Student Placement Information

Please ensure that you read the following carefully.

This page provides you with the information required for completion of your qualification. You practical placement is a MANDATORY component of your training.

Student Placement Information

To successfully complete your qualification there must be written evidence of your competence for each of the units. Units of competency are assessed by off/on the job assessment of knowledge and through skills demonstrated whilst on Work Placement

During your studies in Individual Support, Disability or Ageing support, you are required to complete a minimum of 120 hours of direct support work in a Healthcare facility (Host Organisation) – this is called your Practical Placement.

Your placement is an essential component of your study and needs to take priority over other activities i.e. employment and social life. Remember! Your placement is only for a limited time and essential to achieve your qualification.

Your placement WILL NOT be confirmed if you have not met the following placement pre-requisites:

Up to date with your fees,
Satisfactory academic progress,
Have received a clear police clearance certificate
Have received a NDIS Worker Screening Card
Have evidence of Influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations

If you miss a placement due to any of the above reasons you risk waiting several months for another placement, and incur additional fees to extend your enrolment. It cannot be emphasised enough that:

YOU MUST KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ALL COURSE REQUIREMENTS!

Equinox College Placement Coordinator

Mobile: 0478 563 859

Phone: 07 3106 3859

Email: studentplacement@equinoxsg.com.au

Important Information

WHAT IS WORK PLACEMENT?

Work Placement is an integral part of the course, giving you, the student the opportunity to observe in and apply your learnt skills in the workplace. All students will be placed at a Healthcare Care Facility or service (host organisation) where you will work alongside a buddy in a health care team. You will work in a supernumerary capacity under the direct supervision of a buddy undertaking the day to day duties of a Professional Care Worker (PCW) /Assistant in Nursing (AIN).

DO I NEED A POLICE CLEARANCE?

Yes. All students on placement are required to have a clear police clearance (National Police Clearance). We partner with a police checking service (CITED), and apply for your NPC on your behalf.

We offer two (2) options for obtaining your police certificate.

Firstly, as part of our ‘ Placement Ready Pack‘ (resource fee), you can apply for Volunteer National Police Certificate. This certificate is provided directly to the Host Provider for the sole purpose of ensuring your eligibility for the placement. It is not suitable for paid employment.

Secondly, our ‘Job Ready Pack‘, affords you a Full National Police Certificate, where you receive a copy, and it is suitable for paid employment.

DO I HAVE TO FIND MY OWN PLACEMENT?

At your enrolment, you will provided with an opportunity to choose if you would like to accept an Equinox College placement with one of our amazing hosts, or the ability to source your own placement.

If you live within a 40km radius of our training Centre in Cabolture South, we will allocate you a placement, however you MUST be prepared to travel up to about an hour to attend placement, which will be based on availability within our Host Organisations.

If you choose to source your own placement, you must contact our placement coordinator to obtain the necessary and relevant documentation to ensure that we are able to approve you chosen host. There are strict timeframes applicable to this process.

CAN I ORGANISE MY OWN PLACEMENT?

If you reside within an 50km radius of our training centre in Caboolture, we will source your placement. All those students outside the area can certainly secure their own placement (with the help from our Placement Coordinator).

CAN I COMPLETE MY PLACEMENT IN MY WORKPLACE?

You are currently working in Aged Care or Disability Services? That’s great.

We are committed to assist you to have your skills recognised.

There are a number of steps required in order to be able to use your current employment for your practical placement.

IMPORTANT: You MUST have been employed in the relevant industry within 4 weeks of your course commencing. (This means that if you commence employment after this time, you will need to arrange time off with your employer to complete your Practical Placement with one of our Hosts).

You need to contact our placement coordinator via email: studentplacement@equinoxsg.com.au and request the following document for your employer to complete;

Workplace Approval Form – (This form must be completed and returned by your employer by the due date specified by the Placement Coordinator)

Your employer will be requested to also provide us with information regarding your employment, including:

A understanding of your current role and responsibilities
Confirming that you are or will be able to undertake specific tasks (as required by the qualification)
Providing us with a Statement of Service on company letterhead (outlining you name, position, start date, total number of worked hours)
A signed copy of your Position Description
Your roster of between 2-4 weeks

Additionally, your employer must agree to the following:

Allowing our assessor to attend 2-3 shifts in order to be able to verify your skills
Complete any Third-Party verification (as required)

It is important to note that if your employer is unable to unwilling to agree to these terms, then your request to complete your placement in your workplace will be refused, and you will be required to undertake Practical Placement as arranged by Equinox College, at the times outlined in your Course Schedule.

WHAT ARE THE HOURS THAT I WILL BE REQUIRED TO WORK?

You will be required to work an 8 hour shift at the hostto ensure you meet the requirements of 120 hours of placement. Your lunch break will be included in your time. As well as shifts being verified on the day of attendance in your placement logbook, you are required to sign in at the beginning and sign out at the end of the shift in the organisation’s visitor book at reception. Any falsification of records such as signing other student’s logbook, signing in or out on behalf of another student and falsifying attendance will be viewed as a breach of the Equinox College Student code of conduct.

It is recommended that you complete a combination of ‘early’ and ‘late’ shifts (between the hours of approx. 6.00am and 10.00pm) so you can observe and participate in a range of routines and transitions. The ability to do this is always at the discretion of the host organisation and is not automatically assumed. When you have completed your Work Placement you will need to submit a completed logbook of your hours to Equinox College as part of your assessment.

Important: If you miss hours or have days off, you are required to notify the placement coordinator as soon as possible via both phone and email. Hosts do not always have the capacity to host ‘make-up’ days.

WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF TASKS I WILL BE REQUIRED TO DO WHILST ON PLACEMENT?

A typical day in a Healthcare organisation will involve assisting with care such as:
Reading resident’s care plans to become familiar with their needs
Assisting your buddy with personal care for residents, such as toileting, showering, dressing, hygiene management to assist residents to maintain independence and dignity with respect to activities of daily living and lifestyle
Ensuring resident looks neat and tidy, hair is well groomed, glasses cleaned, food stains removed from face and clothes
Providing residents with nutrition and hydration
Following the bed making procedure and keep resident’s room free of hazards
Documenting progress notes on the support provided to residents (if required by the service)
Providing handover information to the next support staff coming on their shift if required by the organisation
Reporting any hazards or risks identified to your buddy or supervisor
Reporting any changes in resident’s condition to your buddy or supervisor
What are the tasks that I cannot perform whilst on placement?

As a student you CANNOT perform any of the following duties:

Administration of any medication (even under supervision)
Feed residents in their rooms without a buddy present
Manual handling tasks or assisting with ADLS without a buddy present or assisting
Assisting residents on outings, unsupervised
Technical procedures for example, urine analysis, catheter procedure, wound dressing, checking blood sugar levels, taking observations such as blood pressure, temperature etc.

Will I have contact with the client’s families/carers/visitors?

It is likely you will meet the families/carers/visitors of the resident you are caring for during your practical placement. When you meet a family member/carer/visitor it is important to introduce yourself as a student and mention where you are from and what you are doing in the organisation (at an appropriate time).
You are NOT ALLOWED, under any circumstances to discuss the resident’s health, changes in health or incidents that may have occurred during the day. If a family member/carer/visitor asks you about any of that information refer them immediately to the supervisor.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I AM GOING TO BE ABSENT FROM PLACEMENT?

If you are sick or are unable to attend your placement you must call:

The Host Organisation – keep their phone number handy and speak to the Supervisor.
You MUST also call or text the placement coordinator – either phone or send an SMS ASAP and a follow up phone call later to confirm receipt and discuss options to proceed on placement.
You are required to supply a medical certificate if you are absent for more than one day.

The facilities in consultation with Equinox College, will try to allocate all students their hours, however, sometimes this is beyond their control and student will need to complete placement at another organisation or later.

The granting of such make-up shifts is dependent on the approval from the organisation and Equinox College has no say in the matter.

IMPORTANT: Regular attendance on the agreed placement days is essential to enable an on-going development of confidence, knowledge and skills. Placement has a compulsory requirement of a minimum of 120 hours.

CAN I BE ASKED TO LEAVE PLACEMENT?

Yes, of course. We are guests in our Host’s facility, so students are reminded that any unprofessional or unsafe conduct may warrant removal from placement. Students are required to be familiar with the organisation’s guidelines for student placements and conditions. Students may also be removed from placement if their mental, emotional or physical health may affect client or resident care, safety or placement performance.

Removal from placement does not guarantee that another placement can or will be secured for you. In certain circumstances you may be dismissed from the program and not permitted to complete your qualification with Equinox College. Removal for reasons of a criminal nature will prevent you from obtaining your Certificate and the matter will be referred to the relevant authorities.

Professional Attitudes and Requirements

WHAT SHOULD I DO ON MY FIRST DAY OF PLACEMENT?

Your first day will be your orientation to the organisation. You should:

Arrive on time or at least 10 mins before arranged shift time
See the Supervisor/ Facility Manager, introduce yourself and where you are from.
Show your original current Police Check
Ensure the Student Placement Agreement is signed. You must not start prior to signing this due to work cover policy
The Supervisor may give you the organisation’s Student Policy (if they have one)
Most likely the Supervisor will buddy you up with another worker and introduce you to other staff
Ask where you can leave any belongings such as your bag, phone etc.
Read the Facilities information – policies, procedures, care plans, philosophies etc.
Familiarise yourself with any care plans you are provided with to become familiar with the resident’s needs
Be warm and courteous and interact positively with the residents and staff of the organisation
Ask who you directly report to directly or report to with any concerns
Fill in your Workplace Attendance Record daily and have signed off by a supervisor

HOW SHOULD I INTERACT WITH CLIENTS?

Some helpful tips:

Knock on the door before entering a resident’s room and introduce yourself, Smile
Maintain eye contact with the resident and address them by their preferred name
Be respectful of the resident & respect their privacy and dignity
Allow residents to use self-help skills as much as possible, where it is identified that they can as outlined in their ‘Care Plan’.
Use an appropriate tone of voice and speak clearly so that you can be heard and understood
Explain to the resident what you are there to do and explain the steps along the way e.g. when showering, talk to the resident, ask them if the water is a good temperature, if they can use a cloth to wipe themselves, explain what they are eating etc.
Listen to what the resident is telling you or what their body language communicates. e.g. if you are showering a resident and they are shivering this may indicate that the water is too cold.
Use gestures, body language, signs and symbols to communicate with residents who are nonverbal or difficult to understand
Always seek advice and direction from your supervisor or buddy.
Provide support that meets the facilities Charter of Resident’s Rights
Discuss any concerns with your supervisor or Equinox College/Assessor

PUNCTUALITY

This is very important with any employment and shows a level of respect for the organisation and the staff and residents that you are working with. You should ensure that you arrive at the organisation at least 10 minutes prior and be ready to start at the required time. Please be on time every day! Take only the allocated time for tea breaks and lunch breaks and return promptly.

MOBILE PHONES

NO mobile phones are to be carried on you whilst working at ANY TIME! If you need to be contacted, give the person the workplace’s contact phone number.

NOTE: You may be asked to leave placement if you are seen using your phone whilst providing direct client supports

SMOKING

New legislation from April 1 2016 prohibits smoking on any Residential Aged Care facility, so smoking is strongly discouraged during shift times however, if you are a smoker please make sure that you do not stand out the front of the organisation on your breaks. Ensure that you wash your hands when coming back into the room and have some spray handy to disguise any cigarette smell. Always refer to the facilities Smoking Policy.

TEAM WORK

Learn the routine of the room that you are working in. Offer to help and always ask questions if you are unsure. Staff would rather a student who seeks direction rather than stands back too much as this can be seen as a lack of initiative. Just being eager and showing a willingness to learn will reflect positively on you. Write down information that you may need to remember when working with other residents. This placement can be viewed as a work trial and often students are offered employment or encouraged to apply, if positions are available at the organisation.

DRESS CODE

You will be required to wear a uniform for the duration of your placement.

Uniform

Equinox Collegepolo shirt, washed daily (Equinox Collegesupplies 1 polo shirt, facilities that require alternative uniforms will be at student expense)
Black or navy pants
Black enclosed non-slip shoes
Due to infection control long sleeves are unacceptable, even if it is to cover visible tattoos
Hair must be kept neat and clean and tidy at all times
Long hair must be tied in a ponytail or plait or fastened in such a manner so as not to hang below the collar
Facial hair – clean-shaven or neatly trimmed beard
Fingernails must be kept neat, clean and well-manicured (NO ACRYLIC/FALSE NAILS OR NAIL VARNISH OF ANY TYPE)
Fingernails should not be visible over the top of the end of the finger when the hands are held with the palms up
Jewellery (wedding rings, sleepers, studs, or small earrings that sit on the lobe of the ear and do not pose a danger to patient, resident or student are the only items of jewellery to be worn during placement

Existing Worker Process

Step 1 Complete the Workplace Approval Form

(This can be requested from our Placement Coordinator by emailing studentplacement@equinoxsg.com.au) (Due Date- within 4 weeks of your enrolment):

This provides Equinox College with important information about your workplace, its services, resources and details of your proposed workplace supervisor. This includes an agreement to provide workplace assessments to be signed by your organisation. You should also provide a copy of this guide to your proposed workplace supervisor.

Step 2 Have your employer email us the workplace approval form

Yes. All students on placement are required to have a clear police clearance (National Police Clearance). We partner with a police checking service (CITED), and apply for your NPC on your behalf.

We offer two (2) options for obtaining your police certificate.

This document must come directly from your supervisor/manager’s business email.

It MUST be received by us no later than Week 4 of your course in order to be approved.

(There are no exceptions to this as there are significant preparations to undertake)

Step 3 Confirmation of Approval

Once we have confirmed your duties, hours and workplace acceptance, you will be notified that your workplace is suitable, and your workplace assessment can officially commence.

If we have not been able to contact your nominated supervisor and/or they have not confirmed all the details of the approval form with our coordinator by Week 6 of your course, we will cease to follow up with your workplace and you will be required to undertake an arranged placement through one of our Hosts Employers.

Step 4 Receive your Workplace Record Logbook

You should ensure that you carefully read your Logbook to ensure what is expected of you during your workplace assessment. You will be advised of where and when an Equinox College facilitator will attend your workplace for assessment.

Summary of documents needed

Here is a list of the documents you need to action if your work placement is taking place in your current place of employment:

Information for Host Organisations
Workplace Approval Form
Workplace Record Logbook

Student Process

If you are not currently working in an appropriate organisation, you will be required to complete a placement with an Equinox College approved host organisation under the guidance of an experienced and appropriately qualified workplace supervisor. We will notify you of your allocation by Week 6 of the program. We aim to provide placement locally to you; however, it is important to be willing to travel up to 45 minutes.

Note that there are some exceptions to this. For example:

1. You may elect to source your own placement – We must be notified of this within 4 weeks of your enrolment so as we can make the appropriate arrangements, and

2. If you are a regional student (outside 40km of our training centre), you will be required to approach a suitable host and secure your placement.

As always, it is very important that you carefully read the practical placement requirements.

Equinox College’s Practical Placement FAQs provide more detailed information on what constitutes an appropriate host organisation and workplace supervisor. To complete your work placement and workplace assessments, you need to follow these steps:

Step 1 Eligibility for Placement

Provide the required pre-requisite placement documents (see Summary of Pre-requisites section) by emailing them to studentplacement@equinoxsg.com.au or submitting them to our reception at our Training Centre

Step 2 Complete all pre-requisites

Complete all course requirements, including:

Ensuring satisfactory course progress – your placement will not be confirmed if you have outstanding course assessments
Ensuring all course fees are up to date
Attend and satisfactorily complete Manual Handling Training

Step 3 Receive your placement agreement and Student Placement Logbook

Your placement will be tentatively booked by Week 7 of your course, you will receive and sign your student placement agreement and receive your Student Placement Logbook.

Closer to the placement you will receive your placement roster.

Note: until all pre-placement requirements have been met, your placement booking is tentative. Our Placement Coordinator will contact you to confirm your eligibility to attend. Please do not assume attendance at placement is automatic. Course requirements MUST be met.

Summary of documents needed

Here is a list of the documents you need to action if your work placement is taking place in a workplace that is NOT your current place of employment:

Information for host organisations
Workplace approval form
Letter of introduction
Course workplace assessment requirements

Roles and Responsibilities

THE HOST ORGANISATION

The responsibilities of the Host Organisation as outlined below, list the obligations required to fulfil the practical placement:

Agree to the Terms and Insurance Arrangements of the ‘Student Placement Agreement’
Host Organisation must ensure that all placement students are not included as part of staff ratios
Sight and take a copy of the student’s Police Check
Provide the student with an appropriate ‘Induction’ including:
Work health and safety procedures e.g. Evacuation & emergency, job risks or hazards, incident reporting
Code of ethics, conduct, staff policies and procedures
Location of staff facilities and dress code
Days of placement
Start, finishing and break times
Who the student’s mentor and supervisor is each shift

EQUINOX COLLEGE

The responsibilities of Equinox College are outlined below and lists the obligations required to fulfil the practical placement:

Agree to the Terms and Insurance Arrangements of the ‘Placement Service Agreement’
Ensure all students undertaking practical placement have a current Police Check
Ensure the organisation and Student have a copy of the signed ‘Student Placement Agreement’
Provide the Host Organisation with a ‘Host Organisation Guide to Placement’ outlining roles, responsibilities and insurance arrangements
Provide students with a ‘Student Work Placement Handbook’, outlining placement expectations, code of conduct, dress code, roles and responsibilities, insurance arrangements
Provide student with the ‘Placement Attendance Record’ to be completed on placement
Deliver training that meets industry practices and standards
Monitor and provide feedback to the student and Host Organisation on progress
Conduct ‘Workplace Visits’ for each student, to assess competency
Follow the Client Feedback and Complaints Handling process
Follow the Legislative and Regulatory requirements

STUDENTS

The responsibilities of Equinox College Students is outlined below and lists the obligations required to fulfil the practical placement:

Agree to the Terms and Conditions of the ‘Student Placement Agreement’
Follow the Placement Program processes as outlined in this book and submit the require documentation by the due dates
Provide the original Police Check for sighting and copying to Equinox College and the Host Organisation
Participate in the host organisations induction process
Adhere to work health and safety procedures
Report any injuries or incidents to the Workplace Supervisor and fill in relevant reports
Abide by the host organisations code of ethics, conduct, policies and procedures and relevant legislation
Attend placement on the agreed days and times and maintain the Placement Attendance Record
Ensure that they meet the required minimum 120hours of practical placement
Inform the host organisation immediately of any absences and record these on the Placement Attendance Record
Wear the uniform and follow the dress code as outlined by Equinox Training

Important Dates to Remember

Evidence of COVID-19 Vaccination
At Enrolment
Student Placement Declaration Form
At Enrolment
National Police Certificate Application
At Enrolment
Submission of NDIS Worker Screening
Friday of Week 1
Notification of request to complete practical placement in the workplace
Friday of Week 4

Evidence of Influenza Vaccination
Friday of Week 4
Department of Health online COVID-19 training modules
Friday of Week 6
Signed Student Placement Agreement
Friday of Week 6
Student Placement Logbook and Evaluation
Within 1 week of placement completion
Existing Worker Record and Evaluation
Within 1 month of end of classroom-based study