Learning from Experts by Experience

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Learning from Experts by Experience

• Assessing Students Readiness to Practice

2
A presentation by representatives from the
School of Social Work, Kingston University St
Georges University of London

• Christine Crouch (Senior Lecturer/Project Leader
  for the involvement of service users and carers)
• Carol Dicken (Senior Lecturer Practice Learning)
• Christine Edser (Service User Carer Steering
  Group)
• Kerryn Holborn (Service User Carer Steering
  Group)

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The Becoming a Professional Module

• Level 1
• Developing Communication Skills
• Social Work Processes Assessment, Planning,
  Intervention Review
• Social Work Identity
• Experiential Learning
• Practising Interview Skills

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Assessment

• Portfolio
• Assessed Interview
• Problems with student role play
• Visit to Staffordshire University
• Development of using service users carers

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How to proceed?

• Service User Carer Steering Group
• Interest?
• Made up or real life situations?
• Preparation?
• Where How?
• Numbers?
• Breaks?
• Payment.

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Preparation

• Briefing Sessions
• Development of ideas Feedback given whilst
  recording.
• Negotiation of availability
• Liaison with module leaders

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Interviews

• 60 Students over 4 days
• 25 service users carers took part
• This included 13 service users at Queen Elizabeth
  Foundation
• 12 at Kingston University
• Minimum of 1interview
• Maximum of 9 interviews

8
Evaluation

• Feedback from
• Students
• Service Users Carers
• Module Leaders

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Student Feedback 1

• Gained by discussion with group a short
  questionaire
• Valued activity for real life learning
• Feedback felt to be more truthful than from
  student colleagues
• They had to be more professional and prepared
• Enjoyed being in a practice environment

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Student Feedback 2

• Feedback from people who are aware of good and
  bad practice
• Having to consider real feelings
• Awareness of power dynamics
• Affirming students abilities
• Good practice to ask for feedback from service
  users I might work with in future

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Student Feedback 3

• Variation in quantity quality of feedback given
• Variation of levels of communication
• Need for congruence when role playing
• Feedback from the markers could be more critical
  service user or carer could give over-positive
  comments
• Students wanted more preparation in terms of
  contact with service users and carers and
  preparation for the exercise

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Service User and Carer Feedback 1

• Students took it seriously presented themselves
  well
• Impressed with level reached by students at this
  point in the programme
• Variety of perceptiveness seen
• Generally happy with students responses
• A useful exercise which was as realistic as
  possible
• Many students were personable and genuine

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Service User and Carer Feedback 2

• Some difficulty in reflecting on practice
• Getting the level of difficulty right not
  making things too easy or helping the student
• More guidance about what skills students should
  be demonstrating at this stage
• Need more guidance on how to provide and
  structure feedback

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Module Leader Feedback

• Activity had gone well
• Differences in expectation of some service users
  and carers about the knowledge base of students
• Differences in Service users communication
  skills were felt to be a strength as students
  need to be prepared to communicate with people
  who have a range of needs
• Some service users or carers gave over-positive
  feedback to students

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Recommendations

• Further training workshops focused on giving
  feedback
• More in-depth briefing sessions for service users
  and carers about the activity and module content
• Continuing work with students to develop their
  reflective and analytical skills
• Preparation for students should include that they
  will be communicating with people with different
  needs