The British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists

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Learner voice at BAPO

The purpose of the BAPO Learner Reference Group is to co-create an approach that enables BAPO, the national professional body for the prosthetic and orthotic profession in the UK, to link more closely with learners enrolled on pathways to join the P&O workforce. In the first instance, we plan to bring together learner representatives from across the UK’s four P&O education providers to help shape an approach that’s meaningful and beneficial to learners, and manageable in the context of other demands on their time.

The term ‘learner’ is used to describe students registered on university-based programmes of study and apprentices pursuing their qualifications via an apprenticeship pathway. Learners will be registered on one of the following educational pathways:

  • Level 3 technicians apprenticeship at the University of Derby
  • Level 6 degree apprenticeship at the University of Derby
  • Pre-registration MSc at Keele University
  • BSc (Hons) at the University of Salford
  • BSc (Hons) at the University of Strathclyde

The aims of the Learner Reference Group are to:

  1. Develop a sustainable approach that meets the needs and expectations of both the evolving learner community and BAPO as their professional body.
  2. Improve direct engagement and two-way communication between BAPO and the learner community.
  3. Improve BAPO’s awareness and understanding of issues impacting learners during their academic studies and while learning in practice settings.
  4. Explore the guidance and resources BAPO could provide for learners to support their journey towards joining the professional community, complementing and adding value to, rather than duplicating, those available from education providers.
  5. Create a space for the exchange of ideas and collaboration to enhance learner journeys and experiences.
  6. Provide learners with opportunities to develop in the leadership pillar of practice, and to get to know and help to shape their professional body.
  7. Support the building of professional networks and founding of lasting relationships with BAPO.

The first meeting of the new BAPO Learner Reference Group was help on January 29th, 2025.

Along with agreeing the purpose, aims, and guiding principles for the running of the group, other points of discussion focused on:

💡the potential for BAPO to supporting networking between learners – that’s members of the Learner Reference Group and the learner community more widely

💡the potential to work collaboratively to break down barriers to accessing variable and valuable learning opportunities linked to both academic and practice-based contexts

💡creating opportunities to develop group members’ understanding of the relationship between BAPO and the four UK education providers, and the guidance, advice and support that BAPO offers to help shape their learning journeys

💡creating opportunities to develop group members’ understanding of the value of BAPO membership, and particularly understanding what student (learner) membership currently includes

💡 the potential to consider reviewing the BAPO student / learner membership offer with the Learner Reference Group in future

 

Watch this space for more information as the Learner Reference Group develops and unfolds.

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Inspiring your brilliant career

If you aren’t already a member of BAPO, consider joining your professional body. You’ll become part of a thriving professional network and gain access to a wider range of BAPO resources.

Join BAPO

Want some insights into what your future working life might look like? Curious about what your days as a newly qualified and junior clinician might involve? Check out these blog posts.

View Blogs

If you’d like some inspiration about the different types of career journeys and pathways your qualification could open doors to, explore some of the real-life examples in the BAPO Human Library.

View Human Library
BAPO Careers Development Framework for Prosthetists and OrthotistsDownload

The BAPO Career Development Framework is essential reading alongside the HCPC Standards. Your professional development continues long after you finish your initial studies. The Framework outlines how your knowledge, skills and capabilities can be developed across

BAPO National PO Practice Based Learning FrameworkDownload

Practice-based learning (PBL) is a crucial part of your learning. It provides an important opportunity to apply and consolidate your theoretical learning to help you meet the requirements to enter the workforce as an HCPC registrant. This document illustrates what your PBL experiences might look like and how to make the most of them.

Also introduced via this short video:

Watch video here
An exploration of practice-based learning in prosthetics and orthotics in the United KingdomDownload
An exploration of inclusive practices for Disabled learners in UK prosthetics and orthotic higher education programmesDownload

The learner’s welcome pack has been designed for practice educators to edit and share with learners about embarking on practice-based placements. It is a document for practice educators to collate all the relevant information needed for learners for easy reference and can be used as a source of support for learners. The aim is to standardise the way you as the learner receive information about placement and raise awareness of and promote open conversations about the challenges of learning, mental health, and well-being including stress management, and EDI, including content on reasonable adjustments to contribute towards an inclusive placement experience. If you have not received a copy of this from your practice educator, you could download it and work with your practice educator to make sure you gather all of the essential information required for your placement. This pack is best viewed electronically as there are clickable links and resources throughout.



Learners welcome pack FINALDownload

The placement form provides a tool for capturing key information about you as an individual learner, your approach to learning and your individual learning support needs, including any required reasonable adjustments. The completed form can be shared with your practice educator before your placement commences, to allow suitable preparations to be made to support you to maximise the learning opportunities from your practice- based education. 
 

Learner Placement FormDownload
BAPO Early career guidance framework for prosthetics and orthoticsDownload

The BAPO Early Career Guidance Framework is designed to support newly qualificed clinicians through the transition form pre-registration learner into their first role as an HCPC registrant. It explains what Preceptorship is and how to prepare yourself to make the most of this period of individualised, structured transition support.

Graduate welcome pack final-compressedDownload

This welcome pack is designed to help you keep track of all the information you will need when you start your first job as an HCPC registrant. Download it and work with your employer to make sure you gather all of the essential information in one place for easy reference.

You might be interested in knowing about the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics and the resources that they offer to the international professional community.

Visit ISPO

Webinar

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Continuing professional development resources and events

Find out more about BAPO’s mentorship programme, which is available to members at any stage of their their career (including learners) to enable them to gain personalised guidance on a range of topics.

BAPO Mentoring

CPD and lifelong learning are necessary for the development of everyone who works in health and social care. This document sets out princiles that you can apply to help you manage and take ownership of your own CPD to meet the HCPC requirements that apply once you are registered.

Principles for CPD

BAPO offers regular webinars and short courses. Check out the latest offerings and how to register for them via these links. These events are open to members and non-members.

BAPO Short courses and Webinars
Virtual Education – BAPO Teatime Talks & Virtual Events

The BAPO YouTube channels contains a range of video resources spanning subject areas such as BAPO Learning, dementia awareness, interviews with members of the P&O workforce, and BAPO event highlights.

BAPO YouTube

BAPO runs regular TeaTime Talks and other virtual events for members. You can find out about forthcoming events and (if you are a member) register for then here.

BAPO Teatime Talks

These member-only video resources cover topics such as clinical note-keeping and consent, what the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) is and how to register with it when you qualify, and continuous professional development.

BAPO Student Series Webinars

This member-only resource provides guidance and advice about preparing poster presentations for all kinds of conferences. These are essential skills to develop as part of the research pillar of practice. And they’re potentially very useful for any of your assessments that involve a poster presentation.

BAPO (2024) A guide for preparing and presenting posters at conference (in member only section of website)

This step-by-step guide will help you develop your skills and confidence in literature searching in research databases. These are essential skills to develop as part of the research pillar of practice. And they’ll help a great deal with your current studies.

BAPO (2024) Keeping up to date with evidence-based practice: A guide to searching research databases (in member only section of website)

BAPO runs a number of annual regional conferences around the UK. Students and apprentices are welcome to join in. Find out more here.

BAPO Conferences

BAPO makes a number of annual awards to members of the professional community, including Student of the Year. Check out details here.

BAPO Awards

    Responding directly to a need identified by learners, this comprehensive resource guides you through the different elements you will need to consider to ensure that you are well-prepared to apply for jobs and participate in job interviews in prosthetics and orthotics.

    Preparing to apply for jobs in prosthetics and orthoticsDownload
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    Looking to the future

     

    This member-only resource guides you through your responsibility as a future HCPC registrant when it comes to fulfilling their standards for CPD and how to evidence this as part of the regular cycle of re-registration every two years.

    BAPO (2024) Supporting prosthetists and orthotists with HCPC CPD Audit (in member only section of website)

    The Orthotic Education & Training Trust funds (a) the education and training of Orthotists, Orthotic Technicians and Orthotic Managers, and (b) the training of Technicians regarding orthotic devices. It is not open to pre-registration learners, but it’s worth knowing about for future reference.

    Orthotic Education Funding Support (OETT) (bapo.com)

    At the very start of your career journey, it’s not always easy to plan or guess how it will unfold. This resource might provide some inspiration. It explains the idea of ‘advanced practice’ generally, and how Enhanced and Advanced Level Practice specifically are emerging in P&O. It explores what these career levels might offer you as a professional and what they can mean for the people who access your services.

    BAPO (2024) Advanced Practice in Prosthetics and Orthotics
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    BAPO Ethical Code 2025

    BAPO is pleased to launch the new and updated Ethical Code.

    The purpose of the BAPO Ethical Code (‘the Code’) is to provide a set of standards that describe the ethical principles that underpin practice in the field of prosthetics and orthotics.

    The Code reflects both public and professional expectations of our members’ practice and behaviour. BAPO is strongly committed to patient-centred practice and the involvement of patients and carers as partners in all stages of the rehabilitation process.

    You can view the document below:

    Ethical Code 2025Download

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    BAPO Webinar: Unlocking the Potential of Patient-Facing Support Workers and Technicians in P&O

    Details

    Webinar Invitation: Unlocking the Potential of Patient-Facing Support Workers & Technicians in P+O

    Join us for an exciting and informative webinar showcasing the outcomes of a two-year project dedicated to advancing the roles of patient-facing Support Workers and Technicians in the Prosthetics and Orthotics (P+O) workforce.

    We’ll introduce:
    ✅ A Framework designed to define and enhance these roles.
    ✅ Web-based resources to showcase the roles.
    ✅ A survey-based report that benchmarks current practices across the workforce.

    This session is designed to raise awareness of these valuable resources and provide actionable insights for integrating them into practice. Together, we can continue to grow and validate P+O careers for this essential segment of the workforce.

    Who should attend?

    • Service managers
    • Support Workers and Technicians
    • P+O professionals and educators

    Be part of this important conversation and help shape the future of P+O careers!

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    BAPO Webinar: Supporting career growth to sustain the profession

    Details

    We known there are significant workforce challenges for P&O. The UK’s smallest allied health profession, it has the highest attrition rate amongst them. Only 34% of respondents to a recent workforce survey ‘definitely’ planned to stay in the profession for the next five years. Low levels of job satisfaction, lack of career progression, and not feeling valued were leading reasons for considering leaving.

    There is no single solution to this alarming situation, but providing developmental opportunities enabling clinicians to grow fulfilling careers will certainly make a difference – one that brings benefits to employers, services and services users as well. This webinar will explore the existing and emerging pathways to supporting career growth as part of the efforts to sustain the profession.

    During this webinar we will explore:

    • why individual and collective action is essential to ensure sustainability of the workforce and the profession.
    • new and emerging approaches to supporting professional and career development for the registered workforce.
    • benefits that extend beyond individual clinicians’ careers to positively impact on employers, services and service users.

    Who is this for:

    Primary target audience is employers and line managers. The further audience is clinicians at a range of levels who are interested in learning more about existing and emerging career development opportunities.