module specification

Public Health Practice Based Learning is a 3 week learning experience in public health nutrition practice providing the opportunity for learners to observe and begin to develop core skills in assessing and identifying nutritional needs of populations to underpin planning, implementation and evaluation of public health nutrition interventions.
All practice based learning modules are undertaken in an approved setting which provides opportunity for learners to complete a suitable public health focused project. These are a variety of settings which may include government and non-government organisations, local authorities, NHS acute or community settings, schools, private companies, food banks and charities. Learners will be provided with adequate support through appropriately skilled site supervisors and/or university-based long arm supervision. The purpose of the practice based learning component of the course is to develop the learner’s ability to apply nutritional knowledge to practical scenarios.
The practice based learning module is a compulsory component of the course.
The practice based learning modules provide opportunity for the learners to develop specific work skills and valuable professional relationships that prepare them for their future career as a dietitian.
Brief Guidance Notes:
• Where significant health problems have arisen an occupational health assessment will be required at any time prior to or during the practice based learning.
• Student services are available to provide counselling and other support mechanisms as required. Learners will have to take action on advice from their practice based learning and university staff.
• Learners who have requirements which impact on their ability to take up practice based learnings in particular locations (due to a protected characteristic as defined by the Equality Act (2010)) should register with the University’s Disability and Dyslexia Service as recommendations relating to reasonable adjustments made by this service will also be considered at the time the learner is selected for allocation.  Practice based learnings have experience of managing additional needs and reasonable adjustments will be put in place.
• Learners have the opportunity to indicate on their practice based learning application form any carer responsibilities which may impact their ability to take up specific practice based learnings.  Learners must provide details of their carer responsibilities and provide supporting evidence to their practice based learning tutor prior to the point of allocation.  Learners should outline clearly how their carer responsibilities impact on their practice based learning selection and what features are required of the practice based learning.  Providing this information will not guarantee that the learner will be allocated to one of their preferences but the learner’s circumstances will be considered at the time the learner is selected for allocation.
• This module does not provide academic credit but successful completion is an essential requirement to be awarded for courses eligible to undertake the module.
• Learners are not usually eligible for a repeat attempt of Public Health Practice Based Learning. If an individual learner fails to achieve the learning outcomes of Public Health Practice Based Learning, the learner should be counselled and advised on an alternative course route. (refer to course specific regulations within the relevant course specification)

All learners
I.  Level 2 food hygiene certificate to prepare or sell food
II. A current enhanced DBS Certificate for the Adults' and Children's Workforce which has checked both the Adults' and the Children's Barred Lists.
III. Cleared for non-EPP activities by an approved Occupational Health Service.

Undergraduate students are required to pass:
DT4005/NU4005 Human Nutrition
DT4056/NU4056 Health, Society and Behaviour
DT4057/NU4057 Applied Health Psychology
DT5079/NU5079 Public Health Nutrition*

Postgraduate students are required to pass:
Component 1 of NF7038 Public Health and Epidemiology*

* For the purposes of eligibility for Public Health Practice Based Learning a provisional pass prior to Subject Standards Board approval will be accepted.

The specified learning outcomes will be developed around a framework based on the following subject matter:

• Development of skills in gathering information to identify priority areas for public health nutrition interventions in the context of wider determinants of health
• Completion of an independent or group project entailing a public health nutrition related assessment, intervention or evaluation
• Researching methods of evaluation and consideration of this within the project undertaken either prospectively or retrospectively, depending on the nature of the project.
• Presentation of project in the context of the public health outcomes framework
• Learners should learn from and with other learners from different disciplines and observe and interact with a range of stakeholders.
• Workload management and effective use of resources
• Development of trust with service users (where applicable) and respecting their right in decision making
• Duty of care and upholding high quality care; including challenging situations and at times of personal incompatibility
• Confidentiality, information governance, appropriate information sharing within professional legal and ethical boundaries
• Fitness to practice including maintenance of high standards of personal and professional conduct and one’s own health.
• Problem solving, evidence-based reasoning and decision making

Learning Outcoems LO1 - 4

Learners will work the same hours as a full time member of staff.
Some flexibility may be required to allow for out of hours work. 
Learners should normally attend 100% of the practice based learning. If sickness results in absence from practice based learning, learners will be expected to make up an agreed number of hours or repeat the practice based learning, subject to discussion between the HEI and lead practice educator. This will take into account current performance and potential effects on future progression.  Any occupational health requirements related to prolonged sickness absence should be managed through the HEI provision.
Learners will receive on-going reflective formative feedback through assessment of their performance of undertaking placement activities and through formative feedback relating to drafts of any work products.

1. Demonstrate awareness of the impact of wider determinants of health on nutritional issues in populations
2. Able to use demographic characteristics of populations to identify and justify priorities for public health nutrition interventions
3. Understand the need to evaluate public health interventions and demonstrates an awareness of appropriate outcome measures and evaluation methods
4. Maintain consistent professional behaviour in accordance with AfN Standards of Conduct, Ethics and Performance and HCPC Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics. This will include an ability to reflect on own practice and take on board feedback to aid own professional development

In order to pass Public Health Practice Based Learning the learner must have successfully met the learning outcomes through attendance and completion of the associated activities to the required standard. This will be learner led, working collaboratively with their supervisors.
The learner must demonstrate this through the completion of a reflective portfolio at the practice site and a 5 minute presentation of their project at university. These items will be assessed using the following criteria:
• Evidence of observed professional practice which meets the learning outcomes for this module.
• Documentation from final project and presentation demonstrating an understanding of how the project fits within the context of wider determinants of health and larger scale public health initiatives.
• Evidence of completion of activities relating to the practice based learning project.
• A reflective piece regarding learning from Public Health Practice Based Learning
• The ability to justify, communicate and evaluate all aspects of nutrition practice in relation to the learning outcomes considering the wider determinants of behaviour and health.
• Demonstrate understanding of the expectations of professional behaviour through an evaluation from the lead supervisor.
Learners must engage in all aspects of assessment which may include reflecting on their own practice, submitting draft work for feedback, using feedback effectively to improve the quality of final work products, preparing for and leading on weekly review meetings. The learner will also be required to prepare for the end of placement review meeting where there is an obligatory attendance requirement.

Textbooks:
Butriss, Welch, Kearney and Lanham-New (2018) Public Health Nutrition. The Nutrition Society. (CORE)
Gibney et al (2004) Public Health Nutrition Imprint Oxford, UK; Ames, Iowa: Blackwell Science.

Other:
Association for Nutrition (2013) Standards of Conduct, Ethics and Performance. http://www.associationfornutrition.org/Portals/0/Public/Registration/AfN%20Standards%20Ethics%20Conduct%20Performance.pdf (CORE)
Health and Care Professions Council (2016) Guidance on conduct and ethics for students. https://www.hcpc-uk.org/globalassets/resources/guidance/guidance-on-conduct-and-ethics-for-students.pdf (CORE)
Health and Care Professions Council (2016) Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics. https://www.hcpc-uk.org/globalassets/resources/standards/standards-of-conduct-performance-and-ethics.pdf (CORE)