Five step process to help support your student throughout their Research in Practice placement journey

Step 1 Placement pre work

Your student will be asked to invite their allocated contact from the RiP team (along with their allocated contact from the SCDTP senior team) to a supervision meeting in first few months of their first year for a research conversation about their Development Needs Analysis.

This meeting is an opportunity to talk through early thoughts on suitable Research in Practice placement options and timelines for going on placement. You are a vital part of helping to consider the research/transferable skills that the student can offer their placement host and those that they will develop through the placement.

Here is a link to the student Five Step Process to preparing and applying for their Research in Practice placement

In preparation for helping students to decide on appropriate placement opportunities, please note that The Research in Practice Team sends out placement opportunities throughout the year. These placements may require a degree of flexibility on timing to accommodate the right opportunity.

If you or your student would prefer to set up a placement using your own networks, here are the guidelines and forms to help support that.

Step 2 Placement application process

Once your student has been offered a placement by a suitable host organisation, they will need to complete The SCDTP Placement Application form for final approval. This is also a necessary step in applying to the SCDTP for any placement funding required.

As the supervisor, you will need to review and sign the form.

Step 3 Placement paperwork

Your student will need to complete a Risk Assessment for their placement travel, no matter how infrequent or local that travel may be. A copy of the completed Risk Assessment needs to be emailed to scdtp@soton.ac.uk

Please use the Risk Assessment from your university.

International students will need to notify their university Visa Team that they are going on placement.

Please set up a contact plan with your student for the duration of the placement. The level of contact can be determined between you and your student to allow you the opportunity to check in with your student on how they are progressing through their placement.

The Research in Practice team will also contact the student periodically throughout their placement to see how they are getting on.

Step 4 On placement

Through your contact plan, you can check in with your student on how they are getting on with their placement.

If at any point during the placement your student needs support because they are unwell or do not feel safe, please contact scdtp@soton.ac.uk for next steps.

Step 5 Post placement support

Your student may need support returning to their PhD project post placement, especially if they have been away for 6 months. You should also offer support for their post-placement reflections on the learning.