Definition of a Mentor
An experienced or trusted advisor or guide, a teacher, a tutor, spec. an experienced person in a company, college etc. who trains and counsels new employees or students.
Definition of Mentorship
Mentorship refers to a developmental relationship between a more experienced individual to help a less experienced individual referred to as a protégé, apprentice, mentee, or (person) being mentored develop in a specified way.
Mentor training and support
- The work place mentor/assessor will be an experienced, qualified and registered play specialist with the Healthcare Play Specialist Education Trust (HPSET) and have a minimum of two years post qualifying experience.
- The mentor will be required to undertake specific training to support FdA HPS Students. This will be provided by the colleges.
- A named link to a member of the college teaching team will be provided.
- A Practice Assessment Handbook giving guidance both for the mentor and student along with competencies to be achieved will be provided.
- Additional reference publications will be recommended.
Definition of Workplace Learning Outcomes
Statements of what students are expected to know and be able to do by the time they complete the Foundation Degree. They may be stated in terms of expected knowledge, skills or attitudes.
Commitment
The mentor/assessor will be committed to and responsible for meeting with the student every week to assess progress and achievements giving critical feedback and documenting the event. Only the mentor assessor can sign off the work place competencies once assured that they have been achieved.
Students must have a qualified registered HPS supervisor for at least one day a week.
Where students are working in places without an approved mentor/assessor an arrangement with an approved mentor/assessor must be made and a work place supervisor appointed. As the responsibility for signing off the student’s work place competencies rests with the approved mentor/assessor, the mentor/assessor in this situation will be required to devote one hour a week to meeting with the student.
The mentor/assessor must provide consistent and continual written feedback regarding the student’s progress in terms of achieving the work based competencies including their attitude and professional behaviour. It is a requirement of HPSET that mentors must keep sufficient records to support and justify their decisions on whether the student is, or is not competent.
Though a wide range of assessment methodologies may have to be applied, wherever possible direct observation of student’s practice is the most desirable and should support the written evidence provided by the student. There is an expectation that a minimum of 50% of evidence from each of the competency areas will include a written observation.
The mentor is not responsible for the academic learning but for promoting professionalism and enabling students to put theory into practice to become competent practitioners.
The mentor/assessor’s final signature is crucial in determining the competency of the student and is a contributory factor in their licence to practise.