PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION

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AWARD and ROUTE TITLE BSc Hons Occupational therapyINTERMEDIATE AWARD TITLES BSc in Occupation and Wellbeing

Diploma in Occupation and Wellbeing

Certificate in Occupation and Wellbeing

Name of the Teaching InstitutionSheffield Hallam University

Mode(s) of Attendance(eg. FT/PT/SW/DL)

FT

UCAS CODE B900

Professional/Statutory/Regulatory Body Recognising this Programme

UK Health Professions Council

UK College of Occupational Therapists

World Federation of Occupational Therapists

QAA Subject Benchmark Statement or other relevant external reference point QAA Codes of practice

Date of Validation 4 December 2008

This Programme Specification has integrated professional and statutory requirements into the learning outcomes, drawing on the following documents:

College of Occupational Therapists (2004) Curriculum Framework for Pre-registration Education. College of Occupational Therapists, London.

College of Occupational Therapists (2008) Pre-registration Education Standards. College of Occupational therapists, London

Health Professions Council (2004) Standards of Education and Training. Health Professions Council, London.

Health Professions Council (2007) Standards of Education and Training Guidance. Health Professions Council, London.

Health Professions Council (2007) Standards of Proficiency – Occupational Therapists. Health professions Council, London.

World Federation of Occupational Therapists (2002) Revised minimum standards for the education of occupational therapists. World Federation of Occupational Therapists, Western Australia

1 PROGRAMME AIMS

To enable students to:

1.1 develop personally and professionally and attain the level of competence required to meet UK professional standards and the UK Health Professions Council Standards of Proficiency for Occupational Therapists.

1.2 become autonomous, reflective occupational therapy practitioners fit for employment in a wide range of public, voluntary and independent settings.

1.3 develop a critical understanding of their role, and that of others, within health and social care teams and deliver a person-centred service though effective personal communication, and interprofessional and interagency collaboration.

1.4 develop skills of lifelong learning and the capacity to maintain and develop professional competence in the changing context of health and social care provision.

2 PROGRAMME LEARNING OUTCOMES

2.1 Knowledge and understanding covered within the Programme.

By the end of the programme you will be able to:

2.1.1 engage critically in informed debate about the profession’s underpinning philosophies and values in relation to person-centredness, the occupational nature of human beings and the meaning of occupation in people’s lives.

2.1.2 draw effectively on selected knowledge of anatomy, physiology, pathological and psychopathological processes to accurately explain disability and occupational dysfunction.

2.1.3 critically evaluate, with reference to theory, the impact of occupational dysfunction and occupational deprivation on individuals, families, groups and communities and engage critically in discussion about health promotion through occupation.

2.1.4 critically appraise key theoretical models and frameworks that focus on the functional capacity and performance of individuals and communities and apply them appropriately to the everyday practice of occupational therapy.

2.1.5 explain and critically evaluate the influence of social, physical and institutional environments on the way in which people live and work, and the relationship of the environment with occupational performance.

2.1.6 critically and selectively apply knowledge of a wide range of professional skills, processes and interventions to promote occupational performance and enhance wellbeing within individuals, groups and communities.

2.1.7 critically appraise theories, principles and processes of groupwork and group dynamics and draw on these effectively when facilitating groups.

2.1.8 have a working knowledge of current health and social care legislation, policies and frameworks and critically assess how they relate to practice.

2.1.9 explain ethical principles and processes of scientific inquiry, the rationale for evidence-based practice and quality assurance processes in occupational therapy and critically assess their potential for enhancing service delivery.

2.1.10 personally apply the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct for Occupational Therapists, critically examine the concept of professionalism and explain the way in which principles apply to both students and graduates of the profession.

2.1.11 identify, explain and critically evaluate the principles and practice of professionalism and interprofessional team work

2.1.12 identify, explain and critically evaluate relevant theoretical and policy perspectives around the integration of services and their impact on wellbeing and collaborative practice

2.1.13 identify, explain and critically evaluate the theories and principles underpinning the effective use of evidence in practice

2.2 Intellectual skills

By the end of the programme you will be able to:

2.2.1 critically appraise a wide range of information relating to a person’s capacity to function drawing on physical, psychological, environmental, legal and ethical factors. Assimilate, process and synthesise this information and use it selectively in practice.

2.2.2 analyse the occupations, activities and tasks in which people commonly engage; apply principles of activity analysis with individuals in practice, select and grade tasks and interventions effectively to maximise functional performance.

2.2.3 engage in and apply clinical reasoning and problem solving processes in practice, make informed judgements about interventions and justify decisions taken.

2.2.4 critically evaluate the process and impact of occupational therapy, reflect on and evaluate own performance in practice and make judgements about personal learning needs.

2.2.5 analyse service data and make informed contributions to decisions about the future of service provision.

2.2.6 make and justify professional judgements in the context of collaboration

2.2.7 draw reasoned conclusions and sustainable arguments through consideration of a range of appropriate knowledge and evidence

2.2.8 synthesise learning from a variety of settings/sources

2.2.9 critically reflect upon situations and devise an appropriate course of action

2.3 Subject/professional skills

By the end of the programme you will be able to:

2.3.1 critically assess referrals for their appropriateness for occupational therapy; identify priorities, justify a decision to decline a referral, curtail occupational therapy intervention or refer it to other team members or agencies.

2.3.2 establish and maintain effective working relationships with service users and those involved in care delivery.

2.3.3 critically evaluate the strengths and limitations of a range of standardised and non-standardised assessments commonly used by occupational therapists; select and use them with discrimination and draw relevant conclusions from them to inform practice.

2.3.4 draw critically on the narratives of people with disabilities and different occupational needs, and apply the process of occupational therapy selectively to address issues and problems presented.

2.3.5 take account of physical, psychological, environmental, social, emotional and spiritual perspectives in reasoning processes and formulate plans to address individuals’ needs accordingly.

2.3.6 critically apply the principles of risk assessment in all situations, select and use safely a range of techniques, technological and therapeutic media in practice and modify their use in the light of changing circumstances.

2.3.7 select and justify the use of problem-solving strategies in practice; find original, creative solutions to complex, one-off problems to enable the aspirations and potential of individuals to be met, and evaluate their effectiveness.

2.3.8 critically appraise research evidence from a variety of sources, determine its significance to professional practice and apply as appropriate.

2.3.9 work professionally, proactively and flexibly within a rapidly changing environment; apply anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive processes; manage time effectively, work to deadlines; acknowledge own limitations and refer to others as appropriate.

2.3.10 critically evaluate the workplace in terms of its potential to promote positive outcomes for all stakeholders through service improvement concerning integrated services and collaborative practice

2.3.11 critically reflect upon your own and others’ interprofessional practice and demonstrate how this has contributed to your personal and professional development

2.3.12 demonstrate the skills that underpin professional and interprofessional practice including: an awareness of diversity; ethical user and carer centred practice in which advocacy and strategies to challenge oppression are key components and an understanding and application of evidence based practice

2.3.13 engage in self-directed learning that promotes personal and professional development

2.4 Key skills

By the end of the programme you will be able to:

2.4.1 take personal responsibility for identifying learning needs, engage actively and critically in continuing professional development.

2.4.2 critically reflect on own performance, record personal reflections, observations and learning outcomes in professional development portfolios, and use the process to synthesise knowledge and experience.

2.4.3 select and use verbal, written and electronic forms of communication effectively and as appropriate to the situation and the needs of the service user; accurately record assessment details, professional judgements and decisions with due regard for data protection legislation, service policies and procedures.

2.4.4 use teaching, facilitation and presentation skills in a variety of situations and critically evaluate their effectiveness.

2.4.5 search for, locate, select and critically evaluate literature relevant to evidence-based occupational therapy practice and research.

2.4.6 select and use numerical techniques and statistical analysis as appropriate for the accurate interpretation of data.

2.4.7 take personal responsibility for working effectively in multidisciplinary teams and for contributing to the achievement of their desired outcomes.

3 LEARNING, TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT

Learning, teaching and assessment for the programme is based firmly on the principles set out in the University’s Learning and Teaching Strategy (2006) and Faculty Return of Work Policy (2008). The aim of the Strategy is to ‘foster collaboration between students and staff to ensure that successful learning takes place in a diverse and vibrant learning community’. This is achieved through three themes:

being forward thinking in programme design, supporting lifelong learning and anticipating and responding to changes in demand and need, and providing vibrant and challenging learning opportunities

enhancing students’ learning experience by making assessment activities, support and feedback a powerful integrated feature of learning

providing a comprehensive professional development framework that promotes excellence in learning, teaching and assessment and improves practice

The learning, teaching and assessment strategy in this document also aims to ensure that qualifying students are fit for practice in accordance with the HPC Education and Training standards. This includes enabling students with disabilities and those with learning challenges such as dyslexia to meet the Standards.

3.1 The approach to learning and teaching within the programme

University-based learning will take the form of modules each designed to focus on specific skill development and underpinning knowledge, but which collectively ensure competence to practise occupational therapy. There is a strong inter-relationship

between modules and you will be expected to use the learning from the various modules in an integrated way as you progress through the course.

Each module has learning outcomes that will be assessed. Feedback both during and after module delivery will enable you to develop knowledge and skills as an ongoing process within modules and to help prepare you for subsequent study. For each 10 credits of study, 100 hours of learning are planned. These comprise tutor-led, tutor-directed and student-directed learning activities as detailed in module descriptors.

The approach to learning and teaching within this programme is one that reflects adult learning principles. It places you, the student, at the centre of the learning process and expects you to take increasing responsibility for your learning as the programme progresses. To support this, the hours allocated to tutor input in modules decreases as the course progresses. The course also provides opportunities for you to develop teamwork skills as well as skills for autonomous professional practice.

A mixed mode of learning and teaching is thus adopted for the programme with the aim of helping you to develop an inquisitive approach to learning and ultimately to your practice. Keynote lectures introduce the modules. Seminars, practical workshops and laboratory work all encourage groupwork, whilst independent learning modules and tutorials help you to develop professional autonomy. The range of learning and teaching modes adopted is intended to promote the development of a range of personal and professional skills to prepare you for employment. The virtual learning environment supports these strategies and specific e-learning activities are integrated into the academic modules to enhance learning.

There is full integration of academic and practice based modules, which encourages the application of theory to practice during practice learning, and the use of practice experiences to inform academic modules. Practice education occurs in each year of the programme. During this time you learn to work in services such as those that deliver health and/or social care to individuals with occupational performance limitations and apply your developing knowledge and skills in practice under the guidance of a supervisor. Some academic modules are introduced prior to practice learning and completed afterwards. You are expected to use the practice environment to explore pertinent issues and then to draw on this learning as the module continues on your return to the university. The practice learning modules are critically important to the extent that you will be expected to have passed them at each level of the course before progressing to the next level.

Interprofessional education forms a thematic spine throughout the programme, encouraging you to develop knowledge of other professional roles in health and social care and teamwork skills for practice. The core features of these modules relate to professional issues in practice, including the use of evidence-based practice and methods of enquiry. You will learn with others in interprofessional student groups.

At specific times during each academic year you will be able to exercise choice in your studies. Through elective modules listed in section 4.1 you will explore how professional principles and processes of occupational therapy are applied to various fields of practice or client groups. A final year Independent Study in Occupational Therapy allows you to design your own learning contract and undertake a relevant study in a local, national or international venue. You will also complete a dissertation on a relevant topic of your choice related to occupational therapy.

3.2 Personal Development Plans

As part of your personal responsibility for learning, you will be encouraged to reflect on your learning and progress through the programme and to make appropriate entries in a portfolio. This will enable you to map your learning and achievements and to help you plan to meet emerging learning and professional development needs as you progress. This is in line with the university’s emphasis on personal and professional development planning. The requirements of various modules expect you to reflect on your performance and progress. Sometimes this features as part of the assessment.

You will be introduced to a range of facilities to assist portfolio development including manual and electronic models. It will be your personal choice as to which version you adopt. Some students use creative means such as ‘scrapbooking’ to assist personal reflection, others opt for the more traditional formats.

You will be supported in endeavours to reflect on your progress by a personal tutor. Emphasis will also be placed on the need for engaging with personal development plans and processes in order to meet HPC continuing professional development requirements once qualified.

3.3 The approach to Assessment and Feedback within the Programme

Each module is assessed so as to ensure that you have met the learning outcomes of the module and thus the HPC Standards of Proficiency, but the assessments vary. There are no time-limited written examinations. All assessments are through coursework but these vary according to the expectations of the module. By being assessed in various ways, for example through written work such as essays, reports, or case studies, and through more practical work such as poster and verbal presentations or the facilitation of groupwork, you will develop a range of skills for practice. The application of your professional skills and your ability to practise in different settings during practice education modules will be judged by a designated supervisor against specific criteria presented as an assessment form. Success in all module assessments ensures competence to practise in the profession and eligibility to apply for Registration with the Health professions Council.

Informal feedback in various forms will occur at different points during module delivery. For example, in practice learning, informal feedback could occur daily with more formal verbal feedback being given once a week and a structured half-way formative assessment at mid point during the practice experience.

Within academic modules, feedback will be given, for example, on your contributions to groupwork and any presentations you make during module delivery, so enabling you to have ongoing comment on your progress. This should help you assess your own performance and professional development and make improvements as necessary as you progress through the module. Self evaluation through reflection is encouraged throughout, as is peer evaluation when available.

Formal feedback will be given in written form after academic assignments have been marked and moderated. Where practical you will receive feedback before your marks have been ratified by the Subject Assessment Board, but if this is the case the marks awarded will only be provisional until confirmed by the Board. In accordance with the Faculty ‘Return of Work’ policy (implemented September

2007) how, when and in what form formal feedback will be given is stated in all module handbooks. This may differ between modules.

4 PROGRAMME DESIGN AND STRUCTURE

The programme structure comprises six interrelated elements:

pre-enrolment and induction the interprofessional learning modules core professional modules mandatory practice education modules elective modules independent learning

Orientation sessions held in the university before you embark on your studies and the induction programme enable you to settle into university life and familiarise yourself with course expectations. The interprofessional and mandatory professional modules enable you to learn and apply core professional knowledge and skills in a range of settings in practice. They feature the professional philosophy, principles and processes that are transferable to any setting. Elective modules offer choice so that you can develop and learn to apply relevant knowledge and occupational therapy skills identified with a specific area of practice. Independent learning at level 6 enables you to develop personal learning strategies, meet personal learning goals and thus prepare to operate as an autonomous practitioner and undertake continuing professional development once qualified.

4.1 Overview of Programme Structure

The following tables indicate the mandatory modules that all occupational therapy students must take at each academic level. These modules aim to provide you with a working knowledge of occupational therapy processes and practices across a wide spectrum of practice areas. It is through the mandatory modules that the majority of HPC requirements are met.

The tables for levels 4 and 5 also indicate a range of elective modules from which you may choose two at level 4 and two at level 5. Modules have the same learning outcomes across each academic level but are applied to different fields of practice. Level 4 and level 5 students are taught together during the module but are assessed differently. The assessments reflect the different expectations of learning outcomes at each academic level so that more demands are made of you at level 5 than at level 4, consistent with your expected progress through the course.

These elective modules allow you to strengthen your knowledge and skill base in selected areas and to apply concepts learnt during the mandatory modules to different practice areas. In many of these modules you will gain first hand knowledge from observing, talking to, or working with service users.

Level 4 modules

Module title Mandatoryor elective

credit

Foundations of occupational therapy Mandatory 20Enabling occupation Mandatory 20Mind and mental health Mandatory 20Anatomy for occupation Mandatory 10Practice learning Mandatory 10Introduction to interprofessional practice Mandatory 10Using knowledge and evidence to support study and practice Mandatory 10Students may choose two modules from a given list that may include but not be limited to the followingAdapting the home environment Elective 10Community rehabilitation Elective 10Complexities in mental health Elective 10Creative therapies Elective 10International perspective on occupational science Elective 10Occupational therapy and health promotion Elective 10Occupational therapy and musculoskeletal disorders Elective 10Occupational Therapy with children Elective 10Occupational therapy with people with learning disabilities Elective 10Orthotics and hand therapy Elective 10Vocational rehabilitation Elective 10

Level 5 modules

Module title Mandatoryor elective

credit

Groupwork for occupational therapy Mandatory 10Practice and reasoning Mandatory 20Using and evaluating evidence to inform practice Mandatory 10Developing collaborative practice Mandatory 20Ageing and occupation Mandatory 20Function, adjustment and wellbeing Mandatory 20Students may choose two modules from a given list that may include but not be limited to the following (excluding those passed at level4)Adapting the home environment Elective 10Community rehabilitation Elective 10Complexities in mental health Elective 10Creative therapies Elective 10International perspective on occupational science Elective 10Neurological rehabilitation Elective 10Occupational therapy and health promotion Elective 10Occupational therapy and musculoskeletal disorders Elective 10Occupational Therapy with children Elective 10Occupational therapy with people with learning disabilities Elective 10Orthotics and hand therapy Elective 10Vocational rehabilitation Elective 10

Level 6 modules

Module title Mandatory Or elective

Credit

Independent study in occupational therapy Mandatory 30Toward autonomous practice Mandatory 20Generating and evaluating evidence to inform practice Mandatory 30Capable collaborative working Mandatory 20Integrated learning in practice Mandatory 20

4.2 Part time route

The overall programme is designed as a full time course. However, some students may find during the first year that the demands of the course are more significant than anticipated or that by reason of health or other personal circumstances they are finding it hard to cope with the pace of the course or its demands. A part time route has thus been developed in order that, from the second year onwards, you may opt to complete the course at a slower pace. As a part time student you will normally undertake modules with your full time colleagues when the modules are scheduled for the full time course. In this way you should complete the course within five years instead of three. For commissioned students opting for the part time route, financial arrangements will first need to be negotiated with commissioners.

5 PROGRESSION/CAREER ROUTES

Positions of employment for occupational therapists are many and varied. The National Heath Service continues to recruit occupational therapists to work in both acute and community settings in various fields of physical disability and mental health. New opportunities within the health system continue to emerge, for example in Accident and Emergency departments. New ways of working that involve shift work, evening and weekend work are becoming popular in order to provide an improved service for patients and clients. Forensic services are also expanding and require occupational therapy expertise.

Employment opportunities within Local Government Social Services Departments are also expanding. Community services offering people advice, guidance and support in their own home continue to exist. Some housing departments employ occupational therapists to advise on structural modifications to accommodate people with limited function. Day services for older people, residential homes for people with learning disabilities and schools also offer opportunities for occupational therapy graduates.

Both within and beyond the Health Service there are opportunities for occupational therapists to become involved with enabling individuals to gain or regain employment. Condition management and vocational rehabilitation programmes employ occupational therapists, as do rehabilitation services. For the more experienced occupational therapist there is medico-legal work and independent practice.

Increasingly, occupational therapy graduates are taking positions in voluntary and other organisations where occupational therapy practice has not previously existed. New and emerging public health services, for example smoking cessation programmes, also offer employment opportunities. Not all positions will necessarily be entitled occupational therapist but will nevertheless use the skills and expertise of those who have graduated with an occupational therapy qualification.

Opportunities for career moves into other areas of practice thus exist. Continuing professional development (CPD) programmes can help individuals to prepare for these changes or for promotion. The College of Occupational Therapists offers its members extensive information on CPD opportunities. Opportunities to gain higher academic awards also exist. Masters programmes in Occupational Therapy and in Vocational rehabilitation are available locally, as are Professional Doctorate programmes and programmes that support individuals to gain Master of Philosophy or Doctor of Philosophy qualifications.

6 ENTRY REQUIREMENTS AND ENTRY PROFILE

6.1 Admissions Policy

The university has an equal opportunities policy and policy relating to anti-discriminatory practice that can be viewed on the website.

This course aims to attract people from a wide range of backgrounds. There is no discrimination by reason of age, gender, ethnicity or disability. There is a positive approach to diversity and applications are assessed on individual merit. For monitoring purposes, details of students’ age, ethnicity, gender and disability on entry to the programme are collated and incorporated into reports for education commissioners.

International applicants are welcome. They will be assessed against the common entry criteria and places will only be allocated within maximum approved course numbers. The payment of relevant course fees may be applicable for those successful in gaining a place.

Details of the application criteria and process can be found at www.shu.ac.uk/occupational/

6.2 Approved student numbers

The intake of students will be no more than 72 per annum.Commissions from the Strategic Health Authority are normally no more than 65 per annum, although this varies by negotiation. The commissions for 2009/10 have been set at 65.

6.3 Course marketing

Full details of the course and entry requirements are available on the Sheffield Hallam University website, the College of Occupational Therapists website and in hard copy marketing materials. The name of the admission tutor is specified. The university website provides further information about the university, accommodation and general information about living in Sheffield and studying at the university to enable students to make an informed choice about their course. Information useful to students with disabilities, including dyslexia, is also available.

6.4 Students with disabilities

Students are encouraged to disclose any condition or disability that they may have at the time of interview in order to ensure that appropriate support systems can be put in place.

Students with disability who meet the entry requirements of the course can be fully assessed for their learning needs.

Learning needs are accommodated both within the university and practice environment.

Students with disabilities will still need to meet the HPC Standards of Proficiency in order to qualify and become eligible to apply for Registration. While students with disabilities are welcomed on to the course it is not possible to offer a place to a student who would be unable to complete the course on account of their disability.

6.5 Specific Entry Requirements for entry to the initial stage of this programme are

Academic Qualifications (including A / AS level grades and subjects, where applicable)

Normally 5 GCSE passes at Grade C or above, including mathematics, English Language and a science

PLUS one of the following:

240 tariff points from at least two GCE/ VCE/ BTEC National Awards/ A levels/ NND (or equivalents with regards to Scottish Highers or Irish Leaving Certificate) and normally including 80 points from biology, human biology, psychology, sociology or sports science and excluding General Studies.

Access/Diploma courses: minimum 60 credits at level 3 to include a minimum 36 science credits.

Level of English language capability IELTS – Band 7.0

Any other specific, formally certified qualifications

Certificate in Vocational rehabilitation orCertificate in Therapy Support from Sheffield Hallam University

A previous degreeOpen University Foundation Course

Previous relevant work or work-related experience

Applicants should ideally have had some experience of working with people with disabilities in a paid or unpaid capacity

Any specific articulation arrangements recognised for this programme

Candidates who have successfully completed a relevant Foundation Degree at Sheffield Hallam University will be interviewed

Professional qualifications Professional qualifications at Diploma

level or above in a related field such as health care, social care or teaching.

Any other specific entry requirements

Applicants without a science at Advanced or Subsidiary level or in an Access Course must have gained a GCSE at Grade C or above in a science subject such as biology, human biology, psychology, sociology or sport.

Immunisations to meet DoH requirements

Enhanced CRB checks required

6.6 APPLICANT ENTRY PROFILE: the knowledge, skills and qualities etc. required to enable you to benefit from, and succeed on the programme of study are

a level of understanding of the profession of occupational therapy and its related values

motivation and a commitment to study occupational therapy sound verbal and written communication skills, including listening skills an ability to work with people with disabilities an ability to work with people regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, sexual

orientation an ability to work in accordance with anti discriminatory and anti oppressive

practices basic skills in the use of information technology personal maturity with an ability to recognise personal strengths and limitations,

including those related to health, and to take appropriate action to address them ability to take personal responsibility and to manage self-directed time

6.7 The recruitment and selection process

All candidates apply to the full time course through the UCAS system. After initial screening of applicants by administrative staff, the candidates to be invited for interview are decided by the Admissions tutor based on:

having an appropriate academic profile demonstrating knowledge of and commitment to occupational therapy providing a sound personal statement providing a sound reference indicating experience of working with people with disabilities offering other relevant experience

University tutors will conduct the interview process with contributions from service users, clinicians and students. All candidates are interviewed, normally in groups of about 10. For a minority of candidates, including international applicants, interviews may take place via telephone.

At interview candidates will normally:

have a presentation about the course and its demands be shown relevant facilities of the university have access to students already on the course who will answer questions undertake a group task and be encouraged to participate in group discussions write some reflections of their experience of the interview

Interviews conducted by telephone will include a discussion about the course and its demands and university facilities. Applicants may be asked to email or fax some personal reflections of the interview.

A decision about an applicant’s suitability is taken by the tutor and any other contributor, taking into account any feedback from students, and mindful of the requirements identified in the entry profile in 6.6 above.

6.8 Criminal convictions

Enhanced CRB checks will be undertaken for all applicants and any evidence of criminal behaviour disclosed will be reviewed. Not all criminal convictions necessarily impact adversely on an application. Where a criminal conviction is disclosed, the severity and recency of the conviction will be taken into consideration when a decision is made about the suitability of an applicant to undertake the course. In some cases an anonymous consultation exercise with occupational therapy managers will be undertaken to ascertain their views on the potential employment prospects of the candidate.

6.9 The University will select non-standard entrants to the programme in the following ways

Applicants will be considered on individual merit. Those with experiential learning will be considered through the use of existing formal mechanisms as shown below. Above all, applicants must demonstrate their capacity to fulfil the requirements of, and to complete, the course.

6.10 Use of Prior Credit (APCL/APEL): prior certificated credit or prior experiential credit may be used within the Programme in the following ways

Application for accreditation of prior certificated learning or prior experiential learning will be considered by the Course Leader and in line with the University’s framework and regulations.

Accreditation of prior learning will not normally be granted for occupational therapy specific mandatory or elective modules unless the applicant is transferring, or claiming current credit, from another occupational therapy pre-registration programme recognised by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT). No claim will be approved for prior learning in relation to the mandatory level 6 module Generating and evaluating evidence from individuals already holding a related degree as students will be expected to complete this module on a topic related to occupational therapy.

Applicants wishing to transfer to this programme from another WFOT recognised pre-registration programme will have their previous learning assessed against the

Sheffield Hallam University module learning outcomes. Applicants may be required to demonstrate their competence at an academic level by taking and passing an additional assessment before transferring to the programme. Applicants carrying a fail (referral) in a module studied elsewhere will normally be expected to have passed the retrieval before being accepted on to the programme. Those carrying a referral of practice learning undertaken at another WFOT recognised programme will not be accepted on the programme until the practice education is re-assessed and retrieved. Only exceptionally will a transfer during or beyond level 5 be allowed as level 5 modules contribute to the degree classification. Entry criteria relating to health protection measures, enhanced CRB checks and the monitoring of criminal convictions also apply.

A student wishing to transfer between occupational therapy programmes delivered at Sheffield Hallam University will normally be permitted to do so subject to any financial arrangements being in place. Any Sheffield Hallam student on another health or social care degree programme may apply to transfer to the occupational therapy programme but will only be allocated a place if he or she meets the entry criteria specified for all entrants.

In order to address variations in programme delivery locally, nationally and internationally, the Course Leader will review the study profile of all applicants wishing to transfer and assess it against the requirements of the Sheffield Hallam programme into which the student wishes to transfer. The course leader may require the applicant to successfully complete an individually tailored assessed programme of work to ensure any deficits in knowledge and skills are addressed and that the Standards of Proficiency will be met by the graduate on completion of the course.

Applicants who have completed all or some of the modules of the BSc Hons Vocational Rehabilitation at Sheffield Hallam University and wish to transfer to the BSc Hons Occupational Therapy will be guaranteed an interview. Those successful in meeting the entry requirements for the course may transfer in at either level 4 or level 5 of the BSc Hons Occupational Therapy, as appropriate. Those transferring to take up a place at level 5 will also need to have completed and passed a period of assessed practice learning within an occupational therapy setting or to be able to demonstrate the achievement of the learning outcomes of the module Practice Learning by experience.

6.12 Acceptance of applicants

Despite reasonable adjustments for students with additional learning needs and health issues, applicants will not be accepted on to the course for reasons of safety if they:

have any health or related problems that prevent them from engaging fully and taking an active part in all aspects of the course

do not pass a medical examination

decline to be immunised against conditions currently identified as required by the Department of Health

have personal circumstances that prevent them from taking a full active part in the academic or practice education components of the course

demonstrate attitude or behaviour that indicates a lack of ability to abide by the Profession’s Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct or the HPC Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics

have any criminal convictions, cautions or bindings over that are considered by an employer as exclusions, including those considered spent under the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. Applicants will undergo a criminal record check on enrolment and will be required to sign a declaration about any criminal convictions at the beginning of each year of the course.

6.11 Part time provision

There will be no direct entry to a part time programme. A part time route is available from level 5 onwards for those students who wish to complete the course at a slower pace. All students will therefore be enrolled on to the programme using the above procedures.