Assessed and Supported Year in Employment ( ASYE ) Liz Bord – Wiltshire County Council

1. Assessed and Supported Year in Employment ( ASYE ) Liz Bord – Wiltshire County Council Kay Renshaw – Dorset County Council

2. Assessed and Supported Year in Employment ( ASYE ) • Builds on Newly Qualified Social Worker Programme (NQSW) • Assessed against Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) • Linked to induction, probation, appraisal, employer standards and supervision framework, CPD and Partnerships therefore employer ‘owned’ • Holistic approach to assessment with core plus optional elements • Process for moderation and Pass or Fail Element • Certificate issued by The College of Social Work

3. Professional Capabilities Framework

5. Principles of Holistic Assessment for ASYE • Development of a conceptual understanding of social work practice • Integrates all areas necessary for supporting the development of “professional expertise” • More accurately reflects the complexity of the social work role. • Provides a coherent account of practice demonstrating understanding, analysis and capacity to critically reflect. • Based in everyday practice - starts from analysis of the user’s situation, and reflection on all aspects of the intervention to provide a more informed service. • Development is assessed over time – demonstrating the capacity for CPD McNay M, Clarke J, Lovelock R, The Journey toward Professionalism in Social Work: Conference paper JSWEC 2010

6. Use of the PCF in Holistic Assessment for ASYE • Nine capabilities interdependent because they interact in professional practice. • Capabilities need to be assessed as a whole; reference could be made to specific capability statements, but assessors should not focus on addressing each one separately. • The PCF reflects the increasing skills of social workers (assessors) to make professional judgements. However : • Statements enable clear identification of areas that need further development when concerns are identified.

7. Domains within the PCF • PROFESSIONALISM - Identify and behave as a professional social worker, committed to professional development • VALUES AND ETHICS - Apply social work ethical principles and values to guide professional practice • DIVERSITY - Recognise diversity and apply anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive principles in practice • RIGHTS, JUSTICE AND ECONOMIC WELLBEING - Advance human rights and promote social justice and economic wellbeing • KNOWLEDGE - Apply knowledge of social sciences, law and social work practice theory • CRITICAL REFLECTION AND ANALYSIS- Apply critical reflection and analysis to inform and provide a rationale for professional decision-making • INTERVENTION AND SKILLS- Use judgement and authority to intervene with individuals, families and communities to promote independence, provide support and prevent harm, neglect and abuse • CONTEXTS AND ORGANISATIONS- Engage with, inform, and adapt to changing contexts that shape practice. Operate effectively within own organisational frameworks and contribute to the development of services and organisations. Operate effectively within multi-agency and inter-professional settings • PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP - Take responsibility for the professional learning and development of others through supervision, mentoring, assessing, research, teaching, leadership and management

8. Principles and conditions for holistic assessment • Assessment is progressive over a period of time (e.g. initial qualifying placement, ASYE), leading to effective summative assessment. • Assessment must be consistent with the appropriate PCF level descriptor, and include sufficiency and depth of evidence across all nine domains. • Individual capability statements will be important in terms of providing detail of expectations for each domain, and particularly significant to identify gaps, areas of development or concerns. • The assessment process and judgement must be trustworthy, reliable and transparent (e.g. include clear guidance in handbooks, assessment panels, triangulated evidence, audit trails ) • Evidence must include the ability to reflect critically, including reference to different sources of knowledge and research. • The learner will contribute evidence for assessment but the professional judgement of sufficiency must be made by a registered social worker (at initial qualifying level, assessors must meet the Practice Educator Professional Standards).

9. Evidence of Capability • Core content (presented to the assessor) – must include - supervision records - direct observation - case records • ‘Critical' reflection – integral to all evidence from direct practice – a reflection on direct practice submitted towards the end of the year • Service user feedback – implicit or explicit? – or part of a wider 360 approach for feedback use as part of the evidence.

10. Evidence of Capability Defined by; • practice undertaken throughout the year • a range of work (relevant to the employment setting) • typically drawn from at least 5 examples of direct practice BUT determined by quality of evidence. – quality of evidence determined by PCF

11. Evidence of Capability Optional – - other activities that an employer chooses to include in a programme of learning and/or development - related to organisational requirements - related to setting specific requirements

12. Evidence of Support Confirmation that these have been in place during assessment period – • Reflective supervision • Workload management • Professional Development Plan • Development time Learning Contract - • Employer Standards Group should support this • Would incorporate the purpose of 'confirmation' • Covers whole year

13. Professional judgement ofassessor • Increased scope and responsibility for judgement of the candidate’s ability to develop over the nine capabilities to the level specified. • Execution of professional judgement – need to be empowered and supported. • Development of confidence in professional judgements.

15. References • Proposals for the assessment model for the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE). Ambition to Reality Conference, Taunton. Spring 2012 • The Assessed and Supported Year in Employment: Further information to support the briefing for employers.www.skillsforcare.org.uk/asye • The College of Social Work : Understanding what is meant by Holistic Assessment http://www.collegeofsocialwork.org/uploadedFiles/TheCollege/_CollegeLibrary/Reform_resources/holistic-assessmentASYE1.pdf • The College of Social Work – The Professional Capabilities Framework http://www.collegeofsocialwork.org/pcf.aspx