BSc Speech and Language Therapy / Course details

The unit encompasses six weeks of block practice placement learning in the first six weeks of semester two.  

Year 2- 5 days x 2 sessions per day x 4 weeks = 60 sessions (of which 8 sessions are self-directed)

The unit will prepare the student for their supervised clinical practice during their second block placement and provides the student with skills to adapt to the needs of a range of service users, including knowledge of multi-disciplinary teams and the wider workforce, through practice placement learning. 

The unit includes six weeks of block practice placement learning in the first six weeks of semester two. Prior to placement learning, students will have had opportunity to gain skills in clinical linguistics and phonetics, and knowledge and understanding of developmental speech and language disorders, a range of developmental disabilities, and acquired communication and swallowing disorders.

Provide students with opportunities to develop their communication skills and reflect on skills needed for accurate and clear information sharing with other disciplines/agencies for protection of vulnerable people and also, proactive collaboration for therapeutic purposes; clinical reasoning skills; handling sensitive information.  

Prepare students to work through placement documentation to help them to demonstrate that they have reached clinical competency across these areas 1. Observation and assessment/ 2. Planning and intervention/ 3. Active learning and evaluation/ 4. Application of theoretical knowledge/ 5. Interpersonal skills/ 6. Professional attributes, skills & awareness 

Pre-placement workshops to revisit placement requirements within PARE and Pebblepad and to go through learning objectives for placement.

Directed to resources in online learning environment regarding professionalism, reflective practice and linked unit materials e.g. Evidence Based Practice.

Post-placement workshop to share experiences with peers and to consider learning objectives for future placement. 

• Organise and use appropriate clinical skills at each stage of the client journey through care using a defined care pathway.
• Identify, critically evaluate and apply a range of therapy approaches which have been shown to be effective through rigorous research to form evidence-based practice.
• Embed professional standards for a speech and language therapist, including conduct, ethics and performance into their own supervised practice.
• Critically evaluate and apply recognised frameworks to evaluate the client’s baseline needs and outcome of therapy in relation to speech, language and communication disorders and dysphagia. These may include the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (World Health Organisation, 2001), Therapy Outcome Measures (Enderby, 2006) or Care Aims (Malcomess, 2005). 

• Demonstrate critical appraisal skills necessary to evaluate and apply clinically evidence-based practice.
• Demonstrate social and cultural awareness, adapting their clinical practice to accommodate differences and needs of others.
• Profile the client’s speech, language and communication skills and/or eating, drinking and swallowing (EDS), relating this to diagnosis, prognosis and appropriate support and therapy, and client’s perspective/wishes.
• Identify the limits of their practice and when to seek advice or refer to another professional or service
• Understand the value of reflective practice and the need to record the outcome of such reflection to support continuous improvement
• Use clinical reasoning skills to inform care planning, including the ability to discuss appropriate therapy aims with the client and incorporate evidence-based practice and a person-centred approach. 

• Use knowledge of normative data, a range of supportive techniques, evidence-based therapy and person-centred therapy to identify, plan care and select appropriate treatments for clients with speech, language and communication disorders and/or eating, drinking and swallowing (EDS)
• Use effective and appropriate verbal and non-verbal skills to communicate with service users, carers, colleagues and others
• Modify their own means of communication to address the individual communication needs and preferences of service users and carers, and remove any barriers to communication where possible
• Compare, contrast and apply evidence-based therapeutic approaches in real clinical contexts, taking into consideration resources and the needs/preferences of the client and carers. 

• Identify anxiety and stress in themselves and recognise the potential impact on their practice and understand the importance of their own mental and physical health and wellbeing strategies in maintaining fitness to practise
• Begin to recognise the need to manage their own workload and resources safely and effectively, including managing the emotional burden that comes with working in a pressured environment 

Regular Practice educator verbal feedback with be provided and written feedback will be provided in the form of student- practice educators daily evaluations/mid-placement review/end of placement report.

Support will be provided from AA/PE lead as appropriate.

• What Works?  Updated in 2021. Available at: https://ican.org.uk/i-cans-talking-point/professionals/tct-resources/what-works-database/
• Health and Care Professions Council (2016). Guidance on conduct and ethics for students. London: Health and Care Professions Council. Available at: https://www.hcpc-uk.org/resources/guidance/guidance-on-conduct-and-ethics-for-students/
• Health and Care Professions Council (2023). Standards of proficiency - Speech and language therapists. London: Health and Care Professions Council. Available at: https://www.hcpc-uk.org/standards/standards-of-proficiency/speech-and-language-therapists/
• Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists. Communicating Quality Live. Professional standards for speech and language therapist. London: Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists. Available at: www.rcslt.org  
• World Health Organisation (2001) International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Available at: http://www.who.int/classifications/icf/en/