GENERAL INFORMATION

GENERAL INFORMATION
Will I be a Registered Paramedic after completion?
Following completion of all elements of the DipHE and 1500
hours in both theory and practice over the two years, students
will be eligible to register as a Paramedic with the Health
Professions Council.
I am already a qualified technician, what options are open
to me to become a qualified paramedic?
Technicians can apply to join the second year of the
programme on a full or part-time basis.
What does the course cost?
In view of the national changes to NHS student support, NHS
North West has reviewed the local arrangements for this course
with the aim of enabling support for Paramedic students into the
future on the basis of a sustainable model. From September 2013,
all non-seconded students to this programme will access
maintenance support through the national student loans system.
NHS North West will continue to fund the tuition costs for the
Diploma HE in Paramedic Practice and all students will continue to
receive support for practice placement expenses.
I already have a first degree, will I be able to receive
funding?
As the course is financed by the NHS, previous study rules do
not apply, you will be eligible for the Bursary, providing you
meet residency criteria but will not be eligible to the
maintenance loan.
Is the course split into Theory and Practice?
Yes, the British Paramedic Association regulations require
completion of 3000 hours split into 50% theory and 50% clinical
practice. To fulfil this requirement, the programme does not
follow the normal university academic calendar.
When will my holidays be?
You will be entitled to 7 weeks designated holiday per year, set
in advance. Due to the amount of hours that must be
completed to register, students are unable to take any
additional holidays. We aim to put first year calendars onto the
website at the earliest opportunity to enable new students to
plan holidays.
PLACEMENTS
How are placements allocated?
The majority of placements are with North West Ambulance
Service. Each student will be allocated a mentor (who will be
different at each placement). Other placement areas include
Nursing Homes, Primary Care trusts, mental Health sector and
various hospital departments. Placements will mainly be in
the Merseyside and Cheshire area and whilst efforts are
made to minimise travelling for students, there is no
guarantee that all placements will be close to a student’s
home or term time address.
How will I travel to my placements?
If you are in student accommodation reserved for healthcare
students (Marybone III), you are well situated to reach your
placements by public transport. You will be only a 5-minute
walk away from the local rail network and the main city centre
bus stops.
Who will train me when I am on placement?
You will be placed with a qualified health professional mentor
who will guide you throughout your placement.
Will I work shifts?
Yes, there is a requirement for students to work the full range
of shifts as would be expected once qualified. This means
nightshifts and weekend working as well as normal early and
late shifts. As a Paramedic, you will gain much more handson experience by working these shift patterns. Students are
supernumerary to the staffing structure in place and for the
majority of the time you will work shifts the same as that of
your mentor.
APPLICATIONS & SELECTION PROCESSES (including
mature applicants, convictions and medicals)
How do I apply?
Applications must be made online through UCAS
www.ucas.ac.uk. You can apply for up to 5 courses on one
application and UCAS forwards it to the relevant universities.
We only accept on time applications which are those received
at UCAS by 15th January in each application cycle.
How many places do you have?
Places are commissioned on an annual basis by the Strategic
Health Authority and normally vary from year to year.
I am a mature student without formal qualifications, can I
apply?
Unfortunately, due to the volume of applicants and demand
for the programme backed with professional requirements, we
can only consider those who meet our minimum criteria. Full
details of this criteria can be found on our fact file
Do I need a driving licence to apply?
Yes, a full driving licence will be required and must be held
BEFORE you apply, including a provisional C1 licence.
Is there a fitness test?
No. There is an expectation that you will fully prepare for
employment with the ambulance service over the two years of
the programme. You will be expected to complete a series of
assessments involving moving and handling techniques. The
assessments will be on going, in practice and within the
university. This is necessary to ensure that you have sufficient
physical ability to cope with extreme work demands as and
when these occur and to minimise the health risks/injuries
known to occur within low fitness groups when regularly
engaged in such hard physical work. The university will offer
support through theory and practice along with a series of
health and fitness opportunities.
I want to apply for Paramedic Practice but am
apprehensive as a mature student of being at university
with school leavers, would this be the case?
Our age range of new students onto programmes to date is
quite broad in each new intake. We have the highest number
of undergraduate mature students than any other Faculty in the
University. We appreciate the contributions that both mature
and younger students alike can make, as normally students will
have different perspectives and outlooks which is a valuable
learning tool.
Are there any age restrictions?
There are no age restrictions but all applicants must hold a full
driving licence and a full/provisional C1 before they can be
considered.
There is no maximum age limit to apply, however, there is a
requirement that you would be able to work after completion
before reaching the normal retirement age in the NHS.
What are the qualification criteria?
Please refer to the fact file for this programme which contains
detailed qualification criteria.
Is there any other criteria?
Yes, any offer will be made subject to undertaking a
satisfactory fitness test, medical examination and CRB
Enhanced Disclosure.
We require two references from all applicants, one will be
completed on your UCAS form and you will be required to
provide referee details to us if interviewed. We require to see
and hold copies of your formal qualification certificates and
photo driving licence.
I don’t have English or Maths GCSE at Grade C or above,
do you conduct tests?
We do not test internally for English and Maths as we are not
able to offer the relevant support or feedback. However, we do
accept other Level 2 qualifications in these subject areas. For
further details please refer to our fact file which contains
detailed qualification criteria.
How do you make decisions on applications?
We will shortlist your application, initially from current
qualifications and predicted grades if you are still studying, if
you meet our qualification criteria we will then look at your
personal statement and reference. We will also need to ensure
you hold a full driving licence.
At the minimum, we are looking for applicants to fully
demonstrate relevant healthcare experience (including
working with voluntary organisations), an understanding of
and research into the role and the direction of the Ambulance
Service and clear rationale for applying.
Will I have to be interviewed?
Yes, we invite all suitable applicants to a selection process.
What is the interview process?
The selection day commences with an academic presentation
about the course. There will be a group of potential students
invited to this before we commence individual interviews. We
try to arrange selection processes for a.m. or p.m
commencement based on your geographical location but this
is not always possible. All applicants are considered against
the same criteria.
I have access requirements to be able to attend an
interview, what do I need to do?
Please inform us at the earliest opportunity should you
require anything that will help you attend your interview, the
more notice we have the better to make suitable
arrangements. For example, should you require a signer,
information in large print or ground floor interview location,
you can let us know before you are invited to interview to
ensure that we meet your needs.
Do I need to bring anything to interview?
You should bring in all relevant qualification certificates and
photo driving licence showing full/provisional C1 entitlement.
Further information will be in your interview invite.
What if I can’t attend interview?
You should request another date via UCAS Track. Due to the
high volume of applications that we receive for Paramedic
Practice, it is not always possible for us to re-allocate
interviews for non-attendees. If you don’t attend and have not
informed us, your application will be withdrawn via UCAS. If
you inform us with plenty of notice that you cannot attend, we
may be able to offer you another date, however, that does
depend on how many more selection processes we have
scheduled before a decision needs to be made on your
application (due to UCAS deadlines) and whether or not they
are already allocated.
When will I be informed of the decision?
As we are required to give all ‘on-time’ applicants equal
consideration, we cannot guarantee you will receive a decision
from us quickly. We will make some offers within two weeks of
each selection process but more often than not, applicants will
have to wait for a decision until the end of April, after all
selection processes are complete and we have been able to
consider each applicant individually. Details of any decision
made will be relayed via UCAS.
UCAS Track informs me I have been rejected, can I find
out why?
Yes, we give basic feedback on the reason for your rejection
on UCAS track, if you wish for more detailed feedback, for
example, after interview, we request that applicants email us
and we will respond to these requests with as much detail as
possible within 6 weeks.
After rejection, can I apply again?
Yes, you can apply again in the next UCAS cycle.
I have a criminal conviction, will that go against me?
It will depend on the circumstances. If you are invited to
interview, you will be sent a declaration form asking to follow
the Faculty’s internal processes should you have any bind-over
orders, prior or current investigations by the police or
employer / suspension by an employer or regulatory body,
reprimands, final warnings. The information you provide will be
treated confidentially and considered by a panel of senior
academic and NHS staff. If you fail to provide this information
and it is then discovered that you have not declared something
to us, your place will be withdrawn.
I have a medical condition, will I still be able considered
for Paramedic Practice?
The competence standards are set by the Department of
Health and the Health Professions Council. The University
Occupational Health Service undertakes health screening for
all healthcare students in accordance with current guidance
from these regulatory bodies. This health screening includes
assessment of any medical conditions and any mental or
physical impairments which are relevant to the core
competencies. Adjustments to the training course, which are
needed on medical grounds are possible in most
circumstances. There are very few medical conditions or
functional impairments which would prevent a student from
training altogether.
EMPLOYMENT AND CAREER OPTIONS
What career options are available to me?
Following completion of the programme, students will be
eligible for professional registration as a Paramedic Practitioner
which will give eligibility for employment opportunities across
the UK.
LEARNING SUPPORT
I have a disability, what support will JMU provide?
If we are aware of your disability, i.e. you have identified it on
your UCAS form, we will let our Welfare Disability Advisor
know once you have accepted an offer from us. If you have
not informed UCAS of a disability please contact us directly
so that we may record this information and inform welfare,
alternatively,
you
can
contact
them
directly
at
[email protected].
What support will I receive when I am at university and
on placement?
At commencement you will be allocated a personal tutor, who
you will have meetings with a few times a year, or ad-hoc if
the need arises. It is with this tutor that you can discuss any
issues you may have. Each module you study has a module
leader who will provide guidance and support throughout your
modular learning.
While on Placement you will be allocated a qualified mentor
and will be visited by an academic at least once on each
placement to ensure that you are not experiencing difficulties.