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Student Clinics Procedure

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Section 1 - Summary

(1) This Procedure outlines the clinical governance around systems and processes in Victoria University’s (VU) Student Clinics and supports the Student Clinics Policy. It provides information and associated documentation to guide specifics situations, including the safety of students, staff and client-care in VU Clinics.

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Section 2 - Accountability

Accountable/Responsible Officer	Role
Accountable Officer	Assistant Provost and Dean, College of Health and Biomedicine
Responsible Officer	Head of Program Clinical Services (HE) and Dean, College of Health, Community & Business (VU Polytechnic)

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Section 3 - HESF/ASQA/ESOS Alignment

(2) HESF Standards: 1.3 Orientation and Progression; 1.4 Learning Outcomes and Assessment; 2.1 Facilities and Infrastructure; 2.3 Wellbeing and Safety; 2.4 Student Grievance and Complaints; 3.1 Course Design, 5.3 Monitoring, Review and Improvement, 5.4 Delivery with other parties.

(3) Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015: Clauses 1.7, 5.4 and 6.1 to 6.6 — Supporting and informing learners; managing complaints and appeals; Clauses 1.1 to 1.4 and 2.2 — Implementing, monitoring and evaluating training and assessment strategies and practices; Clauses 1.13 to 1.16 — Employ skilled trainers and assessors; Clauses 1.17 to 1.20 — Provide supervision of trainers where needed.

(4) National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018 (National Code): Standards 6 Overseas Student Support Services and 10 Complaints and Appeals.

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Section 4 - Scope

(5) This Procedure outlines the steps including in preparing, maintaining and approving standard operating procedures to provide consistent information and adequate procedures to the staff of the VU Clinics.

(6) This Procedure applies to:

(7) All VU Clinics;

(8) All healthcare staff, professional staff, students, supervisors, academic staff and volunteers in their activities at, with or on behalf of the Clinics; and

(9) All client-care, educational, and management activities performed at, with or on behalf of the Clinics.

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Section 5 - Definitions

(10) Clinics

(11) Adequate Guidance: Refers to guiding staff and student expectations that will assist in achieving integrated student-led health services to provide students with support on operating premises out of Victoria University.

(12) Quality of Service: Refers to 'providing efficacious, effective and efficient healthcare services' according to the clinical guidelines and standards, which meet the client's needs and requirements of providers and accrediting bodies.

(13) Clinic Client: Refers to a person who attends VU Clinics for the purpose of client consultation.

(14) Risk Management: Refers to the development of good practice to remove or reduce the occurrence of serious or adverse incidents, management of "risk" to reduce the clinical and non-clinical risks linked to the services provided.

(15) Clinical Accountability: Refers to accountability or responsibility of healthcare staff at different levels within the VU Clinic.

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Section 6 - Policy/Regulation

(16) See Student Clinics Policy.

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Section 7 - Procedures

Part A - Summary of Roles and Responsibilities

Roles	Responsibilities
University	⦁ Providing a safe and healthy environment for all students, staff and others during their participation in activities with VU; ⦁ Implementing effective risk management systems that are relevant and suitable for VU’s scope of business; ⦁ Promoting workplace health and safety at all times and continuously improving the performance of health and safety; ⦁ Encouraging active participation, cooperation and consultation with all students, staff and others in the promotion and development of measures to improve health and safety; ⦁ Actively responding to and recording, investigating all incidents in relation to VU Clinics; ⦁ Maintaining relevant policies, procedures, training, codes of conduct and systems to support and communicate effective health and safety practices with VU Clinics; ⦁ Routinely conducting checks of the work environment to assess risks, identify hazards and identify areas for improvement; ⦁ Taking the immediate response to reduce the risk of workplace hazards; and ⦁ Providing appropriate induction, training, information and updates to staff regularly about workplace health and safety.
VU Clinics	In agreeing to host a student for work placement, the VU Clinic will: ⦁ Provide a safe working environment for the students and staff operating in the clinic; ⦁ Provide an induction into the workplace and discuss work conditions; ⦁ Create a job description for the student; ⦁ Ensure the student is provided with adequate guidance from a qualified Clinic Supervisor; ⦁ Allow the VU Clinic Supervisor to conduct workplace visits with the student as required; and ⦁ Ensure the student is afforded the time and opportunity to complete tasks relevant to their course requirements and demonstrated the skills throughout the work placement.
Clinic Staff	⦁ All staff including Managers have a responsibility to work safely; ⦁ Staff are required to take all reasonable care for their health and safety and consider the health and safety of others who may be affected by their actions; and ⦁ All staff are responsible for ensuring the environment they enter into is free from risk and potential occupational health and safety hazards supported by the Health and Safety Policy.
Student	Throughout the Placement student will be required to: ⦁ Ensure they work safely in line with VU’s policies and procedures; ⦁ Undertake tasks under supervision at all times ensuring these are within their abilities and training; ⦁ Notify a Clinic Supervisor if functions are outside their skill/knowledge level or if they are having any issues; ⦁ Record hours worked in their logbook and had them verified by their Clinic Supervisor; and ⦁ Inform the Clinic Supervisor if they will be absent from work, a minimum one day before business day commences; and if there are any changes to their details or clinics.
Clinic Supervisors	Clinical Supervisors ensure that: ⦁ Students clinical practice remains within their level of competence and capabilities; ⦁ Students have an understanding of role and responsibilities within the organisation; ⦁ Students operate within the agreed parameters of confidentiality; ⦁ Students operate within the parameters of the course scope and philosophy, use treatment and techniques that are in line with the course curriculum; and ⦁ Students develop appropriate working relationships with their supervisors.

Part B - Clinics and Placements

VU Clinics

(17) VU Clinics are internal University (Clinical Exercise and Rehabilitation, Dermal Therapies, Osteopathy, Psychology, and Remedial Massage)clinics, with supervised interface with the public included in the course. There are two broad types:

(18) Accredited course-led framework: Students are required to complete part of their course in such clinics to meet the requirements of their coursework program.

(19) Non-accredited course-led framework: Clinic hours are not an external mandated requirement for course completion. They represent clinical training required to meet self-accreditation requirements and cognisant of Australian Qualifications Framework requirements.

Eligibility of students to complete placements

(20) Placement is a compulsory requirement of a student’s course for student clinic for Higher Education. All students are required to complete tasks in a practical work environment to achieve the qualification.

(21) Students are required to complete 200 hours of work (real or simulated) within their curriculum for placement in Vocational Education. Practical placement (outside the scope of this document) is external/independent hours, factored into the required 200 hours of work.

(22) While undertaking a placement, students are required to complete the relevant units of coursework that are compulsory before commencing in the clinic and have an opportunity to:

(23) Gain experience in a real work environment;

(24) Complete practical tasks pertinent to their future workplace role;

(25) Understand workplace expectations and practices;

(26) Observe experienced staff completing tasks;

(27) Develop an understanding of workplace policies and procedures; and

(28) With external placements, build networks that may assist with future job opportunities.

Part C - Managing Risk and Incidents at VU Clinics

Risk Management

(29) The key activities and strategies for risk management in client and community participation include:

Elements	How the elements will meet the criteria
a. Clinic’s risk management system	⦁ The clinical Strategic risk register developed in consultation with the Clinical Governance Committee. ⦁ Clinical supervision. ⦁ Quality and safety of clinical services for client-care set out in the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards. ⦁ Feedback, on VU incident reporting for risk and near-misses. ⦁ VU Clinics Infection Control Manual. ⦁ VU (individual) Clinics policies, and procedures. ⦁ Risk management and improvement strategies integrated within improvement and performance monitoring functions.
b. Clinical Governance Committee’s purpose	⦁ To oversee and govern the delivery of safe, effective and efficient Clinics run by VU. ⦁ The Student Clinics Policy is monitored and regularly reviewed to ensure that it is useful and continues to support organisational performance.
c. Clinical Governance Committee’s role and operation	The Clinical Governance Committee’s operation includes: ⦁ Review and monitor the activity of the clinics to ensure that the services of each clinic are compliant with - - all applicable legislation; - the professional standards established by the relevant professional body, including registration standards, guidelines and codes of ethics; and - the VU Student Clinics Policy and Procedure. ⦁ Encourage continuous improvement of clinic operations and obtain assurance that systems are in place to deliver improvements. ⦁ Quarterly reports on the operations of all clinics from the internal student health clinics committee to the Clinical Governance Committee. ⦁ The Clinical Governance Committee will report to the Learning and Teaching Quality Committee on governance-related matters and will meet quarterly per the calendar year.
d. Processes and systems	⦁ Selection, recruitment and employment processes. ⦁ Clinical placement orientation and induction. ⦁ Working with Children's Check (staff/students) refer to the department of justice site and individual clinics procedure. ⦁ Police check (annual) refer to individual clinics and training and delivery requirements. ⦁ Staff orientation and induction. ⦁ The scope of clinical practice referred to by a regulatory body. ⦁ Professional development and standards. ⦁ Yearly performance review for all clinic supervisors (including sessional staff). ⦁ Mandatory training for clinical & non-clinical staff (emergency training, OHS awareness, bullying prevention). ⦁ Risk-based skills development and capabilities. In accordance with the University’s Police Checks and Working with Children Checks for Students Policy and Procedures.
e. Critical incident process	⦁ Client assessment processes and procedures. ⦁ A clinical risk register for record-keeping and logs. ⦁ Staff training to respond to critical incidents. ⦁ Emergency procedures and processes. ⦁ Evacuation procedures. In accordance with the University’s Critical Incident, Emergency Planning and Business Continuity Policy and Procedure.

Part D - Governance and Accountability at VU Clinics

Clinical Accountability

(30) The key activities and strategies for clinical accountability including monitoring and supervision of students, monitoring of clinic and staff performance and recruitment) in client participation include:

Elements	How the elements will meet the criteria
a. Relevant legislation, framework, and standards, internal documents	⦁ Position descriptions for staff (clinic supervisor). ⦁ Code of Conduct and Code of Practice documents. ⦁ Terms of Reference for Clinical Governance Committee. ⦁ Process for the supervision of students in VU Clinics. ⦁ Process for performance management of staff and students. ⦁ Referral & assessment processes. ⦁ Framework and Standards including: - Clinical Governance Standard - National Model Clinical Governance Framework - Australian Safety and Quality Framework for Health Care ⦁ Legislation including: - Privacy & Data Protection Act 2014 - Health Records Act (Vic) 2001
b. Clinical accountabilities	⦁ Maintain risk register as per program specifications. ⦁ Incident management system. ⦁ Review, monitor incidents & near-misses. ⦁ Internal reporting processes and procedures. ⦁ Auditing processes implemented and documented. In accordance with the University’s Critical Incident, Emergency Planning and Business Continuity Policy and Procedure.
c. Clinical Supervisors Qualifications	⦁ Individual clinics will have a checklist and develop qualifications criteria under this Procedure relevant to their particular clinic and discipline for Clinical Supervisors, qualified and hold, but not limited to: - Undergraduate and/or Master's degree in Clinical Exercise and Rehabilitation/Dermal Therapies/Osteopathy/Psychology/Remedial Massage. - Formal qualifications in Supervision - Australian Psychology Board qualifications or other supervision training program - Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40116) - Level 3 experience, qualifications, and skills in training and delivery of the (Clinical Exercise and Rehabilitation/Dermal Therapies/Osteopathy/Psychology/Remedial Massage) courses.
d. Pre-Employment checks and accreditation with industry associations	⦁ Conduct recruitment and employment checks. ⦁ Guidance document for employment screening. ⦁ Individual clinics have processes for each discipline. ⦁ Annual registration check processes and procedures. In accordance with the University’s Recruitment and Selection Policy and Police Checks and Working with Children Checks for Students Policy and Procedures.
e. Implementation and ongoing monitoring of policies, procedures, processes	⦁ Quarterly meetings of the Clinical Governance Committee. ⦁ Meeting schedule on review processes. ⦁ Action plan for rectification post-audit. ⦁ Implementation Plan for the continuous improvement of policies, procedures and processes.

Part E - Workforce Planning and Development at VU Clinics

(31) The key activities and strategies for workforce development(including qualifications, professional development and accreditation for a clinical supervisor with professional associations) include:

Elements	How the elements will meet the criteria
a. Accreditation requirements for Clinic Supervisors	⦁ Register for qualifications (sighted and recorded). ⦁ Evidence requirements for required skills and experience to deliver services. ⦁ Position Descriptions/Job Descriptions for Clinic Supervisor. ⦁ Register for training logs and records. ⦁ Current industry-experience in clinical supervision.
b. Staff induction	⦁ Orientation guideline. ⦁ Student Clinics Policy and Procedure. ⦁ Position Descriptions. ⦁ Supervision arrangements. ⦁ Participation in mandatory training. In accordance with the University’s Staff Induction Policy.
c. Professional development process	⦁ VU policy and procedures for professional development. ⦁ Line management structure. ⦁ Staff performance and development.
d. Safety, quality and risk guidelines and policies	⦁ Audit, review of policies, procedures, processes. ⦁ Orientation for staff and students ⦁ Feedback to improve policies, processes, procedures. ⦁ Access to policies, guidelines for staff and students. In accordance with the University’s Risk Management Policy.

Part F - Performance Standards at VU Clinics

Clinic Performance Standards

(32) The key activities and strategies for clinical performance standards in client participation include:

Elements	How the elements will meet the criteria
a. Information is available about the clinical performance standards	⦁ Client information brochure includes information on services, a draft exists and needs a final review. ⦁ Clinics have been consulted with and will provide the updated information for each discipline.
b. Clinical performance standards environment	⦁ Staff and client-focused student education.

Part G - Client Satisfaction, Complaints and Care at VU Clinics

Client Satisfaction Standards

(33) The key activities and strategies for capturing client satisfaction standards and community participation include:

Elements	How the elements will meet the criteria
a. Client Satisfaction surveys: Systems and processes are in place to ensure clients, carers and other agencies are involved, consulted and able to provide feedback in planning and improving service delivery	⦁ Implementation of client satisfaction feedback processes through consultation including the VU survey. ⦁ Complaints and feedback guideline. ⦁ Communication conveyed in a client-friendly way. ⦁ Client feedback data is collected from the clinics to improve service delivery via satisfaction feedback, “client survey”.
b. Complaints management process: Clients are informed about consent, confidentiality, potential risks, and how VU uses information; collects, and processes information relating to professional staff, healthcare staff, students, supervisors, academic staff and volunteers.	⦁ Privacy and confidentiality policy ⦁ Consent guidelines. ⦁ Australian Charter of Health Care Rights. ⦁ Clinic information & expectations. provided to clients at initial contact with clinic client information booklet. In accordance with the University’s Privacy Policy Public Complaints Policy moreover, Health Complaints Act 2016.
c. Client-centred Care: A collaborative approach to service delivery that actively involves clients, their family/carers/support people and service providers	⦁ Care and treatment options based on the client’s values and cultural context.

Part H - Student Learning and Practical Placement at VU Clinics

Student Learning, Development and Support

(34) The key activities and strategies for student learning, development and support include:

Elements	How the elements will meet the criteria
a. Assessment planning and placement	⦁ All students will rotate through the assessment, planning and treatment environments, program schedule in the timetable during their placements.
b. Experiential Learning and Reflective Practice	⦁ Students follow existing VU policy and procedures of their discipline for all academic matters. ⦁ Students follow Students Clinics Policy and Procedure for issues related to their work experience within the clinic.

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Section 8 - Supporting Documents and Information

(35) Individual clinics must have guidelines, procedures under this Procedure, which are relevant to their particular clinic and discipline.

(36) The following documents support this Procedure and comply with applicable federal, state and University regulations, legislation, rules and policies, code of conduct and standards by the related discipline's professional bodies:

(37) Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 ;

(38) Health Records Act 2001;

(39) Health Complaints Act 2016;

(40) Education and Training Reform Act 2006;

(41) Privacy Policy and Procedure;

(42) The Professional Development Policy;

(43) Records Management Policy and Procedures;

(44) The Risk Management Policy;

(45) Critical Incident, Emergency Planning and Business Continuity Policy and Procedure;

(46) Recruitment and Selection Policy;

(47) Police Checks and Working with Children Checks for Students Policy and Procedures;

(48) Staff Induction Policy;