A new placement programme for first year Physiotherapy students at the University of Winchester has received glowing reviews from participating organisations.
Undergraduates are provided with 60-hour placements with local organisations and charities – not all in a clinical environment – to give them early practical experience with a focus on demonstrating professionalism and enhancing communication skills through working with people with healthcare and challenging social needs.
Students began their course in September and placements, which run over ten weeks, started in January.
A special event was held at the University’s West Downs Auditorium to thank the organisations which had hosted the 80 student volunteers and to allow hosts to thank students in return and reconnect with them to let them know what an impact they had made.
Addressing the students, Dr Katherine Cook, Physiotherapy Programme Lead, said: “We are grateful to all of you for throwing yourselves into this alongside a busy study programme. You have been a phenomenal year group.”
Dean of the University’s Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, Elizabeth Davies-Ward, said: “Thank you to our placement providers. This is a really important placement for introducing students to the big wide world. It’s a massive opportunity.”
Attending the event were representatives of placement hosts Ronald McDonald House in Southampton, dance charity Move Momentum, Communicare, the Memory Box Foundation, the Boaz Project and Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust.
Stuart Palmer of Boaz, based in Sutton Scotney, which provides a farming related activities for adults with learning difficulties, said he was impressed with the way the students had learned to deal with a wide range of people of different ages.
“We loved all the students who came to us and we do miss them,” he said.
Annie Clewlow from Communicare, a Southampton-based charity which acts as a good neighbour to lonely and isolated people, said: “The students were an absolute delight. Not only did they get to work with us but also our partners including the Saints Foundation and care homes. It was a great learning opportunity for us and the students.”
Kayte West from the Memory Box Foundation with her group of volunteers
Kayte West from the Memory Box Foundation which runs reminiscence projects through day care for people with dementia at Winchester’s Chesil Lodge Resource Centre, said: “I am proud of how the students grew in confidence and threw themselves into every activity. It was such an important opportunity for both sides – I heartily recommend it.”
Kerry Chamberlain, from Move Momentum, said the students had worked with a range of clients including over-65s, wheelchair uses and people with learning difficulties.
“We are a small charity and it’s always amazing to have people help us out and having some young faces in the room was a huge hit,” said Kerry.
Robin Snape of Ronald McDonald House, which provides free accommodation for parents of sick children at Southampton General Hospital, said: “We completely underestimated the talent of the people you were sending to us. They really made a difference. We are absolutely going to sign up for next year.”
Age Concern Hampshire praised the students’ commitment, time management, dedication and their “unfailing commitment to our clients, carers and staff”.
The charity’s statement, read out at the West Downs ceremony, continued: “The attention they lavished on everyone and the kind professional manner in which they presented themselves was exceptional.
“We have no doubt the students will be an asset to any establishment. We would welcome them back with open arms.”
The other organisations that offered placements were Headway, Lanterns Nursery School, Southern Health (now Hampshire and Isle of Wight NHS Trust), Hampshire Hospitals Foundation Trust and Everyone Active.
The new placement scheme is part of an innovative curriculum which has recently been reviewed, enhanced, revalidated and reaccredited by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) which commended the course for its inclusive approach, addressing student support needs and valuing stakeholder involvement.
Organisations wanting to learn more or to host student volunteers in the future can email Suzanne Watson via physioplacements@winchester.ac.uk .
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