Academic Student Support Advisor
The Academic Student Support Advisor will be available to support students with the following:
Setting training goals and learning contracts
Understanding training pathways and options
Advise on which training path to follow
Academic writing
Personal issues affecting students
Training needs requiring additional support
Assistance in Personal Development Planning (PDP)
Concerns raised by the trainers
Communication with the Student Advisor can be in confidence. If the issue raised needs action with the training or administrative staff, the Student Advisor will inform the student before referring the matter on. In the event of referral, any communication will be kept in the student’s file.
Support for Students and their Learning
All students have access to individual tutorials during each training year. Individual tutorials can be with the year trainer or with the Student Advisor. Significant group tutorial time is included in each training weekend focusing on matters such as essay writing, academic and practice requirements, transcript and case study writing etc. Individual and group tutorial time can be used to discuss the following:
Written work, and may include specific coaching to develop skills in this area.
Participation in the group.
Any issues likely to affect academic progress.
Any specific concerns or confidential issues the student may have and wish to discuss.
Training pathway.
Further action.
Issues outstanding or areas for action may be passed to the Director of Training, Student Advisor or year trainer as appropriate.
42 Students can always raise issues with their year trainer or student Advisor. Issues relating to the clinical practice element of the programme may also be discussed with the student’s clinical supervisor.
Support for Students with Disabilities
Physis Training ensures that the curriculum is as accessible as possible and that the learning experience is equivalent to that of other students without disabilities.
Believing in the TA principle of autonomy, Physis will always consult and negotiate with the student the nature and level of support required and take external advice and guidance when required.
Support for International Students
A student’s spoken English must be at sufficient standard to enable him/her to practise with clients in English. Support needs are discussed with the student. Physis will ask for evidence of English language proficiency – for foundation year this is IELTS 6.00 or equivalent.
There are a number of European students on the training programme. Physis Training supports the principles of the Bologna Declaration, which is in line with the worldwide recognition of Transactional Analysis training and the professional qualification validated in Europe by EATA.
Communication from Physis Training
Student Staff Consultative Meetings known as “The Physis Hub”, take place twice yearly, either face to face or virtual meetings
Physis Training Manual revised annually.
Information Year Books for each training year
Through the trainers, both during and between training weekends.
Visits by the Academic Student Support Advisor to each training group at the beginning of the academic year.
Regular information posted in Student area of the Physis Training Website and on the Physis Training Facebook page
Academic Student Support Advisor writing support
Individual contact with Physis administration via meetings, email and telephone.
Communication from Physis to students is normally in the form of emails. Email and postal addresses, telephone numbers and training records with other details are held on computer by Physis. As part of the registration process, students consent to their contact details being used for Physis communications and for contact information to be passed to fellow students, trainers and when appropriate to validating authorities and the UKATA. Information is not used for any other purpose and Physis Training complies with the requirements of the Data Protection Act.
43 Student Feedback
Students are required to complete mid- and end of year feedback forms which can be submitted anonymously.
There is opportunity throughout the programme for informal feedback.
Students are invited to appoint a student representative from each training group to attend the
“Physis Hub”.
Student & Staff Committee “The Physis Hub”
There are two Physis Hub meetings per year, which may be on-line. This is a forum for student representatives to provide feedback from the training groups and to have input into the
development of the programme. Its purpose is to provide an opportunity for:
Discussion between students and Physis training and administrative staff
Constructive discussion of the training programme and its demands on students
Consideration of matters directly related to the programme
Making recommendations to the organisation.
Each training group will elect a representative onto “The Hub”. Where there are two training groups in each year, there will be a member from each group. Members of the Physis training team and administrative staff will sit on the committee, with the majority of members being student representatives, and the chair of the committee elected from those representatives. The intent is to be as open as possible in allowing the group to develop effective procedures.
The role of a student representative is to:
Give feedback on students’ experience
Represent their training year
Contribute to the review and development of the Physis training programme
Feedback information on developments to the training group.
Student Complaints and Appeals Procedures
The complaints and appeals procedures can be found in Appendix H of this Training Manual.
This allows for appeal to an external moderator.
All members have available to them the UKATA complaints procedures (Appendix E). For UKATA these include ethics, professional practice and training. The Training Standards Committee will hear a complaint as an appeal from a student where the internal procedures of the member institute fails to satisfy the complainant.
44
Part 7 Beginning Practice Starting Practice
Foundation Year
Students who have had no previous experience of working with people using listening skills are recommended to seek a placement in a voluntary organisation as a mentor or befriender.
This will provide some experience of working with people and of using counselling skills and will help to build confidence. With the support of the trainer, students should consider arranging a practice placement in a voluntary counselling capacity to start as soon as practical in Advanced Year 1.
Advanced Year 1
Students are expected to begin practising in a voluntary placement, using Transactional Analysis during this year for which an endorsement to practice issued by Physis Training is required.
It is a requirement that the first 100 hours of practice must be within a placement with a placement provider. This also complies with the requirements of COSCA.
This is normally a voluntary placement. Voluntary placements provide a structured supportive environment and often offer additional supervision. Physis Training monitors the quality of voluntary placements through the use of a 4 way “Supervision Agreement”, and the clear stating of minimum standards for placement providers:
Placement Provider- Role and Responsibilities
1. The placement provider will carry out an Enhanced Disclosure check as defined by Disclosure Scotland.
2. The placement provider will ensure a safe and appropriate setting exists for counselling work to be carried out by the trainee.
3. The placement provider will ensure that the necessary policies and procedures exist within the placement setting for Health and Safety, Equal Opportunities, Child
Protection and Safeguarding etc, and that these are made available and discussed with the trainee.
4. The placement provider will provide as a minimum a named contact person who will be available to the trainee each session for debrief, emergency support and caseload management issues.
5. The placement provider may provide in house supervision or induction or additional training, but should be aware that the trainee’s main clinical training and supervision will be the responsibility of Physis Training and the Physis Approved Supervisor.
The placement provider will complete a feedback form at the end of each academic year providing basic information about the trainee’s progress within the placement.
45 Physis has a Placement Support Adviser who collates and monitors information from
placement providers and trainees about availability and quality of placement settings.
Endorsement to practice
Endorsement to practice requires the agreement of the year trainer and agreement from a TA supervisor. In making an endorsement, the trainer and supervisor have judged that the student is ready and competent to work with clients using TA as the counselling methodology.
Endorsement is usually given early in Advanced Year 1 and permits the obtaining of a voluntary placement.
Supervision should be taken on the suitability of any particular work, especially during early practice. Students should ensure that when working for an agency they are fully familiar with the agency’s support and supervision arrangements.
The Placement Support Advisor
The role of the Placement Support Advisor has been created in order to support trainees in finding suitable placements, and to establish good links between Physis and placement providers.
The Placement Support Advisor will provide:
Support in developing placement opportunities for students
Monitoring of the suitability of placements
Liaison between student, placement and Physis
Close liaison with Director of Training