Practice Assessor Briefing 2011 Overview of Practice Learning

1. Practice Assessor Briefing2011Overview of Practice Learning

2. The Practice Learning Guide • Contains valuable guidance and instructions for students, PAs, WPS and Programme Tutors • Reference to the guide when completing documentation • Allows a common and transparent approach to assessment • Included in the information pack • HSC-SW-enquiries@open.ac.uk

3. Previousexperience Academic learning Workshops Learning needs Practice Learning Team PLO team Line managers Sponsoring agency The Student Workplace Supervisor Practice Assessor OU Programme Tutor Sponsoring agency Agency coordinator SW training team • OU region (Bristol) • Staff Tutor • Student support • Academic tutors OU Social Work team Milton Keynes

4. Who does what? • The agency co-ordinator • recruits and selects students, finds suitable PLOs and practice assessors • The course tutor • delivers workshops, assesses written work and facilitates on-line activities • The programme tutor • ensures that the requirements of the programme are met within the PLO and that it enables the student to meet the NOS

5. Level 2 (K216) Applied Social Work Practice • Aim to build on level 1 studies • Begin to apply their theoretical learning to practice • Acquiring a broader knowledge base • Select and explain the application of appropriate knowledge to specific practice contexts • 100 days PLO first opportunity to be assessed on applying their learning to meet service users needs

6. Level 3 (K315) Critical Social Work Practice • Completion of K216 and level 2 courses • Aim to reflect on, critically analyse and evaluate their role as social workers • Critical approach to theory and evaluation of their practice • Working more independently as an accountable and responsible practitioner applying their learning in a range of contexts

7. National Occupational Standards for Social Work • Central to the assessment of student practice in K216 and K315 • Downloaded from Skills for Care website or OU agency website • Students need to show they can perform the 6 key roles at the appropriate level • Assessment is at unit level: elements provide illustration of how units can be evidenced

8. Six Key Roles (abbreviated) • Key Role 1: Preparations for assessment of needs • Key Role 2: Plan, carry out, review and evaluate practice • Key Role 3: Support, representation and advocacy • Key Role 4: Assess and manage risk • Key Role 5: Manage and be accountable, • Key Role 6: Develop professional knowledge, values & competence

9. Manage and be accountable Relationship between the key roles and values and ethics Preparation for assessment Of need Values and Ethics Support, Representation And advocacy Assess and manage risk Plan, intervene, review and evaluate practice Develop professional knowledge, values and competence

10. Integration of social work values A. Have respect for: • individuals, families, carers, groups and communities regardless of their age, ethnicity, culture, level of understanding and need • for the expertise and knowledge individuals, families, carers, groups and communities have about their own situation B. Empower individuals, families, carers, groups and communities in decisions affecting them C Be honest about: • the power invested in them, including legal powers • their role and resources available to meet need D. Respect confidentiality, and inform individuals, families, carers, groups and communities about when information needs to be shared with others D. Be able to: • challenge discriminatory images and practices affecting individuals, families, carers, groups and communities • put individuals, families, carers, groups and communities first.

11. GSCC Code of Practice for Social Care Employees Social care workers must: • Protect the rights and promote service users interests • Establish and maintain trust and confidence of service users • Promote independence and protecting from harm • Respecting rights of service users balancing risk of behaviour to themselves or other people • Uphold public trust and confidence in social care services • Being accountable for the quality of their work and improving their knowledge and skills

12. Practice Assessment Key Question: has the student met the standards and requirements for social work training? (DoH, 2002) Practice assessment must include:- • Adequate performance of statutory social work tasks involving legal interventions (See PLG p18 -19) • Adequate performance of the standards with at least two different service user / carer groups (See PLG p20)

13. Sources of evidence • Supervision records • Service User feedback • 4 Direct Observations • Feedback from colleagues • Feedback from other professionals • Reports, letters, recordings etc produced by the student • 6 Records of Practice

14. Supervision Line management supervision (WPS) • Agency guidelines • One-to one supervision meetings • Informal supervision • Induction into processes and procedures Supervision with the practice assessor • 1 ½ hours per week • Reflect on how they can / have practised in a way that meets the Standards • Assess the development

15. Supporting OU students • Often very experienced practitioners • Returning to learning after a long break from academic study • Demanding pace of academic study • Practice learning in their own workplace / agency • Busy lives and barriers to learning • Pace of change in social care

16. Process of Transition

17. Supporting students, managing difficulties or disruption Split into four workshops • Protecting student status while undertaking a PLO in own team / agency • Supporting experienced practitioners make links between theory and practice • Supporting students PLO when the team / agency are under going change / periods of reorganisation. • Supporting student when there are difficulties

18. Task (40 minutes) • Select the group you want to work in • Discussion around some of the key issues • What does the Practice learning guide / Sponsoring agency recommend? • Sharing of strategies and approaches • Record key points from discussion • Highlight 2/3 issues to feedback to the main group that could improve support provided to OU students

19. Feed back to the whole group • 2/3 key issues that could improve the support provided to studentsduring a PLO • Feedback from each group

20. Lunch Have allowed an hour allowing opportunities to network A range of resources will be available in the second half of the lunch hour • OU course Materials • OU Agency website • PePLE Website • Individual surgeries with Programme Tutors

21. New developments for 2011 • Practice learning guide and forms updated • New Direct Observation proforma • Introduction of Record of (Critical) Practice Values • Terminology changes ‘Modules’ rather than ‘Courses’ • Workshop attendance more closely monitored • Set Text for K216 • Recommended Text for K315 • Sending PAR to Prog Tutor to continue • Use of Plagiarism detection software for academic work

22. Direct observation • Four direct observations of students practice • Three by Practice Assessor • One by WPS / or another • Three must include interaction with service users • All should include service user feedback • One can be carried out without a service user • Student reflective comments should be included after PA has provided feedback • Written feedback by PA within 5 working days

23. Objectives of Direct Observation Should include evidence that the students practice is:- • Consistent with the Code of Practice • Integrates Social work Values • Meets the NOS standards for level 2 / 3 • Identifies future learning needs / priorities

24. Direct Observation form Has five Sections • Planning (Student) • Context and Purpose (Student & PA) • Service user / carer feedback (PA) • NOS Grid (PA) • Student reflective comments (Student) Good practice guidelines are included in PLG (p29-30)

25. Records of Practice (K216)Records of Critical Practice (K315) • Provides a framework for describing, reflecting and evaluating a piece of work. • Development and Reflective tool to link theory with practice • It should include: • a brief description of the activity • a brief description of the intended goals of the activity • a critical review and reflection on the experience, using knowledge, skills, theories, methods and values • Identify future learning

26. OU Guidance • Recommends students complete 6 ROP / RCOP • 4 ROPs are submitted with the PAR • Students prepare 1 draft ROP for each of the 6 workshops which relates to the key role being discussed. • 2 ROP should be presented to the practice learning team at the mid point review meeting • Students should submit all their ROPs to their PA one week before the end of the PLO for inclusion in the PAR

27. Difference between ROP & RCOP Key differences • Word Limit: (K216 1000 words, K315: 1500) • Greater degree of analysis and evaluation of practice in RCOP • Demonstrating that they are practising with a level of autonomy and independence (K315)

28. Service user feedback Greater emphasis for 2011 • In line with recommendation of the SW reform board • Evidencing how service users have been consulted and involved in the assessment process • Introduced Record of (Critical) Practice Values -To be completed in the second half of the PLO - Reflect on interactions with SU / Carers across whole PLO

29. The Practice Assessor’s Report Purpose: to record the practice assessor’s assessment of whether a student has met the NOS The Practice Assessor • Recommends either a Pass or Fail to the practice assessment panel on the practice learning element of K216/ K315 • Students cannot pass K216 or K315 without passing the practice learning component

30. Practice Assessor’s Report: Structure • Front sheet with student & PA details and a recommendation of pass or fail • PA’s summary statement • PA’s practice learning grid matrix • PA’s report on service user feedback • 4 Records of Practice (1 must be ROP (values) • 4 Direct Observations records

31. Pass or fail recommendation Practice Assessor’s signature Confirmation of 100 days practice PA’s summary statement (under key role headings) WPS’s comment and signature (if applicable) Student’s signature and comment Practice Learning Grid Service user feedback 4 Records of Practice 4 Direct Observations Workshop Attendance Form Checklist: Practice Assessors report

32. Small Group Working Role and Tasks of PA’s and WPS’s at level 2 and 3 Opportunity to spend time with other’s undertaking a similar role Explore in more details the OU’s expectations in relation • Service user feedback • Learning opportunities • Key sources of evidence • Assessing evidence • Units that might be more difficult to evidence