Questions about work experience and placements

• Q: My son/daughter is in Year 10 and I would like them to do their work experience in Sheffield Children’s Hospital. How do I go about this?

  A: Your son/daughter needs to think which area will give them the best work experience linked to what they would like to do when they leave school. Then, they need to write in to the Work Placement Team, Learning and Development Department, Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Western Bank Sheffield, S10 2TH, or email workplacements@sch.nhs.uk.

• Q: Is work experience only for students who are going to get high grades at school?

  A: No. The Trust offers the opportunity of work experience for everybody who is a school student who is required to undertake a work placement.

• Q: Can a Year 10 student (age 14-15) get work experience shadowing a clinical professional and working in clinical areas?

  A: No. Work experience for Years 10 and 11 (14 – 16 years old) is about doing real work in a real organisation as opposed to work placements. This should include observing and participating in team working, time keeping, and problem solving and working with a variety of adults with some simple tasks. Government legislative requirements preclude under 16 year olds from working or observing in clinical areas.
  

• Staff Question: One of my patients has asked me to help them get work experience, I would like to do this but who do I need to contact?

   A: Ask the patient to write to the Work Placement Team at workplacements@sch.nhs.uk or by letter, to the Work Placement Team, Learning and Development Department, Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Western Bank Sheffield. S10 2TH, explaining what they want to do as a career and where they would like to work.

• Staff Question: I work in the Children's Hospital and have been approached by my child’s friend to see if they could observe me in my work place for their two week work experience. What should I do?

  A: It is recommended by NHS Careers, school placement providers and schools that the student writes into the work place they would like to have a placement to ensure there is equal access. Please ask all potential students to contact workplacements@sch.nhs.uk or write in to the Work Placement Team, Learning and Development Department, Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Western Bank Sheffield, S10 2TH.

• Q: Which departments can Years 10 and 11 (14 – 15 years) undertake their work placement if they cannot shadow a clinician or work in a clinical area?

  A: The departments that have participated, include Admin, IT, Facilities, Finance and the Foundation Trust office where there is supervision and can provide a variety of tasks to observe and do. Supervised visits to clinical departments are also included in this programme. This enables the students to have a good overview of the NHS and the services it provides.
  

• Q: Do you have work placements all year round?

  A:  We receive requests all year round and plan work placement dates in partnership with departments to the capacity they can accommodate, so there may be some times where there is no availability. For one to two day shadow placements this can be arranged more flexibly. We aim to run placements during term time and shadow placements throughout the year. June to August and December to February are the periods we experience high demand for placements.
   
  There is a high demand for work placements in the Trust from a variety of students, as well as students undergoing formal professional training i.e. Medical, Physiotherapy and Nursing students. Therefore, we need to ensure that areas are not over subscribed and causing an effect on care delivery.
  

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  Q: What happens if the student is refused a placement at the Trust?

  A: All four Trusts within Sheffield can provide work placements and shadowing of a member of staff of which we can provide contact information. If the student contacts the Work Placement Team at workplacements@sch.nhs.uk further information will be forwarded.  Sheffield Childrens NHS FT also works with other Trusts, Universities, Colleges and Public Services in providing taster events e.g. Welcome to Our World (W2OW) as tasters to career routes in the NHS.
   
  For further reading the following documents give guidance regarding work placements:
   
  Enabling work placements NHS careers – www.nhscareers.nhs.uk

  The Policy for Placements and Visits SCH 2008 is available on request.

   

• For further reading the following documents give guidance regarding work placements:

  Enabling work placements NHS careers – www.nhscareers.nhs.uk

  The Policy for Placements and Visits SCH 2008 is available on request.

  Work-related learning and the law – guidance for schools and school – business link practitioners – Department for Education and Skills 2006.

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