Tips for Embracing New Placements in Mental Health and Learning Disability Services

Tips for students

• Be open minded to placements in mental health or learning disability settings
• Talk to previous students about their experiences and ask what they learned
• Think about going to placement in pairs or small groups if possible, or link up with other students on similar placements and share ideas, offer support
• Celebrate what you achieve, write case studies, vignettes, share with course leaders and fellow students 

Tips for HEI’s 

• Make connections with your local mental health and learning disability service providers
• Look at non-NHS settings as well as NHS settings – Local Authority, schools, special education providers, care homes, hospices, community advocacy services, supported housing providers and activity providers will all benefit from AHP student placements
• Consider alternative and innovative placement models such as project and leadership placements. Could these been offered in collaboration with another placement setting such as a physical health care setting?
• Think creatively about how placement support and supervision can be provided, particularly in role emerging placements – small group supervision, online supervision sessions and working in partnership other organisations where particular AHP’s are established are all good starting points
• Consider developing short case studies to highlight the benefits of previous placements in mental health and learning disability settings for both students and prospective placement providers

 Tips for Placement Providers

• Think creatively about where AHP student placements might offer new interventions. Can you involve service users and families in this?
• Look at opportunities for expanding services, split supervisory responsibility and placements or trying new approaches in services
• Consider developing split placements across physical and mental health/learning disability services. This can increase capacity and allow crossover models for supervision.
• Think creatively and link with HEI’s to explore possible placement ideas and options for support and supervision
• Partner with neighbouring Trusts or other organisations to explore a partnership approach, particularly with placement support and supervision ideas
• Celebrate student placements and the benefits they bring to patients and service users, using social media and internal communications to share learning