If you are interested in taking TCD students, please contact clinicalspeech_PEC@tcd.ie for further information. The details and dates of placements for the 2025-2026 year is in the document (attached here: Practice Education Placement Request 2025 2026)

Please record your placement request here: https://forms.office.com/r/MZA7MqrNSF

There are five different practice placements that occur each academic year – one for 2nd years, two for 3rd years, and two for 4th years:

Senior Fresh (2nd year)

• Main focus on nature of presenting disorders and assessment principles
• 10-12 day weekly placement on Mondays (mid-January to early April)
• Assessment in the practice setting: (a) continuous assessment on the national student clinical competency evaluation form;
• Assessment in college: (a) OSCEs; (b) Professional Development Log

Junior Sophister (3rd year)

• Main focus on intervention principles
• 10-12 day weekly placement on Thursdays (late September to early February)
• Assessment in the practice setting: (a) continuous assessment on the national student clinical competency evaluation form; (b) clinical exam on a ‘seen’ client
• Assessment in college: (a) Case presentation; (b) Professional Development Log
• 30 day block placement (early May to late June)
• Assessment in the practice setting: continuous assessment on the national student clinical competency evaluation form
• Assessment in college: (a) case presentation; (b) Professional Development Log

Senior Sophister (4th year)

• Focus on case management principles
• 40 day block placement (late January to early April)
• Assessment in the practice setting: (a) continuous assessment on the national student clinical competency evaluation form; (b) clinical exam on a ‘seen’ and an ‘unseen’ client
• Assessment in college: Professional Development Log

You can share your offer of a practice placement by completing the Practice Education Assessments & Examinations 2025 2026and returning to clinicalspeech_PEC@tcd.ie or by submitting an Expression of Interest here: https://forms.office.com/r/MZA7MqrNSF 

A Practice Educator—whether called a mentor, supervisor, tutor, trainer or examiner—is the cornerstone of a student’s clinical placement in Speech and Language Therapy. In this role, you will:

1. Design Engaging Learning Experiences
• Curate a rich mix of real‑world cases, interprofessional collaborations, simulations and role‑plays.
• Ensure each placement offers the variety students need to build confidence and competence.
2. Adapt Your Supervision Style
• 2nd‑Year Students: Provide direct, hands‑on guidance—model assessments, lead debriefs, and supervise every step.
• 3rd‑Year Students: Shift to collaborative supervision—plan jointly, co‑deliver sessions, and gradually hand over responsibility.
• 4th‑Year Students: Embrace consultative supervision—gradually encourage students to lead while you offer expert advice and reflective questioning.
3. Deliver Timely, Constructive Feedback
• Schedule regular feedback meetings that combine strengths‑based praise with clear action points.
• Encourage students to self‑reflect, set personal goals and track their progress.
4. Assess Clinical Competence
• Plan mid-placement and end-placement review dates well in advance
• Where relevant, plan mock exam and exam dates well in advance
• Use the relevant National Student Clinical Competency Evaluation Form to map student performance against core domains
• Complete both formative assessments (ongoing check‑ins with written feedback where possible) and a summative evaluation (end‑of‑placement review) in partnership with the university

Join Our Semiannual Practice Educator Workshops

Whether you’re new to practice education or simply keen to refresh your skills, we run Practice Educator workshops twice in the academic year- once in September and one in January. This workshop is free (once you commit to taking a student for that academic year) and gives you the opportunity to learn, deepen, and refresh, your skills in facilitating student placements.

Key Resources

• Practice-Education-Handbook-25-26
•  Guidelines for Good Practice in Practice Education
• Practice Educator Competencies

Click the links above to download comprehensive guides on roles, responsibilities and best practices—and get ready to elevate your students’ learning experience!

There are four Practice Education modules embedded within the BSc of Clinical Speech and Language Studies programme in Trinity College, Dublin. An overview of each module is provided below.

Senior Fresh (PE1, 2^nd year weekly placement)- 10 Mondays in Hilary Term (mid-January to mid-April). Main focus on assessment principles. Continuous assessment only using the National Student Clinical Competency Evaluation Form (Pass/Fail- 7 competencies or more must be evident or plus to pass).

• College assessment for this module includes: Professional Development Log (Pass/Fail) and OSCEs in Michealmas Term

Junior Sophister (PE2, 3rd year weekly placement)- 10 Thursdays in Michaelmas Term (mid-September to early December). Main focus on intervention principles. Continuous assessment using the National Student Clinical Competency Evaluation Form (Pass/Fail- 12 competencies or more must be evident or plus to pass) AND 'seen' clinical exam.

• College assessment for this module includes: Professional Development Log (Pass/Fail) and Simulated case based exam in Hilary Term 

Junior Sophister (PE3, 3^rd year block placement)- 6 weeks with four on-site days per week from mid-May to the end of June. Main focus on intervention principles. Continuous assessment only using the National Student Clinical Competency Evaluation Form (Pass/Fail- 12 competencies or more must be evident or plus to pass). 

• College assessment for this module includes: Professional Development Log (Pass/Fail) and Simulated case based exam in Michaelmas Term

Senior Sophister (PE4, 4th year block placement)- 8 weeks with four on-site days per week from the end of January to early April. Main focus on management principles. Continuous assessment using the National Student Clinical Competency Evaluation Form (Pass/Fail- 15 competencies or more must be evident or plus to pass) AND 'unseen' clinical exam.

• College assessment for this module includes: Professional Development Log (Pass/Fail) and Single Station OSCE (Hilary Term)

Please find relevant documents here:

• Outline of all Practice Education Assessments for 2025-2026:Practice Education Assessments & Examinations 2025 2026

• Novice Clinician 2nd years National Student Competency Evaluation Form
• Transition level 3rd years Professional Conduct & Clinical Competency Evaluation
• Entry Level 4th year Professional Conduct & Clinical Competency Evaluation Form
• 'Seen' clinical exam booklet (TBC)
• 'Unseen' clinical exam booklet (TBC)

Depending on the placement(s) you facilitate, you will guide students through continuous (pass/fail) assessment and/or clinical key exams. Here’s a clear, step‑by‑step guide:

1. Continuous Assessment (Pass/Fail)

Each placement year has its own competency form. You’ll rate the student on a set number of clinical competencies; they must meet the “evident” threshold to pass:

1. Download the correct competency form for your module from this website
2. Observe and rate each competency as  'not evident', 'emerging', 'evident', or 'plus'- information on grading is outlined in each competency form
3. Provide feedback to student—highlight strengths and next steps. Document a summary of feedback at mid-placement and end-placement points on competency form.
4. Sign off once the student meets the pass threshold.
5. Return competency form to clinicalspeech_PEC@tcd.ie within one week of student finishing placement

2. Seen Exam (PE2 Module only- third year weekly placement)

• Worth 50% of the module grade
• Format: Use the official Seen Exam Booklet (download from this website- further information may be found within)
• Return exam form to clinicalspeech_PEC@tcd.ie within one week of completion for marking.

3. Unseen Exam (PE4 Module only- fourth year block placement)

• Worth 50% of the module grade
• Format: Use the official Unseen Exam Booklet (download from this website- further information may be found within)
• Note: A member of the teaching team will act as co-examiner for this exam and will be assigned to you at the beginning of the placement
• Return exam form to clinicalspeech_PEC@tcd.ie within one week of completion for marking.

4. Submission of All Forms

• What to submit:
• Continuous Assessment form
• Seen or Unseen Exam booklet where relevant
• How to submit: Email soft copy to clinicalspeech_PEC@tcd.ie (electronic signature is sufficient)
• When: Within one week of the student’s placement end date.

Helpful Tips

• Keep it simple: Use the provided comment boxes—just a few sentences per competency.
• Be timely: Early feedback prevents last‑minute rushes. Have mid-placement, end-placement and relevant exam dates in the diary early to help keep things on track!
• Stay organised: Bookmark this section for quick access to all forms.
• Reach out: If you have any questions about the process, email us at the address above.

By following these straightforward steps, you’ll help your students succeed—and make the assessment process run smoothly for everyone. Good luck!

Practice Education is a vital component of SLT undergraduate programme and it would not be possible without your involvement. There are a number of supports available to you, and the Department is open to any other suggestions you may have.

• Input at a team meeting or centre-based meeting
• The Practice Education Coordinator is happy to attend a team meeting or centre-based meeting to discuss any aspect of Practice Education (e.g., upcoming placement, assessment of students’ competencies etc.)
• CPD on the theme of Practice Education
• Every year the department offers courses/ workshops on the themes of practice education. We encourage all SLTs new to practice education to attend, along with SLTs looking to refresh their knowledge and skills. Details can be found here: https://www.tcd.ie/slscs/continuing-professional-development/
• The Health & Social Care Professions Education & Development unit of the HSE has supported the development of online resources for practice educators. To access the modules go to http://www.hseland.ie and then to Health & Social Care Professionals Hub.
• There is also a short course on ‘Clinical Supervision’ available on FutureLearn https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/categories
• Additional CPD opportunities are available at http://www.lpmde.ac.uk/, in particular the online modules at http://www.lpmde.ac.uk/professional-development/elearning-support-and-self-review-modules
• Structured and unstructured learning activities in relation to the practice education of students are recognised by CORU as CPD credits. For example: ‘active engagement in supervision and mentoring’; ‘involvement in student practice education and providing placements’; ‘training on placement grading tools and overall assessment of students’; or ‘reading and reflecting on literature or case studies’.
• Therapy Project Office publications
• Guidelines for Good Practice in Practice Education
• Practice Educator Competencies
• Feedback in a Clinical Setting’: https://www.tcd.ie/slscs/clinical-speech-language/SLT/index.php

Students who are registered with Trinity College’s Disability Service are entitled to supports in the form of reasonable accommodations while on a practice placement (Equal Status Act 2000-1; Disability Act, 2005). A needs assessment process completed by TCD’s Disability Service will take into account the nature of the disability, course requirements, and individual differences. They will produce a report with suggestions for practice placement supports. This is completed on a case by case basis and in accordance with the individual’s certified disability.

With the student’s consent, information about a student’s disability may be disclosed prior to placement and a formal placement planning meeting may be arranged to discuss reasonable accommodations. These may include assistive technology, additional time, accessible locations, frequent rests, or flexible hours.

Further information on Trinity College’s guides for students with disabilities: https://www.tcd.ie/disability/

Further information on Trinity College’s Equality Policy: https://www.tcd.ie/equality/

• September training date (online and in-person): 10/9/25 from 9am-1pm
• January training date (online only): 06/1/26 from 9am-1pm
• Training specifically for Practice Educators taking a Senior Sophister student- 7/1/26  from 11am-12pm (online only)

This training is appropriate if you would like to refresh your knowledge on Practice Education, and if you are new to Practice Education. You must attend training at least once before facilitating a student placement. We would strongly encourage all Practice Educators taking a Senior Sophister student to attend the training on 7/1/26.

Book your place here: https://forms.office.com/e/nzVRyxazPN