Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Welcome to our organisation, we are looking forward to hosting your placements.

We have put together some information you may find useful during your placement, including your responsibilities and what to expect. We are committed to supporting your clinical development through, our dedicated mentors and clinical Educators in practice, plus support from the Workforce Education Team, Clinical Practice Educators and Placement Development Team. We will do our best to accommodate your placement in a zone nearest to your home address. We are an integrated organisation and our aim is to support you to maximise your learning experience.
 
The Trust provides a wide range of services, specialist teams, practitioners, pastoral support, occupational health, statutory and mandatory training in partnership with the University of Plymouth.

Cornwall Foundation Trust works with integrity and expects all students to adhere to the code of conduct: You will receive a copy of this with your checklist to sign and return to the Placement Development Team.

• Learner - A learner is any individual undertaking a pre-registration clinical course. Each learner will be assigned a Mentor/Sign off Mentor/ Clinical Practice Educator.

• Learners in placement - As learners you must follow the student Code of Conduct as indicated by the university at all times and act in a professional manner. You must work within the values of CFT (Compassionate services: this includes, achieving high standards: respecting individuals; empowering people). You will be required to complete a local placement induction and sign the confidentiality agreement, and return to the Education & Training Department. You must arrive at your practice placement on time, dressed according to the CFT uniform policy and abide by CFT policies when working in your placements; you will be required to undertake mandatory training and updates if deemed necessary by CFT. Supernumerary status does not imply the right for the learner to change allocated duty at will, or always have off duty requests honoured. In the event of staff shortages necessitating the movement of your mentor, you will be required to move with them. You must notify the placement area and University of any absence with a planned date of return.
  

You will be issued with a Smart Card following your successful completion of the CFT Information Governance. Learners should access electronic records in accordance with Trust policy.

Support we will provide for you:

• Mentor - A Mentor is a registered nurse who has successfully completed an NMC approved mentorship qualification and can supervise pre-registration learners. They will support your development and continually assess your progress. You will discuss and agree a development plan with your mentor and provide your OAR for your mentor to review and arrange dates for formative and summative assessments. You will be given an opportunity to discuss any questions you may have. The mentor will ensure they are updated and remain on the live register.

• The Mentors/Sign Off Mentors - The Mentors and Sign off mentors will ensure that they provide appropriate supervision for you during the whole of your placement, including identifying an alternative mentor in case of absence.

• Sign Off Mentor - A Sign off Mentor is an experienced mentor who has completed additional training and holds additional responsibilities to assess levels of achievement to make the final assessment of your safe standard of operation and effective practice regarding entry onto the NMC register. Sign off mentors must spend an hour a week with you. There is an expectation that this time will be protected by Clinical Managers.
  

• Clinical Managers and Practice Educators - In CFT Clinical Managers or Practice Educators may reserve the right to remove a learner from a placement when it is considered necessary. This could be due to a learners conduct or professional suitability. They will inform the University immediately

• Practice Educators - These are individuals employed by CFT to support all placement co-ordination activity, engage with mentors and learners and develop staff to undertake mentor/sign off mentor roles.
  
  
• Mentors and Sign off Mentors - are supported by the Practice Educators; they will provide e-mail/phone support and visit placement areas to discuss any issue or concerns regarding learners. They can also provide clinical support alongside Mentors and Learners in Practice to offer practical support in the learning environment.
  

Any accident/incident sustained by a learner whilst in practice will be reported by staff to the Practice Educators, within two working days. Practice Educators will inform the University within five days.

• Monitor arrangements - Placement quality reviews (PQR) are carried out twice a year for all areas. These are held on the Plymouth on-line practice placement information (POPPI) database for the University, with up to date live mentor register for registered nurse, mentors and sign off mentors- Placement Development Team.
  
  
• Placement Development Team - Academic/Practice Educators working in partnership to support learners in practice.
  

• The University - The University provides pre and post registration courses, working alongside CFT to ascertain agreed placement activity and capacity.

Additional Information you may find useful:

• Access to IT - You will receive a username and password to the CFT training website to enable you to access the e-learning courses. You should receive this information prior to your Induction. You will also require access to it which should be arranged prior to your placement.
  

• EOARS - As below in electronic form – in pilot form with the University.
  
  
• Induction - This comprises if mandatory courses, both e-learning and face to face that you will be required to attend/complete before your placement starts.
  

• (OAR) On-going record of Achievement - As above - This is a document issued to learners by their University which records the domains achieved/not achieved during placement.
  

• POPPI - Plymouth on line practice placement information, a collection of data regarding practice placements, capacity and mentor register.
  

• (PEP) Practice Environment Profile - Individualised placement information available to all Learners prior to placement.

• (POW) Placements on web - Information on POPPI, allowing you to view information about your placement area prior to your placement starting.
  

• Practice Placement - An Audited practice environment suitable to support your learning experience.
  
  
• Preceptorship Programme - This is a 12 month development programme, open to all newly qualified practitioners starting with the Trust.
  

• Simulation - Developing how we use simulation through training.
  

• SWELL - We offer SWELL through Learning Education and Development (starting with Empowered Lifelong Learning)
  

• Wellbeing - The Trust actively promotes Health and Wellbeing and offers courses workshops and advice.