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 2026-2027 year is in the document (attached here: Practice Education Placement Request 2026 - 2027)

Please record your placement request here: Speech and Language Therapy Student Placements 2026-2027

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

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

• 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!

Students require 2-3 hours of Direct Client Management per day. The remainder of their day will be spent on client related clinical activity (CRCA) such as writing case notes, session planning, and resource development.  It is expected that the Practice Educator may be attending to other clients on their caseload whilst the student is engaged in CRCA. Students are required to log all hours on placement and will ask their educator to certify these on a daily basis.

There are four Practice Education modules within the BSc in Clinical Speech and Language Studies at Trinity College Dublin. Each placement includes two formal assessment points: a mid‑placement evaluation and a final evaluation at the end of the placement. Before both evaluations, students complete a self‑rating of their competencies. This supports reflective practice and helps them identify their own learning goals. During the mid‑placement evaluation, educators provide detailed feedback to guide the student’s development for the remainder of the placement.

To pass a placement, students must meet the following requirements:

All students must demonstrate all ten Professional Conduct competencies on every placement.

PE1 (Novice Level) at least seven competencies must be demonstrated at Novice level

PE2 and PE3 (Transition level): at least twelve competencies must be demonstrated at Transition level.

PE4 (Entry level): at least sixteen competencies must be demonstrated at Entry level. 

Educators and students should refer to the Performance Indicators National Student Clinical Competencies for guidance on expected performance at each stage of learning. Educators return competency forms to clinicalspeech_PEC@tcd.ie within one week of student finishing placement.

Additionally, two placements include Clinical exams, each of which are worth 50% of that module grade:

• PE2 “Seen” Clinical Exam with a familiar client 
• PE4 “Unseen” Clinical Exam with a new assessment client

You will find the exam booklets for these clinical exams under Forms here: https://www.tcd.ie/slscs/department-of-clinical-speech-and-language-studies/practice-education-/forms/ 

Lastly, students complete a range of in‑house assessments in College, including video‑based case management exercises, Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs)  and Standardised Patient Competency Examinations (SPCEs).

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/

The next Practice Education Training sessions will take place on the 9th September 2026. CORU registered Speech and Language Therapists who have a minimum of 2 years experience can express interest in attending the session here: Expression of Interest in Practice Education Training Day (September 2026) – Fill in form