Accreditation of Practice Placement Educators (APPLE)

The Accreditation of Practice Placement Educators scheme (APPLE) offers Practice Placement Educators who have been practicing for a year or more two routes to accreditation

• Experiential route - using a guided application form
• Programme route - by a taught course that has been endorsed by COT (Interprofessional taught courses that have been endorsed by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy for the ACE scheme receive automatic endorsement by the APPLE scheme as the two schemes are assessed on the same learning outcomes.)

Accreditation is valid for a five-year period after which it will be up to the accredited educator to seek re-accreditation.

APPLE ensures recognition for the role of Practice Placement Educator

The Accreditation of Practice Placement Educators (APPLE) scheme has been developed primarily in order to:

• Give professional recognition to the role of the Practice Placement Educator (PPE)
• Establish a nationally recognised scheme for the accreditation of practice placement educators that is transferable across regions

APPLE supports requirements for CPD activity through evidence of learning and application in the workplace

The APPLE scheme meets the following HPC Standards for Continuing Professional Development:

• Standard 2: Demonstrate that their CPD activities are a mix of learning activities relevant to current or future practice
• Standard 3: Seek to ensure that their CPD has contributed to the quality of their practice and service delivery
• Standard 4: Seek to ensure that their CPD benefits the service user

Additional resources are available:

• College of Occupational Therapists Pre-registration Education Standards (COT 2008)
  The higher education institution facilitates the development of practice educators under the COT APPLE scheme.
• Post Qualifying Framework (COT 2006)
  Involvement in the education of others; facilitates learning and assesses the practice of student occupational therapists.
• Code of Ethics and Professional Practice (COT 2005)
  Occupational Therapists have a professional responsibility to provide practice education opportunities for occupational therapy students and to promote the learning culture in the workplace.
• The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (Department of Health 2004)
  Personal and People development, Level 3; Develop oneself and contribute to the development of others.

For more information contact:
Clair Parkin
Education Officer (Quality Assurance and Guidance)
Clair.Parkin@cot.co.uk
Telephone 020 7450 2344