Deakin Unit Chair / The Student
Help the student orientate him/ herself within the organisation (e.g., organising an induction, a working space, providing information about the organisation and its functions, facilitating introductions to other staff, etc.)
As much as possible, treat the student like an ‘employee’ during their placement
Provide reasonable access (subject to consent from the organisational staff concerned) to information or facilities that are necessary for the placement
Make available relevant policies, rules, procedures, manuals etc.
Help select suitable people to assist/work with the student
Supervise and facilitate any activities assigned to the students
Ensure regular supervision meetings and discussions take place- we recommend one hour of formal supervision per five days of placement.
Provide necessary feedback, coaching or moral support in between formal supervision times.
Update the Deakin Unit Chair if you have any concerns around student progress (via telephone or email) as needed.
Complete a mid-placement review and final feedback review at the completion of the placement / Meet and establish with the organisation the necessary groundwork to enable the student to begin his/her placement at the organisation (including the contract for indemnity and other insurances.)
Liaise between student and Placement Supervisor on any matter that may affect a comfortable, smooth and productive working relationship between the student and members of the organisation
Provide advice, guidance and moral support to the student (as requested) while on work placements
Assist the organisation towards a clear understanding of its position and role in the work placement initiative
Be available for contact from the Placement Supervisor to remain updated on student progress and provide any additional support that may be required
Organise the completion of a mid-placement review and final feedback review from the Placement Supervisor at the completion of the placement. / Comply with rules and regulations as well as directions of the staff of the organisation
Be familiar with the ethical issues of work practices within the organisation
Be familiar with the professional and administrative procedures of the organisation including emergency procedures
Orientate oneself with the organisation and staff and engage in activities of professional life
Establish with the organisation mutually agreed attendance times, and renegotiate in advance if these times need to change
Maintain a professional and up to date log book for review by the Deakin Unit Chair.
Consult with Placement Supervisor on matters that are unclear or that may affect a good working relationship within the organisation
Treat the placement organisation and role like a real job
Maintain confidentiality at all times
Fulfil all of the assessment requirements including maintaining a logbook to the standards specified by Deakin