If you are thinking of offering a placement opportunity to a healthcare student some areas need to be set up before these can commence. The Frimley Heath placements team will be able to advise and assist with these processes.

Students will be undertaking a degree with a university and are released for placement activity within term time. This is the opportunity for the student to develop their skills with registered healthcare professionals.

If you are thinking of offering a placement to a student, you must set up a signed placement agreement before the student undertakes any shifts with you. HEE have an education agreement designed for a larger organisation that covers all necessary areas, but it is appreciated it is a lengthy document.

• NHS EDUCATION CONTRACT 2021-2024 
• NHS Education Contract Frequently Asked Questions 
• Supporting Guide to the NHS Education Contract

The easiest way to set up an agreement is to use the HEE Schedule C appendix to the contract, which set out the expectations and roles of both parties. The placement provider and the university would sign and date this document, thus allowing the placement to be started. Some universities will have their agreement which is fine as long as they state for which discipline and what date are covered. The HEE schedule C is a set term, so annual agreements are not needed.
 

• Placement agreement Schedule C 

Every placement needs to be initially audited by the university along wi the provider before the student attends, to make sure it is fit for purpose in regards to the learning environment. This will need to be undertaken every 2 or 3 years in partnership. Many forms and systems can be used by the various Universities, but HEE has a template that is used across the South East fairly regularly.
 

• HEE Placement Audit template

A system to collect end-of-placement feedback will be set up by the university, which will be shared with the provider. This will ensure the learning environment is productive for both parties and is meeting the standards required. This can be a paper form or an online questionnaire.

The Frimley Health placements team can assist and set up a feedback process for the provider and students using QR codes as well as the University.

Some placements will attract a tariff payment from Health Education England for certain professions:

• clinical psychologist
• healthcare scientist-practitioner training programme (PTP)
• adult nurse
• children’s nurse
• dental hygienist
• dental therapist
• diagnostic radiographer
• dietician
• dual qualification nursing courses
• learning disabilities nurse
• mental health nurse
• midwife
• shortened midwifery courses
• occupational therapist
• operating department practitioner
• orthoptist
• orthotist or prosthetist
• paramedic
• physiotherapist
• podiatrist
• speech and language therapist
• therapeutic radiographer
• sonographer

The tariff is determined by HEE and reviewed and published annually, Education and Training Tariffs (see tariff guidance)

For 2022/2023 it is set as follows:                           

The full tariff will be paid based on the following assumptions:

• 38 weeks of placement activity
• a week of placement activity should be reflective of 37.5 hours of placement activity
• there should be no exceptions to this approach to calculating the funding available to providers for eligible placement activity