Mark McAloon
School of Health and Society
Current positions
Senior Lecturer
BIOGRAPHY
I started my clinical career as an Orthotist in 1992 practicing within rheumatology and musculoskeletal clinics. I began to specialise in neurological conditions in 1996 practicing mainly in the community becoming a Senior Orthotist in 1997. I have extensive knowledge in the assessment prescription and design and manufacture of Orthoses, specialising in neurological rehabilitation. I am a Member of the British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists and a registered HCPC Orthotist. I have applied for Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) after successful completion of Pg Cert Ed. Teaching and Learning (University of Salford).
My interest in education started earnestly when I studied for a higher education teaching qualification to enable me to teach 16-18 year olds. At this time I was also a clinical placement educator for students from Salford University.
I am now a highly experienced Senior Lecturer with 16 years working in Higher Education. I have a proven track record in teaching and learning acquired through teaching and module managing nine modules over my career. Two of these modules involve cross directorate teaching. I have also contributed to numerous specific cross Directorate teaching events, all of which have received positive feedback from students.
I have a proven track record in managing programmes having been the programme leader during the redesign of the Prosthetic and Orthotic Degree (Hons). This was an extensive redesign reducing the programme from four years to three years and introducing placements to every level of the programme. HCPC awarded a rare distinction for the re-design, within commentary following their validation visit.
Other notable achievements:
International mobility creation, both within taught modules and work placements is a goal I have achieved for many P&O students. Outgoing students have benefited within numerous international placement settings. I now liaise with three Salford Alumini who gained employment within international companies they were placed with, thus ensuring mobility for current and future Salford students. Mobility has been created for incoming students thus generating income.
I have ensured the integration of local senior clinicians both within teaching, examining and research. In so doing creating valuable partnerships with Salford Royal NHS trust and Manchester Royal NHS Trust that continue to grow.
I am passionate about the importance of multidisciplinary practice. Organising events where multidisciplinary practice is at the heart of the teaching. This has involved ‘Multidisciplinary practice in rheumatology’ for P&O/ Podiatry students.
P&O students/ Physiotherapy students in relation to the importance of multidisciplinary practice in rehabilitation in Cerebral Palsy (CP).
I was a prime instigator and module designer for P&O and Podiatry students being taught Anatomy and Physiology of the lower limb in a common module within L4. This has been a highly successful cross discipline module for eight years.
I have collaborated with Richard Jones to ensure that my teaching utilises the gait laboratories. For the last five years students have gained experience in the gait laboratory using the equipment to ‘fine tune’ and assess the orthoses they have prescribed for ‘professional patients’ who attend Orthotic clinics here at Salford.
I look forward to the future, continuing to extend the scope for interdisciplinary practice with the merger of our schools.
Subject areas (a) currently and (b) recently taught, including level
Current
Core Orthotics - Ankle Foot Orthoses and related Neurological Conditions L5
Lower Limb and upper limb anatomy L4
ICPP L4
Materials and design in orthotics and prosthetics L4
Broad Scope Practice - Neurological Orthoses including DAFO’s & Lycra Orthoses.
Various Interdisciplinary Collaborations
Previous activity/collaborations directly informing teaching;
- Lower limb biomechanics with particular reference to Ankle foot orthoses/ Footwear/ FFo's.
- Hyper-extension of the knee and its treatment with AFO's.
- The tuning of AFO's within the gait laboratory setting.
- Internal torsion of the lower limb and its treatment.
- The treatment of Cerebral Palsy with Botulin Toxin A for the treatment of focal spasticity.
- The employment of carbon fibre within orthotic side stems
- CAD/CAM design in Orthotics (AFO's and FFO's) and Prosthetics.
Teaching & Learning (International).
2008 International Society of Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) Education Group Meeting, Core Learning Outcomes for P&O Education Programmes, Presentation of Conference Group Outcomes, Dortmund, Germany.
Placement Module Mapping of P&O Programmes. Helsinki Metroplolia University, Finland. Part of an Erasmus plus funded teaching collaboration/visit (2013).
Lecture to Helsinki Metropolia University Students, Stock Orthoses and there Place in Orthotic Clinical Practice. Part of Erasmus plus funded teaching collaboration/visit (2015).
Taught Modules Mapping - to allow Metropolia University Helsinki Students to study upon Salford University P&O Degree modules in Semester 2. Part of Erasmus plus funded teaching collaboration 2016 Salford University.
Future International work Placements: A collaboration between Oslo & Salford University and Sophies Mindes Prosthtic/Orthotic Private Clinical Facility; Placement Modules Mapping and Revision of Old Learning Agreement Contract for Oslo University & P&O Programme October 2018; Erasmus plus funding to be applied for to allow for continuance of student mobility between the two Universities.
Management
Current:
L6 &L5 Placement Manager
Erasmus Co-ordinator – International undergraduate mobility and liaison with the Erasmus plus scheme to obtain relevant funding for outgoing students. Associated income from in-coming students to Salford.
School – PMC assessor (2014-18)
Prior:
Programme Leader Prosthetics and Orthotics BSc (Hons) Degree, Salford University (4 years).
School of Health Sciences Programme Board (5 years).
Enterprise
In my role as Placement Manager I liaise constantly with UK Clinical Directors of all the major P&O private companies and NHS clinical facilities. Being a national programme this involves clinics as far apart as Newcastle–Upon-Tyne to Plymouth. To ensure the viability of current and future placement requirements this has also required recruiting international companies in Norway and Finland and nearer to home in Northern and Southern Ireland. This has been necessary when insufficient numbers of placements exist in the UK for our student numbers. This does however add an exciting international dimension for a few of our students upon placement.
Collaboration with Salford NHS Trust and MRI NHS Trust within current research studies. Clinicians from the Acute Physiotherapy Unit and Orthotic Clinics at both hospitals are involved in recruitment. See Research section below for more details.
Cerebral Palsy
Activity Monitoring
AFO’s and FFO’s – related biomechanics.
Spinal Orthotics – related biomechanics.
The employment of carbon fibre within orthotic side stems
Lower limb orthotics and related biomechanics/anatomy.
Botulinum Toxin A for the treatment of focal spasticity.
Enterprise;
Teaching and Learning Related– programme re-design.
Programme Leader during the programme design and implementation of BSc. Prosthetics and Orthotics (Hons) Undergraduate Degree (2008/9/10). A major redesign of the programme was undertaken reducing the programme from 4yrs to 3 yrs. Placements were also integrated within each of the three years as opposed to occurring at the end of the programme. The new programme design was commended by HPC after a 3 day validation visit. The three year design has now placed the P&O programme on a footing to be able to attract and recruit students, competing on an equal footing with other Health Care Programmes within England.
Clinical Related;
Scoping exercise to assess the potential for an adult gait analysis clinic, to improve the function of ankle foot orthoses prescribed for neurological conditions. Approached partner -Trafford NHS Trust– on going.
Qualifications
- MSc Health and Social Care Research (Salford University)
- PG Cert in Learning & Teaching in H.E. (Salford University 2004)
- HND Prosthetics and Orthotics
- Qualifications in Relation to Prosthetics & Orthotics
Memberships
- Member of the British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotist (MBAPO) 1988 -2018
- HCPC Membership; Inception - 2018
- Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) - applying for
Professional Committees
-
BAPO Education Committee Member 2014 - Present