Upgrade to Chrome Upgrade to Firefox Upgrade to Internet Explorer Upgrade to Safari

City Hospice offers short and flexible work placements for university students who want to gain meaningful experience alongside their studies. These placements allow you to learn about compassionate hospice care, understand how multidisciplinary teams work together and see how academic learning applies in practice.

Placements usually last between one and four weeks, although we can sometimes be flexible depending on your course requirements and organisational capacity. Opportunities may be available within clinical services or in business support areas such as fundraising, administration and volunteer services. All placements are unpaid and are educational and observational in nature.

What you can expect from the programme

If your application is successful, you will be invited to interview and attend an induction session before starting your placement. This induction will introduce you to City Hospice and cover safeguarding, confidentiality, health and safety and what is expected during your time with us. You will also be assigned a mentor who will support you throughout your placement.

Your placement will be structured but flexible and tailored as far as possible to your interests and area of study. Your experience may include observing staff, learning how different teams work together and gaining insight into hospice care from a practical perspective. Where appropriate, you may also be involved in a small project or focused piece of work linked to your studies.

You will have regular opportunities to meet with your mentor, ask questions and reflect on your learning. At the end of your placement, you will be asked to complete a short reflective summary outlining what you have learned, the skills you have developed and how the experience relates to your future career. You will receive feedback from your mentor and a certificate on successful completion of the placement.

Professional expectations

You are expected to approach your placement in a professional and respectful way. This includes being reliable, engaged and considerate at all times. You must follow all City Hospice policies and procedures, particularly those relating to confidentiality, safeguarding, health and safety and infection prevention and control. Respect for patients, families, staff and volunteers is essential.

You will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement before starting your placement. Patient identifiable information must not be recorded, retained or used outside of the placement or for academic work.

All placements are risk assessed. Where required, placement will be subject to satisfactory DBS clearance. Students will not undertake regulated activity and will be supervised at all times. You will be covered by City Hospice’s relevant insurance arrangements for the duration of your placement, subject to policy terms.
Participation in the programme does not create an employment, worker, volunteer or contractual relationship, and there is no obligation on City Hospice to offer work or on students to undertake tasks beyond the agreed placement experience. City Hospice reserves the right to end a placement if there are concerns relating to conduct, suitability, safeguarding, confidentiality or health and safety.

 

How to apply

If you would like to apply for the City Hospice university work placement programme, please send a covering letter and CV to the Head of HR and Organisational Development.
Your covering letter is your opportunity to tell us why you would like to join City Hospice for a placement and how the experience fits with your studies and future career. Please include the following information.

  • Your full contact details
  • Your preferred placement dates and length of placement, and whether the placement is a requirement of your course
  • The area or areas within City Hospice you are most interested in and what you hope to gain from the placement
  • The skills and personal qualities you would bring to the placement
  • What you hope to achieve during your time with us
  • An example of a situation where you demonstrated empathy, communication or teamwork, or managed a challenging situation, and what you learned from it

Covering letters and CVs should be sent to Hannah Cavacuiti, Head of HR and Organisational Development, at recrutiment@cityhospice.org.uk
Applicants who are shortlisted will be invited to attend an interview. Feedback will be provided to all applicants