Physiotherapy

View key dates, information, documentation and contact support for this programme.

COVID-19 related placement absence - information for Physiotherapy student educators

If students need to miss placement hours due to government guidance on COVID-19 self-isolation related to a positive test, track and trace notification or known contact with someone who is symptomatic/tested positive, please see guidance below:

  • Students can be allocated a maximum of up to 25 hours (for five-week placements) or 30 hours (for six-week placements) of self-directed work at home during the placement. This is equivalent to one hour/day but can be completed at any time. They need to provide evidence of this work to their educators and it can include work such as clinical pattern sheets, written reflection, review of evidence, creation of problem lists and treatment plans, virtual interactions with you, and preparation for a presentation.
  • Educators will need to record the total number of hours for the placement on the Continuous Practice Assessment (CPA) form (including those allocated for self-study).
  • It is not expected that these additional self-study hours will necessarily enable students to achieve the usual minimum requirement for hours (75% of expected), but will mitigate against loss of overall placement hours during the programme.
  • Where students have met the placement outcomes and passed a placement, but not met the minimum requirement for assessment (75% of expected) due to COVID-19-related absence, they will not be required to re-sit the placement.
  • These recommendations do not apply to students who have other reasons for their absence; the ability to pass the placement when not meeting the minimum hours relates only to COVID-19 absence. Where they have been absent for other reasons, the normal requirements remain in place and students will be required to re-sit the placement.

Please contact your allocated link tutor for the placement if you need further information/guidance.

Practice documentation

Documentation is regularly updated throughout the year so please use the documents below rather than the hard copies in student folders that may be out of date.

The fully completed pdf copy of the Common Placement Assessment Form (CPAF) should be emailed by the educator to the student by the last day of placement following their final appraisal. Students are required to submit them electronically via the UWE student intranet (Blackboard) by the specified deadline.

If the educator is not able to add their electronic signature to the CPAF for any reason, a copy should be emailed to Kate (catherine.stancombe@uwe.ac.uk) by the educator as verification.

It is advisable for both the educator and the student to keep a copy for their records.

Absence reporting whilst on placement

If a student is unable to attend their placement as planned, they should call the Absence Reporting Line on+44 (0)117 32 83283and leave a message. The call will not be returned but the absence will be noted. Students should also contact their practice educator to advise them of absence in a manner appropriate for the particular placement.

For further support, or to report other issues whilst on placement, students should contact the confidential practice support line on on +44 (0)117 32 81152 or email hscpsl@uwe.ac.uk.

First years (level 4) observation placement (3 days)

Assessment (for all main placements)

Please note:

  • 1st years use Level 4 CPAF; 2nd years use Level 5 CPAF; 3rd years use Level 6 CPAF
  • Pass mark is 40% for all placements for the UWE Bristol BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy programme
  • Always tick ‘Graded’ not ‘Pass/Fail’ on page 1 for all placements, even though some do not contribute towards the degree classification.

Resits/trailing placements

Please check with the UWE placement team/coordinators regarding correct assessment paperwork.

Programme information

Practice Educator training sessions

Practice educator virtual drop-in sessions

The sessions are for educators to access if they have any last-minute questions or need support ahead of the next placement if they are supporting students. Each session lasts 30 minutes. No booking is required, and can be accessed via the links below.

Placement 3a starting 12th September 2022

Thursday 25th August 2022 at 13:30: Click here to join the meeting

Tuesday 6th September 2022 at 09:30: Click here to join the meeting

Placement 2a starting 7th November 2022

Wednesday 26th October 2022 at 13:30: Click here to join the meeting

Thursday 3rd November 2022 at 09:30: Click here to join the meeting

Placement 3b starting 9th January 2022

Tuesday 20th December 2022 at 13:30: Click here to join the meeting

Thursday 5th January 2023 at 09:30: Click here to join the meeting

Placement 2b starting 8th May 2022

Thursday 27th April 2023 at 13:30: Click here to join the meeting

Wednesday 3rd May 2023 at 09:30: Click here to join the meeting

Placement 1 starting 19th June 2022

Tuesday 6th June 2023 at 09:30: Click here to join the meeting

Wednesday 14th June 2023 at 13:30: Click here to join the meeting

For all enquiries about educator training sessions, please email HSCPracticeSupport@uwe.ac.uk

Also see information about the Practice Learning and Student Support professional course and find out more about supporting, supervising and assessing students in practice.

Additional information for supporting students

External resources

The following additional resources are available on the CSP website:

  • Clinical education placement guidelines (2003)
  • Supporting students on placement with a disability
  • Insurance cover for students on placement
  • Students in a community placement and lone working
  • Code of Conduct for Chartered Physiotherapists
  • Guidance on Health and Good Character
  • Guidance on Conduct and Ethics
  • Information, support and guidance on Practice Education

Placement dates

Physiotherapy placement dates for all cohorts.

All placements can be in any speciality or setting despite being linked to a specific academic module.

Dates for re-sit/delayed placements are subject to availability (eg a similar speciality), so dates can only be confirmed nearer the time and may not be during the period stated.

Academic year 2022/23

  • Monday 12 September to Friday 21 October 2022: Placement 3a (third year/cohort 2020)
  • Monday 7 November to Friday 16 December 2022: Placement 2a (second year/cohort 2021)
  • Monday 9 January to Friday 17 February 2023: Placement 3b (third year/cohort 2020)
  • Tuesday 28 February to Thursday 2 March 2023: Observation days (first year/cohort 2022)
  • Monday 8 May to Friday 16 June 2023: Placement 2b (second year/cohort 2021)
  • Monday 19 June to Friday 21 July 2023: Placement 1 (first year/cohort 2022)
  • Trailing placements (delayed or resits, three to five weeks depending on situation): Anytime from June to mid-September 2023, with third years prioritised where possible.

Programme support

If you have any queries or questions about the Physiotherapy programme or require support, please contact a member of the programme team.

Programme team

Clinical coordinators

Kate Stancombe

Robyn Osborne

Programme leader

Louise Robbins

Placements team

Timothy Porter

Lelia Barascu

Supervision and assessment

Find out more about supporting, supervising and assessing students in practice.

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