RAPPORT ISSUE 5 | Page 46

RAPPORT Issue 5 (August 2020) what I think this highlights is that with academics acting in multiple roles and support services being stretched that there is a wider institutional resource issue that needs to be addressed… includes training for academics on how to handle such situations. (Portfolio 22, CS 1) Students are likely to be more oriented to career progression while on placement, yet are more removed from the usual university careers support mechanisms and therefore AAs have found themselves fielding career advice questions which is likely an area they have less experience of in terms of how best to advise students: I arranged for her to talk with careers service and possibly undertake some assertiveness training if that is available…It indicated to me how difficult it can be to lower the barriers that are unconsciously erected against organisations that are perceived to only offer stereotypical job roles. (Portfolio 12, CS2) This therefore requires AAs being suitably trained and supported in meeting the demands of these roles. Support may be offered in a variety of ways, through training the AA and through well developed and effective university procedures and policies. Universities also need greater engagement with employers to help them understand students’ developmental position (Archer & Davison, 2008). A key focus should be to provide support for placement supervisors at all stages of the placement lifecycle, from planning the work offered to understanding how the placement work may fit with student’s assessment. Where the university is experienced in supporting placements and has relevant processes in place AAs are likely to find supporting placement easier. Even where policy and procedures are in place the university needs a commitment to ensuring these are well disseminated with appropriate training in place to use them. Otherwise as the AAs’ focus may get caught up in navigating ineffective procedures and systems, students’ academic needs may go unmet. As placements vary there is also a need for locally developed guidelines that can flex in accordance with requirements: The course leader has a role in terms of course progression and bursaries; the placement coordinator sources the retrieval placement. (Portfolio 7, CS 3) University policy outlines several points of contact during a student's placement year but due to the student experiencing some settling in problems, additional contact via SKYPE was introduced…we established that although policies in relation to such incidents were in place they were not visible, discussed or trained to members of staff who may need to use them. (Portfolio 22, CS 1) Providing developmental support It is likely that AAs will need to assist students in gaining the most out of their time on placement as not all students are eager to take part: she comes across as lacking confidence, speaks very quietly and her body language is extremely unassertive…we spoke about the fact that recognising that confidence is a key area for her to develop. (Portfolio 12, CS2) 45