Strategic and Governance Services

• Do I need to tell the University/School that I am on placement? Yes. If the placement is not approved by the University, the University insurance program will not extend to your placement activities.  Contact your placement coordinator if you have secured a placement opportunity outside of your course required placement activities.
• Will the University cover me if I arranged my own placement, or obtained an additional placement opportunity? The University can support additional placement opportunities.  You must have approval from your placement coordinator.  Provide information about your placement: Host information, planned activities, dates of placement and complete the WIL checklist from the download section here.
• Am I covered if I travel between sites with my host?  Yes.  If you need to travel between host locations or attend off site locations as required by the host, the University insurance program continues to apply.
• Am I covered if home visits are included or required by my host? Yes. If home visits are required as part of your placement, it is covered by the University insurance program.  Ensure you follow the protocols and requirements of the Host to ensure your own personal safety and wellbeing.
• Am I covered if I use a host vehicle during my placement? Yes.  You are covered whilst using a host vehicle.  The Host vehicle is an asset of the Host, and covered by Host insurance program.  ECU does NOT cover the Host vehicle for damage but does cover the Student if they are injured whilst using the host vehicle.  A student must be appropriately licensed to drive the Host vehicle.
• I have been asked to stay longer or take up another placement opportunity with the same host – can this be covered by the University? Yes, the University can cover an extension or additional placement with a host.  Ensure you contact your placement coordinator to advise of the additional opportunity.  Approval is still required for additional opportunities, or the University insurance program will not support the placement.
• I’ve secured a placement during my semester break, can it be covered? Yes, placements during semester breaks can be covered.  You must ensure that you discuss the circumstances with your placement coordinator, especially if your placement relates to a placement unit in the coming semester.
• I have graduated but haven’t been able to find work – I have an opportunity for an unpaid placement – can the University cover me? Contact Student Life or your school placement coordinator.  Advise where you have secured an unpaid placement opportunity to confirm that it aligns with your course/learning outcomes, and it can be approved and supported.  Only ECU’s Personal Accident Policy for Student Placements insurance cover would apply, if the opportunity has been confirmed as supported.
• Do I need to complete a travel approval form for my placement? If you are completing a placement where you are staying for an extended period of time (overnight, for an extended period, rural or interstate, or overseas), it is recommended that a Student Travel Approval Form is completed, as this triggers travel insurance cover for you.  This is the only policy that is not automatically activated with general course approved placements.
• I have a medical/physical condition – can I still undertake my placement? From an insurance perspective, you are required to be fit to participate in your placement activity.  If you are not medically fit to undertake your placement, you may not have insurance cover with the University if you elect to continue with your placement.  However, it is recommended that you discuss your personal circumstances with your placement coordinator before your placement is due to commence, so that reasonable allowances can be made for any medical or physical condition.
• I’m undertaking my placement overseas, am I covered?  Do I have to complete any extra paperwork? Any placement requires approval and sign off from the appropriate School Placement Coordinator.  ECU’s Insurance Program is “worldwide” and therefore extends to any placement activity undertaken anywhere in the world.  A Student Travel Approval Form is required as well.  High risk locations may also require additional consideration and sign off by University Executive Staff.
• I am using or need to use my personal vehicle for my placement, am I covered? ECU does not cover private vehicles for any reason.  Ensure you have your own insurance on your own personal vehicle.  ECU does not recommend using your own vehicle to travel between host locations or for home visits as the host should have vehicles available for you to use if you are completing worked-based activities on behalf of the host.
• My work placement is paid or I am receiving a stipend – who covers my placement? If your placement is fully paid, as a casual, seasonal or short-term employee, you should be covered by the host insurance program, as you would be deemed and employee of the host.  You should discuss with your placement coordinator whether your paid work tasks and activities meet or comply with your work placement requirements.  If you are receiving a stipend from your placement host, you would still be covered by ECU’s insurance program as you would not be considered an employee of the host.
• My work placement becomes a paid employment opportunity – what does this mean? This scenario does not impact your insurance cover from ECU during your placement.  Update your placement coordinator with information on how the placement has progressed.  And Congratulations!

ECU provides insurance cover to any persons who are asked to undertake volunteering activities on behalf of ECU. This could be staff members, students or the general public. Volunteering also includes anyone who volunteers their time to ECU – for example, to assist with a field trip or an ECU Open Day.

If you are arranging volunteering activities or will be participating in volunteer activities, contact insurance@ecu.edu.au to find out if you have cover.

ECU Researchers engage with volunteers to assist with research activities.  Research Participants are covered by ECU's General Liability and Personal Accident Insurance in the event they are injured or become unwell during the course of participation in research activities.

Researchers should also ensure compliance with Research Governance requirements.

Note participants may not be covered by insurance if a written consent form has not been completed and returned to the Researcher before commencement of research activities.

Adverse or unforeseen events

Researchers are required by the conditions of your ethics approval to immediately report to the Human Research Ethics Committee anything that might warrant review of ethical approval of the research project.  Please refer to the Ethics page or email research.ethics@ecu.edu.au.

ECU's Personal Accident Insurance also provides cover for students representing ECU in sporting activities or events, as well as certain course activities requiring physical or sporting activity. These activities include:

"students of ECU are covered whilst engaged in sporting related activities as part of course requirements, excursions, field trips, University-representative sports activities, off campus activities, camps or any other similar activity which is organised or under the control of ECU, including direct travel between the University campus and such activity. This includes WAAPA students participating in off campus dance, performing arts, theatre workshops, showcases, unpaid performances and physical/human movement activities as part of course requirements. WAAPA on campus activities covered include showcases, performances and dress rehearsals."

No cover extends to students undertaking physical activity described above, if it is undertaken against the advice of a medical practitioner.

In the event of an incident, accident or near miss:

Practicum or Work Experience

Report any incident, accident or near miss, to:

• Site or Host Supervisor
• ECU Supervisor
• Make an online report (“see also” for online incident report form)

Volunteers & Research Participants

• Report immediately to ECU Supervisor, Coordinator or Researcher and make an online report

Sporting Activities (including ECU Representative sports and WAAPA Students)

• Report to ECU Supervisor or Student Life team
• Make an online report

ECU's Personal Accident insurance includes "out of pocket" non-Medicare medical expenses cover.  An excess of $50 applies to all claims made and the policy limit is capped at $10,000.  Students, volunteers or research participants who submit a claim MUST claim from any other source before submitting their claim for consideration.  In the event of injury, the following process applies:

• Follow advice for "When an Incident Occurs"
• ECU Staff (including Researchers) provide information to the student, volunteer or research participant on how to make a claim
• Any claims where costs are recoverable through Medicare ARE NOT claimable against the policy
• Medical treatment costs must be paid for by the student, volunteer or research participant
• Once medical treatment costs are paid, reimbursement must then be sought through private health insurer or student health insurance policy first
• Any gap or non-refundable portion of medical treatment costs can then be claimed against the personal accident policy
• If the claim is accepted, insurer refund will be made, less the $50 excess and to a maximum of $10,000

Non-Medicare Medical Expenses definition:

“Non-Medicare Medical Expenses means expenses that are not subject to any full or partial Medicare rebate nor recoverable by You or by an Insured Person from any other source and incurred within twelve (12) calendar months an Insured Person sustaining an Injury and paid by You or the Insured Person, certified necessary by a legally qualified medical practitioner, to a registered Private Hospital, physiotherapist, chiropractor, osteopath, nurse or similar provider of medical services excluding the cost of dental treatment unless such treatment is necessarily incurred to sound and natural teeth, excluding dentures and is caused by injury. Medical expenses does not include any or part of any expenses for which a Medicare benefit is paid or is payable including the balance of monies due or payable by that Insured Person after deduction of any Medicare benefit or rebate from the actual expense incurred (commonly known as the “Medicare Gap”).

Provided that We shall not be liable to make any refund in respect of:

(i) any expense recoverable by that Insured Person from any other source except for the excess of the amount recoverable from such source;

(ii) any expense to which Section 67 of the National Health At 1953 (as amended) or any of the regulations made there under apply;

(iii) Any excess or deductible as shown in the Policy Schedule.”

If you are unsure if the ECU personal accident insurance cover will apply to you and your activities, please contact insurance@ecu.edu.au.