1. Preparation for Practice Level 5 Learning Outcomes By the end of the session students will : Have an understanding of what is expected of them on placement The role of the Onsite supervisor/Practice Educator and the Practice Learning Team Clear understanding of how to make the most of the Practice Learning Opportunities. The role of supervision How to compile the practice learning portfolio

2. Fears and Anxieties Individually on the post it on your desk write any fears or anxieties you have about commencing your placement.

3. Placement Placements offer you the opportunity: To put into practice what you have learnt. To demonstrate your competence in social work across the nine domains. To develop your confidence in a range of settings. This is a requirement of the HCPC, therefore you need to ensure that you make the most of the learning opportunities available to you.

4. Exercise Individually make a list of your transferable skills. ( 3 mins) In groups of two discuss your placement, the skills you will take to the placement, and what you are hoping to get from the placement. Feedback on each other.

5. Practice Learning Process First meeting – Clear expectations around your hours. - lines of accountability - learning opportunities available - how learning opportunities will be met. - Induction period - Supervision ( agreement, times and frequency, assessment etc) - Reflective time

6. Process Learning agreement meeting Direct Observations (3)/Informal Observations Index of Evidence Collate evidence of practice Critical Reflective Summaries Service user feedback (3 minimum) Professional Development Plan Midpoint review Meeting (1 Direct Observation and 2 Reflective Summaries) Case study and Critical Reflective Analysis Final report and Portfolio

7. Roles In pairs can you discuss what you see as your role as a student. The role of the on-site supervisor and the role of the Practice Educator.

8. Role of the student Work in partnership with your Onsite supervisor/PE to devise your learning agreement. Be open and honest about your learning needs Attend all placement meetings Take responsibility for your actions through the placement and engage with the learning opportunities provided. Adhere to the agency policies and procedures. Be proactive in placement. Integrate with team members

9. Be prepared to challenge your own thinking and that of others where appropriate. Be proactive in preparation for supervision sessions. Identify appropriate opportunities for Direct observations. Provide evidence of your practice. Be professional at all times.

10. Role of on-site supervisor To provide fortnightly supervision To allocate cases Ensure learning opportunities are available Ensure you have access to essential equipment and policies Arrange appropriate Induction Provide informal supervision, advice and guidance Support your developmental skills Provide feedback on your practice.

11. Role of Practice Educator To provide fortnightly supervision Ensure that effective learning opportunities are available. Support your developmental needs. Ensure that you are meeting the PCF standards for your level of training. Write your midpoint report. Write your final report with a recommendation of a pass or fail. Liaise with the onsite supervisor.

12. Role of Practice Learning Team Practice Learning is an integral part of your degree We are available to facilitate and support you to ensure you make the most of your practice learning opportunities. We take responsibility for all aspects of placement management (organisational and financial) We appoint Practice educators where required and we ensure that they meet the Practice Educator Performance Standards (PEPS The Practice Learning Manager manage placement concerns and chairs concerns meetings. All portfolios must be handed in to the Practice Learning via an appointment.

13. Power Dynamics In pairs what do you think could be the possible power dynamics in the placement and how can these be addressed.

14. Power Issues in Practice Learning Discuss power issues rather than denying them. Make sure you are clear about practice learning processes and particularly the process of assessment. Ask questions Ensure you are familiar with the complaint and concerns procedure.

15. Exercise What do you think the placement expects from you?

16. What the placement expects from you Commitment – punctuality, attendance, enthusiasm in approaching task and case work. Professionalism Accountability- case management, representing the agency/service user, explain and justify your professional decisions regarding assessments and plans for service users. Your placement will expect you to identify any areas where you need support.

17. Exercise What would you do if the placement do not meet your needs?

18. What to do if you don’t get what you expect Speak to you onsite/practice educator if you feel you are not getting the range of experience you need to meet the competences. Ask for a meeting with the onsite supervisor and practice educator if necessary. If you are still dissatisfied ask for a meeting to include your tutor or the PLT team.

20. Potential Learning Opportunities The range of Learning opportunities that you can use during a placement is potentially vast: Case work Work within the agencies Policies & Procedures Relate theories to practice Relate the relevant case law to practice Shadow Team colleagues and other professionals Supervision discussion and exercises Attendance at training courses Group work

21. Potential Learning Opportunities Direct work with Service Users Project Work Observation visits to other agencies / services Feedback from other Professionals and Service Users Direct teaching from Practice Supervisor, or other workers Attendance at team meeting & other meetings

22. Reflective Diary It is important that you maintain a reflective diary and take your reflective time. One of the most important things to remember is that in order to learn from each opportunity you need time and the opportunity to reflect and to move around the learning cycle. Simply immersing yourself in lots of opportunities will not enable you to learn however good the opportunity is.

23. Looking at Kolb’s experiential learning Cycle, you will need to: Have an opportunity Reflect on the opportunity Draw conclusions about your learning Plan how to test out what you have learnt through other experiences.

24. Exercise In Groups of three discuss what is supervision

25. Supervision Supervision is a structured two way process which is used to achieve and maintain professional standards. It covers Accountability, Professional Development, Personal Support and Mediation (helping you to understand and explore your feelings around key issues) The aim is to: Facilitate the students learning, professional and personal development. It should take place weekly (onsite /practice educator) It should be planned, challenging and reflective

26. An environment should be created which is conducive to learning, where issues of theory and practice can be constructively appraised and challenged. It should address power structures. It should focus on student’s use of self within practice in relation to boundaries, expectations and policies of the agency. Conflict resolution should take place in the first instance within the supervision process.

27. In Summary Supervision is a core aspect of practice learning. It is important to be aware of the difference between the supervision you will receive as a student and what you can expect as a qualified worker. You need to have a clear framework and agreement for your supervision. Effective preparation is a key component of effective supervision. Supervision is the main forum for both facilitating your learning and assessing your competence. You get out of practice learning what you put into it.

28. Practice Learning Portfolio Content : Front Sheet – confirming validity of work and anonymisation; Student Submission Checklist; The Initial Learning Contract (signed by all parties); The Mid-Point Review (signed by all parties); Three Direct Observation Four Critical Reflective Learning Summaries; Service User/Carer Views and Feedback; On-site Supervisor Report (signed) Practice Assessor Final Report (signed); Appendix of extra evidence (maximum of six pieces) and they MUST be relevant. Time sheet – completed and signed by onsite supervisor

29. Student Submission The portfolio is bound in an A4 ring binder Do not use plastic wallets in the folder Ensure all evidence is clearly anonymised – if in doubt, do not put it in the portfolio. You must make two copies of your portfolio. It is important that you keep one copy of the portfolio in case it is required at a later date. Prior to submitting your Portfolio on the date that has been agreed for submission you must make an appointment with the Practice Learning Team. Your portfolio is handed in to the practice learning team in QS114 Failure to submit on time will be recorded in your portfolio and will be taken into consideration by the Practice Assessment Panel.

30. Case Study 3,000 words Learning Outcomes: A1: Demonstrate a detailed knowledge of social work theories, values, methods, legislation and research and relate this knowledge to their own work with service users and/or carers D1: Use judgement and authority to intervene with individuals, families and communities

31. Agree with your Practice Educator a suitable piece of work to explore in detail. This could be your work with an individual, a family, a group or a project. There is no prescribed structure for the essay but it should address the following questions: What was the context? (describe the remit, structure and aims of the agency or team in which you were placed) What was the context, rationale and purpose of your work on this case? What was the legislative framework? (focus on the laws and policies that were most relevant to the work you are focusing on in the case study) What theories did you use to understand the situations into which you were intervening? What theories and methods informed your interventions?

32. How did research inform your work? What judgements were you required to make and how did you form these judgements? What authority came with your role and how did you ensure you used this effectively and ethically? How did you ensure your practice reflected social work values at all times? Did your own values, beliefs and assumptions create any difficulties for you in terms of applying social work values? What ethical dilemmas did you face and how did you resolve them? How did you evaluate your work? What did you do well, what did you not do so well and what could you have done differently?

33. Critical Reflective Analysis 2000 words Learning Outcome: D2: Reflect upon, analyse and evaluate own professional development This essay requires you to reflect on and critically analyse your professional development over the duration of the practice placement. Consider where you were in terms of learning and development at the start of the placement. What has changed, developed and improved as a result of the placement? What do you still need to develop (eg. in your next placement)? It might be helpful to consider your development in terms of skills, knowledge and values. It will certainly be helpful to map your development against the PCF domains.

34. Questions you might ask yourself include: What knowledge have I acquired during this placement and how will this knowledge help me in my future practice? What new skills have I acquired through the placement? What skills have I improved during the placement? What are the key transferable skills I can take away from this placement? Have any of my values, beliefs, prejudices and/or assumptions changed during the placement? Have I grown and developed in terms of confidence, resilience, initiative? Am I more able to reflect than I was at the start of the placement? How has supervision helped me reflect and learn? Give details of key experiences that promoted your learning, growth and development. Link your reflections to relevant academic literature.

35. Learning Outcomes By the end of the session students will : Have an understanding of what is expected of them on placement The role of the Onsite supervisor/Practice Educator and the Practice Learning Team Clear understanding of how to make the most of the Practice Learning Opportunities. The role of supervision