Summary of student consultations

1. Summary of student consultations Ali Gardner Manchester Metropolitan University Margaret Struthers University of Manchester

2. Which skills/techniques did you use most on your first placement?

3. MMU • Record keeping, recording, assessment, reviews, interviewing skills, letter writing, emotional support, referring for assessments, giving presentations/group work, communications skills, genograms, paraphrasing, listening, organisational skills, time management • reliability, being proactive, finding your own way, advocacy skills, confidentiality, relationship building, person centred practice, task centred practice, open/closed questions, risk assessments, meeting skills, following procedures, business lingo, multi-disciplinary meetings, taking minutes at meetings

4. University of Manchester • Multi agency working, planning, goal setting, report writing, relationship building, action setting, negotiation, form filling, reflective listening, investigation skills, self-reflection, team work, evaluation, networking, challenging (other professionals), dealing with confrontation, decision making, dealing with crisis, empowerment, recording skills, conflict management, group work, assessment of need, communication skills, advocacy, care planning • systems theory, analytical skills, risk assessment, counselling, listening, task centred work, empathy, engagement, engaging with resistance/difficulty, empowerment, motivational techniques, crisis intervention, reading body language, solution focussed, person centred, CBT, mediation/negotiation, exchange model, observation, open questions, diffusing situations, responding to emotions

5. 3 most frequently mentioned • Meeting skills • Record keeping • Communication skills • Communication skills • Group work skills • Assessment skills Manchester Metropolitan University University of Manchester

6. Which skills/techniques/situations did you feel most anxious about before and during your placement?

7. Manchester Metropolitan University • Phone calls to other agencies, meeting new service users and beginning work with them, becoming familiar with complex service provision, knowing who to contact, how to record ‘write ups’, being in court, leading groups • How I would be viewed by service user, meeting service users in their own home, dealing with crisis, confrontation, working with new client groups, managing staff and relationships

8. University of Manchester • Initial contact with service users, establishing boundaries with service users, facilitating groups, lone working, enforcing policy, whistle blowing, challenging inappropriate behaviour, dealing with aggression, safeguarding, justifying negative attitudes towards social workers, perceptions of me based on student status, age or perceived lack of experience, dealing with self-harm, lack of confidence, differing values (self and agency), multi-disciplinary meeting dealing with sensitive situations, • risk assessment and management, building relationships with service users, linking theory to practice, having responsibility for significant decisions, one to one or direct work with service users, no qualified SW being on placement, speaking to professionals outside the agency, working with a new service user group, crisis intervention, ‘newness’, making and justifying decisions e.g. re care plans, working with history of trauma or abuse, restraint, home visits, challenging staff

9. 3 most frequently mentioned • Dealing with confrontation and difficult situations • Knowing who to contact and what is available • How to write up practice • Dealing with confrontation and difficult situations • Building professional relationships and working with service users • Assessment MMU UoM

10. Which techniques/skills/teaching/units/workshops did you find most useful in preparing you to undertake your placement?

11. Manchester Metropolitan University • Law – understanding how assessments such as carers assessment work, teaching around communication, Preparation for Placement unit, talking to service users, • talking to service providers, lectures on solution focused work, law relating to practice, knowledge of social work theories helped me to plan interventions, role play, recognising abuse, person centred practice, access to personal tutors

12. University of Manchester • Placement workbook, framing social problems, social work issues in practice, theory methods and skills, law, models of assessment • Previous experience, preparation for placement, reflection, simulated work with service users, teaching about communication

13. 3 most frequently mentioned • Preparation for Placement unit • Meeting with service users • Law • Meeting service users • Preparation for placement • Law MMU UoM

14. Can you suggest any other input the University could offer to support new students to prepare for their placements?

15. Manchester Metropolitan University • More practical skills – record keeping, style of writing needed, examples of how to ask difficult questions and address personal issues, more info on reflective and critical writing, role play skills for one to one work with service users, how to time manage, reflect critically, filling in forms, doing assessments in class to get a feel of it, watching videos about practice, examples of LA Assessment forms, dealing with difficult situations, developing assertiveness skills, understanding the Benefits System, • day shadowing experiences, watching simulated meetings, care plans and reviews, skills to deal with disclosure. more support on group work and advocacy, more input from practitioners currently in the field, recognising how physically and emotionally draining the work is, more skills around self- management and emotional intelligent, stress management, working with challenging behaviour, addressing unprofessional behaviour in others

16. University of Manchester • Examples from ‘real life’ experience, structured small groups work, interactive discussion, opportunity to share ideas, reflection on actual experiences (e.g. shadowing), work on case studies with examples of ‘responses’, Inter professional learning, having a supervisor who will challenge me, ‘expert’ demonstrations and presentations, • Examples from ‘real life’ experience, structured small groups work, interactive discussion, opportunity to share ideas, reflection on actual experiences (e.g. shadowing), work on case studies with examples of ‘responses’, Inter professional learning, having a supervisor who will challenge me, ‘expert’ demonstrations and presentations, practical assessment skills

17. 3 most frequently mentioned • Reflective and critical writing • Role play/simulation of practice • Understanding and completing assessments • Role play and simulations • Work on assessments • Reflective opportunities (written and oral) MMU UoM

18. Advancing skills in the final year

19. University of Manchester • Applying law in practice • Court work • Safeguarding • Multi agency working • Working with increasingly complex cases • How to summarise and organise ‘masses of information’ • Marketing • How to generate income • Leadership • Working with people who are difficult to engage or hard to reach • Ability to undertake complex assessments • Working with resistance/involuntary service users • Responding to or asking ‘awkward questions’ • Stress management • Applying law and understanding the difference between public and private law • Solution focusses • Eco/genograms • Motivational interviewing • Family work • Suicide and self harm assessment • Risk management • Report writing • Professional conflict • Dealing with social workers who are difficult to engage • Conflict management • Direct work with children • Safeguarding MA1 MA2

20. 3 most frequently mentioned • Developing assessment skills in relation to increasing complexity and risk • Understanding and applying law in practice • How to work with resistant/involuntary/hard to reach service users