Physiotherapy

Documentation is regularly updated throughout the year, so we recommend accessing documents via this site rather than printing copies or saving elsewhere.

All educators should read the Practice Educator Handbook 2024-25 (PDF) before supporting a student as it includes all relevant information for supporting students.

For more detail about the BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy programme please refer to the Physiotherapy programme specification (PDF).

Assessment (for all main placements except Observation)

Common Placement Assessment Form (CPAF)

All information on CPAFs are available on the CSP website.

Key points to note

• Placement 1 use Level 4 CPAF; Placement 2a and 2b use Level 5; Placement 3a and 3b use Level 6.
• Pass mark is 40% for all UWE Bristol BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy programme placements.
• The fully completed pdf 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 the CPAF electronically via the UWE student intranet (Blackboard) by the specified deadline.
• If the student has failed the placement, educators should email physioplacements@uwe.ac.uk to confirm this. If the student has passed the placement, no further action or verification is required by the educator.
• It is advisable for both the educator and the student to save a copy for their records, Educators may be contacted to confirm marks/hours following CPAF submission by students as part of a verification process. 
• Students should be provided with a final mark for each learning domain, and an overall mark at the end of the placement, rather than grade boundaries.
• Always tick ‘Graded’ not ‘Pass/Fail’ on page one for all placements, even though some do not contribute towards the degree classification. 

First year (level 4) observation placement (three days)

• Observation placement outline (PDF)
• Observation placement workbook – acute (DOC)
• Observation placement workbook – non acute (DOC)

Self-directed learning (SDL) guidance for learners on placement

We recommend that students are given up to the equivalent of a half day per week for self-directed learning (SDL) whilst on placement. This may be given as one half-day or spread throughout the week as suits the student, educator and service.

Further details can be found in the self-directed learning guidance (PDF).

Please note: placements that are fully or partly non-clinical (for example research, leadership, project) may have significantly more SDL as part of the normal placement expectations. 

If a student is unable to attend their placement as planned, they should call the Absence Reporting Line on +44 (0)117 32 83283 and 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 +44 (0)117 32 81152 or email hscpsl@uwe.ac.uk.

Out-of-hours urgent welfare concerns

In case of an emergency where a university member of staff is required, we have a dedicated telephone line that can be used only outside of office hours. Call +44 (0)117 3284000 on weekdays between 16:30 and 08:30 in the morning, or at weekends.

Practice educator training sessions

Please see the Educator training dates Sept 2024 to June 2025 and the recommended development pathway for practice educators (PDF).

Book onto an educator training session

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

Also see information about the Supporting Students in Practice and the Practice Learning and Student Support professional courses. These are not physiotherapy specific but may be of interest.

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 starts at 12:00 and lasts 30 minutes. No booking is required and can be accessed via the links below.

Time for Dementia (TfD) programme - cohort 2023 students only.

• An innovative, multi award winning educational programme designed in collaboration with Alzheimer’s Society and Brighton and Sussex Medical School to create a new generation of healthcare professionals who are more aware and understanding of dementia.
• Transforming the way healthcare students learn about dementia, TfD offers an opportunity for a family (person with a diagnosis of dementia and a family member or carer) living with dementia to step into the future of healthcare education.
• It has been in operation since 2014 and is the first programme of its type to be a mandatory part of the curriculum. It is initially funded by Health Education England (now NHSE) and is being incorporated into some UWE Bristol healthcare programmes including the BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy programme from September 2024 for cohort 2023 students only.
• Students will be visiting a family affected by dementia in pairs on six occasions over a two-year period: three visits in second year and three in third year during specified visit blocks.
• TfD lets trainee healthcare students learn directly from the real experts on dementia: those who live with it every day. The informal nature of these visits offers students a truly one-of-a-kind chance to connect with families and humanise dementia, often challenging their previous thoughts of the condition.
• The visits are a blend of informal interaction and personal connection, outside of a clinical setting, lasting 90 minutes each and spaced every three to four months. They provide an opportunity to delve into the daily realities of living with dementia.
• Students are required to submit up to three visit-related reflections per year which will be reviewed and feedback provided to develop reflective practice.
• All learning and skills gained from this programme are transferrable to other modules, placements and your future as a physiotherapist.

All cohort 2023 students will need to take one day out of each of their second year (in 2024/25) and third year (in 2025/26) placement blocks to complete this visit and their reflection. 

The date should be confirmed with their educator at the earliest opportunity and with due consideration to the impact on the team and service.

Students are credited with 7.5 placement hours for this which should be included on their CPAF hours breakdown (include date and TfD visit).

Additional information for supporting students

We strongly recommend making use of the CSP practice-based learning resources as well as the useful guidance and templates below:

• Health Education England (HEE) Guide to Practice-Based Learning (PBL) for neurodivergent students (PDF)
• UWE Bristol neurodiversity and specific learning differences placement guidance for students and practice educators (PDF)
• CSP Information on Transgender equality and discrimination
• Supporting Trans and Non-Binary People SARI guidance
• Ramadan factsheet (DOC)
• Reflective practice:
  • Useful questions to prompt reflection (DOC)
  • HCPC Reflective Practice statement (2019)
• Peer review and feedback examples (optional):
  • Peer review form (DOC)
  • Selection of feedback record sheets (DOC)
  • Student observation and appraisal sheet (DOC)

Academic year 2024/25

Academic year 2025/26

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

Programme team

Placements Coordinators ( academic staff)

Kate Stancombe, Robyn Osborne, Amy Belisario

• Team email: physioplacements@uwe.ac.uk

Placements Team (Professional Practice Office)

• Email: ppoallocations@uwe.ac.uk

Programme leader

Louise Robbins

• Email: louise3.robbins@uwe.ac.uk
• Tel: +44 (0)117 32 8862