Practice Learning in the non traditional Sector

1
Practice Learning in the non traditional Sector

• Finding the Social in the Work an evaluation
  of practice learning in the non-traditional
  sector
• Dale van Graan
• MA PETHS
• Independent Practice Educator
• Kingston University
• d.vangraan_at_kingston.ac.uk

2
The Project

• Practice learning context
• Literature Review
• Aims
• Methodology
• Findings
• In the beginning preparation and early
  learning
• Professional Development
• Challenges and Strengths

3
Practice Learning Context

• Voluntary sector has history of substantial
  engagement in SW practice education
• Generic degree GSCC requirements for different
  experiences increased practice learning
  development of learning opportunities in
  smaller/new settings
• KU prioritises first placements in PVI
• Increased use of off-site PA model

4
Literature Review

• Little research/evaluation post degree
• Evaluations of off-site model of PA Practice
  Learning Taskforce (Doel, 2004) noted increased
  use of off-site model AND student satisfaction
  with practice learning in service
  user-led/managed settings
• Barrons (2004) comparative study of students
  experiences in social work and social care
  settings identified role confusion and lack of a
  professional role model, in the latter, as a
  barrier to learning

5
Literature Review

• Numerous studies of student preparation for
  placement (Marsh and Tresiliotis, 1996 Wilson,
  Walsh and Kirby, 2008 Walton, 2005 Douglas and
  Byrne, 2005 Leveridge, 2003 Anderson and Brady,
  2002)
• Inadequate preparation heightens anxiety and may
  contribute to inadequate understanding of task
  and role arguments for specific preparation for
  placement in PVI and for agency itself

6
Literature Review

• Wilson and Hillison (2005) cultural and
  professional differences between education and
  social services are major challenge
• Numerous studies of WBS-PA-Student relationship
  and features of it (personality, power, emotional
  support, partnership, management)

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Aims

• Evaluate practice learning in non-traditional
  settings
• Consider effectiveness of KU placement
  preparation
• Consider the impact of personal characteristics
  and
• Identify the key challenges for students in such
  placements, particularly professional
  socialisation

8
Methodology

• Questionnaires
•  
• Settings
• All service user groups

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Continued..
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Continued
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Continued
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Continued..

• Interviews

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FindingsPreparation for Placement

• 6 events or opportunities identified
• Students
• Most felt adequately prepared overall
• Preparation included own research
• Most important factors learning opportunities
• 
  placement preparation
• active
  involvement of PA
• and
  then tutor

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Continued..

• Off-site model can increase anxiety
• Anxiety about learning opportunities best
  addressed at outset by PA and WBS
• Early support provided through induction
• role
  clarification (PA and WBS)
• identification
  of NOS, values and
• opportunities
  for using initiative

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Preparation and early learning

• Practice Educators
• Most students well prepared (n5)
• Especially own research
• Most important event preplacement meeting
• Other important themes
• student attitude/expectations
  
• (willingness,engagement,
  proactive) and
• understanding of SW role and
  task

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Preparation and early learning

• Agency preparation What helps?
• Previous SW students
• EWBL/other professional training
• supportive structure groups, PA, HEI placements
  manager, agency placements co-ordinator
• placement guide/documents
• specific student
• Other key factors WBS commitment
• understanding SW role and
  task(WBS and team)
• effective relationships

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Professional Development

• How does this happen?
• Students
• Engaged in range of tasks associated with SW or
  social care but
• Absence of a SW is a barrier and
• PA one of most significant people in professional
  learning
• Overall evaluation
• Team support most significant factor(n17)

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Professional Development

• Practice Educators
• Range of personal characteristics/attitudes
  identified in successful placements
• Advantage of previous experience
• ..to be showing that you are offering
  something. (PA 3)
• ..they breathe new life into teams. (WBS 2)

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Challenges and Strengths

• Challenges for Students
• Students
• absence of SW/professional role model in
  team
• own understanding of SW role and task in
  context
• learning opportunities(anxiety and
  availability)
• off-site PA model increased self-reliance
• statutory placement is defining SW
  experience
• Practice Educators
• as above AND teams knowledge of SW roles

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Challenges and Strengths

• Strengths for Students
• Students
• work directly with SUs/interpersonal
  skills
• opportunities for creativity
• developed knowledge of SU group
• partnership (working with not for SUs)
• increased confidence in professional
  identity

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Challenges and Strengths

• Practice Educators
• opportunities for creativity/innovati
  on
• enriched learning through two
  assessors
• working with fewer legal constraints
• time/pace/use of self and
  relationship
• time/ challenge to explore meaning
  of SW
• partnership (work with SUs power)
• challenges attitude towards PVI
  sector

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Challenges and Strengths

• make a positive
  contribution/leave a mark
• future career opportunities
• social relationships outside
  workplace
• preparation for new SW
  contexts
• challenges own definition of
  SW
• ambassadors for SW

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Challenges and Strengths

• Challenges for Practice Educators
• WBS knowledge of SW qualification requirements
  
• feeling of accountability
• PAs knowledge of SU group and agency
• arms length management
• mediation and advocacy
• proactive relationship
  building/support

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Challenges and Strengths

• Strengths for Practice Educators and
  organisation
• Academic, skills, knowledge,research,
  training
• Stimulating, challenging, enjoyable
• Shared role facilitates focus on day-to-day
  work
• Shared responsibility, learn from PA
• Challenges complacency/status quo, enriches
  team
• Recruitment and staff development tool
• Improves service delivery (new projects,
  more staff)

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Challenges and Strengths

• Improves service through effecting lasting
  change
• 
  with SUs
• Challenges others views of SW
• Promotes social relationships outside
  workplace
• Financial

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Conclusions

• Preparation is adequate, but areas for
  development identified and partially implemented
• PVI provides valuable learning opportunities
• Most students do learn what it means to be a SW
  and themselves value placements
• Positive and consistent working relationships are
  key
• Students can be enabled to begin to establish
  clearer SW identity
• Challenges are heavily outweighed by
  strengths/benefits

29
References

• Anderson, J. and Brady, P. (2002) Increasing the
  depth of field the voluntary sector pathway,
  Social Work Education, 21(2), pp. 233-245
• Badham, B. and Eadie, T. (2000) Why Bother?
  Voluntary sector involvement in social work
  education, Social Work Education, 19(2),
  pp.185-189
• Barron, C. (2004) Fair Play creating a better
  learning climate for social work students in
  social care settings, Social Work Education,
  23(1), pp. 25-37
• Billingham, J. (1999) Developing and sustaining
  practice placements in small voluntary
  organisations, Social Work Education, 18(3),
  pp.335-345
• Bridge, G (1999) In defence of longarm practice
  teaching, Journal of Practice Teaching, 2(1), pp
  7-19.
• Burgess, R. and Phillips, R. (2000) On-site
  Supervisors The Unsung Partners in the Training
  Team?, Journal of Practice Teaching, 2(3),
  pp.28Doel, M and Shardlow, S (2005) Teaching and
  Learning in Practice Settings. Aldershot Ashgate
  46
• Doel, M, Deacon, L. and Sawdon, C. (2004) An
  audit of practice learning in the new social work
  award. Available at http//www.practicelearning.or
  g. (Accessed 13 July 2007)

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References

• Douglas, H. and Byrne, M. (2005) Improvements by
  degrees reflections on developing quality in
  practice learning for the new degree in social
  work in Northern Ireland, Journal of Practice
  Teaching, 6(3), pp.45-61
• Evans, D. (1999) Practice Learning in the Caring
  Professions. Aldershot Ashgate
• Evans, D and Kearney, J (1999) Working in social
  care A systemic approach Aldershot Arena
• General Social Care Council (2002) Codes of
  Practice for Social Care Workers and Employers.
  London GSCC
•  General Social Care Council (2005) Post
  Qualifying Framework for Social Work Education
  and Training. Available at www.gscc.org.uk/trainin
  gandlearning (Accessed 2 May 2008)
•  General Social Care Council (2007a) News and
  Events Roles and Tasks of social work. Available
  at www.gscc.org.uk/newsandevents. (Accessed 16
  February 2007)
•  General Social Care Council (2007b) Quality
  Assurance Benchmark Statement and Guidance on the
  Monitoring of Practice Learning Opportunities,
  London GSCC, Skills for Care and CWDC

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References

• General Social Care Council (2008) Social Work at
  its Best A Statement of Social Work Roles and
  Tasks for the 21st Century, London GSCC
• Great Britain. Department for Education and
  Skills (2004) Common Core of Skills and Knowledge
  for the Childrens Workforce. London The
  Stationery Office.
•  Great Britain. Department of Health (2002)
  Requirements for Social Work Training. London
  The Stationery Office
• Henderson, K. (2007) Workbased Supervisors The
  neglected partners in practice learning?
  Unpublished Masters project. Kingston University.
•  Horwarth, J and Shardlow, S (1998) Establishing
  Building Blocks for Quality Practice Teaching in
  an Environment of Change, Journal of Practice
  Teaching,1(2), pp. 65-76
• Justice, M. (1998) Social work within the
  voluntary sector, Journal of Practice Teaching,
  1(1), pp. 33-40.
•  Karban, K. (1999) Long-arm practice teaching
  for the Diploma in Social Work the views of
  students and practice teachers, Social Work
  Education, 18(1) pp. 59-70
•  

32
References

• Kearney, P. (2003) A framework for supporting and
  assessing practice learning. London SCIE
• Koprowska, J. (2005) Communication and
  Interpersonal Skills in Social Work. Exeter
  Learning Matters.
• Lefevre, M. (2005) Facilitating Practice
  Learning and Assessment The Influence of
  Relationship, Social Work Education, 24(5) pp.
  565-583
• Leveridge, M (2003) Preparation for
  Practice-Developing and Assessing DipSW students
  pre-placement Competence, Social Work Education,
  22(3), pp. 321-327
• Marsh, P. and Tresiliotis, J. (1996) Ready to
  Practise? Social Workers and Probation Officers
  Their training and first year in Work. Aldershot
  Ashgate
•  Payne, M. (2006) What Is Professional Social
  Work?. 2nd edn. Bristol OUPress.
• Plath, D (2003) Experience based Learning,
  Journal of Practice Teaching 5(1) pp. 23-38.
• Race, P. (2005) Making Learning Happen A Guide
  for Post-compulsory Education. London Sage
  Publications.
•  

33
References

• Seifert, T. (2004) Understanding Student
  Motivation, Educational Research, 46(2)
  pp.137-149. Online EBSCOHost EJS. (Accessed 16
  April 2007)  
• Shardlow, S. and Doel, M. (1996) Practice
  Learning and Teaching. London Macmillan Press
  Ltd.
• Thompson, N. (2006) Promoting Workplace Learning.
  Bristol OUPress
• Walton, C. (2005) How well does the preparation
  for practice delivered at the university prepare
  the student for their first practice learning
  opportunity in the social work degree?, Journal
  of Practice Teaching, 6(3), pp. 62-81.
•  Wilson, L. and Hillison, K. (2005) Back to
  school for social work students developing
  quality practice learning opportunities in
  schools, Journal of Practice Teaching, 6(2), pp.
  43-60.
•  Wilson, G, Walsh, T and Kirby, M (2008)
  Developing Practice Learning student
  Perspectives, Social Work Education, 27(1),pp.
  35-50