- Practical and real-life experience in criminal justice, social justice, policing, investigation, or related settings.
- Support to attain work experience opportunities across private, public, and third-sector organisations (paid or voluntary).
- Students can utilise existing roles (e.g., special constable, volunteering with victim support agencies).
- Application of theoretical knowledge to real-world situations.
- Development of essential skills for a criminal justice career.
- Emphasis on reflective practice for critical evaluation and personal/professional growth.
- Engagement with experienced professionals in the criminal justice sector.
- Development of communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills.
- Insights into daily operations, challenges, and responsibilities in the field.
- Alignment with current recruitment processes through competency frameworks.
- Preparation for job interviews based on applied experiences.

1. A professional discussion between the student and academic staff, focusing on the student's experiences, learning outcomes, and reflections on their work placement. During the discussion and interview, you will answer competency-based interview questions designed to assess their skills, values and experiences in line with the competencies and values framework of their discipline.

2. Confirmation of placement hours and evaluation of the student's performance by the workplace supervisor based on predefined criteria (form provided).

The module will encompass pre-placement taught content and guidance about how to secure a work-based placement and how to formalise existing work/ volunteering into a work-based placement. Some of these inputs will be delivered by the careers connect placement team, who, alongside lecturers will support the students throughout the duration of the module. Students will then undertake placement hours in the placement setting/ role secured. A placement supervisor/mentor from the course team will engage and support the student whilst undertaking placement hours through informal and formal meetings. Students will also be given taught content post-placement to support them around personal reflection and undertaking the assignment. Formative assessment will be provided in the form of a shorter, mock professional discussion and interview and feedback.

1. Construct examples from your work placement to demonstrate core competencies for your discipline.

Application and problem solving Personal development and entrepreneurship

2. Collaborate effectively with a diverse range of people in a criminal justice workplace setting to create positive impact for the organisation and service users.

Critical reasoning & collaboration

3. Critically reflect on personal and professional development throughout the work experience, identifying strengths, areas for improvement, and future career aspirations.

Reflection

4. Analyse and respond to formal evaluations from workplace supervisors, using the feedback to enhance professional skills and performance.

Personal development and entrepreneurship

Bassot, B. (2023) The reflective practice guide : an interdisciplinary approach to critical reflection. Second edition. London: Routledge.

Bottomley, J., Wright, M. and Pryjmachuk, S. (2020) Communication Skills for Your Policing Degree. 1st edition. St Albans: Critical Publishing.

Bottomley, J., Wright, M. and Pryjmachuk, S. (2020) Critical Thinking Skills for Your Policing Degree. 1st edition. St Albans: Critical Publishing.

Carter, J. (2021) Work placements, internships and applied social research. London: SAGE.

Fanthome, C. (2017) Work placements: a survival guide for students. Palgrave Macmillan.

Do you want to apply your degree knowledge, skills and experience to a real-world setting? This module provides you with the opportunity to gain practical and real-life experience in a relevant work setting. The experience can be gained in a range of private, public and third sector organisations and may be paid or voluntary work. You may wish to utilise existing part time or voluntary roles, as a basis for your work experience placement. The module emphasises the importance of reflective practice, allowing you to critically evaluate your experiences, identify areas for personal and professional growth, and enhance your readiness for a career in criminal or social justice.