Placements Policy

1. Introduction

1.1 The Placements Policy details the provision of placement opportunities for students, including how placements are developed, approved, managed and monitored at Birkbeck, University of London (hereafter referred to as ‘the University’ or ‘Birkbeck).

1.2 The policy applies to placement activities that carry academic credit and form part of programmes of study at Birkbeck, including the following types of placement activity:

• 1.2.1 Micro-placements.
• 1.2.2 Short-term placements.
• 1.2.3 Undergraduate placement years. See section 2 for a detailed description of the types of placements offered at Birkbeck.

1.3 It is recognised that some processes outlined in this policy may vary in how they are applied to different types of placements, while others may be consistent. The policy therefore indicates whether each section applies to micro-placements, short-term placements, placement years, or all placements (subject at all times to the exclusions set out in paragraph 1.4).

1.4 This Policy does not apply to the following:

• 1.4.1 Employment or work experience that students may undertake outside of their studies or during a break in studies
• 1.4.2 Clinical placements undertaken as part of a programme, the structure, assessment and duration of which are governed by the relevant professional, regulatory or statutory body (PSRB)
• 1.4.3 Extra-curricular Micro-placements that students complete outside of their studies and do not carry academic credit, which are managed by Careers and Enterprise (contact the Careers team for more information). All subsequent references to micro-placements throughout this policy refer only to credit-bearing Micro-placements (see paragraph 1.2.1).

1.5 This Policy has the following aims:

• 1.5 To provide a clear framework for the approval, delivery, monitoring and review of placement activity.
• 1.5.2 To ensure that placements are appropriate, enrich students’ experience and enable students to demonstrate that they meet defined learning outcomes.
• 1.5.3 Outline how Birkbeck will support students to successfully complete their placement.

1.6 This Policy aligns with the expectations of the UK Quality Code Advice and Guidance: Work-based Learning (2018). It has also been developed with reference to the ASET Good Practice Guide for Work Based and Placement Learning in Higher Education (2022) and the USHA Guidance on Health and Safety of Placements for Higher Education Students (2018).

2. Typology of placements

2.1 All placements covered by this policy may be either full- or part-time but must be of sufficient duration to enable students to meet the approved learning outcomes of the placement. Students will have a defined role within the placement provider and will be expected to carry out defined duties that are similar to those of an employee – within reason and with appropriate supervision, training, support and guidance – and will have corresponding rights within the workplace. Learning outcomes are attached to all placements. Specific features of different types of placement activity are summarised in the table below.

3. Key terminology

3.1 Placement Module: The module that houses the placement activity. The module will have sector- and subject-specific learning outcomes and will include a form of assessment. For micro-placements the module will be 15 credits; for short-term placements these modules will be 30 or 60 credits; and for undergraduate placement years these modules will be 120 credits.

3.2 Placement Provider: The host organisation that provides the placement opportunity. All placement providers must be approved by Birkbeck (see section 13). For placement years, placement providers must be based in the UK. For other placement types, placement providers may be based outside of the UK. Where students are in employment outside of their studies at Birkbeck, their employer cannot act as their placement provider.

3.3 Placement Student: A student undertaking a placement year while registered on a programme of study at Birkbeck. Students are expected to carry out duties and responsibilities agreed with the placement provider, to demonstrate professional behaviours while on placement, and to complete any assessments that form part of the placement, as set out in the placement module and communicated to the student. Students remain fully registered with the University during their placement. To be eligible to take a placement year, students must be registered as studying full-time at Birkbeck and must not require a Visa to study in the UK. Students who are studying part-time and/or studying on a Student visa are not eligible to take a placement year. These restrictions do not apply to students seeking to take a short-term placement or micro-placement

3.4 Birkbeck staff roles:

• 3.4.1 Placements and Employability Manager: The professional services staff member at Birkbeck who is responsible for providing administrative support to placements and the associated administrative processes. The Placements and Employability Manager is responsible for liaising with and approving prospective placement providers, including undertaking due diligence processes, in consultation with the Module Convenor and/or Programme Director as appropriate. They are one of the main points of contact at Birkbeck for placement providers and students on placement, particularly regarding administrative matters.
• 3.4.2 Module Convenor: The academic member of staff at Birkbeck who is responsible for the delivery and management of the placement module. The module convenor is responsible for approving students’ placements, in consultation with the Placements and Employability Manager and Programme Director as appropriate. They are one of the main points of contact at Birkbeck for students on placement, particularly regarding pastoral or academic matters.
• 3.4.3 Programme Director: the academic member of staff at Birkbeck with overall responsibility for the programme(s) incorporating a placement.

3.5 Placement provider staff roles:

• 3.5.1 Placement Supervisor: The individual, employed and designated by the placement provider, who is responsible for supervising the student while on placement, and holds responsibilities equivalent to a line manager.
• 3.5.2 Placement Mentor: The individual, employed and designated by the placement provider, who is responsible for facilitating and supporting the student’s professional and personal development in the workplace while on placement. The placement mentor may act as a ‘critical friend’ or ‘buddy’ to the student. The placement mentor should normally not be the same individual as the placement supervisor, although it is recognised that in some smaller organisations this may not be possible.

4. Academic model

4.1 Placement provision should follow a standard academic model, which will be determined according to the type of placement activity.

4.2 Micro-placements

• 4.2.1 The Micro-placement is housed in a 15-credit, term-long module.
• 4.2.2 The module will be at Level 5 of the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ).
• 4.2.3 Students do not need to complete a placement directly related to their academic subject area. Instead, they are expected to focus on the new skills they have gained or developed, regardless of how closely these align with their programme.
• 4.2.4 The module will include assessment(s) that will be marked numerically.
• 4.2.5 Where students are unable to secure an appropriate placement opportunity, they will be assigned a work-related project to support their professional development by Careers & Enterprise. This project will also carry 15 credits.

4.3 Short-term placements

• 4.3.1 The short-term placement is housed in a 30-credit module lasting one term or a 60-credit module lasting two terms.
• 4.3.2 The module will be at an appropriate academic level of the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) which may be at undergraduate or postgraduate level depending on the programme that the placement forms part of.
• 4.3.3 The module will have learning outcomes relevant to the subject area of the programme of study and the professional sector.
• 4.3.4 The module will include assessment(s) relevant to the subject area and likely professional sector(s) that students will be undertaking placements in. The assessment(s) will be marked numerically.
• 4.3.5 The module will normally make provision for students who wish to take a placement but are unable to secure an appropriate placement, or whose placement is terminated early, or who wish to complete an employability-related project instead of a placement. This may include alternative assessments that test the module learning outcomes. Schools must include details of these arrangements in the module specification and must ensure they are communicated clearly to students.

4.4 Placement years

• 4.4.1 The placement year is housed in a 120-credit, year-long module taken after the first two years of undergraduate study.
• 4.4.2 The module will be at Level 5 of the FHEQ.
• 4.4.3 The module will have learning outcomes relevant to the subject area of the programme of study and the professional sector.
• 4.4.4 The module will include assessment(s) relevant to the subject area and likely professional sector(s) that students will be undertaking placements in. The assessment(s) may be marked numerically or on a pass/fail basis.
• 4.4.5 The module will be zero-weighted, meaning that it will not contribute to the student’s final degree classification mark.
• 4.4.6 Upon passing the placement year and successfully completing the remainder of their programme of study at Birkbeck, students will receive an award that reflects their placement experience (this will normally be the standard programme award with ‘with placement year’ or an equivalent appropriate wording, determined by the School, appended).
• 4.4.7 Where students fail the placement year, they will normally be transferred to the standard version of the programme without a placement and be eligible to receive the standard programme award upon successful completion of the programme. Where students are exceptionally unable to complete the full placement year, arrangements will be in place to ensure those who complete above a minimum threshold may still be eligible for the placement award (see section 25).

4.5 Although the placement year modules and their learning outcomes will to some extent be specific to each subject area and its associated professional sector(s), all are expected to enable students to benefit from their experience on placement personally, professionally and academically.

4.6 Exceptions to the models outlined in sections 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4 may exist, for example where PSRB requirements determine the structure and delivery of placements. These will be subject to approval through the programme amendment or approval process (see paragraph 5.2.3). Where applicable, these variations will be set out in the relevant programme and module documentation and associated student-facing materials.

5. Academic approval of placements

5.1 All forms of placement activity covered by this policy (see paragraph 1.2) must be part of a programme of study at Birkbeck. Proposals to incorporate placements should be considered either through Birkbeck’s programme approval process, for new proposed programmes, or through amendments to existing programmes of study. For new programmes Schools should consider seeking feedback from an external subject specialist with relevant experience in work-based learning, and obtain approval from the College Programmes Committee (CPC).

5.2 During the design and approval of new or existing programmes that will incorporate placement activity it is required that proposals align with the relevant academic model outlined above and demonstrate consideration of the following points:

• 5.2.1 How placement learning contributes to the overall aims and learning outcomes of the programme.
• 5.2.2 Responsibility for sourcing and securing placements (ordinarily, students are expected to identify and apply for placement opportunities independently, however in some subject areas or professional sectors it may be the case that the University has a role in allocating placements to students; if the latter, the process must be made clear).
• 5.2.3 Details of the placements including expected duration, the available modes of attendance, and any subject- or sector-specific features of placement years, including requirements from PSRBs (particularly where these may vary from the University’s academic models).
• 5.2.4 How placement activity forms part of the wider teaching, learning and assessment strategy for the programme(s).
• 5.2.5 The capacity of the programme team (or other unit) to manage placement activity and support students before and during their placement year, working alongside relevant central teams.

6. Equality, diversion and inclusion

6.1 It is Birkbeck’s intention to ensure that placement opportunities are open to all eligible students and that placements offered fully conform to Birkbeck’s Equality and Diversity Statement and the Equality Act (2010).

6.2 It is the student’s responsibility to declare at an early stage if they have any specific support or learning needs so that these can be considered by the University and placement provider, where appropriate. Reasonable adjustments in the context of a placement may differ from those in academic settings. Arrangements will be considered on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the student and placement provider. Any agreed reasonable adjustments must not compromise the achievement of professional competencies that may be required by PSRBs. Decisions on reasonable adjustments must be made in liaison with the University’s Student Support and Wellbeing team. Birkbeck staff may also wish to refer to the ASET Good Practice Guide for Supporting Students with Disabilities on Placement (2016).

6.3 Any reasonable adjustments that are agreed must be captured in the Tri-Party Agreement. Birkbeck staff liaising with placement providers must seek permission from students before disclosing any information about a student’s disabilities or other protected characteristics to a placement provider. If a student withholds consent for disclosure this may result in them not receiving the support they need to succeed in their placement.

7. Finding and applying for placement opportunities

7.1 For all placements, Birkbeck will provide eligible students and prospective students with general information about the range of placement activities available to them based on their programme of study. Students intending to take a placement will receive specific advice about processes for identifying and applying for suitable placement opportunities from the placement Module Convenor or Programme Director, however students may also seek support and advice from the University’s Careers and Enterprise team, who can offer access to online resources and other forms of individual employability-focused support, and signpost to relevant external resources.

7.2 Micro-placements

• 7.2.1 Students are responsible for sourcing and applying to Micro-placement opportunities independently. Micro-placements may be paid or unpaid. Where students are unable to secure an appropriate micro-placement, Careers and Enterprise will provide students with a work-related project, which will be unpaid.

7.3 Short-term placements

• 7.3.1 Birkbeck will promote relevant short-term placement opportunities, which may be paid or unpaid.
• 7.3.2 The School will normally be involved in assigning, allocating or facilitating competitive applications by students to short-term placement opportunities. Where this is the case, the process will be led by the Module Convenor and will be made clear to students in advance. Where students are able or required to find and apply for short-term placement opportunities independently, the School will inform students at a sufficiently early stage to allow them to research and make applications. Where students are required to find and/or apply for a short-term placement, whether independently or through a placement module’s curriculum, Birkbeck will provide information, guidance and support to students during the application process.

7.4 Placement years

• 7.4.1 Birkbeck will promote relevant paid placement opportunities to students. Students will be able to apply for and undertake unpaid placement years if they wish, but the Module Convenor must inform them clearly in advance of possible financial difficulties that may arise as a result, and signpost them to any support or funding sources they may be eligible to seek support from.
• 7.4.2 Students will normally be responsible for sourcing and applying to placement opportunities independently. Where the University is involved in assigning, allocating, or otherwise co-ordinating applications to placement opportunities, the process will be made clear to students in advance.
• 7.4.3 Birkbeck will provide information, guidance and support to students during the application process. This will normally include a pre-placement module focusing on professional skills that all students registered on placement year programmes must complete.

8. Approving placement providers

8.1 All prospective placement providers must be approved by the Placements and Employability Manager. The Placements and Employability Manager will provide information to prospective placement providers about placements and how they operate, including general information about the programme(s) and the requirements to become an approved placement provider.

8.2 Prospective placement providers will be subject to a due diligence process, which will be undertaken by the Placements and Employability Manager, through which Birkbeck must be assured that the placement provider has in place appropriate resources, frameworks, policies and procedures to support students while on placement and provide a suitable environment to enable learning and development at an appropriate level. The process may also include an interview and/or a site visit where the Placements and Employability Manager deems this necessary. Key considerations in this process include, but are not limited to, the following:

• 8.2.1 Policies and procedures (including those related to HR, and health and safety) - are these in place, clear, and sufficient to support students’ needs?
• 8.2.2 Insurance cover - is this in place and do they provide an appropriate level of coverage?
• 8.2.3 Is there evidence of experience of providing placements or other work-based learning opportunities for students?

9. Approving student placements

9.1 Each student’s placement must be approved by the Module Convenor as appropriate to meet students’ needs, the learning outcomes and other academic requirements of the module and programme, and the requirements of this Policy and associated guidance.

9.2 Approved placements must meet the following criteria:

• 9.2.1 A defined role within an established organisation. Placements with start-ups and newer businesses are not excluded, but Birkbeck must be assured that all of the other criteria are met. The role should be captured through a clear job description (for placement years) or a placement or project brief (for short-term placements and micro-placements), which should be appended to the Tri-Party Agreement.
• 9.2.2 Clear opportunities for the placement module and programme learning outcomes to be met.
• 9.2.3 Adequate facilities and resources to support successful undertaking of the placement role.
• 9.2.4 Opportunities to meet the professional and academic requirements of PSRBs, where applicable.
• 9.2.5 Evidence of a satisfactory risk assessment of the proposed placement role.
• 9.2.6 Evidence that all the criteria for being an approved placement provider have been met.

9.3 Each placement will be underpinned by a Tri-Party Agreement, which outlines the key expectations and requirements of Birkbeck, the placement provider, and the placement student, and will also note any agreed reasonable adjustments.

9.4 The Tri-Party Agreement must be signed by either the Module Convenor, Placements and Employability Manager (or an appropriate delegate), a representative of the placement provider (normally the Placement Supervisor or a member of HR staff), and the placement student, before the placement can be approved. Placements cannot go ahead without this agreement being signed by all parties. A copy of the signed agreement should be retained by each party. The Placements and Employability Manager will be responsible for retaining copies of Tri-Party Agreements on behalf of Birkbeck. The job description (for placement years) or placement or project brief (for micro-placements or short-term placements) must be appended to the copy of the Tri-Party Agreement retained by each party.

10. Timelines for approving student placements

10.1 Micro-placements

• 10.1.1 Students will need to ensure they have applied for and secured their micro-placement, and passed details of the placement to Careers and Enterprise a minimum of four weeks before the end of Term 3 to enable them to approve the placement and prepare the Tri-Party Agreement. More details of the timeline and deadlines for confirming placements are provided in the Micro-placement Module Handbook, which is reviewed annually.

10.2 Short-term placements

• 10.2.1 The Module Convenor will normally assign, allocate or facilitate competitive applications for short-term placements. Where students are able or required to apply for and secure their own short-term placements, students will need to ensure they have done so in accordance within the published timeframes and procedures specified for the short-term placement module, as determined by the Module Convenor. Normally such independently secured placements will need to be confirmed a minimum of five weeks before the placement start date, to enable the Module Convenor to approve the placement and for the Placements and Employability Manager to prepare the Tri-Party Agreement. More details of the timeline and deadlines for confirming placements are provided in the Module Handbook, which is reviewed annually.

10.3 Placement years

• 10.3.1 Year-long placements must be approved by the end of Term 3 of the academic year prior to the placement year commencing. Students will need to ensure they have applied for and secured their placement, and passed details of the placement to the Module Convenor a minimum of four weeks before the end of Term 3 to enable them to approve the placement and for the Placements and Employability Manager to prepare the Tri-Party Agreement. More details of the timeline and deadlines for confirming placements are provided in the Student Placement Year Handbook, which is reviewed annually.
• 10.3.2 Where a student is unable to secure an approved year-long placement opportunity in time, the student will be transferred to the non-placement counterpart programme and will be able to continue their studies. They would no longer be eligible to receive the ‘with placement’ award.
• 10.3.3 Where a student secures an approved placement opportunity in time, but is subsequently unable to take up their placement due to a change in their circumstances or a decision by the placement provider, the Placements and Employability Manager and Module Convenor will provide an opportunity for students who still wish to and are able to take a placement to secure an alternative placement beyond the normal deadline at the end of Term 3 prior to the placement year. This process must be concluded prior to the start of the academic year that the placement falls in. Birkbeck can make no guarantees in these circumstances that it will be possible for a student to take a placement year. More details of the timeline and deadlines for confirming placements are provided in the Student Placement Handbook, which is reviewed annually.

11. Health and Safety

11.1 All placement providers and settings must be compliant with relevant health and safety legislation. Birkbeck staff are advised to consult and follow the USHA Guidance on Health and Safety of Placements for Higher Education Students (2018), which uses a risk management approach to health and safety on placements.

11.2 The Placements and Employability Manager must ensure that placement providers have proper health and safety measures in place and should keep this under review periodically to ensure that the placement provider continues to operate appropriate health and safety measures. The requirements for lower risk placements should be proportionately lower than for higher risk placements.

11.3 Where placement providers cannot demonstrate that they have appropriate health and safety measures in place, placement opportunities with that provider should not be promoted by Birkbeck staff and any placements with that provider sourced by students should not be approved.

11.4 Pre-placement information and briefings should include advice on relevant health and safety issues, and should encourage placement students to learn how to assess and manage risk as an integral part of their learning and development experience while on placement.

12. Insurance

12.1. All placement providers must have sufficient Employers Liability Insurance and Public Liability Insurance, including for unpaid work. Placement providers are responsible for ensuring that they have appropriate insurance cover in place for placement students, and this must be in place before any students can attend that placement.

12.2 The Placements and Employability Manager must ensure that placement providers have appropriate insurance cover in place and obtain confirmation of placement insurance and keep a record.

12.3 Pre-placement information and briefings should include information on insurance cover.

13. Pre-placement briefings and guidance

13.1 In addition to the information outlined above, Birkbeck will also provide key information to students before they go on placement to support their success. This should include information on (but not limited to) the following topics:

• Academic requirements for the placement and the intended experiential benefits of the placement.
• Arrangements for formal placement visits and other contact points and methods.
• Expectations for students to maintain contact with Birkbeck via phone, email, log-ins, etc. The Module Convenor will confirm specific arrangements for each placement.
• The support available for students at Birkbeck while on placement (i.e. ongoing access to student services and resources and Student Union membership).
• Advice about balancing placement work responsibilities with other commitments, and who students should contact if they have concerns in relation to this.
• Health and safety information, including any specific matters likely to be relevant to placements in particular professional sectors (a full briefing and induction on organisational health and safety policies and procedures must be done by the placement provider at the outset of the placement year).
• Data protection information, including the requirements of the Data Protection Act (2018), Birkbeck’s Privacy Notices, and (where applicable) client/patient confidentiality (a full briefing and induction on organisational data protection policies and procedures must be done by the placement provider at the outset of the placement year).
• Rights and responsibilities of placement students and placement providers under the Equality Act (2010).
• Information relating to employment rights and working conditions, e.g.
  • Payment (where applicable) including minimum and London living wage levels
  • Standard HR processes and procedures
  • Holidays, time off, and sickness/compassionate leave
  • Maximum working hours and rest breaks
  • Protection against unlawful discrimination
  • Protection for whistleblowers
  • Harassment, bullying and abuse in the workplace
  • Equitable treatment when undertaking part-time work on placement
  • Understanding job/role descriptions and distinguishing between reasonable and unreasonable employer demands/expectations

The above list is not exhaustive, and other information may be relevant depending on the professional sector that placement students are working in. Placement providers should proactively share policies and procedures relevant to these areas with placement students at the outset of the placement year.

• Support with assessing personal risk factors that students should consider that are not captured in the standard placement risk assessment, e.g. travel to the placement location, late working, and accommodation (if required).
• Relevant financial information and details of fees that the student may be liable for, including tuition fees, professional fees or additional insurance that may be required, and sources of funding.
• What students should do in the event of an emergency or if things are not going as planned while on placement.
• Advice on workplace etiquette and expectations, e.g. professional/corporate culture, conduct with other colleagues, and dress code expectations.
• What will happen when the placement student completes the placement year and returns to Birkbeck (e.g. arrangements for module selection for the following academic year).
• Any other tips for making the most of the placement experience.

14. Fees and funding: placement years

14.1 Placement students will be required to pay tuition fees at a reduced rate for the placement year, in line with the Office for Students’ fee caps.

14.2 During the placement year, students may be eligible for maintenance funding from one of the national student funding bodies. The criteria for determining eligibility and the amount of funding available will depend on the following factors:

• 14.2.1 The placement student’s home location (i.e. England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland)
• 14.2.2 Whether the placement is paid or unpaid, or taking place in a specific professional sector.

Students should seek information from the relevant student funding body about their eligibility for maintenance funding at the earliest opportunity, and ensure they are confident that they will have sufficient funds to support their needs during the placement year. Students may also contact Birkbeck’s Student Advice Service for guidance on fees and funding.

14.3 Where students are taking unpaid placement years, they should be clearly advised of the constraints and challenges that this may cause, and should be provided with guidance as to any funding sources or financial support they may be eligible for.

15. Student welfare and support from Birkbeck

15.1 Students remain registered with Birkbeck during their placement. Students on placements will continue to have access to the wellbeing and support services that Birkbeck offers to all students, including IT services, Library access and membership of the Student Union.

15.2 Schools must inform placement students and placement providers of the key contacts at Birkbeck with whom they should get in touch when they have queries or concerns that they feel cannot be raised or addressed in the workplace. This would normally be the Placements and Employability Manager, Module Convenor, and Programme Director, each of whom would be able to refer the student to appropriate specialist support at Birkbeck where required.

15.3 The Module Convenor must make clear to placement students and the placement provider the arrangements for scheduled visits and/or contact points - both pastoral and academic/assessment-related - during the placement.

15.4 The Module Convenor must ensure there is a clear protocol in place for managing and escalating contact from placement students regarding serious concerns or emergency situations as appropriate, and for contacting placement students’ next of kin or emergency contacts where appropriate.

15.5 Schools should also arrange scheduled events, where possible, during the placement year to provide opportunities to bring the cohort of placement students together.

16. Harassment and sexual misconduct

16.1 All students have the right to complete their studies, including any placement activity that forms part of their programme, free from any type of harassment and in line with our Dignity at Study principles.

16.2 If a student experiences harassment by an employee of the placement provider, they should follow the placement provider's processes for reporting this. The University will be able to offer support and signposting to helpful services should the student wish it.

16.3 If a student experiences harassment by another Birkbeck student who is on placement with the same provider, they should report this harassment to both the University and the placement provider, who will then agree how the issue will be addressed.

16.4 In all circumstances, any investigation by a placement provider will not prevent action being taken by the University in line with its own policies and procedure.

17. Assessment

17.1 All placements will include an appropriate form of assessment designed to measure the learning outcomes. The type and form of assessment will be determined by Schools, in line with the subject area and professional sector expectations. Placement providers must not be involved in marking or assessing any work submitted by students.

17.2 Birkbeck’s Academic Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedures will apply to all assessments completed as part of a placement.

18. Complaints, appeals, mitigating circumstances, and student conduct

18.1 Students may raise complaints about placements that relate to either:

• 18.1.1.Matters falling under the authority of Birkbeck. These should be handled through the Complaints Policy and Procedure.
• 18.1.2 Matters falling under the authority of the placement provider. These should be raised with the placement provider and, if appropriate, managed through the placement provider’s internal policy and procedures. Where placement students are raising complaints with placement providers, they can seek support and advice from the Student Wellbeing team at Birkbeck and the Students’ Union.

18.2 While on placement, the University’s policies and procedures on appeals and mitigating circumstances will apply.

18.3 While on placement, students are expected to abide by Birkbeck’s Student Discipline Policy with regards to their conduct. Any breach which has occurred on or off campus, including on placement, may be subject to investigation under this Policy. Placement students are also expected to abide by the policies and procedures of the placement provider and where the placement provider finds the student guilty of, or has reason to suspect, a breach of their policies, the placement provider may take appropriate disciplinary action, including the termination of the placement.

19. Termination of year-long placements

19.1 On rare occasions, it may be necessary to terminate a placement year early. This may be due to reasons relating to the placement student or the placement provider. Terminating a placement could have serious implications for a student’s wellbeing and studies and for future relations with placement providers, so all parties should give careful consideration before terminating.

19.2 Where a placement must be terminated midway through the year, the relevant course of action will be determined by the circumstances of the termination.

• 19.2.1 If placement students have completed at least 24 weeks of their placement, and the Module Convenor has determined that the student has spent sufficient time on placement to meet the learning outcomes, the student will be eligible to complete the assessment(s) associated with their placement module and upon passing these assessments and successful completion of the rest of their programme of study, will be eligible to graduate with the ‘with placement’ award.
• 19.2.2 If students have completed less than 24 weeks of their placement, or the Module Convenor has determined that the student has not spent sufficient time on placement to meet the learning outcomes, the student will not be eligible to complete the assessment(s) associated with their placement module and will not be eligible to graduate with the ‘with placement’ award.

19.3. In cases where a placement student chooses to take a break in study during a placement year, the Break in Study Policy would apply. Depending on the student’s progress through the placement year up to that point, the student may be able to resume or restart their placement after returning from the break in study, subject to approval from the Programme Director and placement provider. Birkbeck cannot guarantee that placement providers will permit students to restart or resume their placement in these situations.

20. Evaluation, feedback and whistleblowing

20.1 Placement years

• 20.1.1 Birkbeck will seek feedback from placement year students and placement providers about their experiences at three points during the placement year: early (weeks 6-8), the mid-point (weeks 18-20), and at the end of the placement. The exact timings of these may vary depending on the duration of the placement.

20.2 Micro-placements and short-term placements

• 20.2.1 Birkbeck will seek feedback from micro-placement and short-term placement students at the end of their module, in line with the module evaluation process that applies to conventional taught modules. Birkbeck will also seek feedback from placement providers about their experiences at the end of the placement.

20.3 Student and placement provider feedback will be used to identify and address issues that may arise during the placement, and to drive continuous enhancement of the management and delivery of placements, both in-year (where possible) and for future cohorts.

20.4 This approach does not preclude placement students or placement providers from providing informal feedback or raising queries or concerns at any other point during the placement.

20.5 Birkbeck encourages its students to be vigilant while on placement regarding poor or unsafe practices in professional settings. There should be appropriate channels in place for students to report concerns during or after placements. This will normally be via the Module Convenor or Placements and Employability Manager. Students will be entitled to support from relevant teams at Birkbeck through this process.

21. Quality assurance

21.1 Programmes incorporating placement activity will be subject to the University’s formal quality assurance processes, including module evaluation, and annual and periodic quality assessment. Assessments completed as part of placement modules will also be subject to Birkbeck’s policies and procedures relating to marking and moderation, and external examining.

Policy review

• Created: October 2025
• Latest update: October 2025
• Date of next review: 2029-30 academic year
• Owner: Quality and Regulations Manager
• SLT owner: DVC Education and Student Experience
• Committee oversight: Education and Student Experience Committee for Academic Board