Nursing and Midwifery Su Forum- Glenside
SU Forum Unconfirmed Minutes
Minutes of the meeting held on Monday 2nd February at 4pm in 1B20 (Glenside)
Chris Ball (AD, 2nd), Lianne Hillier (CN, 1st), Helen Ormond (AD, 2nd), Kaliegh Dudley
(AD, 2nd), Leanne Jones (MHN, 3rd), Lizzie Adams (M, 3rd), Sally Culliens (M, 3rd),
Andrea Corrigan (AD, 2nd), Natalie Myers (MHN, 3rd), Niall O’loingsih (MHN, 3rd),
Michelle Bacon (MHN, 3rd), Cath Phillips (MHN 3rd), Siobhan Nolan (AD, 2nd), Emma
Dickinson-Palmer (AD, 2nd)
In Attendance: Sarah Hickie (Secretary / Chair, UWESU)
Apologies*:
Amie Anne-Hopkins, Hazel Molyneux, Elyshia Lewis, Claire Riley, Diana Garay
Douglas, Sarah Holmes, Sylv Pope, Gayle Mildren, Stephanie Kinder, Ella Carpenter,
Theresa Brown, Laura Cornford, Kelly-Emma Ellis, Jane Burke, Melanie Browne, Alice
Westgarth, Rebecca Hannam, Leah Tuohy, Rachel Nuttlamp
Present:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
022/1415
Welcome and introductions
022.01
Sarah Hickie welcomed Reps to the third and final SU Forum of this academic
year. She also explained that Stuart Marshall the elected Student Chair of the
meeting had had to send his apologies. The Forum were asked if anyone
wished to stand in as Chair but no one obliged.
023/1415
Minutes from the previous meeting
023.01
These were agreed.
024/1415
Matters arising from the previous meeting
024.01
Chair explained that VP Education had compiled all the student feedback
gathered from across SU Forums and taken this to Deputy Vice
Chancellor Jane Harrington and the Pro Vice-Chancellor Jo
Midgley. They were grateful for the feedback and it was decided that VP
Education would author a discussion paper. This work is ongoing.
024.01
No Student Reps who were actioned at the previous SU Forum were present
at this one to provide an update on their actions.
Action:
Secretary to email appropriate Reps for an update and to establish if any
further support is needed.
025/1415
Report from Departmental Committee
025.01
Reps who had attended Departmental Committee explained that a number of
things were discussed including placement evaluation process, the student
surveys. They also discussed the module Interprofessional Development
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however the head of the module was not present at the meeting to hear the
feedback raised.
025.02
Some Reps present who were elected as additional delegates for DC at the
last SU Forum were told at the meeting they weren’t supposed to be there.
Secretary explained that their details had been passed to the Chair of the
meeting (Head of Department) so this shouldn’t have been an issue. She
offered to email and remind HoD they should be being invited.
Action:
Secretary to re-email HoD email sent after last SU Forum with additional DC
delegates details.
026/1415
Placements
026.01
3rd year Midwifery students feel very lucky in terms of their experiences of
placements when compared to that of Nursing students because they knew
their placements about a month in advance of starting via the ARC system.
They also felt support from academic staff had been really good especially in
relation to placements. They have had tripartite meetings with themselves,
their mentor and the lecturer.
026.02
That said 3rd year Midwifery students are unhappy that their placements are
only a couple of weeks long. They have 4 two week placements but they used
to have longer ones in first and second year. They feel this makes placements
a bit ‘bity’ and that this isn’t long enough to get used to their work
environment. Although this series of 4 placements is in the same location
they still have to get used to a new mentor. Some students have also faced
issues whereby placement mentors are saying they don’t feel comfortable
signing off or won’t sign off student competencies which is a big issue for
students. The Reps have raised this with the Placement Lead but this hasn’t
been resolved.
026.03
There have also been issues where students have shown up to placements
but staff there, such as mentors, weren’t expecting them or they haven’t
been assigned a mentor. Some students try to call their placement location
with queries in advance but aren’t assigned mentors or shifts at this stage
and are having to just ‘show up’ and go from there.
026.04
Concerns have been raised from 3rd year Midwifery students about the fact
they would like to be able to choose their final placement however they are
now not able to suggest where they would like to go. Reps from 2 nd yr Adult
Nursing echoed these concerns and explained they had been told that
regionally/nationally this option was being removed for trainee Nurses and
Midwives.
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The room discussed this and some students felt the situation hadn’t been
handled very well as all students had been told was that the option to choose
a final placement was being withdrawn and not informed as to why. There
are also a lot of different potential reasons being put on the table. Some
students had been told it was because trusts wanted to hold onto money
they were given or that there were no longer methods in place to transfer
funds to other hospitals. Another Student Rep had heard that either UWE or
another University had received an unexpected bill for funds for a student
that had found their own placement which led to the process being stopped.
Students are disappointed because many were sold this opportunity as a way
to get the experience they wanted from placements, and that it could be
used to address perceived gaps in their experiences.
026.05
Secretary explained that Stuart the elected Student Chair had come to her
about this issue and she gave some advice about how he could approach it.
As it appears to be a national or south west regional issue, and outside of
UWEs control to some extent she suggested he discussed the matter with
staff and VP Education and consider if he/they collectively wanted to try to
bring students together to try to campaign on this issue. It might be that it is
on the radar of the National Union of Students, who are also a body he could
contact for support.
Action:
Chair to raise with HoD
026.06
Children’s’ Nursing 1st year students have raised concerns based on transport
to and from placements. One student in particular does drive but has
concerns about the condition of her car, which potentially needs work she
can’t afford. If it packs in she would have to use public transport which isn’t
viable as she wouldn’t be able to travel to her placement as she travels
96miles a day. Another Rep suggested the student hardship fund. Secretary
agreed that speaking to UWE Money Advice alongside raising this with the
Placement team might be needed.
Action:
Action:
Rep to feed this back to specific student.
Secretary to send details of UWE Money Advice to Rep.
026.07
3rd yr Mental Health Nursing students are confused about some aspects of
placement protocols. Students have different finish dates as they all need to
complete a set number of practice hours. Some students feel it wasn’t
explained to them very clearly how much holiday and sick time they are
allowed to have on placement and what proportion they would need to still
make up if they missed practice hours for these reasons. They are aware
there are some allowances. Students also reported that they would have
liked an email to reassure them that their end dates were being worked out
and to let them know when to expect them.
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026.08
Students have raised concerns about language barriers when out on practice.
Some have had mentors who have English as an additional language and have
felt these mentors have found it hard to articulate processes adequately to
them. Sometimes explanations and conversations aren’t at a very advanced
level, and students are finding they aren’t getting as much from this situation.
Some students reported having to reign in their intellect and that they didn’t
feel able to ask more advanced questions or explain they already knew
something.
026.09
Mental Health Nursing 3rd years have experienced fairly smooth final
placements on the whole, with perhaps one student not being assigned a
mentor. However another Rep raised concerns with the transparency of how
the University decides who gets which placement. They have been told that if
they declare they have a car they simply get considered for placements those
that haven’t wouldn’t be able to do, such as placements that involve driving
to locations in the community. However, they don’t feel this is always the
case and sometimes they just get given placements further away but still
accessible via transport links. They are also aware that some students have
been offered a choice but not all have been, one person was promised they
could have placements in Weston only.
A Midwifery Rep asked why Nursing couldn’t use a zone system, whereby
students pick from zones. Generally nurses present felt this wasn’t possible
as there was more choice generally for Midwifery places at the moment
allowing this to be the case but there is a shortage of Nursing placements.
026.10
When asked if it was explained to them before the course they would have to
travel for placements Mental Health Nurses felt they were. Adult Nurses
reported being told at interview and in comms prior to joining and that this
was definitely included in a written communication. They felt their
expectations had been managed.
027.07*
A Rep from Children’s Nursing 3rd year sent apologies but emailed across the
following feedback:
UWE need to be more honest and reassuring with students who do have/or
have very late placements.
Students would like UWE to take into account where they live or if they have
their own transport - some students have move to Bristol for UWE and still
end up commuting back to home town e.g. Weston or Cheltenham, for most
placements.
UWE need to guarantee a sign off mentor for each student in their last
placement, accepting less people onto the course if necessary
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less of the 'tough you have no choice' attitude towards placements
UWE need to be helpful with transport cost/accommodation e.g. how to get
it, where to claim, who to contact.
Action:
Chair to feedback general points about students views on placements to the
next ASQC.
027/1415
Reflection on the Rep System
027.01a
Mental Health Nursing 3rd yr Reps reported the best thing as being the fact
they have an hour out of their placement allowing them attend meetings.
This is signed off by their mentor and includes travel time.
027.01b
3rd yr Midwifery Reps were surprised to hear this as they aren’t able to class
meetings as clinical hours. They aren’t allowed to attend anything, including
on campus teaching activity, IP days, SOL days etc. They have an IP
conference that is 7.5hrs they will have to leave placement for and make up
the clinical hours at another time. They explained they believed the LMC
didn’t allow any clinical hours to be used for other university activity. MHN
Reps said they also get SOL days signed off as clinical hours.
Action:
Chair to raise this with HoD.
027.02
??? Reps felt a negative point of their experiences of being a Student Rep was
their working relationship with their SRSF Chair. They feel that sometimes
feedback they give can be shot down a bit, in particular if it is related to this
person’s module. However, a Rep has spoken to this staff member about this
and they have advised they are aware of this and wish to work on this.
027.03
Midwifery Reps raised concerns about the effectiveness of SRSFs in
particularly the feeding back to the Reps progress against actions. On a
related note minutes and any updates to actions aren’t being put online until
the next meeting, which doesn’t given a chance for Reps to know their own
actions in time to do them or to feed any updates back to the cohort in a
timely fashion. They also haven’t always been invited, and when they have it
has sometimes been at very short notice so they have been unable to attend.
Action:
Action:
Reps to raise with SRSF Chair.
Secretary to raise with Student Partnerships Officer who overseas SRSFs.
027.04
Mental Health Nursing Reps felt that it was really good students have a place
to raise things. They felt the best bit of the role was the ‘little wins’ they can
see that things are changing in their department as a result of the feedback
they raise.
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027.05
Midwifery Reps praised the Students’ Union’s communications to Student
Reps. They also felt it was good that they had a number of different places to
go to with student feedback, thanks to the fact there are SU meetings in
addition to SRSFs.
027.06
All Reps praised the use of the doodle poll system to schedule the meeting.
Action:
VP Education and Student Reps team to consider all feedback on the role
and recommendations made at SU Forum.
028/1415
Student Rep Conference
028.01
The secretary informed Reps present of the forthcoming Student Rep
Conference. All Reps are invited to this year’s Conference, which will be held
on Friday 27th February in the ECC on Frenchay Campus. The day will last
from 11:00 - 16:00 (although Reps can just attend the morning or the
afternoon) and a free buffet lunch will be provided! There is a choice of 3
workshops to attend. This day provides a wonderful opportunity to enhance
Reps skills and share their experiences of the year so far. Reps can find more
information http://www.uwesu.org/repconference/. Secretary briefly
explained these workshops.
028.02
A Student Rep asked about parking availability at the event, and if there
would be a cost to park. They also asked if the SU could find out if they can
be signed off for clinical hours so that they could attend this conference.
Action:
Secretary to check about parking and include in email reminder that is due
to be sent to all Reps about the conference.
Secretary to email HoD to find out if/which Reps can claim clinical hours for
attending this conference and report back to NM Reps.
Action:
029/1415
Student Rep Notices
The Secretary ran through the rest of the Student Rep Notices…
029.01
Nominations for the Student Rep and Student Led Teaching awards are still
open. Nominations can be made on the Student Rep webpage,
www.uwesu.org/reps along with full details of criteria for each category.
029.02
The National Student Survey (NSS, for final year undergraduates) and Student
Experience Survey (SES, for all other years) are now open. All students are
encouraged to fill in their survey and have their voice heard. In addition to
this, there are prize draws for iPad Minis for those who complete their
relevant survey plus the Students’ Union will receive £1 per completed survey
for your new SU building.
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029.03
UWESU Elections are now open! Any student can run for one of the full time
sabbatical positions or one of the part time office positions in the
forthcoming UWESU Elections. Full details about each role and the
nomination process are on www.uwesu.org/vote Nominations opened on 3rd
February and close 26th February.
030/1415
Student Matters
030.01
A Rep raised the fact there isn’t anywhere to get drinking water in K Block
currently. They asked if a water cooler could be installed or if someone could
find out if the tap water at the University is drinkable as an alternative.
Action:
VP Education (as full time elected officer working with Glenside) and
Glenside Campus Officer (part time) to consider and discuss with UWE
facilities.
030.02
A Rep raised a need for more cash points on campus, with suggestions being
raised that one should be located more centrally perhaps in Traders or the
Library.
Action:
VP Education (as full time elected officer working with Glenside) and
Glenside Campus Officer (part time) to consider and potentially discuss with
UWE trading services.
030.03
Reps raised that students want another microwave. Secretary explained the
fact the SU is a charity organisation and currently has the challenge of
balancing the need for successful trading to fund student led activities etc vs
giving students what they want and need in the form of a microwave. The
cleanliness of the current microwave was discussed and students felt that
better cleaning materials needed to be provided in order for them to clean it,
such as soapy hot water.
Action:
VP Education (as full time elected officer working with Glenside) and
Glenside Campus Officer (part time) to consider and potentially discuss with
UWESU trading services.
030.04
A Rep reported students are unhappy with the choice of Starbucks in the SU.
They feel that the SU is a left wing student movement and using a large scale
corporation is not in keeping with this. Other Reps reported the coffee is too
expensive and isn’t as nice as it was before.
Action:
VP Education (as full time elected officer working with Glenside) and
Glenside Campus Officer (part time) to consider and potentially discuss with
UWESU trading services.
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030.05
Students are sad that the Espresso Maths sessions have been stopped. Some
students have been told this is because Nursing students at Gloucester do
not have these sessions and the Department felt it was unfair to have them
on Glenside but not Gloucester, however Rep felt removing it was more
unfair and couldn’t a solution be reached for Gloucester.
Action:
VP Education to look into and discuss with HoD.
030.06a
A student returning to Adult Nursing programme after some time off has
reported feeling they have not received enough support on rejoining UWE.
They haven’t had an introduction or given any information about UWE
services. Academic Staff provided them with no info about the course, which
they may have needed even as a reminder and what they would need to do.
Action:
Action:
Reps to raise at Departmental Committee.
VP Education and VP Community and Welfare to consider.
030.06b
Another Rep reported that they actually switched University and when
joining UWE they had quite a poor experience. They had to catch up on a
whole module as they were given the incorrect start date. They also weren’t
emailed to see how they were getting on and would have appreciated this.
Action:
VP Education and VP Community and Welfare to consider feedback on
‘checking in comms’ and potentially look into the start date issue.
030.07
Midwifery Reps raised that students have big financial concerns because their
funding, via bursary ends one week into August but they are still enrolled on
the course until the 15th September and cannot likely start paid work until
end of October. Rep explained last year this was partly solved by extending
their bursary to include whole of August, but they haven’t been told this will
happen this year. Either way this leaves a financial gap. Bursaries are paid
yearly and their finish date hasn’t been clear to students, so budgeting hasn’t
been easy or possible really. Reps present from Nursing explained they could
start paid work straight away.
Action:
Action:
Action:
VP Education and VP Community and Welfare to consider.
Chair to raise with HoD.
Secretary to share details of UWE Money Advice with Reps.
030.08
A Rep from 2nd year Adult Nursing reported that timetables have changed
dramatically for their cohort unexpectedly. The cohort used to have a period
of 3 weeks with no timetabled activity but teaching time has now been put
into this period. Some students have planned childcare way in advance and
not factored it in for these 3 weeks, some have booked holidays . Students
have an issue with the fact there was no formal announcement about the
change or the rationale behind it.
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Students had differing perceptions of why this change had been introduced,
based on conversations with staff. Some believed it was due to LMC
requirements but some have been told it was due to student feedback.
Students would like to be told the reasons why for the change, and if it has
been based on student feedback would like proof of this.
Reps are aware of the University’s disclaimer about changes to timetable and
policies around booking holidays but don’t think this has been that clearly
communicated. Students are very unhappy as a result.
Action:
Action:
Secretary and Student Chair to raise with HoD.
Secretary to liaise with Quality Team and see if they were informed of this
change.
030.09*
A Rep from Children’s Nursing 3rd year sent apologies but emailed across the
following feedback:
Many students feel unsupported with dissertation, lecturers often fail to
respond to e-mails within 5 days, or even 'reminder' e-mails. Some students
have had several changes in their dissertation supervisor and there is no
scope to change your supervisor if you feel they aren't giving you the support
you need.
General lack of moral, UWE not supporting students in final year just giving
more and more to do forgetting that students have other work, families and
jobs.
Action:
Action:
Reps to raise at SRSFs.
Reps to raise at Departmental Committees.
031/1415
Time and date of next meeting
031.01
Secretary reminded Reps that this was the last meeting of the Academic Year
and explained that she will provide follows up to actions and ask for them
from Reps via email moving forward. Reps can also email with any feedback
and queries – studentreps@uwe.ac.uk
*Feedback sent via email.
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