module specification

Foundations of Professional Practice module addresses several standards of proficiency relevant to Physiotherapy practice and the standards of conduct, performance and ethics of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). It focuses on introducing students to contemporary issues affecting professional practice including legislation, professional accountability, ethics, and inter-professional working/multidisciplinary approach. It will also develop understanding and use of communication to support patients and their families, inter-professional working, and leading others. It will introduce the concept of continuing professional development and explore tools for developing career-long learning.

This module will:

1. Provide you with opportunities to explore relevant issues to contemporary professional practice,
2. Support development of your awareness of legal and ethical frameworks for professional practice including HCPC & CSP code of conduct
3. Develop your awareness and ability to use communication skills to support professional practice.
4. Provide you with tools and skills for continuous professional development of your career.
5. Provide opportunities for interprofessional learning with other allied health professional students.

No pre-requisite required
Available for Study Abroad? NO

The indicative module syllabus includes:

• Structure and function of health and social care services in the UK (including NHS Values), (LO1)
• Trends in Physiotherapy practice within contemporary health and social care settings, including requirements for health and safety (LO1)
• HCPC standards of proficiency for physiotherapists, including maintaining health and wellbeing & standards of conduct, performance, and ethics, (LO1)
• CSP code of conduct and knowledge skills, behaviour, values, and professionalism (LO1, 2, 3).
• Ethics, values and accountability, digital professionalism, equality, and diversity
• Communication for practice including effective communication skills, cultural competency, causes of communication difficulty, informed consent. (LO5)
• Causes of communication difficulties and different approaches to improve communication (LO5)
• Inclusive communication, empathy, rapport and questioning styles (LO5)
• Theories of team working and the roles of the multi-disciplinary team,
• Interprofessional education (LO3),
• Continuous professional development, and career long learning (LO3), and CPD tools
• Reflective practice, reflective portfolio (LO4).

This module will be delivered through the use of didactic teaching, self-directed study, group learning activities, workshops, small group study and self-reflection activities. Students will be provided with opportunities to design a personal development plan to support their own learning

At the end of this module, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a critical awareness of the nature of contemporary physiotherapy practice and how to work within the legal and professional requirements such as the HCPC (standards of proficiency and standards of conduct, performance, and ethics) and CSP (knowledge, skills, behaviours, and values) requirements, equality, and diversity etc.
2. Critically appraise their own learning needs and develop a personal development plan to support these needs for evidence-based physiotherapy practice
3. Identify personal responsibilities and limitations of others when working with others for effective inter-professional practice
4. Critically reflect on your own practice and document this effectively to improve practice.
5. Demonstrate ability to use appropriate communication when working with colleagues and service users, and handle information received with appropriate level of confidentiality.

One piece of assessment will be utilised in this module.

Reflective portfolio
A 2000-word reflective diary on three learning activities encountered in the module including a personal development plan. Each reflective piece will be 500 words each. This component will contribute 100% of the module and assess all learning outcomes. Students will have the opportunity to practice a writing reflective piece and receive feedback before the first reflective piece is due.

Electronic Reading List:
https://rl.talis.com/3/londonmet/lists/BC4DE24B-795D-5F2E-ED8D-129B237DE630.html

1. Gallagher, A and Hodge, S. (2012). Ethics, law and professional issues: a practice-based approach for health professionals. Palgrave MacMillan.
2. Jasper M, Rosser M, Mooney G (2013). Professional Development, Reflection and Decision Making in Nursing and Health Care. John Willey & Sons UK. 

Policy and guidance documents

1. Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Code of Values and Behaviours. (2011). http://www.csp.org.uk/publications/code-members-professional-values-behaviour     
2. Health and Care Professions Council. (2013). Standards of Proficiency For Physiotherapists. http://www.hpc-uk.org/assets/documents/10000DBCStandards_of_Proficiency_Physiotherapists.pdf  
3. Health and Care Professions Council. (2016). Standards of Conduct, performance and Ethics. http://www.hcpc-uk.org/assets/documents/10004EDFStandardsofconduct,performanceandethics.pdf 
4. Health and Care Professions Council Standards of Continuing Professional Development. (n.d.): http://www.hpc-uk.org/registrants/cpd/standards/  
5. Learning and Development Principles for CSP Accreditation of Qualifying Programmes in Physiotherapy. (2015). http://www.csp.org.uk/publications/learning-development-principles-csp-accreditation-qualifying-programmes-physiotherapy