Student Training Forum

What is the Student Training Forum?

The aim of the STF is to provide a place for Practice Education Managers and/or Student training leads to meet with the Dietetic team and discuss any issues related to practice education.  There is always space for feedback from recent placements and updates on University issues such as course structure changes, revision of paperwork or assessment tools, progress with student recruitment, and development of placement capacity. Practice educators are encouraged to suggest agenda items or bring subjects for discussion and may present on topics related to practice education e.g. the development of placements within nursing homes. 

Over the years we have had external speakers giving updates such as ‘the role of the mental health service’ or ‘the role of academic support’, ‘supporting students with dyslexia on placement’ or ‘how to support the development of resilience in students’. We sometimes discuss anonymised cases to share the learning of how students might be best supported.  

As a group we have agreed that twice yearly meetings are sufficient but we do sometimes have task and finish groups who undertake pieces of work and then report back, e.g. with revisions of assessment tools. Together we make some decisions about direction and developments.  During the COVID-19 pandemic, meetings have been shorter and taken place more regularly (as required) via MS Teams.

We hope that the STF gives a safe space for information exchange and for new Student Training Leads to ask questions and develop confidence in their own practice. It does support networking across the practice education placements that are linked to the University of Nottingham. It is an informal meeting and everyone is encouraged to contribute.

For further information:

If you have anything that you would like to be considered at this forum then please contact Katherine Lawson: katherine.lawson@nottingham.ac.uk