Placement Process

The specific arrangements for the placement should be agreed between the student and the placement mentor, or another designated member of staff at the relevant workplace, before the placement begins or no later than the first day of the placement. The expectations and content of the placement are recorded in the Learning Agreement/Placement Plan (see below for details of the Learning Agreement).

Learning Agreement/Placement Plan

Each student is assigned a placement mentor within the organisation who is responsible for supervising the placement. This person is most commonly a social worker or a clinical social worker. Students are expected to discuss and agree in advance with their mentor the activities they will undertake during the placement. This initial discussion should not be underestimated, as it helps avoid situations in which students are unable to participate in activities they were expecting or are assigned tasks they had not anticipated.

Before discussing the details of the placement with the mentor, students should formulate their own learning objectives: What do I want to learn at this placement? What would I like to experience or try in practice? Which skills would I like to develop? Once these objectives have been identified, they should be discussed with the mentor and to determine which activities are realistic within the placement setting. Students should also clarify whether activities will be carried out independently or under supervision, and whether they will actively participate in the activities or act primarily as observers. This process should result in a mutual agreement on the form and content of the placement. Before the placement begins, this agreement must be recorded in the Learning Agreement, which must be submitted by email to the academic staff member responsible for placement administration (vlasta.reznikova@vspj.cz) no later than the first day of the placement. The Learning Agreement also includes an attendance record, which must be signed by the mentor. The printed and signed Learning Agreement must be submitted as part of the Placement Portfolio after the completion of the placement.

Practical Placement Completion 

Attendance at placements is mandatory and must be completed in full (100%). In the event of illness, a medical appointment, or another serious reason for absence, students must immediately inform their mentor and arrange an alternative day to make up the missed placement hours. They must subsequently notify the academic staff member responsible for placement administration in writing (by email). Appropriate written evidence of the reason for absence must be included in the Placement Portfolio. If the replacement falls outside the dates specified in the Placement Agreement, an Addendum to the Placement Agreement must be completed. A template for the Addendum is available on the placement portal praxe.vspj.cz in the ‘Documents’ section. Placements may not be undertaken outside the agreed placement period without an approved Addendum. All missed placement hours must be completed in full.

Unexcused absence or failure to fulfil placement obligations may result in termination of the Placement Agreement, discontinuation of the placement, and failure to receive course credit.

If students are repeatedly assigned tasks that differ substantially from those agreed in the Learning Agreement, they should inform the academic staff member responsible for placement administration or the placement tutor. The same applies if the placement location changes. Failure to report these changes may result in course credit not being awarded.

Monitoring of Placements

The placement tutor or academic staff member responsible for practical placement administration monitors placements in the following ways:

• review of placement diary entries,

• telephone contact with the placement provider or mentor,

• email communication,

• on-site visit to the placement setting.