BA Year 4 Community Education

Professional Practice 3 Placement Handbook

2016 - 2017

Guidelines for Students and Supervisors 2016/17

Welcome Welcome to the 2016/17 Professional Practice 3 Handbook. It is designed to give you a broad picture of the aims and objectives of the fourth year honours placement and the procedures related to the placement process. I hope it proves useful to you but if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us at any time. The partnership between the university and the field of practice remains a central component in the education of professional practitioners both in terms of their skills base and their ability to analyse practice. We value this partnership highly and hope to strengthen it in the future. We are grateful to those who continue to support the professional preparation of emerging generations of community educators through offering their time and the resources of their agency as a site of learning for students. Thank you for your commitment. A programme of Placement Supervisor Training runs twice a year. The training programme lasts for one day in advance of each placement period and a half-day evaluation following the placement. If you are interested in attending please contact the Placement Unit to book your place. Key Contacts Placement Tutors Vernon Galloway 0131 651 6640 vernon.galloway@ed.ac.uk Stuart Moir 0131 651 6266 smoir2@staffmail.ed.ac.uk Ian Fyfe 0131 651 4803 ian.fyfe@ed.ac.uk Programme Secretary Lesley Spencer 0131 651 6373 lesley.spencer@ed.ac.uk Placement Unit Jo Laing 0131 651 4189 jo.laing@ed.ac.uk To request this document in an alternative format, such as large print or on coloured paper, please contact the Placement Unit.

Please note the following significant dates for BA4 placement:

Placement Starts

Monday 3 October 2016

Placement Contract to be submitted (See appendix 4)

Monday 31 October 2016

Winter break starts

Friday 16 December 2016

Semester 2 placement begins

Monday 9 January 2017

Mid Placement Review Session

Friday 27 January 2017

Mid Placement Report to be submitted (See appendix 5)

Friday 3 February 2017

Placement Ends Friday 10 March 2017

Final Report to be submitted (See appendix 6)

Friday 10 March 2017

Placement Essay to be submitted

Monday 20 March 2017

1. Introduction A distinctive feature of the BA (Hons) degree programme in Community Education is the interface between academic and vocational standards. These different and sometimes contradictory demands create a dynamic which ensures that the relationship between theory and practice is central to our work. The Programme is also informed by the changing policy context and its implications for practice. 2. Professional endorsement The BA (Hons) Programme is informed by the framework set out by the Standards Council for Community Learning and Development for Scotland (SCCLDS) (see appendix 1 and for more background visit the Standards Council’s web site at http://www.cldstandardscouncil.org.uk/the_competences/Competences_for_Community_Learning_and_Development). The framework seeks to ensure that students are operating to an appropriate professional standard. Students have been collecting evidence of their competence from their previous placements and so they should be able to share that with you. It is important for the student to review this and set out to fill any gaps that may exist. It is important that competence is defined in a way which is developmental rather than prescriptive and that ‘evidence’ should be collected in a way that is conducive to the work undertaken on the placement. For example, reports of meetings, analytical recordings, discussion papers, work-plans and the setting of aims and objectives can all provide evidence that the student has met the performance criteria of a particular competence. This kind of evidence should be collected by the student so that it is available to supervisors and external examiners. 3. Integrating the taught curriculum and placement in the BA programme Given the prominent status of practice experience within the programme, we have developed a rationale which we hope addresses both the distinctiveness of each stage and articulation between them. In addition, we have attempted to be systematic in integrating the professional practice and the taught programme so that they complement and enhance each other. Below is an outline of each year of the programme which indicates how this works: Year 1 Courses:

• Introduction to Community Education • Developing Professional Identity in Community Education • Working with Individuals and Groups • Community Education Theory, Policy and Politics • A choice of courses outside our programme area

First year has an important formative and foundational function. The taught programme includes a broad introduction to theory and practice in community education. This is intended to stimulate students to extend their thinking as a

precondition for critical reflection on practice. They will be introduced to frameworks for locating practice in the wider policy context and encouraged to consider some of the implications. They will be prepared for the task of developing disciplined and systematic approaches to practice and will be introduced to a range of teaching and learning strategies in community education settings. There is no formal placement arrangement in year one. However as part of the Developing Professional Identity course students carry out fieldwork study visits and are encouraged to take-up voluntary commitments in the field. Year 2 Courses:

• Concepts & Controversies in Community Education; • Professional Practice 1 (Placement Preparation); • Introduction to Research in Community Settings; • Community Education practice 1: Placement equivalent of 11 weeks • Course drawn from across the University

Second year is concerned primarily to develop a sense of professional identity which enables students to engage critically and purposefully with the field of practice. The taught programme will enable students both to consolidate previous learning and to develop their existing knowledge and skills. It will also give them the opportunity to extend their own intellectual horizons by studying a subject which is not directly related to their degree programme. The combined elements of the programme should progressively enable them to make judgements about what practice is appropriate in what circumstances for what purpose. The placement element involves the student in some practical field research within which they use the practical skills they have developed as part of their research course and the analytical frameworks developed in Concepts and Controversies. Year 3 Courses:

• Community Education Methods and Approaches: Developing Dialogue • Professional Practice 2 (Placement Preparation); • Politics, Policy and Professional Identity in Community Education; • Managing Professional Life; • Electives in Adult Education, Community Development, Work with Young

People • Community Education Practice 2: Placement of 12 weeks

The third year programme is designed to enable students to develop the capacity to make competent, confident and defensible judgements. It should enable them to operate at a relatively sophisticated level of professional activity and intellectual understanding. Both the taught and practice elements will provide the opportunity to work with an increasing degree of critical autonomy. A focus on policy analysis will encourage students to critically assess the possibilities and constraints of particular contexts of practice. Overall, the programme should prepare them for the task of selecting, justifying and deploying appropriate theoretical arguments and educational methods. The placement element

involves a research project which considers the role of the Community Educator in relation to the constraints on and possibilities of their practice. Year 4 Courses:

• Honours Seminar; • Research Methods (Dissertation Preparation); • Professional Practice Placement Preparation; • Electives in Adult Education Community Development, Work with Young

People, • Community Education Practice 3: Part-time 18 hours per week for 18

weeks • Honours Dissertation

The fourth year is a summative year which draws many strands of study together and focuses on the Honours Dissertation Project. The students enter a more autonomous mode of study in which they take a more active role in the development of content. The placement component is a part-time commitment of 18 hours per week over semesters 1 & 2. Students may well use these placements as a source of research which could feed in to their dissertation work.

4. Honours Year Placement 4.1 Expectations The fourth year honours placement involves a commitment of 360 hours of supervised practice which is usually broken down into 18 hours per-week for 18 weeks over both semesters of the fourth year. This final placement is the culmination of the supervised professional practice element of the student’s undergraduate studies. The placement should offer the student a range of practice experiences which relate directly to their professional learning needs. Students may wish to link the placement with their honours dissertation work and may seek to carry out some practical research which may inform their thesis. On completing this course students will be able to:

• Analyse, interpret and understand issues affecting development in community education agencies and allied organisations, in relation to the socio-economic and policy context.

• Recognise the significance and impact of a range factors steering development in agencies and organisations including aims, functions, structures and people management.

• Systematically investigate the possibilities for progressive change in their own work setting.

• Articulate problems and possibilities in working collectively and collaboratively with colleagues to bring about desired changes in the practice setting.

• Explain tensions and challenges in partnership working. • Critically reflect on their contribution to development initiatives, and

accurately assess their own professional development

4.2 Supervision Regular support and supervision meetings should be held between the fieldwork supervisor and student. In the case of PP3 we would suggest one hour and thirty minutes per fortnight at a pre-set time. These meetings need to be confidential so pre-arranging a private space is essential. We suggest you might want to consider a set agenda for the meetings which may include some items like the following:

• a look at plans from the previous supervision session and a report on

progress is given; • progress on the research project is reviewed; • the student presents a reflective recording from the previous week for

discussion; • the student selects an extract from some university literature to discuss

with the supervisor; • the student presents some evidence of competence in relation to the

competence framework; • plans are made for the following period with specific objectives in mind.

4.3 University support The placement will be supported by a preparation period for students prior to commencement and a period of critical reflection at the end. Students will have weekly Professional Practice reflection sessions throughout the period of the placement. Students will have the support of an academic placement tutor who will be on hand to respond to any questions the student might have. A mid-placement re-call session will be held in the university to allow students and their supervisors a bit of space to reflect on their experience thus far and lay plans for the second half of the placement. The Placement Unit is on hand at all times to deal with any administrative issues that may arise. 4.4 Assessment Students will be required to achieve a pass standard as assessed by the fieldwork supervisor in relation to tasks undertaken in the practice setting. The overall assessment of the student is carried out by the fieldwork supervisor in relation to both the SCCLDS framework and the quality of student engagement with the placement. These combined measures should form the basis of a pass/fail assessment by the fieldwork supervisor, in discussion with the student. If there are any reasons to suggest that a student may fail, these should be notified to the University tutor as soon as possible so that shortcomings might be addressed. It is obviously extremely important that there is common understanding of the placement expectations and these should be carefully considered in formulating the contract and subsequent assessment. At the end of the placement the fieldwork supervisor, in discussion with the student, undertakes a review and makes a final report which should be forwarded to the placement unit. Final report to be submitted Friday 10th March 2017 Essay Individual students will submit an essay which responds to the following task:

With reference to the taught elements of the undergraduate programme discuss how theoretical frameworks and conceptual principles have helped you to develop a critical approach to your professional practice as a community educator. Draw on examples from your professional practice experience to illustrate the theory/practice relationship. Word limit 3,500 Placement Essay to be submitted Monday 20 March 2017 Students will require a pass in both components for an overall pass for the course; the grade recorded will be the mark awarded for the written paper, unless the practice element has been assessed as a fail.

• Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

5. Frequently Asked Questions How many hours should a student spend on placement per week? The student is expected to work within the normal working practices of the placement agency. In the case of the PP3 placement this is currently calculated at 18 hours per week for 18 weeks. It is probably worth agreeing a stable working pattern so that everyone knows when the student is expected to be on placement each week. Of course everything is negotiable and there may need to be some flexibility but, in general, the expectation is that the student is treated as the equivalent of an employee of the agency. How much study time should students expect to have? Notwithstanding the response to the previous question, it is important to remember that these are students on placement and we expect them to keep in touch with their studies. The students will be attending University classes throughout the placement period and will have essays and other assessments to overtake. Like all of us they need to learn to manage their time and to create the right kind of balance between the competing demands of work, home, university, life etc. The time that they are on placement should be dedicated to their placement work. Equally the time they spend in university should also be committed time. The two should not necessarily impinge on each other so they should not require time off placement to do university work and vice versa. They will need time to read and to think about placement as well as reflecting on practice through analytical recordings, and time to prepare for supervision, mid-placement review and so on. Again, everything is negotiable, but one to two hours per-week is more than adequate. It is good for them to develop good habits in terms of taking time for reflection as long as it is kept in proportion. What if students need to take time off for illness or other reasons? If the student has to take days off for any reason, including illness, this should be communicated immediately to the placement unit and the placement agency. Either the student or the agency should ensure this happens. Placement is a relatively short period of time and absences of a few days can have a detrimental effect on placement work. If the absence is short then time can be made up elsewhere, but if it is more than a few days some other forms of compensation

may be required. What kind of things should we cover in supervision? Everyone has their own ideas about structure and content as far as supervision goes so this is entirely up to you. However, we may be able to point to some experiences of supervision which both students and supervisors have found helpful in the past. We encourage students to develop the skills of the critical and reflective practitioner and they have been introduced to the idea of recording. This has been done by keeping a diary of work which is filled in after significant work sessions, especially with groups, where the student may use an informal narrative style, a formal analytical/critical framework or a simple ‘when, who, where, what, why?’ structure. If you would like some advice on appropriate recording tools, don’t hesitate to contact us. Recordings can be given to the supervisor in advance of the supervision meeting to help them to consider what questions might be raised. The students need to be encouraged to continue to engage with reading both in terms of academic texts and the policy arena. Some supervisors find it helpful to share some reading and then discuss it at the meeting. Students can be asked to share some reading they have found particularly stimulating. The contract can be used as an on-going reference point to check progress and it is important to monitor the aims and objectives set by students at the start of the placement. How much priority should be given to external demands? There are a couple of factors that are worth noting here. First, many community education students have come to study later in life and have family and other commitments which have to be taken into consideration. Second, the nature of student finances are such that many students have to work to keep solvent, sometimes holding down substantial contracts during their period of study. They should have made clear during the pre-placement period the nature and scale of their commitments in order to allow the placement to consider whether these can be accommodated. We stress to the students that their priority must be the placement and we encourage them to put appropriate arrangements in place well in advance of the placement period in order to ensure that there is no clash of loyalties. However, circumstances can change unexpectedly and in these cases some adjustment may need to be made but we stress again the students should make the successful completion of the placement their priority. If there is any doubt about what is legitimate or feasible, you should contact the tutor. How should I judge whether a student should be given a pass or a fail? Again there are no hard and fast rules about this but there are a few notes for guidance that we might offer. There is a triangulation of judgements at work in the process of deciding on a pass or a fail. First, there is the supervisor’s overall assessment - based on their own professional experience. Remember that students aren’t expected to be the finished article; they are mostly only embarking on their professional career. However, they are in the final year of their study and we expect them to be capable of showing enthusiasm, initiative and professional care over their work as outlined earlier in this handbook. You make the judgement about their potential to become competent, critical and professional in their future careers. Second, there is the SCCLDS framework which simply helps you consider how the student is progressing in relation to a range of areas of work. Third, you are asked to assess the quality of the student’s

engagement during the placement and we have drawn up a list of five areas that we think you should consider. These three aspects should combine to help you come to your conclusion but if you are still having doubts please give the appropriate university tutor a call. What if things start to go wrong? Most placements proceed without any real difficulties, but a few present problems for both students and supervisors. Most issues can be sorted out in the process of supervision but sometimes this proves impossible. If you are having any difficulties that you think are beyond a straightforward resolution please contact the university placement tutor or the programme director as soon as you sense that things are moving beyond the bounds of the straightforward and we will intervene in an appropriate manner. Any possibility of failure should be signalled by the supervisor as soon as possible. The mid-placement review provides an opportunity for problems to be raised and discussed by student, supervisor and placement tutor.

Appendix 1: SCCLD Competence Framework

The Standards Council for Community Learning and Development have drawn-up the following competence framework as standards for competent practice. Your task is to consider the competencies in relation to your previous experience. As you read through the statements, form judgements concerning your strengths and weaknesses. Record your thoughts in the form at the end. Know and understand the community in which we work Purpose: so that practitioners can work with individuals and communities to identify and plan action based on knowledge of some of the internal and external influences at work. Context: understanding the context within which our work takes place will be based upon our knowledge of social, political and wider environmental influences on communities. Competent CLD practitioners are aware of the relevant global and local factors that impact on the community with which they work. As a competent practitioner with an understanding of the community/ environment in which you work, you will be able to demonstrate that you can: • conduct an external community/ environment assessment, considering

the political, economic and social context of the community; • investigate internal views and information relating to the area within

which you work; • critically analyse internal and external factors impacting on individuals

and communities; • identify needs, assets and opportunities using relevant information and

evidence; • involve other stakeholders in identifying and agreeing needs and local

priorities; • evidence an awareness of challenges relating to barriers to participation

within the local community/environment; • ascertain conflicting needs and demands.

Build and maintain relationships with individuals and groups Purpose: so that people’s ability and opportunities to work together are enhanced. Context: CLD is built upon the interactions between people, be these community members, activists or those working with organisations offering support. These relationships provide the basis to support learning and engage people in action to support change within their communities. As a competent practitioner able to build and maintain relationships with individuals and groups you will be able to demonstrate that you can: • seek out and engage with individuals, groups and communities; • practise in different roles, such as facilitating, supporting, leading,

advocating, that are appropriate to the work in which you are involved;

• use informal dialogue in individual relationships and within groups; • handle challenges and opportunities constructively; • understand and deal with the underlying dynamics at work within

relationships and groups; • work towards the resolution of conflict; • recognise the power dynamic and action needed to equalise power

relationships in decision making; • facilitate endings for individual and group relationships where

appropriate.

Provide learning and development opportunities in a range of contexts Purpose: so that people can identify and achieve their individual and collective goals. Context: CLD is based on providing learning and development opportunities that are accessible and responsive to individual and community priorities. These opportunities create personal and community benefits such as improving self- confidence and skills and enhancing employment opportunities, as well as supporting health and well-being, community regeneration and individual and community activity. As a competent practitioner able to provide learning and development opportunities in a range of contexts you will be able to demonstrate that you can: • provide education and development opportunities that are developed in

dialogue with individuals and communities; • generate learning opportunities that will stimulate personal and

community change; • tackle barriers to participation; • develop, design and deliver learner-centred programmes; • take advantage of learning and development opportunities in everyday

situations; • use appropriate methods and techniques; • support progression and transition; • use appropriately targeted methods to promote learning and

development opportunities.

Facilitate and promote community empowerment Purpose: so that people can take individual and collective action to bring about change. Context: CLD practice is built on critical analysis of internal and external factors that influence individual and community priorities and has a distinctive role in working with people to take action to identify and influence decisions that impact on the quality of individual and community life.

As a competent practitioner able to facilitate and promote community empowerment you will be able to demonstrate that you can support individuals, groups and communities to: • analyse and understand power dynamics and decision-making processes; • use community action as a means to achieve change; • be inclusive and involve the wider community; • interact within and across communities; • participate in decision-making structures and processes; • campaign for change; • identify and manage community assets.

Organise and manage resources Purpose: so that individuals, communities and organisations can achieve effective management of community assets and resources, services and organisations. Context: CLD practitioners need to understand the culture of organisations, the responsibilities of those involved and how organisation and management styles, practices and governance relate to sustainable organisations. As a competent practitioner with an understanding of planning, organising and managing resources you will be able to demonstrate that you can: • develop and plan programmes and project activities; • manage and monitor programmes and project activities; • promote and manage a culture based on equality; • organise, deploy and monitor resources effectively; • recruit, manage and support people (staff, volunteers); • identify and access funding/ resources; • understand and manage risk; • interpret and apply relevant legislation (e.g. equalities, Child Protection, • Health and Safety).

Develop and support collaborative working Purpose: so that people can enhance decision making and collaborative activities that impact on the quality of life of individuals and communities. Context: CLD practitioners need to understand, recognise and value the benefits of collaboration and build appropriate and effective alliances, networks and other forms of working together. As a competent practitioner able to develop and support collaborative working you will be able to demonstrate that you can: • develop and support collaborative working within your own organisation; • initiate collaborative working with relevant organisations; • participate in partnership and collaborative working; • support community participation in partnership and collaborative

working; • clarify and articulate the role of your own organisation and that of others; • negotiate and agree roles in collaborative and joint work, taking a

leadership role where appropriate;

• identify, put in place or provide appropriate training and development opportunities for collaborative working;

• challenge and be challenged on issues undermining effective partnership

working being aware of tensions and conflicts; • manage the ending of collaborative and joint relationships.

Evaluate and inform practice Purpose: so that robust evidence can sustain, inform, influence and change policy and practice. Context: Competent CLD practitioners require to build evidence-based practice based on an appreciation of the value of research and evaluation. They need a knowledge of the methods and techniques commonly used and an understanding of the current issues and challenges in evaluation, quality assurance and performance measurement in CLD. As a competent practitioner with an ability to evaluate and inform practice you will be able to demonstrate that you can: • understand the differences between research, evaluation and

associated concepts; • employ appropriate tools, frameworks and methodologies in the

evaluation of practice; • draw on evaluation findings to inform your own practice; • use participative evaluative processes; • promote and support community led research and evaluation; • analyse policy, research and evaluation evidence; • learn from other perspectives and challenge your own assumptions; • interpret and use evidence related to outcomes and impact; • present evidence to a range of audiences using appropriate tools and

technologies.

Appendix 2: Student CV

Personal Details Name: Placement Tutor: Address while on placement: Tel No: Mobile: Email: Education Start and end date: School or College: Qualifications: Start and end date: School or College: Qualifications: Start and end date: School or College: Qualification: Previous CE Employment Name of Employer: Start and end date: Responsibilities: Name of Employer: Start and end date: Responsibilities: Name of Employer: Start and end date: Responsibilities: Previous CE Placements Year 2 Placement Agency Host: Responsibilities: Learning Outcomes:

Year 3 Placement Agency Host: Responsibilities: Learning Outcomes: CPD Training Courses: Title of Course: Dates: Learning Outcomes: Title of Course: Dates: Learning Outcomes: Title of Course: Dates: Learning Outcomes: Hobbies and Interests: Responsibilities: (e.g. Care, Work, Commitments etc.)

Appendix 3: Student Professional Learning Profile Based on the key competence framework, say something about your previous experience in relation to the following categories and the areas where you may need experiences to develop your knowledge understanding and practise of the area of work. Please refer to Appendix 1 for guidance on the competence framework.

Know and understand the community in which we work Previous Experience: Development needs: Build and maintain relationships with individuals and groups Previous Experience: Development needs: Provide learning and development opportunities in a range of contexts Previous Experience: Development needs: Facilitate and promote community empowerment Previous Experience: Development needs: Organise and manage resources Previous Experience: Development needs:

Develop and support collaborative working Previous Experience: Development needs: Evaluate and inform practice Previous Experience: Development needs:

Appendix 4: Fieldwork Placement Contract

BA Community Education Year 4 Professional Practice Placement Placement Agency: Placement Supervisor: Address: Tel No: Email: Student: Address: Tel No: Email: Placement Tutor: Address: Tel No: Email:

Placement Induction: Please outline the planned induction activities:

Supervision Arrangements: Please outline the planned supervision arrangements e.g. regularity, dates and times:

Student Professional Learning Requirements: (Refer to the learning needs identified in their Professional Learning Profile appendix 3.) Know and understand the community in which we work Build and maintain relationships with individuals and groups Provide learning and development opportunities in a range of contexts Facilitate and promote community empowerment

Organise and manage resources Develop and support collaborative working Evaluate and inform practice

Placement Work Programme: Outline the key areas of work that the student will undertake and how these will address the learning requirements listed above.

Supervisor’s signature Date Student’s signature Date Tutor’s signature Date

Appendix 5 Mid-Placement Reflection Form

BA Community Education Year 4 Professional Practice Placement

Student: Supervisor: Agency:

Key Competence

Student Progress

(please tick)

Comments/Action

Know and understand the community in which we work

Objective Achieved On track Limited Progress No Progress

Build and maintain relationships with individuals and groups

Objective Achieved On track Limited Progress No Progress

Provide learning and development opportunities in a range of contexts

Objective Achieved On track Limited Progress No Progress

Facilitate and promote community empowerment

Objective Achieved On track Limited Progress No Progress

Key Competence

Student Progress

(please tick)

Comments/Action

Organise and manage resources

Objective Achieved On track Limited Progress No Progress

Develop and support collaborative working

Objective Achieved On track Limited Progress No Progress

Evaluate and inform practice

Objective Achieved On track Limited Progress No Progress

Overall assessment by the placement supervisor of the student’s progress to date: The student is on track to meet their learning objectives The student has made limited progress but should still meet their learning objectives by the end of the placement period Insufficient progress has been made and the student is unlikely to meet their Learning objectives Fieldwork Supervisor: Agency: Student: Academic Tutor: Please return this form to Jo Laing (jo.laing@ed.ac.uk) in the Placement Unit by Friday 3 February 2017

Appendix 6: Fieldwork Placement: Final Review BA Community Education Year 4 Professional Practice Placement

Student: Supervisor: Agency:

Key Competence

Performance Outcomes and Learning Know and understand the community in which we work

Build and maintain relationships with individuals and groups

Provide learning and development opportunities in a range of contexts

Facilitate and promote community empowerment

Organise and manage resources

Develop and support collaborative working

Evaluate and inform practice

Supervisor’s general comments about the placement: (Please comment on: the student’s overall sense of competence and professionalism; their broad knowledge of the field of practice including the policy arena; their ability to work as part of a team; their continuing professional development.)

Student’s general comments about the placement: (Please comment on: the main points of learning you will take away from this experience; the supervisory relationship; your overall sense of competence at the end of the placement and the challenges that lie ahead in your continuing professional development.)

Overall assessment of student performance: PASS FAIL Signature of Fieldwork Supervisor: Date: Signature of Student: Date: Please return this form to Jo Laing (jo.laing@ed.ac.uk) in the Placement Unit by Friday 10 March 2017