Supporting rural and coastal care with T Level industry placements
Overview
East Coast Community Healthcare CIC (ECCH) offers Health T Level students hands-on, multidisciplinary placements across Norfolk and Suffolk, in partnership with two local colleges. Students rotate through community teams and inpatient care, gaining real-world experience, completing the Care Certificate, and supporting patient care. The programme benefits both students and staff, helping build the future healthcare workforce in a rural area.
Benefits and outcomes
- Students enhance patient care by supporting skin integrity, rehabilitation exercises, and daily living activities.
- Their involvement helps relieve pressure on clinical staff and improves service delivery.
- Students gain hands-on experience across multiple disciplines, building clinical, communication, and teamwork skills.
- Collaboration between colleges and ECCH ensures clear expectations, robust support, and shared ownership of placements.
- Students contribute meaningfully to care while exploring career pathways in healthcare.
What the organisation faced
ECCH identified several areas that required careful planning and collaboration. Preparing students for the realities of healthcare settings was a key focus, with comprehensive induction processes and Care Certificate training all playing a role in ensuring students were ready for placement. There was also a need to define clear roles and responsibilities for both students and staff, this enabled learners to be safely and effectively integrated into clinical teams.
The organisation also recognised the emotional impact of healthcare work can have on young students. The programme addressed this by incorporating simulation and role-play to help students build coping strategies and manage their emotional responses. Additionally, ECCH’s rural location presented workforce development challenges, which the placement programme helps to address by nurturing local talent and encouraging students to pursue healthcare careers in the region. These proactive measures reflect the organisation’s commitment to creating a supportive, structured environment that benefits both learners and the wider healthcare system.
“As an organisation based in a rural coastal area, we are committed to growing our own workforce. Working in partnership with local colleges and providing placements for T Level students fits this ethos. It is great to be able to support the development of these individuals and begin to prepare them for working in health care”. - Kate Spence, Clinical Professional Lead, ECCH
What the organisation did
East Norfolk Sixth Form College approached the ECCH practice education team about providing industry placements for Health T Level students. They piloted industry placements in primary care home teams, giving students the opportunity to work with staff in the community. The pilot proved successful for both students and staff and the original model continues to be offered. After the success of the pilot, ECCH expanded their T Level industry placement offer to include a second local college, the East Coast College.
Each placement lasts for between three and five weeks. T Level students work alongside nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, paramedics and health support staff, including rehab support workers, health care assistants and therapy assistants in occupational therapy, physiotherapy, pharmacy and nursing teams.
Results and benefits
Hosting T Level students has brought clear benefits to ECCH staff, patients, and the students themselves. Learners contribute meaningfully to patient care—supporting daily activities, promoting independence, and helping maintain skin integrity through observation and timely reporting. Their involvement also eases staff workload and enhances the quality of care.
Students gain valuable hands-on experience, build confidence, and develop key skills in communication, rehabilitation, and clinical procedures. Exposure to a range of roles helps them understand the wider healthcare system and make informed career choices. Some have progressed into healthcare degrees or full-time roles, supporting ECCH’s aim to grow its local workforce.
“My placement has influenced me as I am now more interested in physiotherapy and occupational therapy, I am curious to know more about patients’ mobility. I also like occupational therapy and seeing the patient’s home environment and helping them with daily activities”. - T Level student
Key takeaways
- By offering a multidisciplinary industry placement, students rotate through different services, contributing to care in multiple areas, learning from a range of professionals and getting a better understanding of the different roles they may be interested in pursuing a career in.
- Work closely with college staff to set clear expectations and define roles and responsibilities for both students and supervisors. Inviting college staff to meet practice staff helps them prepare for supervising T Level students, understand their shared responsibilities and encourage enthusiasm.
- Collaborate with the college to build students’ resilience and support their emotional well-being. Ensure processes are in place to help students to address any potentially distressing situations they may witness and provide them with strategies for managing stress and their emotional responses
Contact details
For more information about the work in this case study, contact Kate Spence, Clinical Professional Lead.
