College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences placement compliance

Industry placements provide students with a real opportunity to gain relevant work-based experience; put theory into practice and help guide career choices. It is an integral component of degree programs offered to develop the workforce and entrepreneurs of the future.

Industry placements cover a diverse range of disciplines and options and students can seek a general placement or discipline-specific placement depending on their goals, aims or requirements.

HASS placement checklist

Pre-requisites for placement

Please self enrol into the BGL & HASS Work Integrated Learning FLO site which will guide you through each step of the placement process

Enrolments for business placement topics open in late November for the following year, please check with AskFlinders to ensure you have space in your study plan.

Compliance requirements for placement eligibility

Essential compliance

You will not be eligible for placement until deemed fully compliant.

Activity	What you need to do	Form / more information	Submit to
Fitness for placement declaration	Declare your fitness for placement by reading and acknowledging the Fitness for Placement statement on InPlace. Let the University know if you have an access plan.	N/A	InPlace
Student consent for placement	Read and acknowledge the relevant essential conditions around student consent for placement using the applicable form. (Please note: if you are required to undertake multiple placements during your degree, you may be required to read both student consent documents, check with your WIL Support Team if you are unsure.)	Placements undertaken outside Flinders University - Student Consent for Placement Statement (PDF) OR Placements undertaken within Flinders University ONLY - Student Consent for Internal WIL Placement with Flinders University Statement (PDF)	InPlace
Intellectual property for placement	Watch the student IP declaration, then acknowledge your understanding in InPlace. Watch the IP counselling video.	Student Intellectual Property Statement (PDF)	InPlace
Emergency Contact	Confirm your emergency contact details are up to date in the Student Information System.		Student System
Police Check	You will need to provide a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC).	Police Check detailed information	InPlace

Additional compliance - may be required

Some host providers also require additional compliance evidence. You will be informed if these are required for your placement.

Department of Human Services (DHS) clearances

These clearances are valid for five years from date of issue (unless revoked prior), except Aged Care Sector Clearance, which has an expiry of three years.

There are three main types of screening offered by the DHS the University requires; Aged-Care Sector, Working With Children Check (WWCC), and NDIS Worker Check. Refer to the pre-placement compliance checklist to determine which screenings you require.

Formerly known as Department of Communities and Social Inclusion (DCSI) clearances, DHS clearances are state-based clearances used to determine suitability for employment within specific care sectors in South Australia.

Note: Working With Children Checks issued prior to 1 July 2019 are known as Child-Related Employment Screenings.

Obtaining DHS clearances

The College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences require students to obtain DHS Clearances through self-initiation via the DHS website.

Please follow this guide for step-by-step directions of how to start your application.

Existing clearances can be renewed up to 6 months prior to expiry. It is recommended that clearances are renewed early to ensure there is no lapse in compliance.

View more information on the DHS website.

What is the difference between DHS clearances and the Police Check?

The Police Check is a printout of all disclosable criminal convictions as recorded by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC). DHS clearances involve additional probity checks and continuous monitoring. Both are required.

International Police Check (IPC)

An International Police Check (IPC) is required by students if in the last 10 years they have lived in a country other than Australia, for more than 1 year since turning 18 years of age.

Fit2Work is an accepted provider of an IPC or you may already have an IPC and can upload this as evidence on InPlace.

Police Check (NCCHC)

Students must supply a valid Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) prior to the commencement of their placement.

Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC)

Valid for three years from date of issue

Commonly referred to as a Police Check, a National Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) is a document that lists all criminal convictions recorded against a person in the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) database. For more information visit the ACIC website.

Police Checks (NCCHCs) can be issued by:

State and Territory or
Private brokers that have been accredited by the ACIC

An acceptable Police Check (NCCHC) must meet the following requirements:

Unsupervised Contact within the Health/Aged Care Sector.
The following information is provided to assist you complete an application form for your Police Check:
Reason for Check – Unsupervised Contact with Vulnerable Groups (if there is a character limit, ensure Unsupervised Contact is recorded at a minimum).
Proposed Place of Work – Health/Aged Care Sector
Location – Adelaide, South Australia

Please note – if you are completing a Police Check for a Northern Territory placement, please follow the instruction provided by Flinders NT or your discipline specific checklist. In the absence of this advice, follow the above instructions to complete the application form.

Students are responsible for the cost of obtaining their Police Check (NCCHC).

Students completing placements in South Australia may choose to apply for a Police Check (NCCHC) directly through their local police, or through a commercial broker. If a Police Check (NCCHC) is required urgently (e.g. sooner than 4 – 5 weeks) then it is advisable to apply online through an accredited broker that offers fast turnaround.

Police Check (NCCHC) providers:

South Australia Police (SAPOL) - We strongly recommend you use the SAPOL Police Check as this the most accepted document.
Third party providers are https://flinders.checked.com.au and www.cvcheck.com.
State clearances are most widely accepted across organisations and interstate, third party provided clearances may not be accepted by host organisations outside of the control of the University.

Please note that Flinders University does not endorse these providers and cannot guarantee their turnaround times.

What happens if there are offences listed on my Police Check?

Students with criminal convictions should to refer to the SA Health Criminal and Relevant History Screening Policy Directive. Students with serious criminal convictions may be precluded from placement. Students with criminal convictions are advised to meet with their course coordinator to discuss their ability to satisfy the requirements of their placement topic.

Will you accept a Teachers Registration Board (TRB) Registration Certificate?

No. The Teachers Registration Board (TRB) undertakes a Police Check (Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check) as part of the registration process, however, no outcomes are listed on the registration certificate. You are required to obtain a separate Police Check (NCCHC).

How can I obtain a replacement Police Check?

Replacement Police Checks (NCCHCs) can sometimes be obtained by contacting the organisation that issued the original certificate. In many cases, students who have lost their Police Check (NCCHC) will need to apply for a new one.

Further information about placement

Types of placement

General placements

General placements provide you with experience and an opportunity to learn more about a business while participating in daily workplace activities and contributing to a range of business functions.

Discipline-specific placements

There are many benefits to undertaking a placement and as a student within the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences your discipline specific placement can provide you with a practical opportunity to put your studies into context.

Areas include:

archaeology
communications and media
creative arts
languages (French, Indonesian, Italian, modern Greek, Spanish)
screen and media
teaching English as a second language
tourism and events.

Tasks you can undertake on placement

General placements provide you with experience and an opportunity to learn more about a business while participating in daily workplace activities and contributing to a range of business functions.

Placements can be completed in any industry context, big or small, from any sector – specific to the discipline/major you are studying such as supporting communications, film shoots, camera assisting, developing digital and social media pages, local language communities, marketing and communications strategies, events, or of a more general nature.

Some examples of previous work tasks assigned to student placements include:

Review and analyse existing community engagement programs, identifying elements that have proven impact, and/or may be applicable within SA communities around emergency preparedness and community engagement.
Event work including Gluttony, Adelaide Fringe, State Tourism Awards, State Tourism Conference , Talking Tourism events, Adelaide United Football matches, South Australian Cricket matches, Christmas on KW road.
Assist with editing video content, sourcing and editing content for social media channels, and scheduling social media posts
Be involved in creative and production briefs, assisting company graphic design team, and spending some time with the production team. Assist with pre to post production on shoots, radio and photoshoots.
Communications plans; market research; social and digital media projects; event management and branding.
Develop of communications strategies and associated products to assist stakeholders and customers.

Will I be paid to go on placement?

Generally, students are not paid, however occasionally, we may have a paid placement. On the occasions where students have been required to travel to regional areas, the student is not expected to be out of pocket for transportation, accommodation, meal expenses etc, and host organisations offering these placements may be asked to assist with these expenses.

Time requirements for placement

How much time is required to do a placement?

Placements within the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences vary in placement hours from 40 hours through to 160 hours. Please contact the HASS WIL team or your topic coordinator for more information. Hours/days can be negotiated between yourself and the host organisation. During the University holidays for example, you may complete additional hours and complete the placement more intensively.

Will I have time to do other topics while I am on placement?

Placements are typically two days per week, therefore you should have time for other topics while on placement; however, it is not recommended that you undertake full-time course load during this time.

You may prefer to go on placement during the winter or summer break where you may have time to commit to only the placement requirements.

When you can go on placement

There are two main intakes times during the year, and a summer placement intake.

Semester 1 (March-July).
Semester 2 (July- November).
Summer (December – February).

Placements are flexible, the commencing times and dates are negotiable between the student and the host organisation.

Note: if you are graduating in the same semester as you complete your placement then you must let the WIL team know this and commence your placement as early as possible.

Options for sourcing a placement

Industry placements through the WIL team

Our College has numerous partnerships with industry who provide student placements and the WIL team will match students as best as possible to suit your needs and the needs of the organisation.

Self-sourced placements

If you want to source your own placement we will support this process and communicate with you and the host organisation. Your placement needs to be approved by the WIL coordinator, and placement documents completed and signed before commencing your placement.

When liaising with external organisations please ensure that all communication is professional, including resumes and cover letters.

Place of employment opportunities

You may complete a placement with your current employer, however, your duties will need to be different to those of your paid employment for the duration of your placement. The first step is to ask your employer to complete a placement proposal identifying the placement tasks and requirements.

All legal placement documents must be completed and signed before commencing the placement.

Additionally, you will need to be covered by the host organisation's insurance policies as you will not be covered by the University’s policy.

View InPlace opportunities user guide

The placement selection process

During the application process you will be asked to list your interests, study area, and placement preferences. The WIL team will endeavour to match you according to your skills and interests and the needs of the host organisation.

You may be required to engage in an interview process where the host organisation has the opportunity to meet with several interested candidates.

The host organisation will inform the WIL team of the successful candidate.

You will be contacted by the WIL team to discuss the outcome of the interview.

When you're on placement

How you will be assessed

Please speak with your topic coordinator for further details regarding assessment.

You can log on to the Flinders Learning Online (FLO) topic site to access the topic guide and relevant information including assessment details and due dates. Your topic coordinator will communicate with you via FLO during and after your placement.

What to do if dates change while on placement

If your placement dates change while you are on placement you must inform the WIL team via email.

Date changes effect both your mid-way evaluation and final evaluation dates.

Is there a dress code for placement?

Please ensure you ask your placement host if they have any dress requirements, otherwise you should dress in business attire for the duration of your placement.

What if I have problems or concerns?

Students undertaking a placement in a placement organisation are bound by the standards of performance conditions in that workplace. It is suggested that issues should first be raised with your supervisor in the workplace, and if the issue(s) cannot be resolved, or if the concerns require discussion, please contact the WIL coordinator for support.

View more information.

What if I am sick or have any issues while on placement?

Find out what to do if you're sick or have any other issues while on placement.

Evaluation reports and final grades

Host evaluation reports

Both your mid-way and final reports should be completed by the host organisation in consultation with you. You will be given a copy of these reports upon request.

Final grades

Final grades will be posted once we have received all documentation from the host organisation and all your assessment items have been graded by the topic coordinator.

If you are planning on graduating and need to adhere to a specific timeframe, please let the WIL team know as soon as possible.

International student visa holders on placement in Australia

Student visa holders must be aware of any work restrictions on their visa. Most students are restricted to 48 hours of work per fortnight.

Placements and work experience (either paid or unpaid) that are part of an elective or option topic are considered work for student visa holders and are included in your work restriction of 48 hours per fortnight. If you are taking an elective topic with placement requirements and you have a job, you must ensure that your total work hours (placement plus job) do not exceed 48 hours per fortnight.

Placements and work experience that are part of a core topic and are a mandatory component of your course are not included in the work restriction of 48 hours per fortnight. If your placement is core to your course, you may exceed 48 hours per fortnight for the purpose and the duration of your placement.

Note – from time to time the conditions relating to working hours for student visa holders may change. Please refer the Department of Home Affairs website for current information.