PurposeWork-based placements are central to the university education of allied health and social work (AHSW) students. As a result of COVID-19, the clinical learning environment of students' work-based placements was dramatically altered resulting in numerous documented challenges. This inter-disciplinary study aimed to evaluate AHSW students' perceptions and experiences of completing a diverse range of work-based placements during COVID-19.Design/methodology/approachThis study was a mixed-method inter-disciplinary study using an anonymous online survey consisting of multiple choice, Likert scale and free text questions. Mixed-methods design supported amalgamation of insights from positivism and interpretivism perspectives and enabled research questions to be answered with both breadth and depth. 436 students were invited to participate who were enrolled in five AHSW educational university programmes: speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, radiation therapy and social work. Data collected was analysed using both quantitative (descriptive and analytical statistics) and qualitative (thematic analysis) methods.Findings118 students participated (response rate: 27%) representing a range of AHSW disciplines who attended diverse placement settings. While there was extensive disruption in the learning environment leading to increased levels of stress and concern, a triad of individual and systemic supports helped to ensure positive work-based placement experiences and student success for the majority of AHSW students during COVID-19: (1) university preparation and communication; (2) placement site and supervisor support; and (3) students' resilience and capacity to adapt to a changed work-place environment.Originality/valueThis inter-disciplinary study reports the work-based placement experiences from the professional education programmes of healthcare students during the COVID-19 pandemic, giving a unique view of their perspectives and learning during this unprecedented crisis.

This article reflects upon the work of the National Practice Teaching in Social Work Initiative (NPTSWI), established following collaboration between the six universities in Ireland that deliver social work education. Working in partnership with social work employers and practitioners, NPTSWI aims to enhance the profile of Practice Teaching within the Social Work profession in Ireland, provide ongoing supports for practice teaches and potentially increase the supply of placements. As a multi-stakeholder collaboration and in the context of the Irish Government’s commitment to increase the number of Social Work graduates, NPTSWI represents a significant innovation in the development of social work practice education in Ireland. This paper reflects on the achievements of the initiative and barriers to building a culture and context for practice teaching and learning within social work services are considered and strategies to address these challenges explored.

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In Ireland as elsewhere, the Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing public health restrictions, gave rise to an unprecedented crisis in health and social care service provision, leading to cessation of student social work placements in March 2020.   The Hybrid Placement Model Teaching and Learning Resource was developed to ensure that quality practice-based placements could resume and continue to be viable during subsequent phases of the Covid-19 pandemic.  Combining four elements of onsite practice, off-site practice, online practice, and reflective practice the model provided a ‘road map’ that supported both practice teachers and students as they navigated placements within this context. Through provision of a user-friendly diagram and detailed practical examples of blended learning opportunities mapped to each of the eighty-three national standards of proficiency, the resource enabled practice teachers and students to visualise a range of practice learning opportunities that could be undertaken as part of a blended placement and provided assurance that blended learning met regulatory requirements. In this article the authors discuss the context and rationale for the model and describe its four integrated components. The usefulness of the model in supporting optimal learning on hybrid placements is addressed and its potential post Covid-19 restrictions is considered.