This guidance is designed to assist practice educators in marking learners using the Common Placement Assessment Form (CPAF), and to help learners understand some ways in which they can evidence they are meeting certain learning domains.
This guidance is designed to assist practice educators in marking learners using CPAF, and to help learners understand ways in which they can evidence they are meeting the learning domains.
These examples are ways in which a learner or practice educator can evidence the learning outcomes are being met.
It is also important to remember that the learner does not have to do everything listed, as the placement area will vary in what options are available.
Personal development
Independent learning
The learner engages in a personal development plan. This includes identifying learning needs, identifying and using learning resources. The learner then reflects on and actions their learning in practice.
Examples for marking in patient-facing placements
- Complete personal development plan ready for discussion
- SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) objectives
- Initiate regular review of personal development plan
- Discussion with practice educators if needing more support/ guidance/ time to complete
- SWOC (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges) analysis
- Learning style questionnaires i.e. reflector/activist/theorist/ pragmatist; kinaesthetic, visual
- NHS leadership academy resources
- TED talks; webinars
- Feedback to practice educators
- Reflections
Examples for marking in non-patient-facing placements
- Completing personal development plan ready for discussion
- SMART objectives
- Initiate regular review of personal development plan
- Discussion with practice educators if needing more support/ guidance/ time to complete
- SWOC analysis
- Learning style questionnaires i.e. reflector/activist/ theorist/ pragmatist; kinaesthetic, visual
- NHS leadership academy resources
- TED talks and webinars
- Feedback to practice educators
- Reflections
Seeking, reflecting on and responding to feedback
The learner seeks and reflects on feedback received. They then modify their personal and professional behaviour in response to the feedback.
Examples for marking in patient-facing placements
- Discuss and agree method of seeking feedback i.e. debrief between patients, e-mail
- Ask for feedback from variety of sources i.e. multidisciplinary team (MDT), patients
- Reflection: verbal/written
- Discussion with educator
- Observation by team and practice educator
- Attending staff meetings
- Being open to feedback
- Engaging with halfway assessment
Examples for marking in non-patient-facing placements
- Seeking feedback on work being undertaken
- Being open with work and challenges surrounding it
- Seeking feedback on leadership skills/teaching skills/research skills
- Evidence of trying to improve following the feedback
- Reflections
- Attending staff meetings
- Discussions with practice educator
- Engaging with halfway assessment
Organisation and prioritisation
The learner prioritises and manages workload in response to a variety of demand. They acknowledge the impact of their actions and decisions.
Examples for marking in patient-facing placements
- Morning handover on the ward and planning the day with the team.
- In- and outpatient assessments and treatments are completed within agreed timeframe
- Discussion with educator
- Appropriate delegation
- Check diary re meetings and ensure sufficient time to prepare for meetings
- Block out sufficient time for writing up documentation
Examples for marking in non-patient-facing placements
- Discussion with educator
- Appropriate delegation
- Check diary re meetings and ensure sufficient time to prepare for meetings/deadlines
- Block out sufficient time for writing up documentation
- Demonstrate flexibility/adaptability to reprioritise activities for the day i.e. change in deadlines
Interpersonal skills
Communication
The learner effectively uses and modifies a wide range of appropriate communication skills and styles (verbal, non-verbal, written and listening) to share and receive information. The learner professionally engages with digital information and technology as appropriate.
Examples for marking in patient-facing placements
- Emails
- Documentation
- Verbal – small groups and large meetings
- Observation by practice educator of student communicating with patients and in meetings
- Reflections
- Awareness of use of assistive technology i.e. paper-based/app/eye gaze/iPads/voice banking
- Electronic patient records
Examples for marking in non-patient-facing placements
- Emails – appropriate content, professionalism
- Use of apps i.e. Canva/Microsoft Office
- Appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication in meetings (online or face to face)
- Presentation skills
- Project plan documentation/justification
- Ability to adapt communication style to meet the audience
- Reflections
Working with others
The learner understands and respects the role and scope of themselves and others. The learner engages with others, builds effective and collaborative relationships, and works as part of a team.
The learner identifies and applies leadership skills in the practice environment.
Examples for marking in patient-facing placements
- Joint assessments/treatments with MDT members
- Appropriate referral to other members of the MDT/team
- Discussion in MDT meetings
- Getting to know team members and their roles, what they bring to the team
- Diary planning
- Appropriate delegation
- Reflection
- Advocating for a patient
- Involving key people in the patient’s life, family, friends etc
Examples for marking in non-patient-facing placements
- Coordinating a meeting
- Chairing a meeting
- Leading a focus group
- Demonstrate team working skills, helping others out
- Influencing others
- Getting to know the team and the roles people have
- Planning a project
Individuals, communities and populations
The learner recognises the impact of culture, equality, equity and diversity on practice and practises in an anti-discriminatory and inclusive manner.
The learner identifies and understands the impact of health inequalities in promoting the health and wellbeing of themselves and others.
Examples for marking in patient-facing placements
- Discussion with educator
- Demonstrate reading around health inequalities
- Looking at local census data
- Apply information gathered on the local population to placement setting
- Reflect on how you have adapted your approach or additional things you considered i.e. food banks/social services referrals
- Discuss any adjustments made or that could be made to help people access or experience better healthcare
- Case study
- Presentation
- Awareness of CSP resources re equity, diversity and belonging (EDB) strategy, microaggressions campaign
- Awareness of escalation procedure, freedom to speak up guardians
- Active listening skills with colleagues and patients.
- Being inclusive e.g. respecting a patient’s time for praying, patient-centred treatment goals
- Being an advocate against discrimination if the situation occurs
- Consideration of the environmental impact on health, air pollution etc
- Managing own stress/resilience
- Social prescribing
Examples for marking in non-patient-facing placements
- Research: recruitment of participants. Is this reflective of the local population. If not why and how to reduce barriers? What happens if research is not reflective of local population?
- Considering how to make meetings inclusive
- Considering EDB in projects
- Being aware of the local population needs in the area you are working
- Being aware of staff demographics
- Being an advocate against discrimination if the situation occurs
- Ensuring a wide range of views are considered when planning a project
- Consider own wellbeing – home working set-up if appropriate
- Managing own stress/resilience
Decision-making and implementation
Gathering and analysing information
The learner extracts relevant information from a range of sources and analyses gathered information. They can then draw reasoned conclusions to identify key issues.
The learner develops goals and/or objectives to address identified issues.
Examples for marking in patient-facing placements
- Referral letters, electronic patient record
- Speaking to wider members of the team
- Problem list
- Discussion with educators
- Analysis in documentation
- Treatment plan
- Goal setting
Examples for marking in non-patient-facing placements
- Data collection from projects e.g. surveys, interviews
- Analysis of data for projects/research
- Literature search and analysis
- Timelines
- Realistic outcomes within timeframe
Evidence-based practice
The learner sources research or evidence to inform effective physiotherapy practice. They evaluate and apply research or evidence in practice.
The learner reflects on the application of evidence-based practice.
Examples for marking in patient-facing placements
- What is good practice/processes within the team
- NICE guidelines/journal articles
- Attending and engaging in team journal clubs
- Discussion with educator – what team is doing versus what you read?
- Reflections and critique of the evidence found
- Patient wishes within evidence based practice
- Resources available to provide evidence-based practice
Examples for marking in non-patient-facing placements
- Literature reviews
- Reading around the subject of the project/teaching session
- Using evidence to justify the method of research or collecting information e.g. survey, interviews
- Using evidence to justify the project
- Reflections and critique of the evidence found
Reasoning and intervention
The learner reasons appropriate interventions/activities to the needs of the setting and/or person. They apply these safely and/or appropriately.
The learner monitors and reviews the ongoing effectiveness of interventions/activities and modifies them if appropriate.
Examples for marking in patient-facing placements
- Objective assessment and problem list into treatment plan
- Discussion with educator re method: in person, video, telephone
- Practice treatment techniques with educator
- Demonstration of treatment techniques with patient
- Review treatment plan and modify (regress/progress/change repetition) as appropriate
- Discharge planning
- Patient outcome measures
Examples for marking in non-patient-facing placements
Interventions could be:
- The teaching style used
- The research methodology
- The project plan and how to go about the project
- Reflections on how the intervention is working
- Justification of intervention used
- Pros and cons of interventions
- Monitoring the progress of the project
Recording information
The learner identifies, structures and records relevant information, using an appropriate range of approaches and formats.
The learner modifies the approach and/or technique to record information as appropriate to the situation.
Examples for marking in patient-facing placements
- Review documentation
- GDPR – patient confidentiality
- Emails/electronic patient record
- Written information to wider members of the team and patients
- Signposting and bookmarking resources for patients on their devices
- Progression of documentation throughout placement
- Reflection of documentation style at start and end of placement
- SOAP (subjective, objective, assessment and plan) notes
- Referral letters/discharge letters
Examples for marking in non-patient-facing placements
- Has an understanding of and maintains GDPR
- Record keeping
- Minutes from meetings
- Project plans
- Emails
- Appropriate detail provided
- Ethics proposals
- Storing of information
- Has awareness of the Good Clinical Practice guidelines