PMPYSTPY - MSc Physiotherapy (Pre-registration)

Physiotherapists are the largest AHP group, and they work across every sector of the health and social care system, providing services to people across the lifespan. It is a highly regarded career option by many able students, who are seeking a rewarding career option that offers them opportunities to contribute meaningfully to life and society. Current Government policies such as NHS long term plan, which outlines bringing care closer to home, self-management, promotion of public health and wellbeing further drives the need for physiotherapists. In addition to this, the global covid-19 pandemic has necessitated training of more health care workers in general to optimise recovery from its consequences. This course will contribute to the workforce pipeline for Physiotherapists to meet the current and future healthcare professional demands and aspirations of our student body.

This MSc Physiotherapy (pre-registration) course is an entry level course that prepares students for physiotherapy roles within multi-disciplinary teams, and for working in diverse health and social care settings to optimize health and wellbeing of individuals affected by illness, diseases, injuries and the effects of congenital dysfunctions or ageing. Strong and strategic collaboration with clinical partners in the North London region, and across a wide practice area, has been a core design, development, and implementation principle of the course. As a postgraduate level course, it will leverage students’ extant graduate and study skills to accelerate their learning to acquire knowledge, develop skills and embed behaviours and values to achieve the standards of proficiencies required to be a Physiotherapist. Furthermore, the course is designed with the intention of, not only preparing students for practice but to also nurture key skills, behaviours and values that will enhance employability and career-long practice and progression. In view of this, the course is intentionally built to develop foundations required for the four advanced clinical practice pillars of the Health Education England: education, research, clinical education and leadership and management, with the aim of preparing graduates for continuous professional progress towards advanced clinical practice.

In addition to using the FHEQ guidance, the Health and Care Profession Council (HCPC) requirements, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) curriculum guidance, to make decisions on contents and learning outcomes of the course, the London Metropolitan University education framework, Education for Social Justice (ESJF), was followed to guide the principles of learning, teaching and assessment strategies selected for this course. A mixture of learning strategies will be employed including face to face, blended, practical teaching, clinical simulation, guided study, self-directed and tutorial sessions, which leverage learners’ past knowledge, experiences, including perspectives on current learning, and learning styles. In addition, assessment of learning will include authentic approaches with ecological relevance to professional practice such as reflective portfolios, practical examinations, clinical practice, group based, clinical viva and critical essays assessments, with less emphasis on unseen written assessments. This will enable all learners to have opportunities to excel in areas of their strength.

Students will be provided learning resources to support their learning including recorded lectures, accessible handouts, handbooks, electronic reading lists, e-textbooks, e-journals and relevant databases, e-portfolios, London Met Super lab, relevant and state of the art rehabilitation equipment. Academic tutors, patient educators, expert clinicians from our wider London stakeholders will guide every stage of the course. As a healthcare course, provision of clinical placements is a mandatory element and will be facilitated for all students, through our extensive and growing network of clinical partners in London and beyond, for the achievement of the 1000 clinical hours required by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Exposure to clinical simulation and contemporary clinical practice will prepare learners for the world of work as they develop authentic learning and practice experiences that boost their employability.

The primary aim of this MSc Physiotherapy (pre-registration) course is to prepare graduates who meet the standards of proficiencies and of conduct, performance and ethics of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), and have acquired knowledge, skills, behaviour, and values of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. This training enables our graduates to work flexibly across the changing health and social care environment, providing high-quality, person-centred, population sensitive and responsive service that addresses health inequalities, where individual/client choice is paramount. We will utilise and extend prior graduate students’ learning, skills, experience, and scientific understanding to support an accelerated learning of core physiotherapy knowledge, skills, values, and behaviours required for deep culturally competent and rigorous, systematic critical approaches to practice. The programme also aims to nurture the foundation of key pillars of advanced professional practice that can be built upon for continuous career development.

It is also the course’s aim to provide students with an excellent educational experience within stimulating and inclusive academic and clinical settings in which their intellectual, creative abilities and perspectives are recognised and valued to produce competent, reflective, innovative practitioners who can contribute to the health of the individual and of society, locally, nationally, and globally. Using a variety of learning and teaching activities, supported by innovative immersive practice-based learning and clinical simulation, we will prepare students for:

• effective working with people with long term and often complex conditions across the lifespan, including older adults with frailty to optimise functioning, health, and wellbeing,
• effective working in health, social care, and public health partnerships for client centred service provision in emergency, acute, primary, community and emerging role environments,
• helping people to lead healthier lives, including in work and to avoid preventable illness, particularly where health inequalities exist,
• culturally competent and effective communication when working with clients, carers/families, colleagues, and others,
• accountability, leadership of continual quality improvement of services and safeguarding of high standards of care,
• appropriate understanding and application of ethical and safety legislations surrounding clinical practice in physiotherapy and in conducting research,
• clinical and service leadership using entrepreneurial and business skills to support innovation,
• understanding and utilising health informatics and digital literacy and emerging digital technology to promote health and deliver health care,
• evaluating their own practice and to support the translation of evidence and research findings in healthcare policy and practice,
• continuous professional and personal development through self-reflection including health and well-being, life-long learning, and career development,
• inclusive practice within local, national, and global contexts

At the end of this course, students should be able to:

Undertake autonomous, inclusive, client-focussed professional practice within a variety of health, social and public health practice contexts and in compliance with all professional standards of practices and codes of conduct, performance, and ethics
Systematically justify the role of physiotherapists in all settings including their contribution to addressing the impact of social determinants on population health locally, nationally, and globally.
Select and implement appropriate communication skills for effective working with individuals including to influence behaviour change for healthcare delivery, effective team working, and leadership purposes.
Take responsibility for critical reflection of own practice and engage in continuing personal professional development including fitness to practice, well-being, life-long learning, career development and leadership.
Systematically justify how biological, physical, behavioural, and clinical factors underpin the principles and practice of physiotherapy to clients, carers/families, and multi-professional colleagues.
Demonstrate safe and effective physiotherapy specific practical skills, maintenance of accurate and data compliant clinical records using appropriate information management systems.
Critically analyse and synthesise data from a variety of sources for the assessment and client focussed management of individuals with acute, emergency, or long-term health conditions, including complex cases and evaluate outcomes of their interventions.
Demonstrate awareness of the need for continual evaluation of own practice, maintaining high standards of care and quality improvement.
Critically analyse current research to identify evidence gaps, develop and test a research question.
Consistently, demonstrate confidence, resilience, ambition, and creativity whilst practicing as an inclusive, collaborative and socially responsible physiotherapist in the world of work.

QAA UK Quality Code for Higher Education which includes the English Framework for Higher Education Qualifications within Part A on Setting and Maintaining Academic Standards
Level 7 SEEC Descriptors (2016) for Higher Education available at www.seec.org.uk

The assessment strategy for the course is determined by requirements for students to demonstrate achievement of Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) standards of proficiency, conduct, performance and ethics, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP’s) knowledge, skills, behaviour and values framework, level 7 of the Framework Higher Education Qualification (FHEQ) and London Metropolitan University’s Education for Social Justice (ESJF).

Module and course learning outcomes are assessed with a variety of authentic assessment types such as biopsychosocial case study essays, evidence-based problem-solving essays, complex case study essay, clinical viva examination, professional development portfolios, leadership development portfolio, practice education reflective portfolios, inter-professional group presentation, group evidence synthesis presentations, objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs), research projects and research dissemination to lay audiences. These assessments are selected to direct students learning towards the achievement of core proficiencies, knowledge, skills, attitudes, and abilities required for physiotherapy practice. In addition, there is a progressive development of skills across the two years of the course. For example, first year will utilise simple problem-solving case studies as assessment and this is progressed to complex case studies in the second year; group-based learning is progressed to group-based presentation of critical evidence synthesis. Through this, problem identification is progressed to problem solving within the first year, and to evidence-based problem solving of complex clinical conditions in the second year. Critical appraisal skills are developed and progressed to systematic evidence synthesis and subsequently to utilisation of critical research skills for master’s research with knowledge dissemination to lay audience.

In line with the inclusive assessment principle of the ESJF, all assessments are scaffolded with briefing, question, and answer sessions, early formative opportunities with feedback prior to summative assessments. This ensures that both academic staff and students have a shared understanding of the aims, rationale, marking criteria and feedback cycle for each assessment. Furthermore, assessments are scheduled in a way that enables students to receive appropriate and timely feedback that prepares them for the next related assessment. In addition, the assessment strategy considered the volume of assessments and fixed it at two per module and limited use of unseen written examinations to two in the first year.

To ensure that HCPC & CSP professional learning outcomes are covered, students are expected to pass all elements of assessments to pass any module by achieving at least 50% in each element and the overall module.

Practice based education is an integral part of a Physiotherapy degree and is required by both Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP).
All students on the course will be required to complete and pass at least 1000 clinical hours in contemporary practice settings like the ones they will be working in after graduation.

Completing placements is not only a requirement to graduate with the eligibility to practice as a Physiotherapist, but it will also provide students with the opportunity to build a professional skills profile and network that could support their future employability when they graduate.
Five practice placements are planned for the course within two practice education modules: two placements in the first-year practice education module (PT5W50: Practice Education 1) and three in the second-year practice education module (PT6W50: Practice Education 2).

The first year one placement comprises a longitudinal, one day a week (7 hours) in clinical simulation (5 days) and contemporary clinical practice settings (20days), throughout the first and second semester; this amounts to 5-weeks of clinical placement. The second year one placement is a 6-weeks block placement of 35hours/week, in a contemporary clinical practice setting, at the end of the exam period in the second semester. These two placements provide students with excellent opportunities to consolidate theory and practice skills with real patients under clinical supervision, close to when they learnt them in the University through their longitudinal placement and further develop this in the second block placement.

The second year has three 6-week practice education placements intercalated throughout the year. These placements provide further opportunities to apply and extend clinical reasoning, hands-on skills, and overall confidence towards autonomous physiotherapy practice in other settings. The final placement in the course is an elective placement and provides students with the choice of selecting and possibly arranging this placement, with programme team support. Students will be able to select, complete and pass an elective placement in areas such as leadership, public health, role emerging, service improvement, special populations, international and research placements to fulfil the required programmatic and practice education learning outcomes. The cost associated with an elective placement will be borne by students themselves.

Course Regulations for the MSc Physiotherapy degree
Students must pass all first-year academic modules including PT7001, PT7002, PT7003, PT7004, PT7005 and at least one practice placement (P1) in PT5W50 module to progress into the second year of the course.

If a student is unsuccessful in the second first year placement (P2) in PT5W50 module, a re-sit placement will be provided at the next available opportunity in the second year, which implies that such student will complete the course later than planned. This zero-credit bearing module (PT5W50) will be deemed completed when all elements have been passed successfully.

Students would normally have TWO attempts at completing assessment elements in academic modules.

Students must achieve a minimum of 1000 hours practice education hours by the end of the course and pass all practice placements (P1-5) with a minimum of 4 at first attempt. (CSP curriculum requirement). This implies that students have only ONE reassessment opportunity of a practice placement across the course.

Students must pass all level 7 academic modules and all Practice Education modules for successful completion and final award: only level 7 modules (180 level 7) contribute numerically to the final award.

Students who are unsuccessful in the any of the zero-credit weighted practice education modules will not be able to graduate with an MSc Physiotherapy degree. Such student will be considered for an exit degree award.

All modules on the course are core including zero-credit weighted practice education modules, and mandatory to pass. There is normally no condonement OR compensation for any module assessment component, all are mandatory to pass to achieve module and course learning outcomes.

The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy stipulates that the maximum time for completing a pre-registration MSc Physiotherapy qualification should normally be FOUR years.

Practice Based Learning
Students should normally attend 100% of all planned weeks of practice-based placements. In the event of a mitigating circumstance such as illness which results in absence from practice-based learning, students will be expected to attend at least 4 weeks of full hours to be eligible for assessment against the placement learning outcomes. If learning outcomes are not achieved within this 4 weeks attendance, students would be given a re-sit placement as a first attempt at the next available opportunity.

Students must attempt and pass all level 5 placements (P1 & P2) to be eligible to go on Level 6 placements (P3, P4 & P5).

Students must have competed all academic components of the course to be eligible for the final and elective placement (P5).

Students who are unsuccessful in Practice Education modules will NOT be eligible for a qualification that confers eligibility for HCPC state registration and CSP membership but will be awarded exit awards (MSc, PGDip or PGCert) in Health Sciences.

Students must achieve a minimum of 1000 hours practice education hours and pass all practice placements (P1-5) with a minimum of 4 passes at first attempt by the end of the course. (CSP curriculum requirement). This implies that students would normally have only ONE practice placement reassessment opportunity throughout the course.

If a student is unsuccessful MORE THAN ONCE in any practice placement, they would NOT normally be allowed a repeat opportunity. Such student will be considered for the appropriate non-professional exit award (MSc, PGDip or PGCert) in Health Sciences, based on the number of credits they have accrued so far on the course.

Fitness to Practise
The University has an obligation to ensure that graduates from pre-reg MSc physiotherapy courses are fit to practise. This means that a person has the skills, knowledge, character, and health to undertake their professional role safely and effectively.
If the University becomes aware of an issue regarding a student’s professional capability, it may initiate Fitness to Practise proceedings and where there are serious concerns, a Fitness to Practise panel may be convened. The Fitness to Practise panel has the authority to impose a range of sanctions, including requiring a student to suspend study or even to leave the programme.
Fitness to Practise procedures recognise that students may need support in understanding the standards of conduct performance and ethics and standards of proficiency and their obligation to comply with these. Fitness to Practice Procedures will provide support to assist students in developing skills in professional behaviour and will identify those who give cause for concern.
Membership of the Fitness to Practise panel will consist of members as a minimum but not exclusively of the School of Human Sciences and the London Met Physiotherapy Stakeholders Group.
Criminal Convictions
All students must comply with the Health and Care Professions Council and Chartered Society of Physiotherapy guidelines on Criminal Convictions and Cautions. Confirmed student offer holders are required to apply for a Disclosure and Baring Service (DBS) and have satisfactory clearance to work with vulnerable adults and children, and register for the DBS update service whilst on the course. Those with criminal convictions will be assessed individually and counselled in confidence about their fitness to practice and possibility of them continuing the course.

Health Requirements
Learners must be cleared for working as a Physiotherapy student by an approved Occupational Health Service prior to starting Practice based learning in Week 6 of the course. In addition, where significant health problems arise on the course, additional occupational health assessment(s) may be required at any time during the course.

Attendance Requirements
The following modules include mandatory training elements and require a 100% attendance and authorised absences are not normally applied. If attendance on these modules is likely to be significantly impacted by personal situation, students should make an appointment with their course leader as soon as possible to discuss the concern.

PT5W50: Practice Education 1
PT6W50: Practice Education 2

In addition, please refer to attendance requirements for Practice based learning in point 2 above

The following modules include practical skills training and student must achieve a minimum of 80% attendance and authorised absences are not normally applied. If attendance on these modules has been or is likely to be significantly impacted by their personal situation, students should make an appointment with their course leader as soon as possible to discuss the concern.

PT7002: Foundations of Professional Practice
PT7003: Physiotherapy Theory and Practice 1: Management of Long-Term Conditions
PT7004: Physiotherapy Theory and Practice 2: Management of Acute and Emergency Conditions
PT7006: Physiotherapy Theory and Practice 3: Management of Complex health conditions

Students who do not meet the threshold attendance requirement may not be permitted to complete practical examinations.

Consent
Students will be required to provide consent to taking part in practical sessions and role play where they participate as a service user. A consent form will be completed during induction to the programme and be kept in the student’s personal record.

For MSc Physiotherapy (pre-registration) with eligibility to register with HCPC and apply for CSP membership:
Students must complete and pass all 180 Level 7 credits including the two zero-credit practice education modules: PT7001, PT7002, PT7003, PT7004, PT7005, PT7006, PT7007, PT7P01, PT5W50, PT6W50
Students who are unsuccessful in any of the practice education requirements of the course (PT5W50 & PT6W50) will not be able to graduate with eligibility for state registration and CSP membership. They will be considered for exit awards of non-professional Master of Science, Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) or Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) in Health Sciences detailed below.

For an MSc in Health Sciences:
Student must complete and pass 180 Level 7 credits including PT7001, PT7002, PT7003, PT7004, PT7005, PT7006, PT7007, PT7P01.
Students will not graduate with eligibility to register with HCPC and apply for CSP membership.

For a Postgraduate diploma (PGDip) in Health Sciences:
Students must complete and pass at least 120 Level 7 including: PT7001, PT7002, PT7003, PT7004, PT7005, PT7006, PT7007, and excluding PT7P01, PT6W50
Students will not graduate with eligibility for state registration or CSP membership.

For a Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) in Health Sciences:
Students must complete and pass at least 90 Level 7 including PT7001, PT7002, PT7003, PT7004, PT7005, excluding PT5W50, PT7006, PT7007, PT7P01, PT6W50.
Students will not graduate with eligibility for state registration or CSP membership.

The course is aimed at preparing graduates for effective working within a modern health and social care sector. This requires continuous development of their knowledge, skills, and attitude to meet the ever-changing healthcare needs of the population they serve. We will introduce students to the theory and process of reflective practice including tools for reflection as a clinical practitioner from the outset in foundations of professional practice module (PT7002). Following this, reflective essays and portfolios are used throughout the course as an authentic assessment in PT7002, PT5W50, PT7007, PT6W60 modules, with the aim of stimulating students’ awareness, embedding reflective practice and prompting regular identification of areas requiring personal professional development as they progress towards becoming a qualified Physiotherapist. In addition, all students will be provided access to PebblePad ® platform to record their reflections and development throughout the course.

Furthermore, linked to reflective practice, students will also be writing personal professional development plans that will support their continuous progress on the course and future career. Students will be introduced early to the tools used for professional development planning in PT7002 module and this will be further strengthened as part of the common placement assessment form (CPAF) that students will complete for their clinical placements

Health and Care Professions Council ((2014) Standards of Proficiency For Physiotherapists https://www.hcpc-uk.org/assets/documents/10000DBCStandards_of_Proficiency_Physiotherapists.pdf
Health and Care Professions Council: Standards of Education and Training. http://www.hpc-uk.org/assets/documents/10000BCF46345Educ-Train-SOPA5_v2.pdf
Health and Care Professions Council (2016) Standards of Conduct, performance and Ethics http://www.hcpc-uk.org/assets/documents/10004EDFStandardsofconduct,performanceandethics.pdf
Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Code of Values and Behaviours http://www.csp.org.uk/publications/code-members-professional-values-behaviour
Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (2013) Quality Assurance Standards for Physiotherapy Service Delivery http://www.csp.org.uk/publications/quality-assurance-standards
Health and Care Professions Council Standards of Continuing Professional Development. http://www.hpc-uk.org/registrants/cpd/standards
Health Education England. Maximising Leadership Learning in the Pre-Registration Healthcare Curricula: Model and Guidelines for Healthcare Education Providers: 2018. https://www.hee.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/documents/Guidelines%20-%20Maximising%20Leadership%20in%20the%20Pre-reg%20Healthcare%20Curricula%20%282018%29_0.pdf .
Health Education England. Multi-professional framework for advanced clinical practice in England. 2017. https://www.hee.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/documents/multi-professionalframeworkforadvancedclinicalpracticeinengland.pdf

This MSc Physiotherapy (pre-registration) course is aimed at preparing graduates for effective working within a modern health and social care sector. This requires continuous development of their knowledge, skills, and attitude to meet the ever-changing needs of the population they serve.

The practice placement opportunities provided for students on the course will expose them to settings where they develop valuable skills and experiences that will complement theoretical learning they acquire on the course. These skills are required to practice as an entry level Physiotherapist (Band 5), and it is expected that many of our graduates will get jobs within the health and social care sector such as the National Health Service (NHS) within the first few months after graduation. Others may decide to work in other settings where the skills and services of a Physiotherapists are needed such as sport clinics, private clinics and hospitals, GP practices, Schools, universities etc. Interested students could also explore a research career by registering for PhD programmes through clinical or higher education routes.

In addition to the skills acquired through practice placements, business and entrepreneurial skills will be specifically developed in the leadership and service improvement module, including an opportunity for mentoring by programmes run by the London Met Student Enterprise. Furthermore, a careers and employability event will be organised annually to showcase the career options available to students graduating on the course in collaboration with clinical partners and health workforce recruiting agencies.

Once approved by the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC) and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, completing this course will mean you are eligible to apply for registration with the HCPC and membership to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. After registration you may work as a physiotherapist within any sector where the skills of a physiotherapist are required.

Due to the high demand for this course, applications for September 2023 are due to close on 6 February 2023.

The standard entry requirements you should have are:

• an upper second class honours degree in a science based course such as Physiology, Psychology, Sports and Exercise Science, Sports Therapy etc.
• Health at work clearance by an approved occupational health service

Applicants with degrees in other disciplines will be assessed on their merits.

Personal Statement

All applicants are expected to write a personal statement which details their experience and understanding of the physiotherapy profession and personal characteristics which makes them suitable for admission.

Non-academic entry requirements

• A satisfactory enhanced DBS check or a police check if you're an international student, followed by a full DBS on entry to the UK. As a healthcare professional course, convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings are not considered “spent”, and this includes those that may have been received when a minor (i.e. under the age of 18). Applicants will be required to declare any conviction that may likely be recorded on their enhanced DBS disclosure during the application process. It is worth highlighting that any such declaration will not automatically disqualify any application but it allows us to consider it before any offer is made. The University will invite you to complete the DBS check, which will need to be done by 31 July. You will need to pay for the check and yearly update service cost yourself.
• Occupational health clearance by an approved occupational health service before enrolment to the course.

Interviews

Selection for the interview will be based on meeting the academic criteria, having evidence of sound understanding of the role and scope of physiotherapy in modern healthcare and evidence of reflection on any relevant work experience or shadowing in the personal statement.

Interviews will be conducted by a panel comprising academic staff, practicing physiotherapists, service users and current healthcare students. It will seek to explore applicants’ insight into the Physiotherapy profession, academic skills, interpersonal understanding and knowledge of current healthcare issues.