Paramedic Practice - Staffordshire University

6.1 Negotiated, flexible days
Within each year of the programme you can take up to 10 flexible days per year
away from the practice experience without compromising your practice
requirements. This extra time has been built in, in order to provide you with some
flexibility to manage your course and personal demands.
The principles for agreeing flexible days are as follows:
• Normally this will be agreed in advance with your mentor and must not be
taken if it compromises the 15 hours of time you need to work with your mentor
during the placement.
• You should have no more than 5 flexible away from any one placement block
(this total would also include any sickness absence you have had) unless you
have special dispensation from the Programme Leader to do so.
• Flexible days will not be taken within four weeks of the date of summative
assessment.
• Flexible days will be recorded on your placement attendance sheet and signed
as accurate by your mentor. The number of flexible days will be monitored by
your personal tutor and a record will be kept.
It is acknowledged that there may be occasions when you need to take flexible
days as an emergency, for example, if you have family health / care problems. On
these occasions, please let your placement and reception at the Faculty of Health
know immediately that you need to take a flexible day away and the date that you
will be back on duty.
The support the students, who are working on assessment resubmission during
their full time extended placement period, will be discussed and negotiated on an
individual basis by the student‟s module and personal tutor. If you successfully
complete your summative assessment of practice on the first attempt (placements
3 and 6) and have flexible days remaining, you may take these within the final two
weeks of that placement, prior to the second assessment submission date.
6.2 Sickness and absence
We expect you to attend all sessions associated with your module of study and
all placement experiences. However, we acknowledge that there may be
occasions when you are unwell. Should you be unable to attend the University
please telephone the Faculty Office at Stafford. An answer phone is available out
of office hours. Should you be unable to attend a placement you must
telephone both the placement and the University.
It is your responsibility to discuss with the Module Leader aspects of content that
you will have missed by non-attendance, and you will be expected to complete
any work set (see the University Regulations for more details). Prolonged periods
of sickness/absence will impair your ability to meet the Module/Award Outcomes
and Professional Requirements and sickness or absence will need to be made up
in order to meet professional requirements. Your Personal Tutor will monitor
attendance and it is important for you to discuss your progress with them. It is
possible that a period of intermission from the Award will be necessary in some
circumstances.
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