Supporting healthcare education: ExtraCare welcomes student placements

ExtraCare’s Birmingham Villages benefitted from the presence of physiotherapy and nursing students over the Autumn and Winter period. Students arrived from Coventry University and the University of Birmingham to complete 6-week placements, providing healthcare input to residents as needed.

Laura Ellery, ExtraCare’s Practice Education Facilitator (Physiotherapy) talks about the importance of offering student placements, the student’s input and their experience at ExtraCare villages.

“Students were welcomed by staff and residents alike, contributing towards organised activities such as exercise classes.

They held village talks discussing health conditions and other handy topics such as what to do in the event of a fall. Furthermore, organised drop-in clinics were set up, where residents received help and support for increasing their mobility, coping with chronic pain and how to manage their health conditions. Feedback from students and residents has been good. Students were supported by clinical education facilitators employed by ExtraCare and funded in part by Health Education England.

The facilitator’s role involves organising the placement, collaborating with the universities, providing clinical supervision, and assessing the students. Since the Covid-19 pandemic the availability of healthcare placements has been put under strain due to NHS and funding pressures. Whilst student numbers are growing and the demand for qualified professionals remains high, the practice placements provided by ExtraCare gives the students a chance to train in a unique and challenging role, supporting universities in the provision of placements as part of their course.

If residents feel they could benefit from having contact with the students while they are present on site, have a chat with the Wellbeing Advisor who can help put you in touch with them, or alternatively feel free to approach them while they are around the village. The influx of students overall helps solve problems and keeps residents enjoying a safe and healthy lifestyle.”

– Laura Ellery MSCP Pg Cert T&L FHEA – Practice Education Facilitator (Physiotherapy)