Placements in 2021

If the relevant University authorities have approved the travel then you will be covered if the appropriate Risk Assessments and other documents have been completed.

When your travel has been approved, the University Insurance policy covers you if you develop symptoms or contract COVID-19, but you must be adhering to all local government and UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advice.

If you are undertaking a placement in a country which is not your home country whilst on placement and your placement was formally approved, please see the below details:

Emergency assistance in country and medical / travel claims:

University of Reading insurance number RTT306251

Via the RSA Travel Assistance App or Healix +44 (0) 208 608 4100 or

You can also contact the University Insurance office on +44 (0)118 378 8309

uor-insurance@reading.ac.uk

All students can start their work placements once an enhanced risk assessment check has been approved by the relevant University authorities. Our checks have been put in place to ensure that placement providers are able to provide safe working environments in line with government advice.

We expect placement providers to allow students to continue or start placements in a format deemed appropriate by the provider and in line with government advice. We will be led by our placement providers’ decisions to avoid unnecessary disruption to curricular placement activities and training wherever possible. 

Some of our placement providers may be unable to provide any mode of placement during this time and retract or delay their offers. If this is the case, your School or Department will be in touch as soon as possible about any alternative arrangements. If you have any queries please contact the team at placements@reading.ac.uk.

The Placements team are available to help you with any placement query you may have. Please email placements@reading.ac.uk or contact your Placement Coordinator directly.  
Find your placement coordinator. 

You can also book daily remote appointments with your Placement Coordinator as well as attendance at our workshops (delivered as online webinars) via your My Jobs Online account or call the Careers Centre on 0118 378 8359.  

Please visit our website for our range of online resources.

In some very specific cases we may grant permission for essential travel to countries not exempted by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. However, a full risk assessment must be carried out and relevant approval sought. We may consider this for the following activities:

1. External research funding purposes
2. Research/Placement/Study Abroad/Fieldwork
3. Overseas recruitment

If approval is granted by the relevant University authorities then you would be covered by the University insurance policy, with the following exceptions. Cover will not apply for the following:

Cancellation or curtailment 
Political or natural disaster evacuation 
Crisis management

The Careers are working hard to ensure RIS and UROP have made alternative arrangements so that many of our RIS and UROP internships can continue remotely where possible.  

The Reading Internship Scheme is currently offering paid remote internships and working with employers to bring more term time and summer internships to you. You can view more detailed information about the scheme and on how we can support you here. 

The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP) is a flexible scheme and we have confirmation that a good proportion of projects could be undertaken remotely if required. If any projects are not able to run remotely, we will try to provide alternatives where possible. 

To find out more about UROP please visit our website. 

You will not be put at a disadvantage for being unable to complete the minimum number of weeks or hours normally expected, especially if you are still able to fulfil the learning objectives of your placement assessments.  

If you think you may not achieve your placement learning outcomes, we will support you and an alternative assessment may be offered.  

Please speak to your Placement Coordinator or Placement Tutor directly and we will be able to provide you with specific advice, taking into account your personal situation. 

Yes working from home does still count. If you have any concerns about working remotely, please do check in with your line manager in the first instance as they will be able to provide further support, including providing suitable IT equipment and regular support to help you complete your workload and achieve your placement learning outcomes.

Please ensure that you:

Regularly review the information provided by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. 
Web: www.gov.uk/guidance/foreign-travel-checklist
Twitter: @fcotravel 
Facebook
Healix Travel Oracle app (University Insurance)

We are expecting some placements will become remote experiences. If your placement involves any remote working, then please let your Placement Tutor and Placement Coordinator know. We strongly advise that your employer provides you with the necessary technical and other vital resources and equipment to help you meet your objectives and conduct your role.  

Most employers will provide induction and training, which should include how to access their services for staff remotely. For further tips on effective remote working, please see our Careers blog.

We hope that placements secured for 20/21 can go ahead as planned, but this will subject to government advice. Some placements may start later than expected or your induction, first few weeks, or all of your placement may involve working remotely.   

We would advise that you get in touch with your placement provider to check whether your contracted start date is likely to change and if a remote start is likely. 

If there is a change, your Placement Coordinator will need to amend your placement agreement and work with you and your placement provider to ensure that your placement experience is accessible and fulfils the expected learning outcomes for your degree programme.  

In addition, if your placement has been cut short, becomes an online experience, is delayed, or if there are any other changes from the original plan, the Placement Team will do their best to support you.

We would encourage students to continue with your placement search as there are still some excellent opportunities available and many placement providers are continuing their recruitment campaigns.

Some placements might be slightly shorter than usual or have later start dates due to the impact of COVID-19, however, we will be adapting our usual arrangements around this to ensure students can benefit from their placement experience as part of their degree programme.

Remote support is available from the Placements and Careers team. Daily remote appointments with your Placement Coordinator and our workshops, now converted into webinars, can be booked via your My Jobs Online account or call the Careers Centre on 0118 378 8359.

We hope many placements starting in the summer vacation period can go ahead as planned, but this will of course be subject to further advice from the government. Some placements may start remotely, or at a slightly later date, and we will work with you and your placement provider to ensure that your placement experience is still viable.  

Your placement paperwork must completed by your Placement Coordinator or Placement Tutor before you can start. Please speak to your Placement Coordinator as soon as possible if you have accepted a placement offer.

A small number of placements may be cancelled due the impact of COVID-19 and, while this is very disappointing, the decision will not have been taken lightly by your placement provider. Please be professional when your employer breaks the news as there may be future opportunities with the business. 

If your placement is a short one, then you may like some support to secure a new opportunity. If not, then there will be an alternative assessment or module made available to ensure you are not put at a disadvantage. 

If your Professional Placement Year has been cancelled, you may wish to look for an alternative placement or convert to the 3-year version of your programme and return to your final year in September. Please speak to your Placement Coordinator / Placement Tutor and we will support you. 
To transfer between a placement degree programme and a non-placement degree programme, please complete the  request to transfer degree form (editable version here), and get this authorised by your Placement Tutor and School Director of Teaching and Learning (or nominee) before submitting it to your Student Support Co-ordinator via the 'Ask a Question' function on RISIS. 

Should you require a space in halls of residence in 20/21, please see further information regarding our process for returning students. 

If your degree programme includes Education, Pharmacy, Clinical Sciences or Speech and Language Therapy, your placements will be a mandatory and regulated element of your degree.  

Placements with professional, statutory and regulatory bodies will be discussed directly with our professional partners at local and national level.

Your School’s academic placement leads will advise you of any rescheduled dates or alternative arrangements for your placements which were planned for the spring or summer terms, as soon as they have further information to share.  

We are also working with our placement partners to consider plans for mandatory and regulated placements due to start in September and you will be formally notified of any changes affecting your placements in the academic year 2020/21. 

Your overseas placement 

All students wishing to undertake their placements overseas, including international students returning to their home countries for placement activities, will need enhanced risk assessment checks completed before placements can be authorised and travel arranged. Please contact placements@reading.ac.uk or your placement tutor if you have any questions.

 

Travel during placement

If your placement involves any significant overseas travel from the country you are located to another, please inform placements@reading.ac.uk as this will also need to be considered.  All students must complete the overseas travel register on RISIS once their placement has been approved.

All UK students undertaking overseas placements are advised to monitor travel advice issued by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and comply with any COVID-19 control measures put in place by their host nation.

We will also be advising students directly of our placement evacuation plan should you be required to return to your home country in an emergency.

We understand that the COVID-19 pandemic may cause financial concerns for our students for a variety of reasons. 

Our Student Financial Support team are able to provide advice and guidance about what temporary or permanent help might be available in your particular circumstances. Please contact them as soon as possible if you are in this situation.

Some of our placement providers’ business needs and priorities will have changed with the impact COVID-19 has had on their organisation. If you are happy with the new role, please consult with your Placement Tutor or Placement Coordinator so they can check that the new role still offers the same learning outcomes expected for your placement and they will be able to authorise your placement.

If you have a medical condition and you are concerned about attending your placement, we suggest that you check with your GP or healthcare professional for official medical advice. Please see some further useful information on the NHS website.

You can share any information confidentially with your placement coordinator / tutor so we can support you appropriately as part of our Enhanced Risk Assessment.

You will not be put at a disadvantage for being unable to complete the minimum number of weeks or hours normally expected, especially if you are still able to fulfil the learning objectives of your placement assessments and have gained the expected competencies.  

If you think you may not achieve your placement learning outcomes, we will support you and an alternative assessment or option may be offered if it is considered necessary.  
Please speak to your Placement Coordinator or Placement Tutor directly and we will be able to provide you with specific advice, considering your personal situation. 

If your degree programme includes Education, Pharmacy, Clinical Sciences or Speech and Language Therapy, your placements will be a mandatory and regulated element of your degree.  Placements with professional, statutory and regulatory bodies will be discussed directly with our professional partners at local and national level.

Your School’s academic placement leads will advise you of any rescheduled dates or alternative arrangements for your placements which were planned for the spring or summer terms, as soon as they have further information to share.

Before you travel, you should monitor the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office website regularly to keep up to date with the latest information for the country you are planning to visit. 

If the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advice “against all but essential travel” for the country you are travelling to is re-enforced prior to your trip, you must re-submit your Risk Assessment form for re-consideration.

If the advice changes while you are already overseas, you will be covered by University Insurance and we will contact students affected to provide further information about recommended next steps.

The University of Reading will be in contact with students and their placement providers if the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office guidance for a country (or region) changes. However, you should:

• Ensure you stay safe.
• Follow the local and /or national advice provided by your employer and local authorities
• Share this local information with the placements team as soon as possible placements@reading.ac.uk

Students should also ensure that you access the various Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office information sources for your country, and the information on the Healix Travel Oracle app. Do not make any decisions without consulting your placement tutor or the placements team.

If you receive a positive test result for COVID-19 you must follow the steps to notify the University as outlined on this page so we can support you. It is also important that you inform your Study Abroad / Placement contact for your School as well as placements@reading.ac.uk and studyabroad@reading.ac.uk

If you, or anyone you live with has symptoms of the virus, you must self-isolate in line with government guidelines which also includes guidance from the country you are located. Please contact your placement provider immediately as well as your named placement contact within your school and placements@reading.ac.uk to keep us informed.

If this is before you travel, please contact your placement coordinator / tutor to discuss. If you are already in your host country, please discuss with your placement provider directly, but you can also talk to us and we can offer guidance. Please get in touch with placements@reading.ac.uk

A small number of placements may be cancelled due the impact of COVID-19 and, while this is very disappointing, the decision will not have been taken lightly by your placement provider. Please be professional when your employer shares the news as there may be future opportunities with the business.

If your placement is a summer experience, then you may wish to secure a new opportunity. Please contact your Placement Coordinator / Placement Tutor and they will be able to assist you. 

There will also be an alternative academic module / assessment available, should you not be able to secure another placement. Please speak to your Placement Tutor about this. 

If your Professional Placement Year has been cancelled, you may wish to look for an alternative placement and we can help you with this.  

The latest you can secure a placement is normally early September so that:

• you can complete your 12 month placement and return to your studies in Autumn 2021; or
• you can make arrangements to return to your final year, should you not secure a suitable placement year opportunity. 

Placement providers should take every possible step to ensure their employees are safe and adhering to government advice, which includes working from home wherever possible. You should only be attending the workplace in very exceptional circumstances and be supplied with the necessary equipment and hygiene measures to ensure your safety at all times.  

If you are uncomfortable about attending your placement in person, please get in touch placements@reading.ac.uk and we can talk through your options. 

Please contact your placement provider and follow the guidance provided to you. They can provide you with local, up-to-date, and in-country guidance. Please also inform Healix our University insurance providers University of Reading insurance number RTT306251 Healix +44 (0) 208 608 4100 or via the RSA Travel Assistance App

In addition, please update your Placement Coordinator / Tutor here at Reading.

When you arrive in your host country, please ensure that you are aware of the local medical facilities and how you may access them in case of emergency.

Each country will have different policies, which might be different between various regions within that country, including the UK. It is important that you keep up to date with and follow the government advice provided by the host country’s government and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office website guidance.