Practice Development Days

1. Practice Development Days Janet Carter Anand SWK Committee Meeting May 2014

2. Aims of PDD • Aim: • To encourage students to take personal responsibility for their own professional development through participation in a range of individual practice development opportunities. • Objectives: • To enable students to address gaps in learning which are not already addressed within the course modules • To provide opportunities for students to meet personal development needs not already met within other course modules • To assist students in developing their knowledge, skills and/or values in the areas they feel least confident in • To encourage students to be responsible for their own learning; to learn the importance of continuous professional development and to develop a commitment to life-long learning; • To give students the opportunity to be creative and innovative in their learning

3. Learning Outcomes Individual Practice Development Days (PDDs) will develop students’ knowledge and understanding of: • the social work role • the range of communication skills social workers use in practice • the perspectives of service users and carers • the organisational context of social work • social work as a professional activity

4. Requirements

5. Requirements

6. Recording 1. Students will record details of their Individual PDDs in their Personal and Professional Development Workbook (PPDW)/Reflective Practice Log1using the following headings; • Number of Days/Hours Claimed • Brief Description of Activity Undertaken • Key Learning from this Activity • Further Learning/Development Needs Identified as a Result of Undertaking this Activity 2. The student and tutor will complete the summary of PDD hours and activities together (form provided – see webpage). The PDD summary form will be kept with the personal tutor and will be signed off by the student and personal tutor at the end of each PLO. A copy of PDD summary forms will kept by the personal tutor and finally be stored in the student’s file. 3. The PAP will confirm that the requirement has been met and sign off to that effect by adding to the PDR checklist the following “Professional Development Days Requirement met, Yes or No, and circling appropriately.

7. Insurance ( a new requirement) • Insurance is a means of transferring risk by providing a financial recompense in the event of a loss or injury. Insurance for student placements needs to be considered from the various perspectives of what could go wrong and who can be adversely affected. PDD activities are considered under the category of a optional placementsare not an integral part of a course of study, but are closely related to the subject studied. • The University’s insurance cover does not automatically apply for optional placements, and they are considered on individual basis, subject to the following (submitted to the Insurance Section, email: insurance@qub.ac.uk): • a request from the student, in writing, outlining how the proposed placement will benefit their studies/career, and • a confirmation from the student’s tutor/course adviser, in writing, that the placement is relevant to their course of study • a completed indemnity form • The University’s insurance cover does not automatically apply for optional placements, and they are considered on individual basis, subject to the following (submitted to the Insurance Section, email: insurance@qub.ac.uk). A copy of the indemnity form is available on the PDD website.

8. Examples • Visits of observation to statutory or voluntary social work agencies. Such visits will be arranged by tutors based on identified student learning needs. Agencies will identify opportunities and forward information to PLO Coordinators in HEIs/Colleges who will liaise with individual tutors. Individual students must not contact agencies directly, Visits of observation to relevant statutory agencies such as the Social Security Agency, Northern Ireland Housing Executive, etc • Volunteer work for charitable or independent organisations • ‘Block learning’ which may include working on a summer project, working abroad on a relevant social care programme, or attending a specialist training course; • Paid work in a relevant social care organisation • Sessional social care work gained through recruitment agencies • Functioning within the course’s Staff-Student Consultative Committee framework as a tutor group or year representative (including Peer Mentoring) • Attendance at classes/courses to help with particular learning needs – e.g. drama classes to help a student with low confidence, writing classes to assist a student with particular difficulties in this area, ICT skills development training, etc; • Involvement in relevant research activity (paid or voluntary); • Involvement in international student exchanges.

9. Information, Feedback and Evaluation • A PDD webpage is available to all students and tutors http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofSociologySocialPolicySocialWork/Education/PracticeDevelopmentDays/ • All PDD opportunities and activities provided by the school or external organisations will be advertised on this webpage • This webpage will also contain an interactive blog for students to exchange information and opinions on learning opportunities (not functional at this stage) • NISCC will undertake an audit of PDDs undertaken by students by sampling Records of Completion as part of the quality assurance arrangements with the HEIs/Colleges during 2012-2013. • A formal and tutor evaluation of this program will be undertaken in 2014