From the start of your studies you’ll be sharing many aspects of learning with Occupational Therapy and Social Work students through collaborative modules. This will allow you to develop a deep understanding of the roles of not only these other professions, but also your own, and provides the opportunity to enhance communication skills and partnership working.  The themes of evidence-informed practice and research, and professional values and decision making, run through the two-year course. 

Year 1: Developing a foundation for practice

The first year of the course focuses on facilitating your development of the foundation skills and theoretical knowledge which underpin Physiotherapy practice. You’ll explore and apply assessment and intervention approaches to a range of commonly encountered clinical scenarios. In addition, you’ll develop your understanding of professionalism and the regulatory and professional requirements for Physiotherapists. You’ll have the opportunity to develop and apply your practical skills within simulation settings and through engagement with service users.  

In addition to Physiotherapy-specific modules you’ll undertake collaborative modules, which run across the two years of the programme, together with Occupational Therapy and Social Work students.  Through these collaborative modules you will learn and work together as an inter-professional student group so that you can develop confidence in your own role as well as developing a deeper understanding of the roles of others. In the first year you’ll be introduced to working with students from other disciplines as key partners in promoting health and wellbeing within an integrated health and social care context. You’ll develop your communication skills within a team, placing the service user and families at the centre of their care. 

The importance of research and evidence is highlighted throughout, and two eight-week placements at the end of the first year will provide you with the opportunity to integrate theory with practice and to consolidate your learning.

Year 2: Advancing practice and shaping the future

In the second year of the course you’ll develop your skills in critical reflection, clinical reasoning and your ability to critically evaluate evidence for practice, within complex scenarios. This will include working with people who have complex health and social care needs and learning within specialist areas of Physiotherapy practice. In addition, you’ll explore Physiotherapists’ roles in promoting wellbeing and physical activity and in undertaking exercise prescription. 

Through your inter-professional modules you’ll explore risk and uncertainty within health and social care practice, developing assessment and management strategies. You’ll be asked to take a global perspective, and, along with your peers in Occupational Therapy and Social Work, develop the entrepreneurial capacity and skills required to lead innovation in a changing health and social care environment. Your research experience will be enhanced, culminating in the production of a dissertation, which will include the opportunity to undertake an original data collection project.  You’ll then undertake two final eight-week placements which will enable you to make the transition into the workplace as a competent, confident and autonomous Physiotherapist.

Subjects include

Year 1

• Working Together in Health and Social care Contexts (Collaborative)
• Foundations of Physiotherapy Practice (Physiotherapy-specific)
• Working with Individuals Families and Communities (Collaborative)
• Research Approaches in Health and Social Care
• Introduction to Physiotherapy Practice (Physiotherapy-specific)
• Physiotherapy Practice Placement 1
• Physiotherapy Practice Placement 2

Year 2

• Risk Uncertainty and Complex Decision-Making (Collaborative)
• Optimising Health and Wellbeing through Physical Activity and Exercise (Physiotherapy-specific)
• Leading Innovations in Health and Social Care (Collaborative)
• Physiotherapy in Advanced and Complex Areas of Practice (Physiotherapy-specific)
• Dissertation
• Physiotherapy Practice Placement 3
• Physiotherapy Practice Placement 4