In this video by NSW Family and Community Services: Student perspective - Advice for Students Considering a Placement in the Disability Sector, students present their perspectives on their placement within the disability sector:
When preparing for a student placement in a NDIS provider organisation, the principles of placement planning apply. In the disability sector, there are several resources that can be provided to students prior to their placement to assist them to understand the practice context, their particular work area or the skills required. This facilitates the student’s transition to placement.
You may like to recommend that students use the ‘Add my Reflection’ functions on this page to support their engagement with these topic areas. After working through the content, students can log their thoughts, reflections and questions. These can then be used in your supervisory sessions.
Knowledge and understanding resources
General information
- Rights of people with disability (Australian Government, Attorney-General’s office)
- Australian Human Rights Commission – Disability Rights
- NDIS – What is NDIS?
- NDIS – Supports funded by NDIS
- Future Allies - Student preparation for NDIS placement resource suite
Core Principles
- National Disability Practitioners - Student placements: resources for students
- Building the Allied Health Workforce for an NDIS future (open access eLearning module that provides content for students, tertiary education settings, service providers and NDIS participants)
- My allied health space (support the allied health capability framework, and provides information, tools and training resources for allied health workers)
- My support space (Digital and written information resources to build skills and knowledge for supporting people with acquired brain injury.)
Language and communication guides and considerations
Appropriate use of language is important to reduce stigma and discrimination. The following are examples of language guides that could be provided to students prior to their placement to draw their attention to the use of inclusive language:
- Australian Federation of Disability Organisations: Communication with people with disabilities
- Government of Western Australia – Department of Communities – Disability Services: Communication
- Queensland Government – Better Communication
Reporting and documentation
Students will need to measure and report on NDIS participant outcomes as part of their placement with NDIS providers. It is important that students are aware of the specific reporting requirements for NDIS including plan reviews and progress reports. The following resources could be provided to students prior to their placement, to draw their attention to the types of detail, content, and layout that is required.
- NDIS: reporting and participant plan reviews
- NDIS: plan review reports
- Valid: 10 steps to excellent NDIS therapy reports: VALID’s guide to NDIS therapist reports for allied health professionals
- Summer Foundation: Getting the Language right: A health practitioner’s guide to writing reports, letters, forms and assessments for the NDIS
