This prospectus highlights the different placements opportunities on offer in SWASFT for students. SWASFT is much more than the front-line roles, with many different departments and individuals working towards the common goals of providing the best care for our patients.
As a student, understanding the wider organisation will help to see how these teams work together to support the front line and our service users.
The Prospectus is aimed at students looking to expand their knowledge base, with topics such as Safeguarding, EPRR, Clinical Teams and many more.
Placement Details
The EOC is the first point of call for our patients and therefore a critical part of the patients’ journey. Students will be shadowing the Emergency Medical Dispatchers (EMDs), Dispatchers and Clinical Desk on a rotation over the course of a day.
Spending a day in EOC will consist of shadowing an experienced member of staff within the following functions:
- EMD (Emergency Medical Dispatcher*) Team: You will have the opportunity to hear the initial 999 call and gain an understanding into the triage system utilised by our call takers. You will also be able to learn how calls are categorised and prioritised. Whether it’s providing CPR instructions, helping deliver a baby or calming down an anxious child caller; our calm and collected EMDs are a vital team to witness if you are undertaking a career within Operations.*EMDs are actually the 999 call handlers
- Dispatch Team: You will now be able to witness how our skilled Dispatchers utilise our fleet to provide the most efficient care to our patients. You’ll come away from this placement with a new understanding of the intricacy of Dispatching, as well as witnessing the incredible support they provide our crews and patients day to day.
- Clinical Team: You will have the chance to witness the many different workstreams completed by our Clinical Team within the EOC. Whether it’s referring a call to another service, completing a clinical triage with a patient, or assisting the EMDs with complex medical queries. Our CSD Team provides an incredible support to our patients by ensuring those who require emergency assistance can have access to this as soon as possible; whilst ensuring those who do not require an emergency ambulance are directed through more appropriate channels.
The duration of placement is a minimum of 1 day and maximum of 3 days.
Placement is opened to all students.
Requirements:
DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service)
Uniform (with ID badge).
Confidentiality form signed.
Placement Details:
Exeter EOC Address: Trust HQ, Unit 3, Abbey Court, Eagle Way, Sowton Industrial Estate, EX2 7HY.
Bristol EOC Address: St James Court A, Great Park Road, Bradley Stoke, BS32 4QJ.
Parking on site.
Placement Details
- Shadow the safeguarding administration team for 1 day to understand the process of managing referrals.
- Shadow a Named Professional for 3 days including completion of at least one statutory safeguarding review.
- Attend an external safeguarding event with a member of the Trust’s safeguarding team for 1 day for exposure to inter-agency safeguarding
- activity.
- The duration of this placement will be one week.
Special Requirements
- Pre-requisite training: IG, E&D, safeguarding level 2 children/adults, Prevent,
- Ideally safeguarding level 3 but not essential
- eDBS
- Need to have had a reasonable amount of front-line practice exposure already to be a meaningful placement
- DBS
- Uniform and basic trust PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)
- Gym kit and/or base layers for use with PPE
- Most suitable for third year clinical students.
What career opportunities would this open up?
- Progression to a specialist role in safeguarding either within the Ambulance Sector or for other NHS providers.
More information coming soon
Placement Details
This opportunity will enable the students to experience a wide range of opportunities across both the Clinical and Patient Safety Teams of the Trust. The student will have the opportunity to gain an understanding and work behind the Trust’s strategic goal “Every Patient Matters” in ensuring high quality care is provided whilst maintaining a high standard of patient safety.
An example placement includes:
- 2 days shadowing the Patient Safety Team (Clinical & EOC based teams).
- 2 days shadowing the Clinical Team.
- 1 day shadowing areas based on personal interest (e.g. Claims & Inquests, IPC (Infection Prevention & Control), and Patient Experience (Complaints)).
- Attending a Review, Learn & Improve Panel (this may be outside of the placement week).
- Opportunity to review an incident under the guidance of a Quality Lead or Clinical Lead.
- A greater understanding of Duty of Candour and the potential to listen to a Duty of Candour call.
The placement will include the opportunity to shadow some external meetings such as CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) scoping meetings, system wide meetings, multi-agency case reviews and regional clinical meetings. The exact meetings available will be dependent upon the calendar during placement week but would definitely include the opportunity to shadow the Patient Safety Decision Making Panel and the Trust’s Clinical & Quality Group.
The duration of the placement would be a total of 5 days.
Special Requirements
- Pre-requisites: Enhanced DBS, Information Governance training,
- Students will ideally be in their final year of training to gain the most out of this placement.
- Uniform is required along with the ability and willingness to travel to Trust HQ or alternative agreed Trust site.
What career opportunities would this open up?
This placement will give the student a greater awareness of the following roles within the Trust and wider NHS.
- Patient Safety Roles (e.g. Quality Lead, Assistant Quality Lead, Patient Safety Manager, Patient Safety Specialist)
- Clinical Lead
- Speciality Clinical Lead
- Clinical Project Managers
Placement Details
The opportunity will enable the students to experience a wide range of opportunities within Learning and Development and understand the processes in place to support and enhance the development of our staff. The placement opportunities available are dependent on what courses are running at the time when the student is on placement but could include any of the following:
- Shadowing an LDM (Learning & Development Manager)
- Shadowing the CPD (Continuing Professional Development) team
- Shadowing the TEL (Technology Enhanced Learning) team
- Shadowing an EL (Education Lead)
- Taking part in Education days
- Taking part in staff inductions
- Possibility of listening to Clinical Review calls
- Assisting with return to work processes
- Shadowing a PEF (Practice Education Facilitator)
The opportunity may also provide you with an insight into how the role of the Paramedic and the ambulance service fits into the wider NHS systems locally, regionally and nationally.
Special Requirements
- Uniform will be required
- DBS check
- Ability to travel to training locations
What career opportunities would this open up?
- Understanding ready for practice education
- Lead Paramedic L&D
- EL (Education Lead)
- EL speciality – TEL, CPD, PEF
- LDM
- Opportunities within NHSE (NHS England)
An introduction to AVP – Ambulance Vehicle Preparation
AVP is one of the valuable teams working within the fleet and equipment department. Our departmental purpose is to work as a team to procure, maintain and prepare a safe, technically advanced and class leading fleet of vehicles and equipment that are sustainable and will support the trust in achieving exceptional patient care whilst being considerate to the needs of our exceptional people. In the AVP, no two days are ever the same.
AVP is an effective and valuable way to learn everything that goes in and on the back of an ambulance. With proud, dedicated teams to show you the significance of being included there’s no better way to discover, understand and realise the vital work AVP do. The placement opportunity is opened to all students and is compulsory for all first-year students.
AVP is carried out daily to provide vehicles and equipment in the right place and at the right time. It helps to improve staff wellbeing, making it easier for crew to do their job through enhancing productivity and improving efficiency, by way of having a vehicle “ready to go” at the start of shift and something to hand over at the end, reducing shift overruns.
There are opportunities across the southwest to learn and become involved in the vital service we provide. This placement opportunity avails students with a variety of duties that are crucial to the role, such as replenishing and checking stock, making sure products are in date, sterile and safe, this includes the checking of bags, Inspecting and testing all the equipment and devices, including safety parts of the vehicle – lights, tyres, and levels.
The importance of infection prevention is paramount therefore the cleaning of DCA’s is another specialist role the team carries out. From top to bottom, inside out the vehicle will be cleaned using professional equipment to improve clinical outcomes for the patient.
Special Requirements
Uniform
DBS
Ability to travel to locations.
Current AVP locations
BNSSG, Bristol
Cornwall, Redruth
Devon, SW
Dorset
Gloucestershire
Somerset
Wiltshire
Career opportunities
Progression to specialist role in the AVP
Service Centre Team Lead
Vehicle Production Manger
More information coming soon
Placement Details
Students are given an overview of all HART capabilities and the structure of the unit. They will respond to complex incidents within HARTs remit as well as traumatic patients and cardiac arrests where enhanced clinical skills or support may be need by the TRUST staff. Clinical training is available during down time, which can be longer than when on DCAs and RRVs, it has an emphasis on team work during trauma and cardiac arrests, but can cover anything the students wish. This also gives the students the opportunity to build contacts and relationships with HART.
Placement for HART is currently on hold untill March 2025.
Special Requirements
- DBS
- Uniform and basic trust PPE
- Most suitable for third year clinical students.
What career opportunities would this open up?
An awareness of HART and EPRR
Placement Details
- Specialist Practitioner car and remote triage desk in the EOC
- SPUECs also work on ambulance stations and in the EOCs completing triage
Special Requirements
- An interest and / or experience working in Specialist Practice in Urgent and Emergency care would be an advantage.
- The correct PPE guidance must be followed at all time.
- Headphones and an adaptor will be needed to listen in on triage calls.
Placement Details
To shadow the Duty OO for a 12 hour shift, in order to gain an understanding of the Operational Commander role. Learn about the daily duties and responsibilities of the Duty OO and the importance of JESIP (Joint Emergency Service Interoperability Programme) principles.
Special Requirements
- Enhanced DBS check
- Uniform will be required
What career opportunities would this open up?
This placement would help to provide students with a greater understanding of the County command structure and the responsibilities of operational line managers.