Disability and community inclusion placement requirements
The aim of the Bachelor of Disability and Developmental Education is to equip students with specific work-integrated knowledge and skills that can be applied in a range of disability and related health and human services environments. The course prepares students for employment as disability and developmental educators, and community rehabilitation professionals. It has a multidisciplinary focus, with contributions from special education, psychology, philosophy, sociology, health and rehabilitation.
The Bachelor of Disability and Developmental Education incorporates a minimum of four practicums. In the second year of study (undergraduate) you will undertake two placements which are allocated according to availability and the specific needs of the placement host agency. In the third and fourth year of study you will undertake one placement which incorporates a project. You are required to source these placements in an area of your interest. If you are a postgraduate student, you are also required to undertake one placement which incorporates a project. You are required to source these placements in an area of your interest.
Placements are provided in a number of settings including state and independent schools, disability services, rehabilitation centres and aged care facilities. These are offered in Adelaide, regional areas of South Australia and Northern Territory and, in some circumstances, overseas.
Pre-requisites for placement
| 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 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 |
Read the student IP declaration and acknowledge the changes to intellectual property while you are on placement. |
Student Intellectual Property Statement (PDF) | InPlace |
| Activity | What you need to do |
Form / more information | Submit to |
|---|---|---|---|
| COVID-19 Placement Declaration |
Complete the declaration one week prior to the start of every placement. Print the declaration, read and answer the questions. Bring the declaration with you to placement. Upload the declaration form on InPlace. The declaration can be witnessed by any adult. | COVID-19 Placement Declaration form (PDF) | InPlace |
| COVID-19 Vaccination | It is highly recommended for healthcare students to receive the COVID-19 vaccination now, in Phase 1b of the rollout. Students will require a confirmation from Flinders to receive the vaccination, this will be provided by your College WIL Team. Make an appointment via Vaccine Clinic Finder. | COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate (PDF) | InPlace |
| Activity | What you need to do |
Form / more information | Submit to |
|---|---|---|---|
| DHS Aged Care Sector Related Screening | Obtain a clearance from DHS | DHS compliance information |
InPlace |
| DHS Working with Children Check |
Obtain a clearance from DHS |
DHS compliance information | InPlace |
| DHS Vulnerable Person Employment Screening | Obtain a clearance from DHS |
DHS compliance information | InPlace |
| DHS Disability Services Employment Screening | This screening is no longer provided by the Department of Human Services Screening Unit. It has been replaced with the NDIS Worker Check. If you require this clearance for a placement a member of the WIL Placement team will contact you. | Not applicable |
InPlace |
| Police Check | You will need to provide a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC). If you have been in Australia for less than 12 months you will need to provide an International Criminal History Check (ICHC) instead. |
Police Check detailed information |
InPlace |
| Aged care statutory declaration | In order to comply with the requirements of the Aged Care Act (1997) you must complete a Statutory Declaration stating "I have never been convicted of a murder or sexual assault or convicted of, and sentenced to imprisonment for, any other form of assault". |
Aged Care Statutory Declaration (PDF) | InPlace |
| Annual influenza vaccination | Book an annual influenza vaccination from an immunisation provider. |
Influenza vaccination certificate (PDF) | InPlace |
| First Aid certificate (HLTAID003) |
Attend and complete an accredited HLTAID003 - Provide First Aid Training course. This training must be provided by a Registered Training Organisation. Acceptable evidence is your certificate showing name and date of completion. |
Registered training organisations: |
InPlace |
| Hand hygiene | Undertake the online National Hand Hygiene Initiative (NHHI) module:
Upload the certificate. |
NHHI - Complete learning module | InPlace |
| Responding to Abuse and Neglect - Education and Care (RAN-EC) training for school placements |
Complete training for the current RAN-EC training cycle. Refresher training is available for one year at the end of each training cycle. If you have not previously completed RAN-EC training you will need to complete a full-day, face-to-face RAN-EC training course. Note: certificates that specify 'Induction for Volunteers' are not acceptable. |
Department for Education approved training providers | InPlace |
Detailed compliance information
These clearances are valid for three years from date of issue (unless revoked prior), except Working with Children Check which has an expiry of five years.
There are three main types of screening offered by the DHS the University requires; Aged-Care Sector, Working With Children Check (WWCC), and Vulnerable Person employment. 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
- Request a screening application – Complete the online request form. Once completed, the information you provide will be sent to DHS to be actioned.
- Await application email – It may take 5 – 10 business days to receive an email from the DHS Screening Unit. Be advised that the email may be sent to your junk/clutter folder.
- Activate and complete application – Once the activation email is received, follow the links to log into the DHS Screening portal and complete the application. Students are responsible for paying the application fee.
- Complete ID Verification – The are three options for completing the ID verification:
- Verify online – Recommended for students with Australian ID documents.
- Requesting organisation – Recommended for students that cannot complete online verification. Students selecting this option will need to scan the identity page of your passport and student identification card so they are both visible (one page only) and email to cnhs.placements@flinders.edu.au with your student ID number and DHS student verification in the subject heading.
- Print and seek verification – Not recommended. Students selecting this option must have their ID verified by a Justice of the Peace and post the application to DHS.
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.
Note: If you were previously issued DHS clearances and need replacements you will need to email us and provide your full name (as it appeared on you clearances), student ID, and date of birth.
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.
How can I obtain a replacement DHS clearance notice?
If you have previously been issued clearances by DHS and need replacements, you email us. You will need to provide your full name (as it appeared on your clearances), student ID, and date of birth.
- Students who have been in Australia for less than 12 months require an International Criminal History Check (ICHC).
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.
Police Checks (NCCHCs) can be issued by:
- State, Territory or Federal Police
- 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 may also 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 may include:
Please note that Flinders University does not endorse these providers and cannot guarantee their turnaround times.
International Criminal History Check (ICHC)
Valid for 12 months from date of issue
An International Criminal History Check (ICHC) is any document that lists all criminal convictions recorded against a person in a country other than Australia. Students who have been in Australia for less than 12 months are required to obtain an International Criminal History Check (ICHC) from the last country in which they resided.
A satisfactory ICHC must be issued within the past 12 months by:
- Authorities from the last country in which you resided (in English or with a certified translation); or
- Through an Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) approved ICHC vendor (such as Fit2Work or AIS International).
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.
During placement
Venue orientation
All venues will provide a compulsory orientation for students prior to or on the first day of placement.
On your first day of placement you will:
- produce your current compulsory pre-placement compliance documents
- meet the venue staff
- be shown around the venue
- be advised of any specific requirements for the venue.
Arriving at placement
It is your responsibility to arrive at your venue at least ten minutes before the shift begins. This will ensure you arrive in a timely manner and receive instructions for the activities to be undertaken on the day.
Missed placement hours or shifts
Any hours missed during your placement must be ‘made up’ as you need to attend for the allocated duration. Missed placement hours may mean that you:
- cannot complete the topic requirements for placement
- may not meet the course graduation requirements,
Paid employment
As a placement student, you may not:
- count paid employment hours towards your placement hours
- undertake a placement in your place of employment (due to conflicting expectations around roles).
Elite athletes
If you are an elite athlete, you need to advise topic coordinators and the placement team of your status as soon as this is confirmed. This will enable appropriate placement arrangements can be accommodated. The University’s rule for Elite Athlete status provides further details, including the need to renew applications annually.
Australian Defence Force personnel
If you are a member of the Australian Defence Forces, and expect to be deployed or required for compulsory training exercises during a placement period, please advise your topic coordinator and the placement team as soon as details are known. Wherever possible, alternative arrangements will be made for your placement.
Withdrawing from placement
If you decide to withdraw from your placement either before or soon after it commences you need to email your placement team advising that you intend to withdraw from the topic - in some instances your placement can then be reallocated to another student.
This section provides guidance for finding solutions for issues that may arise during a placement, and suggestions about appropriate people to contact.
Issues sometimes arise on placement that you may not be able to resolve by yourself. Who to contact and potential solutions are covered below. Keep in mind that you are required to maintain professional behaviour and communication at all times, especially with those at the placement venue.
The placement communication framework (available below) provides information about who to contact when you have a question about your placement.
First point of contact
When an issue arises at the venue where you are doing your professional experience placement, the first person to contact is always your agency supervisor and/or your University supervisor.
Your supervisors are there to act as your advocate and to help resolve any matters of concern.
If the matter cannot be resolved with the assistance of your agency or University supervisors arrange to meet with your topic coordinator to discuss your concerns.
If you have done this and the problem is still not fixed - what to do next:
- Make an appointment to speak with your course coordinator.
- If the matter if still not resolved arrange to meet with the Associate Dean (Teaching and Learning).
Where appropriate and as far as is possible, your anonymity will be preserved.
Remember that you have free access to the University Health, Counselling and Disability Services.
Are you experiencing bullying or harassment?
Flinders University is committed to ensuring that students can participate in workplaces that are free from bullying, harassment and discrimination, and where people are respected and diversity is embraced.
The College complies with the Flinders University principles outlined in No bullying at Flinders.
If you feel that you are being, or have been, bullied or harassed at a placement venue, report this immediately to your agency supervisor/University supervisor and/or your topic coordinator.
Also, seek support and assistance as soon as possible from the University Student Equal Opportunity Adviser, who provides assistance to resolve complaints that arise from harassment or bullying, under the University’s Equal Opportunity Policy (PDF).
What is breach of conduct?
A breach of conduct is when situations arise where there are serious deficits in the way a student conducts themselves or behaves while on placement, for example when a student:
- behaves in an unprofessional manner or
- does tasks outside their scope of practice
- engages in unsafe professional practice
When a breach of conduct occurs, the student will be referred to the topic coordinator who will review whether they can continue activity within the topic, depending on the severity of the breach.
Unsafe professional practice include:
- inadequate knowledge for safe practice
- inadequate performance of skills, including communication
- unprofessional behaviour that places people at risk of physical harm, unreasonable emotional distress or neglect
- unlawful or unethical behaviour.
If the issue/s that caused the removal of a student from placement can be resolved, and the venue agrees, a student may continue their placement. Negotiation for the support of a Professional Learning Plan may also be considered.
The topic coordinator, in consultation with the agency and University supervisor will determine whether a student may be reinstated.
Rural placements
You may be required to undertake a rural or remote placement during your study. A rural venue is defined by the Australian Statistical Geography Standard Remoteness Areas 2-5.
Rural placements will provide unique opportunities and challenges that aid in developing your personal independence and professional skills. Keep in mind that ehy will require you to be adaptable, flexible and resourceful.
You will be notified of all placement allocations through InPlace.
The College of Nursing and Health Sciences understands that students can struggle financially with the costs of living away from home while undertaking placement. There are resources available to help:
- Reimbursement Policy – students can recover some of the costs of travel and accommodation after their placement by completing the Student Placement Reimbursement form (PDF).
- FUSA – FUSA’s Financial Advocacy service can assist with all things financial
- Scholarships – Students are encouraged to check the Scholarships at Flinders page and apply for any scholarship for which they are eligible.
Flinders University Rural Health SA (FURHSA) facilitates high quality multidisciplinary health education and research in our State's regional areas.
We have a strong national and international reputation for providing community-engaged inter-professional training for medical, nursing and allied health students. This includes the Parallel Rural Community Curriculum (PRCC) program and multidisciplinary rural clinical placements.
Through this practice, we bring new and exciting opportunities to actively engage and work with rural communities.
The Northern Territory offers unique placement experiences that pose both challenges and rewards for healthcare students. Placement sites vary from remote clinics and practices to large tertiary hospitals, and from isolated desert communities to the multi-cultural centres of Darwin and Alice Springs.
We encourage and support students to embrace the learning opportunities, become involved in the local communities and make a positive difference to the health of our population.
Student Reimbursement Policy for SA rural, remote and interstate placements (18 January 2021)
This policy is for College of Nursing and Health Sciences students undertaking a rural or remote South Australian or any interstate placement.
Students will be eligible for reimbursement following each completed placement.
Reimbursement claims are processed at the completion of placement. Reimbursement claims must be submitted by the 15 January the following year for reimbursement of placement expenses the previous calendar year.
Accommodation
Accommodation expenses will be reimbursed to a maximum of $150 per week for the duration of the placement period.
Students must provide evidence for payment of accommodation, a receipt is preferred where possible, bank statement or signed letter from landlord can also be provided as evidence. Bonds and security deposits for accommodation, paid by students, are not covered by this policy and will not be reimbursed.
Travel
Travel will be reimbursed to a maximum of $500 for travel expenses to and from the placement venue, at the commencement and completion of the placement based on the receipts provided (such as flights, bus, taxi fare). Students will not be reimbursed for travel while on placement returning to their residential address (e.g. at the end of a shift or on weekends during placement).
Students travelling within SA to rural and remote locations by a private vehicle will receive a predetermined amount to cover fuel expenses. Students will not be required to submit receipts. The total amount students will receive is provided on the Personal Travel Reimbursement - SA Rural Locations (PDF).
If the placement is a project-based placement requiring the student to travel several times from metropolitan Adelaide to a rural venue, the student will be entitled to 2 return trips to a maximum refund of $500. To be eligible the student must provide supporting documentation in writing from their topic coordinator indicating this activity is essential.
All accommodation and travel reimbursements will be subjected to the following criteria;
- Rural and remote placements in South Australia must be within ASGS Remoteness Areas RA2 – RA5 outlined on the Doctor Connect website. Mt Barker will be excluded from this policy for both accommodation and travel reimbursement.
- Interstate placements, including metro locations, are included when; the placement is approved and/or required by the college (the college via the WIL placement team will identify if a placement satisfies this test prior to confirmation).
- Interstate placements, including metro locations, are not included when you choose to go to an interstate location where there is a suitable South Australian placement available to you as defined by the College of Nursing and Health Sciences WIL placement team. In these circumstances the students can still do this placement, but reimbursement will not be provided.
- All placements will be confirmed by the College of Nursing and Health Sciences WIL placement team.
- Stipends and Scholarships received by the student for any placement will be taken into consideration when calculating the reimbursement. Student reimbursements from this policy will not exceed the total expenditure the student incurred for travel and accommodation.
Example:
Accommodation [$1,500] + Travel [$600] – Stipend/Scholarship [$480] = $1,680 (Reimbursement)
- Domestic students attending a Northern Territory placement facilitated through Remote and Rural Interprofessional Placement Learning NT (RIPPL NT) will receive a stipend, this will be assumed and deducted when calculating student reimbursements. If you have not applied please view information about how to apply for the stipend.
- International students attending a Northern Territory placement facilitated through Remote and Rural Interprofessional Placement Learning NT (RIPPL NT) will receive reimbursement for travel and accommodation expenses from the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, they will not receive a stipend from RIPPL NT.
Reimbursement process
Students are to submit reimbursement claims as per the following process:
- At the completion of placement, fill out the Student Placement Reimbursement form (PDF) detailing expenses incurred while undertaking your placement.
- Scan the form with receipts/invoices of expenses and email to cnhs.placements@flinders.edu.au with your student ID number and “Placement Reimbursement Claim Request” in the subject heading. Ensure your scanned document is clearly legible.
- Payments are made into your nominated account within approximately 4 weeks of submitting your student placement reimbursement form.
You must ensure you keep your accommodation and travel expense receipts/invoices.
For more information please contact cnhs.placements@flinders.edu.au.
During placement, you are required to cover the costs of your travel, accommodation and meals. You are eligible for financial assistance and reimbursement as detailed above.
Travel to many rural centres is available through private bus companies, including Stateliner and Yorke Peninsula Coaches.
Accommodation may be offered at a subsidised rate. When you are allocated to a rural placement, your details are forwarded to the Flinders Rural Health South Australia team who will contact you regarding the available accommodation options.
Contact your WIL placement team
College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Location: Level 1, North Wing, Sturt campus
Phone: 8201 7500
Email: cnhs.placements@flinders.edu.au
Sturt Rd, Bedford Park
South Australia 5042
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