Identities in Transition: exploring the experiences of school leavers becoming professionals

1. Identities in Transition: exploring the experiences of school leavers becoming professionals JSWEC 2008 David Mercer, Leeds Metropolitan University, Cath Holmström, University of Sussex

2. Rationale/background to this presentation • During the planning for the new degree in 2002-3 aware of the mixed reactions of many academic and practice colleagues to the fact that social work education was now more widely open to those leaving school/college. • Through teaching, tutoring and recruitment work with our undergraduate students, we became aware of, and interested in, some of the younger students reporting difficult experiences. • The first cohorts of our new degree students graduated in 2006. What can we learn from the experiences of those students and those working with them in relation to teaching, learning, support and recruitment issues?

3. Relevant contextual information – similarities and differences between the two participating HEIs • The Leeds Met programme is a post 92 HEI which offers both BA and MA Social Work programmes. The Sussex programme is joint with Bton university, with Sx managing admissions. • Relatively high entry requirements (ABB-BBB or equivalent as standard offer) at Sussex, and at Leeds Met, 200 – 220 UCAS tariff points (180 from 2 six unit awards) • Proportion of U21 students on Sx programme has increased from 4 out of 30 (1/7th) in 2003 to 13/40 currently (1/3rd) and this has continued for last two intakes at Sx. Leeds Met has gone from 5 out of 21 (25%) in 2004 to 27 out of 50 (55%) in 2008. Relevant to both HEIs: • Government advertising campaign and bursary provision new to external context • Previous ‘gold standard’ of experience as entry requirement as well as the minimum age of qualification

4. What was the first phase of research ? • Research had been designed ‘flexibly’, with key themes emerging from focus group discussions subsequently incorporated into the questionnaire design. • Main research had been with younger students (those under the age of 21 at the start of their social work studies). Secondary and smaller scale surveys were completed with ‘mature’ students and Practice Assessors and Tutors (although previous presentations at JSWEC 2007 and PEPE 2008 referred only to the experiences of the younger students themselves mainly due to amount of data collected from all participants!)

5. Some of the findings regarding school-HE transition/preparation • Extent to which students felt previous study had prepared them for the social work degree: 15 of the 19 highlighted CONTENT relevance; 9 also highlighted process related factors; 4 mentioned academic confidence (total participants=19) • Intensity of the programme: 12 of the 19 reported the course being more time-intensive than expected • Emotional impact: 15 of the 19 reported the emotional impact of the course to be more/much more than expected

6. Challenges reported by younger students The attitudes of fellow students The attitude of assessors/HEI staff The expectations of service users Need for a social life as part of transition to independence Own attitudes and expectations Adapting to life away from home – pressures of living in student halls with non vocational route students ‘Shock’ re: scale of deprivation/working with local communities when they came from other socio-economic backgrounds

7. Factors impacting upon their study experiences • Awareness of age-related differences peaked during key points on programme; shadowing; ‘Problem Based Learning’ work– perceived differences/expectations and experiences; essay preparation time; preparation for placement and during practice learning • Pressures during study included caring responsibilities and (for all but one respondent) the need to carry out significant amounts of paid work

8. /cont • Several students had experienced overtly negative comments as a result of age-related differences. • Most respondents felt that the strengths that they brought as younger participants in the course had been largely over-looked. The main strengths they identified included: energy; academic confidence; IT skills; fun (all also identified by ‘mature’ students) but also organisational skills; commitment and life experience (the last 3 not identified by ‘mature’ students!).

9. Prior experience: a theme identified from the focus group discussion was the perceived assumption that younger students did not have relevant previous work or life experiences. In social work education there has often a primacy placed upon the value of ‘experience’. Only 1 respondent (out of 19) stated that they had no experience at all and only 4 having less than 6 months relevant previous experience. Importance of perception by self AND others • Motivation: Focus group discussions highlighted the experience many reported in relation to the way they had been ‘challenged’ about their motivation for considering social work training (by practice assessors and fellow students).

10. Initial recommendations • Work to support younger students via peer mentoring/support group • Work to share these experiences and issues with tutors, assessors and practice colleagues (role of dissemination grant) • Further work re: difference within the student group during ‘orientation’ or induction phase • Work with schools/colleges and careers advisors regarding nature of programme and nature of professional learning to further aid transition and pre-course preparation

11. Initial interpretations of initial findings • Findings of this research project mirrored those from research into the experiences of ‘mature’ returners to HE (see Bowl, 2001 and Taylor, 1997) regarding challenges and difficult experiences • Within our programme, it seemed to be these younger students who were left feeling ‘non-standard’ or needing to ‘catch up’ in terms of their lack of experience (as reported by several respondents) • Earlier literature focuses upon the importance of process knowledge and life/work experience and emphasises the need for SW education to utilise this. • We need to explore how our newer entrants fit within this context (and adapt accordingly?)

12. Questions and issues identified for further exploration • Experiences elsewhere with larger proportions of younger applicants/students? • Experiences where entry requirements are different? • Experience of Practice Assessors in other areas/locations? • Experiences of assessors at a later time (i.e. when younger students are not such a new phenomenon!) • ……Hence this initial scoping exercise to identify and highlight differences/similarities with another University

13. Data collection • Two phases of data collection separated in time and two different methods used in two locations • Thus data is not strictly comparable but the main aims of this year’s study were: a) to explore whether this remained a topic and valid area for further research; and, b) to identify key themes for future exploration – i.e. carry out an initial ‘scoping’ exercise for more specific research relating to assessor experience too.

14. /cont • T/C interviews x6 with assessors working with younger students during the current academic year (gathering in-depth data) • Questionnaires 2006-7 (n=7) and 2008-9 (n=18) which combined closed, 5 point rating scale questions, structured response q’s and open q’s. • Initial analysis has been carried out thematically in relation to all themes identified from the initial research phase, but has been flexible enough to allow for additional issues to be raised and identified for further examination

15. Initial data from 2006-7 • The Practice Assessors who took part in the research in 2006 had been responsible for supervising and assessing the first (and smaller) cohorts of younger students • However, concerns and positive comments they express cover the same areas as those included in the study this academic year, despite this not now being such a new phenomenon!

16. ‘Findings’ by theme • Pre-placement issues 1) Level of experience of working with these and other students: For the majority of Assessors included in this study this was the first younger student they had worked with. However, some have experience of working with younger students training in other professions (nursing etc). Additionally, Assessors had had experience of supporting students on pre-qualifying courses 2) Degree of awareness/consideration of age issues prior to placement? Most assessors in 2006 reported only having considered the changing age profile of social work cohorts ‘a little’, although this had changed to the majority having considered this either ‘a great deal’ or ‘a little’ by this academic year.

17. 3) Level of concern pre-placement about younger age of these students: The majority of respondents in 2006 replied that they had only been ‘a little’ concerned by the prospect of working with a younger student. This year, this seemed to have changed somewhat and 40% of those responding had been ‘greatly concerned’ and only 10% saying that they had not been at all concerned. Respondents in Leeds had not been particularly concerned about having younger students, due to the nature of the settings.

18. 4) What were the reported pre-placement concerns? Assessors reported very similar concerns in both locations and at both times of exploring this. Concerns reported included the following (total n=30):

19. Comments showing initial reaction to hearing age of their students: • ‘How old? … how will they cope…’ • SHOCK! • Excited • Great! • What a relief that younger people are still attracted to the profession • How will I cope? • ‘I could not have done this job at 19, I was a complete mess! …’ • Admiration • Envious • ‘I have a child this age and they really could not do this work …’

20. 5) Extent to which assessor initial concerns had been confirmed or challenged by end of placement?

21. 6) Where these have changed as a result of experience on this placement, what factors have affected this change? • Impressed by high standards/quality of practice on placement (n=13) • Impressed by academic achievements (n=8) • Feedback from colleagues (n=5) • Feedback from service users (n=6)

22. 7) What do Practice Assessors identify as having been the main challenges for them of working with younger students? • Level of emotional development; understanding of sw role/ability to engaged, willingness/ability to accept professional responsibility. • Less able to use ‘self’ in practice, starting from ‘lower level’ of social care exp and knowledge • Life experience limitations, emotional readiness, lone working dangers However, none of these related to all the younger students and some assessors reported being pleasantly surprised that their anxieties about this were not founded.

23. 8) What do the assessors report having enjoyed about working with younger students? • Well motivated and keen to prove themselves; Sound value base • Open to new ways of working with growing confidence • Lack of preconceptions; ‘Positivity’, willingness to learn; willingness to challenge/ask questions • Willingness to learn and think outside of the box • The challenge; Nothing(!)

24. 9) What have they needed to adapt about their supervision and assessing as a result of the student’s younger age? • Finding appropriate cases, adjusting case load adjusting academic levels to meet learning needs (x2) • Needed more support initially (x7) • Need to stress the practical rather than academic nature of learning on placement (x2) • Needed to look at transferability of life skills (ie to think creatively about relevant experience) as less work experience to fall back on (x4) • Nothing (x6)

25. 10) To what extent have the assessors been aware of any negative experiences students have had regarding their age whilst on placement? The majority said that they were not aware of the students having had any overtly negative experiences arising from their age. However some mentioned the following examples: ‘The student was a school leaver and placed in a team where the team manager was uncomfortable with her young appearance(!) as she would be working with young people close to her own age. In fact he initially refused ot have her on placement in the team. After I talked with her it was clear that she had a wealth of relevant life experience and went on to work in a mature and boundaried way’.

26. 11) Assumptions about motivation to train as social workers? How different to motivation of older students?

27. 12) What are the strengths assessors feel younger students bring to professional placement and education?

28. 13) What do assessors think are the main challenges facing younger students on a social work degree? • Attitudes of fellow students • Attitudes of others/parents • Attitudes/behaviour of staff • Own attitudes and expectations • Social pressures • Managing transition to adulthood/independence • Expectations of service users • Attitudes of practice assessors • Need for a social life • Financial pressures and needing to work too • Caring responsibilities

29. 15) Any suggested changes to the curriculum/university based preparation and support in respect of these younger students? • Open discussions about being a younger student • Importance of drawing upon life experience in a broad sense • More previous experience should be required • More focus upon personal and professional assertiveness (so can challenge others) • Advantages of early observational placements?? • Need for innovative prep for practice and theory-practice links

30. Selected quotes from Practice Assessors • ‘The student was told that they needed to develop and deliver. I didn’t have to mollycoddle them’ • ‘Younger people should be encouraged into social care, as they have a positive role to play’

31. ‘You do need to be more directive. There is an opportunity to ‘positively’ mould people’ • ‘The student’s grasp of social issues far exceeded my assumptions; she was also able to make good connections between theory, practice and the real world issues’

32. Relevance for recruitment, selection, teaching and learning and support and assessment and preparation for practice? 14-19 curriculum changes and selection debates – what is the ‘real’ role of experience? Placement preparation and assessment of readiness for practice? Particular in relation to putting theory into practice Course information T&L methods – use of relevant and contemporary examples to illustrate teaching Group work issues = perhaps need to be directive? Work with assessors? – demystifying issues with younger students

33. Theoretical issues to consider • Youth and social/cultural issues re: ‘youth’ and ‘age’ • Nature of professions and professionalism • Knowledge and use of ‘self’ • Links between the development of professional and own identity • Links with literature about self and boundaries/ ‘others’ • Time, location and being/becoming!

34. Next steps? Longitudinal study using data from both HEIs to start next academic year? What is the trajectory for younger students upon qualification? Some Assessors have queried whether they will become disillusioned more quickly than other students. How does this compare with other professions nad in other countries (incl. where socio-cultural attitudes to age are so different)?

35. Selected references Webb, S (1997) ‘Alternative Students? Conceptualisation of difference’ in J. Williams (ed) Negotiating Access to Higher Education: the Discourse of selectivity and Equity, Buckingham, SRHE and OUP, pp108-129 Taylor, I (1997) Developing Learning in Professional Education, Buckingham: SRHE and OUP Bowl, M (2001) ‘Experiencing the barriers: non-traditional students entering higher education’ in Research Papers in Education 16(2) 2001, pp141-160 Treacher, A (2006) ‘Something in the air: Otherness, Recognition and Ethics’ in Journal of Social Work Practice, 20 (1) 27-27