social work practice learning handbook 2020 2021
TRANSCRIPT
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Faculty of Medicine, Health and Social Care
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work
SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE
LEARNING HANDBOOK
2020 – 2021
IPL BA (Hons) Social Work
BA (Hons) Social Work Studies (Bromley) and
MA Social Work
Please note: this handbook will be updated to take account of new processes
and any regulatory changes proposed by Social Work England
Version 3
V
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Contents
Details of the social work academic team and Faculty roles 4
Glossary of Terms 5 Section 1: An Introduction to the Handbook…...............................................5
Practice learning on our social work programmes 5
Section 2: Social Work and Social Work Education Reform……………..…7 The CCCU Social Work Practice Education Strategy 8
The Practice Panel 9 Section 3: Professional issues and Preparation for Placement…………….9
Expectations of students on placement 10 Equality and Diversity 10 Confidentiality 10
Social networking (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) 11
Professional relationship boundaries 11
Accountability and Responsibility 11
Adherence to Policy and Procedures 11
DBS clearance 12
Health Clearance 12
Good Health and Good Character 12
Accidents and Incidents in Practice 13
Raising and escalating complaints /concerns within Practice Environments 13
Reasonable Adjustments 13
Section 4: Placement Arrangements……………………………………………14 Student information – profile forms 14 How placements are arranged 14
Factors affecting the provision of placements 15
Requests for change of placement 15
Placement travel 15
Motor insurance and use of student’s own car while on placement 15
Lone working 16
Section 5: Placement Structure……………………………...............................17 Shadowing Placements: The assessment of Readiness for Direct Practice 17
Arrangements for the assessment of RDP 17
Arrangements for First and Final placements 18
Placement Meeting 1: The Placement Learning Agreement meeting 19 Placement Meeting 2: The Interim Review 19
Supervision 20
Direct Observation 20
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Process Recording 21
Reflective case summaries 22
Critical Reflection on Service User and Carer feedback 23
Professional feedback – analysis and reflection 24
Assessment in placement 24
The framework to support Assessment of Practice 25
Assessment Documentation 26
Submission of the Portfolio 27
Attendance and Hours of Work 28
Reporting Absence 29
Unauthorised Absence 29
Holidays and Annual Leave 29
Compassionate Leave 29
Section 6: Placement Concerns………………………………………..……….30
Student Concerns about their placement or Practice Educator 30
Agency or PE concerns about student performance or behaviour 30
If the placement provider wishes to terminate the placement 32
Reassessment of placement 33
Termination of Training 33
Student withdrawing from their placement 33
Placement Concerns flow charts 34
Raising and escalating concerns in placement 36
Section 7: The Professional Capabilities Framework and its role in Practice
Placements……………………………………………………………………………36
Social Work England Professional Standards 37
Knowledge and Skills Statements (KSS) 37
Definition of holistic assessment for social work 37
The principles of holistic assessment 37
Theory and Practice Links 38
Service Users and Carers 39
Section 8: Covid-19 guidance……………………………………………………..39
70-day placements 40
100-day placements 41
Portfolio submission 42
‘Banked’ placement days 42
Guidance documents – word icons 43
Details of the Social Work Team and Faculty Roles
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Bob Cecil Principal Lecturer [email protected]
Esther Coren Reader in Evidence based policy and practice
Isobel Drew Senior Lecture, MA
Programme Director
Che
Fonchingong
Senior Lecturer charlesfonchingong.che@canterbu
ry.ac.uk
Edith Lewis Senior Lecturer [email protected]
Sue Middleton Senior Lecturer, BA Programme Director
Janet Melville
Wiseman
Principal Lecturer janette.melville-
Tim Odell Senior Lecturer, Academic Group Lead
Jenny Olpin Lecturer, Academic Lead for Social Work Placements
Erin King Senior Lecturer, Academic Lead for Social Work Placements
Cathy
Pilkington
Senior Lecturer [email protected]
Siliba Sibanda Senior Lecturer [email protected]
Brenda
Vickery
Programme Director, BA Social Work Studies (Bromley)
Faculty Roles
Alex Levine Faculty Director, Practice Learning
Caz Johncock Practice Learning Unit Administrator
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Glossary of terms
BASW British Association of Social Work
CCCU Canterbury Christ Church University
HCPC Health and Care Professions Council
KCC Kent County Council
KSS Knowledge and Skills Statements: Adult Services and Child and
Family Social Workers
PE Practice Educator
Off site PE A practice educator who is not based at the location of the
placement
Onsite Supervisor Based in the placement setting – they can be a senior, non-
social worker member of staff for the first, 70 day placement but
must be a qualified, registered social worker for the final, 100
day placement
PCF Professional Capabilities Framework
PS Professional Standards (SWE)
PVI Private, Voluntary and Independent sector
RDP Readiness for Direct Practice
SWE Social Work England
TCSW The College of Social Work
Section 1: An Introduction to the Placement Handbook
This handbook is designed for use by both BA and MA programmes. It is
accessible for students through the university Blackboard Virtual Learning
Environment (VLE). In addition to this, each appendix for the portfolio will be
available on Blackboard. An electronic copy of the handbook and appendices
will be provided to placement agencies.
This handbook provides an overview of the guidelines and policies that
underpin practice learning within the programmes and will introduce students
and practitioners to the practice learning component of individual pathways.
Practice learning on our social work programmes
This handbook is designed to inform students, Practice Educators (PEs), and Onsite
Supervisors (OSS) about the arrangements for Practice Leaning on our pre-
registration social work programmes. It has been developed within the context of
continuing reforms of social work education, partnership arrangements with local
placement providers and other social work education providers and within the
Faculty of Health and Social Care undergraduate and post graduate frameworks.
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This handbook applies to the BA (Hons) in Social Work programme (Canterbury and
Bromley) and the MA in Social Work. It has been developed in conjunction with the
other relevant programme handbooks as a guide to help students gain the most out
of the practice experience. This handbook includes information about Canterbury
Christ Church University - its structure and assessment of practice learning within
the programmes. Available separately is the required documentation and guidance
for compiling the practice portfolio during the assessed periods of readiness for
direct practice and practice learning.
All placements are coordinated by the Practice Learning Unit. This team works
closely with the coordinators in our placement provider agencies and with Practice
Educators across the region. They liaise with Placement Leads, Practice Placement
Educators and health and social care providers to ensure that students have a broad
and varied placement pattern that incorporates different aspects of professional
practice in line with programme needs and regulatory requirements. They also
collect and manage student profile forms completed by students and shared with
placement provider agencies. All placements are quality assured to ensure they
provide appropriate learning opportunities and allow students to demonstrate
capability in the practice setting.
Placement components of the CCCU programme have been structured to meet the
requirements and guidance of SWE Professional Standards, BASW (2018)
Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF), and the Quality Assurance Agency
(QAA) subject benchmark statements for social work. The BASW Code of Ethics is
an important document informing key PCF domains. In addition to this, Knowledge
and Skills Statement (KSS) applying to Child and Family Social Workers and Adult
Services are incorporated within module learning in the final year and students will
need to demonstrate that they are working to these post-qualifying requirements in
their final placement. Placements are managed within partnership agreements and
through Memoranda of Understanding in place across the Kent, Medway, and South-
East regions.
Students are required to complete 170 days in a practice setting to complete the
award. This is divided into 2 placements: the first placement of 70 days and a final
placement of 100 days. In addition students will complete 30 days of skills
development throughout the programme, delivered in partnership between
academics, practitioners, and service users and carers. Before the first placement,
all students will complete an assessed Readiness for Direct Practice placement. The
2017 revalidation of the BA Social Work Programme for CCCU includes a 20 credit
practice module for year 2 and a 40 credit practice module for year 3 which requires
completion of a practice portfolio and an academic assignment.
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As this handbook has been developed to provide students with information that will
help them to prepare for, and make the most of experiences in practice, it is
important that this handbook is read before commencement of the first placement
and referred to regularly throughout the programme. The appendices which form part
of the HART portfolio must be studied so that students are familiar with the
assessment requirements on placement. This handbook should be read in
conjunction with the relevant programme handbook.
Section 2: Social Work and Social Work Education Reform
Practice learning is central to all social work education programmes and as a
regulated profession is at the forefront of current Government policy and reforms
which have also included changes in adult services and wider changes to health and
social care. The Social Work Reform Board, taking forward the Social Work Task
Force recommendations, through The College of Social Work (TCSW) proposed a
range of changes for Social Work education and practice, implemented from
September 2013.The reforms have been developed by listening to and working with
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), employers, practitioners, service users and
carers, students and researchers. These include:
• The implementation through TCSW of the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF). The Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) is an overarching professional standards framework, originally developed by the Social Work Reform Board. Since the closure of TCSW, the PCF is now managed and delivered by BASW.
• Role of Social Work England as the regulatory professional body for social
work.
• Increasing the role of partnerships with employers, service users and carers
• Strengthening the calibre of entrants to social work education
• Knowledge and Skills Statement for Social Workers in Adult Services (DoH,
2015) developed by the Chief Social Worker for Adult Services. There is
continued revision of expectations for Social Work in this sector.
• Knowledge and Skills Statement for Child and Family Social Work (DoH,
2018) developed by the Chief Social Worker for Children. There is continued
revision of expectations for Social Work in this sector.
• Arrangements for practice learning:
o A consistent model of 200 days’ practice learning which will include:
30 days for development of practice and professional skills
70 days first placement
100 days final placement.
Practice modules in years 2 and 3 of CCCU’s BA Social Work
programme
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Agreed thresholds for progression and outcomes which will
apply at the end of each placement and linked to the PCF.
Revised Practice Educator Professional Standards and
guidance
Students will undertake tasks to prepare them for statutory
interventions in the last placement.
The CCCU Social Work Practice Education Strategy
The social work practice education strategy includes:
• Preparation and support for students before and during placements, focusing
on taking responsibility for their own learning, making use of learning
opportunities and supervision, and integrating theoretical and experiential
learning;
• Tutor monitoring of students’ progress, with early response to difficulties and
identification of needs for extra support for student or placement;
• The linking of university tutors with specific placement clusters to build local
knowledge and consistent relationships over time;
• Thorough preparation, training and support for new and existing on-site
supervisors and off-site practice teachers through visits, training courses and
regular workshops in different locations;
• A focus within the training on: promoting adult learning; the nature of
supervision; linking of social work theory and values with practice; the
development of reflective and analytical skills and anti-oppressive practice
and the assessment and evaluation of practice.
• Provision of a Practice Education module which ensures a sufficient supply of
stage 1 and stage 2 practice educators. This can also be accessed as a
stand-alone module for practitioners wishing to develop their skills in
facilitating learning and assessment, thus enhancing the availability and
quality of practice placements and ensuring Practice Educators comply with
the recommendations of TCSW.
• Clear documentation and guidance for on-site supervisors, students and
tutors;
• Audit and evaluation of all placements using the Quality Assurance of Practice
Learning (QAPL) tools.
• Compilation of profiles of individual non-local authority placements, enabling
tutors, students and off-site practice teachers to gain prior knowledge of the
scope of placement settings and learning opportunities in order to plan
placements effectively;
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• Promotion of active local partnerships with statutory and non-statutory
employers and other HEIs, with shared responsibility for the allocation and
quality assurance of placements;
• Promotion of the involvement of people who use services and carers in the
learning and assessment of students in practice, in both placement and
university processes.
The Practice Panel
The Practice Panel is formed as part of the partnership arrangements between our
local employers and their practice educators (including representatives from the PVI
sector), programme staff, and service users and carers. Its role is to provide a
moderation process for the assessment of Readiness for Direct Practice and the first
and final placements. This function is carried out prior to the presentation of marks to
the programme exam boards. The role of the panel is to view a sample of student
work within their on-going portfolios, and give feedback to the programme team on
the consistency of practice assessment. This feedback will be used to inform action
points within annual programme reviews in the same way as the moderation of
academic modules. The panel also acts as a forum to raise issues of quality
assurance about the practice learning experience through monitoring of student and
service user evaluations and feedback which also inform annual programme review
reports.
Section 3: Professional issues and Preparation for Placement
This section aims to outline expectations of students in relation to their developing
professional identity during practice placements. Social work is an honourable
profession and as such, is underpinned by cross cutting professional values. These
values have been developed and agreed over time to protect the public and enhance
our reputation as a profession. They are required to be held by all those working in
the profession, teaching others to join the profession, and those on their learning
journey to enter the profession. They also have much in common with the values of
every other profession in this faculty as well as others (such as teachers and
psychologists), who are not taught directly alongside social work here but with whom
students may work alongside with on their placements. This section outlines
expectations of how these professional values apply during practice placements.
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Expectations of students during placements
Students are on a learning journey towards joining the profession and have
privileged contact with service users and carers through placement experiences.
Service users, carers and the public expect that students will be worthy of the trust
that is placed in them by:
• Making the care of people their first concern, treating them as
individuals and respecting their dignity
• Working with others to safeguard and promote the health and well-
being of those in their care, their families and carers, and the wider
community
• Providing a high standard of practice and care at all times
• Being open and honest, acting with integrity and upholding the
reputation of their profession
• Acting lawfully in both their professional and personal lives
Students are expected to familiarise themselves with the professional code in order
to fully apply the principles to their conduct and practice during their education
programme.
Equality and Diversity
Students are required to relate to service users, their carers and children, other
students, university and practice staff in a way that is compatible with the law relating
to Equality and Diversity in the UK (Equality Act 2010) and with the BASW
professional codes of practice. They are also entitled to be treated by those same
principles whilst on placement and in the university. During the social work
programme students will be taught and be given opportunities to reflect on any
challenges this may present.
Confidentiality
Students must familiarise themselves with both university, placement, and
government policies on confidentiality and the protection of personal data, and take
opportunities to learn how to deal with the challenges these may present. In
particular, students should never discuss service user confidential information with
anyone who does not have a legitimate reason to have such information, and should
always anonymise any identifying personal information relating to service users,
carers, and colleagues in their written work.
The learning agreement and front sheet should identify the type of work provided for
service users by the agency but should not include the name or other identifying
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details of the organisation. On any professional’s feedback forms remove any names
and email addresses, although profession can be kept in (e.g. describe someone as
‘health visitor’ or ‘social work assistant’). Observation forms should have the name of
the observer and their signature. Students should discuss any areas of uncertainty
with their Practice Educator.
You must not include any documents belonging to your placement agency in
your portfolio. This includes any assessment or reports.
Social networking (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
Please remember to use social networking sites responsibly and not to comment
about placement or anything that could break service user confidentiality. Also
please refrain from befriending staff members at your placement or service users/
carers/ family members as this is not appropriate. By all means enjoy using
‘Facebook’ socially but remember to do so wisely. You also need to think about how
you present yourself as a professional within your virtual identity.
Professional relationship boundaries
Students hold a position of power in relation to service users and carers and are
there to support those people and help them gain access to the resources they need.
This can only be done by maintaining appropriate personal boundaries with those
people and not entering into a social, business, romantic or sexual relationship with
them either during your placement or afterwards. Students should familiarise
themselves with SWE Professional Standards and law in this regard. However,
social work is a relationship-based profession and students will need to develop
skills and relational literacy to ensure that they do not become either too close or too
distant in their professional relationships with service users.
Accountability and responsibility
Part of being a professional is being aware of personal limitations. It is essential that
students do not undertake any intervention that has not been agreed with their
Practice Educator or on-site supervisor. As placements progress, students will need
to develop autonomy which will include working on their own with service users.
However, students remain accountable to their supervisor for the work they
undertake on practice placements.
Adherence to policies and procedures
Students must familiarise themselves with the relevant policies and procedures of
the placement setting including where applicable:
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• Health and Safety
• Dress code
• Infection control
• Record keeping
• Confidentiality and data protection
• Drug administration
• Moving and handling
• Lone working
• Mobile phones
• Smoking
• Immunization
• Timekeeping
• The use of IT equipment
• Whistle blowing
DBS clearance
DBS/Enhanced CRB clearance must be obtained prior to the first practice placement
or shadowing experience. Different placement settings have different arrangements
for ensuring that students meet their own internal requirements, and these do not
always rely on CCCU clearance. It is possible that students will need to undergo
further clearance by their placement organisation prior to their final placement.
Health Clearance
Health clearance must be received before students can commence placement. This
is obtained at the commencement of the course and review is only required if the
student has a prolonged absence due to health. Delays in being cleared will usually
delay commencement of placement.
Good Health and Good Character
Prior to the commencement of Years 1, 2 and 3 of the BA and Years 1 and 2 of the
MA, all students will be asked to sign a declaration of their Good Health and Good
Character through completion of a suitability form. Students should read this
document carefully prior to signing and ensure that they declare any changes in their
health or personal circumstances as indicated.
Good health is necessary to undertake practice as a social worker. Good health
means that a person must be capable of safe and effective practice without
supervision. It does not mean the absence of any disability or health condition. Many
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people with disabilities and those with long-term health conditions are able to
practice with or without adjustments to support their practice.
Good character is important as social workers must be honest and trustworthy.
Good character is based on a person’s conduct, behaviour and attitude. It also takes
account of any convictions and cautions that are not considered to be compatible
with professional registration and that might bring the profession into disrepute. A
person’s character must be sufficiently good for them to be capable of safe and
effective practice without supervision.
The University and our practice partners have a duty to ensure that only students
who meet their requirements for fitness to practice are recruited to and graduate
from the programme.
Accidents and incidents in practice
Students who are involved in accidents or incidents in practice that result in
organisational reporting mechanisms to be initiated must inform their placement
tutor. Copies of any incident/accident forms should be submitted to the personal tutor
for inclusion into the student file.
Raising and Escalating Complaints / Concerns within Practice Environments
This guidance advises staff and students of the process for raising and escalating
complaints and concerns from practice settings so that issues can be addressed
promptly and appropriately – working with our practice placement providers within an
ethos of Speak Up and All Feedback is Welcomed. Throughout all investigations
there will be a clear, transparent and confidential tracking process in place from initial
concern to formal resolution. The guidance is available on your Cohort Blackboard,
together with an ‘Alert Report’ – a form to record concerns. Please seek guidance
from your placement tutor, personal tutor or Programme Director about placement
concerns you may have.
Reasonable adjustments
The Faculty is committed to supporting students with additional needs in both the
University and Practice setting. Prior to commencing placement, if you have
additional needs that require a Learning Support Plan for your academic studies, you
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will also need a Placement Learning Support Plan. The guidelines for the process
followed can be found at the Student Support, Health, and Wellbeing website.
Section 4: Placement Arrangements
Student information – profile forms
All students are required to complete a profile form for each placement. For RDP
shadowing placements, the form is simplified to provide core details relating to
name, address, DBS number, driving status, education and experience, disability
needs and any possible conflicts. This form needs to be completed as soon as
possible to plan for shadowing opportunities for MA1 students and BA1 students.
Profile forms for 70-day and 100-day placements require students to complete the
above but also to reflect upon their development and needs in relation to the
descriptors for the relevant PCF level. These descriptors are available to students.
MA1 students need to complete these forms for their 70-day placements as soon as
they have completed their RDP shadowing placement. BA2 students, BA3 and MA2
students are expected to complete and email their profile form during the summer
before the academic year in which they are due to start their placement.
How placements are arranged
CCCU works in partnership with our main local statutory providers Kent County
Council and Medway Council to ensure that we are able to provide final placements
for students. This partnership has been developed alongside the University of Kent
and the Open University (who also provide social work education in this area). The
goal of the partnership is to promote the quality of social work practice education in
the provision of placements, quality of practice educator support and practitioner
input into module teaching.
Please note that our main statutory providers stipulate the need for students
to drive and have access to a vehicle – it is uncommon for a placement to be
available without this stipulation.
For the first placement or for statutory placements in the PVI sector (such as private
fostering agencies) we draw on our database of fully audited placement providers.
For students on the programmes who live outside of the Kent and Medway area we
have contacts with possible placement providers in both the statutory and PVI sector
in London, Essex and Surrey although statutory placements are subject to first
refusal by the universities providing social work education in those areas. This
makes it unlikely that we will secure placements with those local authorities.
Students are advised at the outset that they should expect to travel into Kent or
Medway for their placements.
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Factors affecting the provision of placements
Occasionally external factors affect placement allocation. For example, the number
of practice educators may be significantly reduced, the placement may be relocated
or re-organised. If this occurs, an action plan will be initiated by academic, placement
staff and the placement office team and you will be kept informed.
Requests for change of placements
Once placements have been allocated, changes will only be made in exceptional
circumstances. Requests to change placement must be discussed with the student’s
personal tutor. If, in a tutor’s judgement, the request needs to be followed up, they
should contact the placement lead. Further information can be found on Blackboard
under policies and guidelines. Examples of extenuating circumstances are:
• The student has a personal connection to the placement that was not known
about beforehand.
• A close relative currently works in the placement area.
• There has been a recent bereavement in the placement area.
• The student has recently been/or is undergoing treatment or receiving care or
support from the organisation.
• The student is involved in litigation with the placement area.
Placement travel
All students can expect to travel up to 1.5 hours to their placements to ensure that a
full range of experiences is achieved although the Placements Team will seek to
ensure that travel time from a student’s home areas is taken into account when
allocating placements.
Students will have an allowance towards the cost of travelling to and from
placements unless they do not meet Department of Health conditions such as
residency. However, it is the placement responsibility to agree travel costs and
reimbursements for students while undertaking placement activity and this is
discussed at the placement agreement meeting.
Motor Insurance and use of student’s own car on placement
Students should be aware that travel to placement is considered to be a commute
and should be covered by normal motor insurance – you are advised to confirm this
with your insurance company. If students are required to travel to another site or in
the community in their own transport this is considered a business journey and as
such requires business use insurance.
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Any student who has comprehensive insurance will find that requesting this change
to their policy is unlikely to incur an additional cost. It may cost extra for students
who have 3rd party insurance policies. Students undertaking journeys as part of their
placement work will be required by the placement to have business insurance in
place.
All students are required to have a UK, DVLA recognised driving licence. If you have
obtained your original licence abroad, you will need to check your eligibility for
driving in the UK.
Lone Working
Before making unaccompanied visits:
• The student must have worked under the supervision of the delegating practitioner so that safe delegating decisions can be made.
• Both student and Onsite Supervisor / PE should discuss the visit and explore anticipated issues to ensure the student is aware of the level of responsibility they are required to take, who to ask for assistance and who they should report to as well as ensuring that the student has the means to do so.
• Ensure that the student is aware of the feedback mechanisms that will take place following visits.
• Checks should be made that the student has current insurance for their transport for the activity planned.
• Any restriction on the use of own transport should be clarified.
• The placement / PE should ensure they have a mobile contact number for the student or the contact details of the service user that the student will be visiting.
Students must:
• Work within their level of understanding and competence and this must be congruent with the expectations outlined in their assessment of practice document.
• Not undertake any aspect of practice which they do not feel fully prepared for or for which they require further supervision.
• Be conversant and comply with the organisations Lone worker policy and other relevant policies such as ‘Health and Safety’ and ‘Risk management’.
• Confirm they have a UK DVLA recognised driving licence and business insurance for their own transport.
• Always notify their PE / onsite supervisor when going out on a visit, where they are going and when they expect to return.
• Carry the base telephone number with them in case of emergencies.
• Provide their supervisor with their mobile number and keep it turned on at all times. If the student does not have a mobile phone they should ensure the contact numbers of each of their planned visits is available at their base.
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Section 5: Placement Structure
Shadowing placements: The Assessment of Readiness for Direct Practice Prior
to undertaking the first placement students will need to be assessed and pass
Readiness for Direct Practice (RDP). BA students complete their shadowing
placement within the second semester of their first year; MA students complete their
shadowing placement in their first semester or beginning of the second semester of
their first year. The assessment criteria is in accordance with the PCF for this stage
and includes being able to demonstrate:
• Communication skills with service users, carers and children, and other
professionals.
• Awareness of social work values and own value base.
• Awareness of own biases and impact on working with diverse groups.
• Professional behaviour, basic knowledge of social work role and
context of social work practice.
• Skills in reflective practice.
• Awareness of the legislative framework of social work, including human
rights.
• Awareness of the knowledge base and models of intervention used in
social work.
Arrangements for the assessment of Readiness for Direct Practice (RDP)
Generic
Student enrolment on both the BA and MA programmes is subject to successful
health assessment, DBS checks and assessment of suitability for social work. For
most students this is a straightforward process completed by the start of the
programme or very soon after. A further part of the assessment of RDP requires the
undertaking of a shadowing placement in services. This involves observing a
qualified social worker in their day to day role. In agreement with our partners who
provide these shadowing opportunities, students will only be permitted to undertake
this once full clearance as indicated above has been confirmed. Students also need
to complete a shadowing profile form to be seen by the shadowing social worker,
signed off by their personal tutor.
The assessment of RDP is based on the principles of holistic assessment and
includes a range of activities such as time shadowing a social worker; observations
by that social worker of how students approach that opportunity; student reflections
on that experience; feedback from service users and carers; reflecting on a case
study within supervision; working with other students during the first module or
modules; and assessed academic work. Programme specific requirements are
outlined below.
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RDP is the start of the process when students gather evidence of their practice and
they must retain the RDP assessment report completed by their shadowing social
worker, including their own comments and those of their personal tutor. Their
portfolio of practice evidence builds from their RDP report and through their first and
final placements. These documents are an important record of learning and
development to then take into the first year of qualified practice and to inform the
Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE).
Documentation contained in the portfolio has been developed within the partnership
of Kent County Council, Medway Council, the University of Kent and the Open
University. The aim is to develop consistency across each organisation and where
possible, support this through shared or very similar documentation.
Programme specific
Although students across both our programmes have to achieve the same level of
Readiness for Direct Practice, taking account of the nine domains, each programme
has a different way of preparing and assessing students for this part of the
programme.
MA – students need to be assessed as ready for direct practice on a shadowing
placement with a registered social worker. Preparation sessions will take place in
their first term of study, including skills sessions. The shadowing placement
contributes directly to the counting of skills days and subsequent work, based on the
shadowing experience can also contribute to skills attainment.
BA – students will need to pass each module in year one and be assessed as ready
for direct practice by a registered social worker during a shadowing placement.
During this time students will be offered the opportunity to have skills sessions and
receive formative feedback prior to the final assessment of RDP. The shadowing
placement contributes directly to the counting of skills days and subsequent work,
based on the shadowing experience can also contribute to skills attainment.
Please see the relevant Programme Handbook and the Practice documentation for
further details of how students will be assessed for RDP.
Arrangements for First and Final placements
For each 70 or 100 day period of practice learning the student will be allocated a
practice educator (PE). The PE may be a member of staff within the placement
setting, or an off-site PE. Where the PE is off-site the student will also be assigned
an on-site supervisor within the placement. All students will be allocated a placement
tutor from the academic social work team for each placement. This person may also
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be your personal tutor or for MA students, their dissertation tutor but the role of
placement tutor is separate.
Placements are usually structured around 2 placement meetings:
Placement Meeting 1: The Placement Learning Agreement meeting (Appendix
6)
A placement learning agreement meeting takes place within 2 weeks of the start of
the placement. This meeting is to agree all aspects of the placement such as contact
details, supervision arrangements, hours of work, roles and expectations, and to
formalise these in a signed agreement. This meeting is coordinated by the
student and involves the student’s practice educator (PE), onsite supervisor (OSS),
if applicable and a university placement tutor (see proforma in Appendix 6). The
student is responsible for creating a final, typed Word version of the agreement and
circulation of this to all relevant parties. The student is responsible for completing
and circulating the final version of the document within one week of the agreement
meeting. A date for the Interim Review meeting should be agreed at the Initial
Meeting.
Placement Meeting 2: The Interim Review (Appendix 7)
The interim review is an opportunity to review a student’s progress on placement and
plan for learning opportunities in the second part of the placement. It is also a
chance to check that the placement is proceeding to everyone’s satisfaction. Using
the proforma (see Appendix 7) the PE and OSS provide written assessments of the
student’s progress to date. The meeting reviews positive progress and is also an
opportunity for any party to raise concerns about placement arrangements,
availability of learning opportunities, levels of demonstrated student capability, and to
agree changes that will address these concerns. The student ensures that they
complete their sections and that their PE and OSS (if applicable) has the document
in good time for them to include their assessment comments. In addition to this, the
student must ensure that portfolio work is available for their placement tutor to view
and for discussion at the meeting (for the 70 day placement: one direct observation
and 1 reflective account, with comments and sign off by their PE; for the 100 day
placement: one direct observation, one reflective account and one process recording
with comments and sign off by their PE – see details in Appendix 7 and checklist for
details. As part of the direct observation, the PE will have obtained service user /
carer feedback. A date for submission of the student portfolio to the PE and
confirmation of submission date to the university should be agreed at this meeting.
If there are concerns about a student’s level of capability, a written action plan MUST
be developed (see Appendix 12) to allow a student to have a clear idea of any
20
concerns, how the student can address the concerns, and how the student will be
supported by the placement to do so. If concerns have been identified by the PE
before that point, they should complete a written plan with the student outlining
concerns and plans for resolution and review. See below for further guidance on
concerns on placement.
Similar to the placement learning agreement meeting, the student is responsible for
circulating the final copy of the record of the interim meeting to all relevant parties.
Supervision (Appendix 16)
A core component of the practice placement is supervision provided to identify,
promote, and reflect on learning opportunities in placement. Supervision notes
should be kept by students and Practice Educators and 2 agreed and signed off
records of supervision between the student and the PE need to be included in the
practice portfolio. In addition, Practice Educators should keep a record of all
supervision dates. Practice Educators are required to provide 1.5 hours of
supervision for every 5 placement days. Where there is an offsite PE and OSS,
supervision alternates between them. Some joint (3 – way) supervision sessions
should be held to promote clarity of roles and consistency in feedback to students. If
the student is placed with a Practice Educator Candidate (PEC - a qualified social
worker undertaking practice education training at stage 1 or stage 2), the PEC is
responsible for the majority of supervision with oversight and support by the PE who
is required to provide the final recommendation and sign-off for the student. A social
worker who has completed successfully their Stage 1 training does not require PE
oversight, recommendation and sign-off for a first placement (70-day) student.
Direct Observation (Appendix 9)
Observation of a student’s direct work with service users and carers forms an
important source of information about student progress in relation to the PCF. During
the course of the 70 day practice learning opportunity, a minimum of 2 direct
observations (DO’s) of the student’s practice must take place: for the 100 day
placement there should be a minimum of 3. The Practice Educator must formally
observe a student’s direct work with service users and carers on a minimum of 2
occasions each placement. The remaining direct observation can be delegated to
other colleagues (qualified social workers), as appropriate. All DO’s should be of
direct face to face practice with service users or carers. Telephone calls and
presentations to team meetings may be useful for informal feedback on student
progress, but may not count as one of the required direct observations. The student
must obtain the explicit agreement of the service user / carer for the observer to be
present. Observations should be spaced within the placement to gain maximum
21
benefit from feedback. One observation must take place with paperwork completed
before the midway review meeting.
DO’s must be jointly planned in supervision before the observation takes place. The
written plan is included as part 1 of the proforma, and should be completed by the
student before the observation. As part of the observation the observer will seek to
gain feedback from the service user / carer about the student’s observed session
with them and any other relevant feedback. This should be recorded in the
section within the DO form. The observer should provide the student with verbal
feedback as soon as possible after the observation and indicate to the student
whether or not they have passed. Following the observation the student should
complete part 2 of the proforma and pass this to the observer who should then
complete part 3 of the proforma as soon as possible and share this with the student.
The student will then complete their written response to the feedback in part 4 of the
proforma. This must be done before any further DO’s take place as it is important
for the student to learn from the feedback gained so that they can bring this learning
to the subsequent observation.
Please use this proforma for all DO’s. In the event of a fail at the first attempt, the first Direct Observation can be repeated.
The failed observation should also be included in the portfolio as this can be used as
evidence to show how the student has progressed on their second attempt.
Subsequent DO’s must be passed.
There is no specific word limit on the DO, but students should bear in mind that the
information they include should be relevant, clear and succinct. Students are not
expected to use references in the DO, and if they do, these must be relevant to the
actual piece of practice. If students do use references they are expected to do this in
the same way as in academic work (i.e. to cite in the text where necessary and to
include full references at the end of each DO).
Direct observations must be different pieces of work to those used for other portfolio
items. Onsite supervisors for 70 day placements can complete paperwork for
informal direct observations as part of their contribution towards the student learning
but PEs must complete a minimum of 2 direct observations to be included in the
practice portfolio.
Process Recording (Appendix 10)
Process recording is an important way to develop skills in a number of areas
including self-awareness, emotional intelligence, communication skills, and social
work knowledge. Students completing their 70 day placement are required to
complete one (1) process recording during their placement. Students completing
their 100 day placement are required to complete two (2) process recordings during
their placement. A pro forma is provided to guide students and practice educators in
undertaking process recordings. Process recordings can be used in various ways,
22
for example, in supervision discussions to help students identify existing and
developing skills and capabilities. They can also be used as prompts for reflective
work, and are an important tool for linking theory to practice.
Students choose an interaction to process record in discussion with their PE to
identify the purpose and learning goals for the recording. As soon as possible after
the interaction, students record word for word the conversation, focussing on what
they believe were the key moments in the interaction in column 1. Alongside the
verbatim conversation, in column 2, students record their thoughts and feelings and
how these influenced their practice. Finally, in column 3, students explore relevant
social work knowledge, skills, and values that they were consciously or
unconsciously using during the interaction and how this impacted the interaction.
After recording in these 3 columns, students should identify a plan for further
intervention and follow up. Process recordings do not need references. PE’s provide
comments for Process Recordings and record a Pass/Fail outcome.
Reflective Case Summaries (Appendix 11)
During the placement experience students completing their 70 day placement are
required to complete two (2) 1,000 word (maximum) reflective case summaries.
Students completing their 100 day placement are required to complete three (3)
1,000 word (maximum) reflective case summaries. All details which could identify
service users and carers must be anonymised. Case summaries may relate to work
with individuals, families, groups or communities. Detailed factual information and
description of events are not required for these summaries. References must be
included and a bibliography completed for each summary.
A reflective case summary is a written piece of work which demonstrates a student’s
ability to reflect on and learn from their practice experiences through engagement
with information drawn from a range of sources. Reflective case summaries also
enable students to clearly identify ways in which their practice and subsequent
reflections link with the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF). Each reflective
case summary will follow the same headings:
Brief circumstances of initial involvement
• A statement confirming that all details have been anonymised.
• The context for your agency’s involvement and any significant issues.
• A brief (there is a maximum word count) explanation of the case and the reasons you were involved. If you choose a particularly complex case e.g. a large family or network or a situation involving long-term involvement you could choose to focus on one particular aspect of your work, for example, your work with specific family members or the process of making a significant decision.
23
Your involvement Explain your assessment and planning.
• What was your interpretation of the issues and what knowledge, skills and values informed this? You will need to analyse these, thinking about why you worked in this particular way with this particular situation at this particular time.
• What legislation, local and national policies and procedures, research and evidence helped you to develop your thinking?
• Was there a particular theoretical approach you used? If so, was this because it was the most appropriate for the case or the most appropriate for you?
• Did you use a particular skill because you felt confident in using it or because it was encouraged by your supervisor?
• What values were you using? How did you involve the service user and place them at the centre of the intervention?
Evaluation and review
• What was the outcome for you, for the agency and for the service user? Was this expected?
• Were your aims and assessment accurate and were your methods effective? Consider how you have evaluated this and how the service user was able to express their views on your involvement.
• What did you learn from this for your personal/ professional development? Evidencing PCF Domains / KSS
Here you will be identifying where you have demonstrated relevant PCF domains. A
column is available in the appendix to indicate which domain has been addressed.
For final placement students, they should also indicate working towards
Knowledge and Skills (KSS) attainment for their practice setting.
Your PE will provide comments for your reflective account and assess it on a Pass /
Fail basis.
Critical Reflection on Service User and Carer feedback (500 words) (Appendix
12)
To inform this account, your Practice Educator will have obtained feedback from
service user / carers as part of their direct observation of an intervention you
undertook with the service user / carer and recorded this on the direct observation
form. If it is not possible for your PE to do this, you will need to obtain your own
24
feedback – please discuss the format for this with your PE. Ensure that this account
is anonymised.
Professional feedback and analysis / reflection upon this feedback (up to 500
words) (Appendix 13)
Please provide two records of written professional feedback collected during your
placement. Provide details of their profession (use a permanent marker to delete any
identifying details) Students should consider which areas they wish to gather feedback
(e.g. advocacy, communication, assessment, intervention) so that the professional can
focus their comments appropriately. The student is required to reflect upon the
feedback, identifying relevant PCF domains met and learning for future practice.
Assessment in placement
Practice assessment forms a significant part of the programme for BA and MA
students. It is therefore essential that assessment of practice is comprehensive and
robust to ensure students are safe in their practice and the safety of the public is
guaranteed. The student portfolio consists of the relevant HART, including the
assessment report from the Practice Educator, feedback from the student on their
placement experience and PE analysis and joint completion of domain sections by
the student and PE. Direct Observation forms, reflective accounts, process
recording(s) and other required assessment tasks (see Contents Grid, appendix 1a
and 1b) provide supportive evidence for attainment. There are additional forms to
record core aspects such as confirmation of days completed, supervision sessions,
confidentiality and consent. These forms can be found in the separated appendices.
Students undertake a formative (interim) and a summative (end of placement)
assessment of practice. Any Action Plans developed are a key part of formative
assessment and checking student development and should be included in student
portfolios. The final assessment is due for submission to coincide with the end of the
placement and a date for final submission to the Practice Educator should be agreed
at the interim review. Students are therefore advised to work on their submission
throughout the duration of their placement and to discuss possible evidence in
weekly supervision sessions. The university recommends that students in 70 day
and 100 day placements are allowed approximately 3 to 3.5 hours of placement time
to work on their portfolio (reduced if students are completing on a part-time basis of
2/3 days/week).
It is important that students thoroughly check their portfolio for any data that
might breach the confidentiality of service users or services. Students who
have not given due regard to this imperative may receive a failing mark. In addition,
25
agency procedures and/or university procedures may be invoked if this is warranted
in terms of breaches of confidentiality and student fitness to practice.
Students are assessed for their capability in all aspects of practice, including direct
work with service users and carers, written work in the agency and portfolio, their
professional conduct in relation to colleagues, and adherence to agency policy and
procedure. For a student to receive a passing mark, Practice Educators must make a
professional judgement that a student has achieved the required capability in relation
to the PCF.
All elements must be completed successfully to pass the practice placement.
If a placement is not passed the student may be allowed a reassessment placement,
in the same or a different agency, unless there are concerns that the student’s
practice or behaviour is damaging or unsafe to service users or others.
Students are allowed one (1) opportunity for a reassessment placement, if agreed by
the Practice Panel.
The framework to support assessment of practice
Social work students’ practice will be assessed directly by PEs who will be
responsible for making pass or not passed recommendations. Once completed, the
assessment and recommendation of the Practice Educator is then presented to the
Practice Panel followed by the relevant programme Exam Board for ratification.
The overall assessment of practice is underpinned and supported within the
following framework:
Practice learning guidance
Practice Learning Handbook
TCSW Guidance
Practice Learning Agreement
Transparent assessment criteria The PCF and associated
assessment criteria
Consistency of assessment
between PEs
Processes to train and prepare
Practice Assessors including
benchmarking or standardisation
of assessment using case studies
of failing or borderline student
practice
Processes to respond to
difficulties on practice placements
Practice Learning Handbook
Practice Learning Agreement
Interim Review Meeting
26
Written plan between PE and
student
Action planning
Flowchart of student progress
concerns, including student
performance and any issues
concerning placement
opportunities, significant events
relating to the placement.
Raising and Escalating Concerns
Process
A process to moderate the
assessment of student learning
Moderation process of practice
portfolios
External Examiner views a sample
of practice portfolios
Practice Panel
A process to support students with
additional needs and who need
reasonable adjustments
Discussion at the PLA meeting
and review at the interim, mid-way
meeting. For students with more
complex needs, a Placement
Learning Support Plan (PLSP)
should be completed prior to the
placement involving the student,
disability support services and the
personal tutor. This plan is
provided to the placement and PE.
A process of reviewing practice
placements and the quality of
learning offered
Student evaluation
PE evaluation
CCCU placement audits
Practice Panel
A process of appeal against a
process error in assessment
CCCU appeal process
Assessment documentation
This is contained in the Appendices, available separately to the placement and on
the student’s Blackboard. This includes guidance as well as reference copies of the
Holistic Assessment Report Template and other relevant documents. Students will
be given further guidance through practice preparation workshops prior to
commencing placements.
27
There is a format for completion of the portfolio and students should adhere to this.
The portfolio is not meant to capture all of the work undertaken by a student on
placement but requires students to select key pieces of work that demonstrate their
knowledge and capabilities in relation to the PCF and for 100-day placements,
working towards the KCC for their service user group. Another purpose of the
portfolio is to identify future learning needs, which is a collaborative process between
students and Practice Educators.
It is crucial that when completing practice assessment documentation all aspects of
the documentation are completed, dated appropriately and signed where indicated,
otherwise the paperwork will be considered incomplete and returned to the practice
area to have paperwork resigned.
Submission of the Portfolio
When the placement is completed, it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the
completed portfolio, including all signatures, written confirmation of 70/100 days
completed, and placement evaluation form is submitted to the university by the
deadline provided.
Whilst access to the Canterbury campus is restricted, placement portfolios are to be
submitted via Turnitin within the following modules on BlackBoard:
2020-21 (S2) Placement/HART Assessment (MSWHF0HRT) (MA students only)
2020-21 (S1) Practice 2 (MSWHT2PRA) (BA19 students only)
2020-21 (S2) Practice 3 (MSWHT3PRA) (BA18 students only)
Details of how to submit your portfolios are detailed within the above modules, both
in written form and Recap videos.
The final submission dates for portfolios are detailed within the above modules under
Key Dates; however, MA19 students are able to submit their placement portfolios
within a submission window from 2nd November to 7th December 2020.
Portfolios must be organised in the order set out in appendix 1a / 1b and must be submitted by the submission date. The portfolio is then checked by the Placement Tutor and quality assured at the University as part of Practice Panel processes. A final mark is confirmed at the programme examination board.
28
Attendance and Hours of Work
Students are required to complete and document the set number of full days on their
placement and shadowing experiences as specified in their programme/pathway
handbook.
The university does not stipulate set hours of work for students for each placement
day. As a guideline, students will work at least a seven-hour day. In some
placements it may be appropriate for students to follow the same working patterns as
staff in the agency. Actual working hours for each student should be agreed at the
Practice Learning Agreement meeting, taking into account the needs of the student,
the agency and service users. Where work needs to continue beyond agreed hours
appropriate time off in lieu (TOIL) should be negotiated and taken as soon as
possible. Students should not accrue excessive amounts of TOIL.
Students will need to make up any days lost through absence in order to complete
the required number of days. This should be negotiated and agreed with your PE
and placement tutor.
Placement days are counted as full calendar days and so it is not possible to
complete the equivalent of the required number of days by undertaking additional
hours on fewer days.
Students may not work more than 48 hours per week in line with the Working Time
Directive, averaged over a 17 week period. If students are undertaking the
programme on a full time basis they should consider whether any paid work in
addition to study brings them into conflict with this directive. For this purpose full time
study is regarded as 37.5 hours per week whether in university, on placement, on a
study day or a combination of each in any given week.
Students are permitted 3 – 3.5 hours per week in negotiation with their PE / onsite to
complete reflective work or work that is directly related to placement (e.g. completion
of the HART). This level is adjusted for those undertaking placement on a part-time
basis. This represents approximately half a day and cannot be accumulated except
in exceptional circumstances. The time should be recorded as part of a full
placement day. Please note that any timetabled attendance at university for module
learning cannot be counted as a placement day.
Students are responsible for obtaining confirmation of completion of the required
number of days for each placement (appendix 17). This is necessary in order for the
student to pass the placement and for the placement to receive the placement fee. It
is the student’s responsibility to obtain initialled confirmation for each week of
their placement and full signature confirmation of 70 / 100 days completed at
29
the end of their placement.
Reporting absence
Any student who has a period of sickness during their placement experience must
inform their placement area and Practice Educator and email the placements
administrator ([email protected]) so that relevant members of academic
staff can be informed.
Unauthorised absence
Unauthorised absence, which is not sick leave, is considered to be unprofessional
behaviour that reflects negatively on the student in terms of their professional values
and respect for the team they are working with.
Any unauthorised absence must be reported immediately to the Placements Office
by placement staff. They will inform academic staff and the absence will be
documented on the student’s attendance record.
Lateness and poor time keeping is also considered poor professional behaviour and
will be taken into account during the assessment process.
Students should be aware that this form of unprofessional conduct could lead to a
fail in practice, referral to Fitness to Practice panel or disciplinary action in University.
Holidays/Annual Leave
University holiday weeks are pre-set at the start of the programme and can be found
in the programme/pathway handbook. For social work students these holiday times
are designed to provide a break in between each academic term and are published
in advance on the university website to enable students to plan their holidays. It is
expected that students will plan their schedules on placement in line with the
planned university holiday times, except in exceptional circumstances which should
be negotiated with placement.
Compassionate Leave
If a student receives distressing news during their placement, the Practice Educator should do their best to ensure the student gets home safely. They must also inform the Placement Lead and the student must contact their personal tutor to discuss compassionate leave arrangements.
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Section 6: Placement Concerns
Student concerns about their placement or Practice Educator
Occasionally, concerns may arise for students during their placements, ranging from
minor worries to more extreme cases such as potential bullying or discrimination.
• In the first instance the student should (unless this is not appropriate) raise
issues directly with the PE or on-site supervisor and try and resolve any
difficulties together.
• If at any stage of the placement a difficulty arises for a student that is not
easily resolvable or is causing concern for the student, the student should
notify the relevant university placement tutor at the first opportunity. If
appropriate, the tutor will liaise with the Practice Lead.
• There is a flow chart for responding to concerns in placement which may
relate to the learning opportunities available or behaviour by staff
members on placement – please refer to the chart on page 36 for
guidance on processes.
• The Practice Learning Unit has a process for students to report concerns
(Raising and Escalating concerns) through completion of an Alert form. It
is expected that the student will seek advice from their placement tutor /
university team about this process and plans to instigate it.
• Where concerns relate to potential discrimination, bullying or harassment a
plan will be agreed which may involve removal of the student from the
placement, or offering the student an alternative placement, or
implementing alternative means of addressing the issues and supporting
the student. The process for Practice Placement Concerns will be
followed.
• Concerns expressed by students during placements or in their evaluation
forms will be raised with placement providers during or following the
completion of the placement, as appropriate, by the Practice Education
Lead.
Agency or PE concerns about student performance or behaviour
Concerns about student’s progress or capacity to achieve the required level of
practice
Initially these should be discussed with the student in supervision, and the
discussion recorded within the supervision notes. Many issues may be resolved over
time through discussion and the provision of feedback, guidance, support and
informal action planning. Informal action planning should be considered through the
completion of a written plan between the student and the PE, setting out concerns
31
and agreed plans to resolve within a timeframe (see Student’s Progress Concerns
flow chart at the end of this section).
If minor concerns persist, or a substantial concern arises, or there is a possibility the
student may fail particular domains:
• The student should be made aware of any concerns and an accurate
record kept of supervision discussions. Failed domains or concerns must
not come as a surprise to students at the end of a placement.
• The PE should notify the university placement tutor as early as possible.
• The PE, student and placement tutor should draw up an Action Plan. This
would normally take place following discussion at the interim meeting (half
way point of placement) but a meeting can be called before this if earlier
concerns have been identified which have not been resolved through the
written plan between the PE and the student. The action plan should
clearly specify:
o What the observed problem or concern is.
o What evidence of progress or achievement the student needs to
demonstrate in order to achieve a pass recommendation.
o Any extra support or learning opportunities to be provided for the
student
o Clear timescales for work to be completed or reviewed.
o Reviewing date for the plan
• The plan should be recorded in writing, signed and dated by the student,
PE (and on-site supervisor if applicable) and tutor, and a copy given to
each.
• A copy should be included in the student portfolio (see guidance and
template).
• The placement tutor should inform the Placement Lead and
Pathway/Programme Director.
Concerns about a student’s behaviour
The PE should notify the relevant university placement tutor as soon as possible of
any concern about a student’s behaviour and should keep a written record of any
incidents or concerns.
Minor concerns may need to be dealt with via the University Code of Student
Professional Conduct. If so, the Programme/Pathway Director will investigate and
take action using the procedure, maintaining appropriate documentation and
communication.
32
Where major concerns are identified a decision will be made as to whether the
Faculty Student Fitness to Practise Panel (SFTPP) procedure will be followed.
If the placement provider wishes to terminate the placement (see flow chart)
In exceptional circumstances, a placement provider may wish to terminate the
placement. It should be recognised that placement providers enter into a contract
with the university to provide appropriate learning opportunities, supervision and
assessment for students to fulfil the requirements for Social Work training, for the full
duration of the placement, in return for the daily placement fee. Lack of
competence / potential failure of placement is not usually a reason for
terminating a student’s placement unless there is clear evidence that this has
been damaging to service users. The university works in partnership with
placement providers and will offer advice and support when problems arise. The flow
chart should be followed to provide a process for managing concerns. If a placement
has to end prematurely, the PE and on-site supervisor are responsible for providing
an assessment of the student up to that point. It is essential that all students are
assessed fairly. Clear, verifiable evidence is needed to determine whether or not a
student has reached the required level to pass.
This process should be followed:
o In the first instance the manager of the agency should liaise with the
Placement Tutor. A meeting should take place, in accordance with the
steps of the Placements Concerns flow chart.
o For serious misconduct issues the placement may be terminated at any
time with a Termination Meeting taking place with a student, PT and
PE. Any intention to withdraw a placement needs to be stated in
writing, and the reason(s) provided. In these instances, Student Fitness
to Practice procedures may be commenced. If a placement wishes to
terminate or suspend a student from placement, this should be agreed
with the university and a neutral withdrawal of placement agreed
between the university and the placement. The neutral withdrawal has
to be sought by the Programme Director and agreed by the Head of
School.
o If a placement ends prematurely the PE (and on-site supervisor if
applicable) is responsible for assessing the student up to the point of
the placement ending. This includes verifying evidence provided by the
student and adding/providing comments regarding the student’s
progress and achievement. This is important to determine the level that
the student has reached in terms of their progress on placement and
33
will be used to assess next steps such as reassessment offer of a
placement and number of days required for this.
o Any ending of a placement should be planned and managed as well as
possible to enable the student to finish the placement constructively
and minimise any disruption to service users.
Reassessment of placement
When a placement is not passed the student may be allowed a reassessment
placement, in the same or a different agency, unless there are concerns that the
student’s practice or behaviour is damaging or unsafe to service users or others.
Students are only permitted one opportunity for a reassessment placement. This
opportunity will usually take place at the time the next cohort are due to start their
70- or 100-day placement.
Termination of Training
There may be rare occasions when it is necessary to terminate a student’s training.
The procedures that govern this form part of the university student disciplinary and
professional conduct procedures.
Student withdrawing from their placement
There are repercussions for students unilaterally withdrawing from their placement.
They may feel that they cannot remain but need to discuss this immediately with
their placement tutor / Practice Lead and Programme Director. The student will be
expected to follow the processes within the flow chart. If a placement ends suddenly
due to the student unilaterally withdrawing without following the process, this is likely
to result in an automatic failure of the placement. The student is expected to attend a
subsequent meeting with support from the university to discuss the situation.
34
Process for Student’s Progress Concerns
PLAN FAILS
PE discusses concerns with student and
completes a written plan setting out concerns
and plans for resolution with a timescale
(usually 4 weeks). PE advises PT and emails
them a copy of the plan.
PE and PT discussion and decide whether an Action Plan meeting is necessary. If yes,
Student, PE and PT meet and a FORMAL Action Plan is instigated. This may coincide
with the midway review date but can take place at any point. The ALPE must be informed
to determine if they or a member of the Placements Team needs to attend.
Meeting is recorded and copies of the Action Plan are kept by all parties (see appendix 8).
This usually a 4-week plan with a review date.
For serious misconduct issues the
placement may be terminated at any
time with a Termination Meeting taking
place with a student, PT and PE - In
these instances Suitability for Practice
Procedures may be commenced.
Complete referral for assessment and
recommendations usually within 2
weeks. A member of the Placements
Team will make an assessment of the
situation.
It may be appropriate for the
placement to be suspended at this
point.
Successful
Outcome
Recommendation discussed with Practice Panel Members for internal verification prior to
recommendation to the Assessment Board
Successful
Outcome
OPTIONS IF ACTION PLAN FAILS (usually discussed at review date)
(usually determined
Suspension of Placement (Example: Placement disruption / untenable
relationships)
Intervention if little or no
progress / disagreement on
progress (Example: If little of no progress made
and/ or disagreements emerge)
Action Plan Extension / Further
Action Plan
(Example: If some progress has been
made)
Successful
Outcome
Suspension
Meeting
Possibility of FAIL
Recommendation.
Consideration of further
placement or end of
placement
Key: PE = Practice Educator PT = Placement Tutor
ALPE = Academic Lead for Social Work Practice Education
PE discusses concerns with student and
completes a written plan setting out concerns
and plans for resolution with a timescale
(usually 4 weeks). PE advises PT and emails
them a copy of the plan.
PE and PT discussion and decide whether an Action Plan meeting is necessary. If yes,
Student, PE and PT meet and a FORMAL Action Plan is instigated. This may coincide
with the midway review date but can take place at any point. The ALPE must be informed
to determine if they or a member of the Placements Team needs to attend.
Meeting is recorded and copies of the Action Plan are kept by all parties (see appendix 8).
This usually a 4-week plan with a review date.
For serious misconduct issues the
placement may be terminated at any
time with a Termination Meeting taking
place with a student, PT and PE - In
these instances Suitability for Practice
Procedures may be commenced.
Complete referral for assessment and
recommendations usually within 2
weeks. A member of the Placements
Team will make an assessment of the
situation.
It may be appropriate for the
placement to be suspended at this
point.
Successful
Outcome
Recommendation discussed with Practice Panel Members for internal verification prior to
recommendation to the Assessment Board
Successful
Outcome
OPTIONS IF ACTION PLAN FAILS (usually discussed at review date)
(usually determined
Suspension of Placement (Example: Placement disruption / untenable
relationships)
Intervention if little or no
progress / disagreement on
progress (Example: If little of no progress made
and/ or disagreements emerge)
Action Plan Extension / Further
Action Plan
(Example: If some progress has been
made)
Successful
Outcome
Suspension
Meeting
Possibility of FAIL
Recommendation.
Consideration of further
placement or end of
placement
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NB: Incidents of a student exiting themselves from placement without following the said
procedures will generally result in an automatic fail of the practice placement module.
Recommendation discussed with Practice Panel Members for
internal verification prior to recommendation to the Assessment
Board
Process for Practice Placement Concerns
Concerns about quality of placement opportunities, PEs, Onsite supervisors (OSS) or serious
issues of misconduct by staff impacting on student or service users / carers
Formal complaint made
to agency through
agency procedures.
PE, OSS, PT and student meet to
discuss concerns to seek resolution,
meeting recorded and Action Plan
agreed
Placement Tutor to complete referral for assessment and
recommendations within 2 weeks. Discussion with student
about completion of Alert Form which is forwarded to the
Practice Learning Unit (PLU).
A member of the Social Work Placements Team will make an
assessment of the situation. It may be appropriate for the
placement to be suspended at this point. If an Alert Form has
been completed, discussion will take place with the PLU.
Placements Team involved to audit
Placement/PE for future use
PLAN
CHANGE
PLAN NO
CHANGE
Successful
Outcome
Process for Practice Placement Concerns
Concerns about quality of placement opportunities, PEs, Onsite supervisors (OSS) or serious
issues of misconduct by staff impacting on student or service users / carers
Formal complaint made
to agency through
agency procedures.
PE, OSS, PT and student meet to
discuss concerns to seek resolution,
meeting recorded and Action Plan
agreed
Placement Tutor to complete referral for assessment and
recommendations within 2 weeks. Discussion with student
about completion of Alert Form which is forwarded to the
Practice Learning Unit (PLU).
A member of the Social Work Placements Team will make an
assessment of the situation. It may be appropriate for the
placement to be suspended at this point. If an Alert Form has
been completed, discussion will take place with the PLU.
Placements Team involved to audit
Placement/PE for future use
PLAN
CHANGE
PLAN NO
CHANGE
Successful
Outcome
36
Raising and escalating Complaints / Concerns within Practice Environments
This guidance advises staff and students of the process for raising and escalating
complaints and concerns from practice settings so that issues can be addressed
promptly and appropriately – working with our practice placement providers within an
ethos of Speak Up and All Feedback is Welcomed. Throughout all investigations
there will be a clear, transparent and confidential tracking process in place from initial
concern to formal resolution. The guidance is available on your Cohort Blackboard,
together with an ‘Alert Report’ – a form to record concerns. Please seek guidance
from your placement tutor, personal tutor or Programme Director about placement
concerns you may have.
Section 7: The Professional Capabilities Framework and its role in
practice placements (Please note revised PCF, BASW, 2018)
https://www.basw.co.uk/professional-development/professional-capabilities-
framework-pcf
The Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) sets out the profession’s
expectations of what social workers should be able to do at each stage of their
career and professional development. The new PCF (2018) groups the domains into
three overarching goals - to identify specific PCF domains within ‘Purpose’, ‘Practice’
and ‘Impact’ ‘super-domains’.
The PCF provides a common basis for the profession to exercise judgment about the
quality of practice in a wide range of contexts and at different levels. One of its key
uses will be in the holistic assessment of students on placement and at the point of
entry to the profession, but it has many other uses as well – for example, career
progression, continued professional development (CPD), supervision and appraisal
systems.
Given the significance of learning and development at the early stages of
professional development, there is a comprehensive set of expectations for the
qualifying level of social work. These have been developed further and broken down
into capabilities and thresholds for progression for each of the assessment points
during a student’s training:
• Readiness for direct practice
• End of first placement
• End of final placement
Copies of the relevant thresholds can be found on the Blackboard for each cohort at
RDP, end of 70-day placement and end of final, 100 day placement.
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Social Work England Professional Standards
Passing the last placement will not in itself provide sufficient evidence of having met
the PCF capabilities at qualifying level as a whole; other assignments will be used to
test aspects of the framework, notably the knowledge requirements and whether the
student is gaining the skills to meet Social Work England’s professional standards,
see link here.
Knowledge and Skills Statements (available on cohort blackboards)
For statutory placements, knowledge and skills statements have been provided by
the Department of Education (for Child and Family Social Work, 2018) and the
Department of Health (for Adult Services, 2015) These statements set out the
required knowledge and skills that a qualified social worker in either of these settings
should be able to demonstrate. Students should be aware of these requirements as
they progress to qualified status - for final placements, evidence of working towards
KSS requirements should be indicated by students and their PE in documents,
where indicated.
Definition of holistic assessment for social work
Holistic assessment is used where learning or performance objectives are inter-
related and complex and the extent of learning or performance are measured against
established standards. This approach is particularly relevant to social work,
especially with the setting of standards at different career levels through the
Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) - the development of professional
judgement and expertise can be assessed as a whole to reflect the complexity of
social work practice. Throughout their career, social work students and practitioners
need to demonstrate integration of all aspects of learning, including knowledge and
experience in terms of the PCF, and be able to generalise and transfer their learning
to untaught applications. Where learning or performance objectives are complex, the
judgement of the assessor is considered central in making a holistic decision about
the quality of performance.
The principles of holistic assessment
Social work practice is a complex activity, requiring the interplay of knowledge, skills
and values, as exemplified by the PCF. It comprises nine domains that are
interdependent, not separate; they interact in professional practice, so there are links
between the capabilities, and many circumstances will be relevant to more than one
capability.
38
Understanding what a social worker does will only be realised by taking into account
all nine capabilities. Similarly, it is important that assessment of progression should
be made holistically: neither the nine domains nor the capability statements set for
each level should be evaluated in isolation from each other.
These principles are translated into the assessment process by ensuring that:
• Assessment is progressive over a period of time (e.g. initial qualifying
placement) leading to effective summative assessment.
• Assessment is consistent with the appropriate PCF level descriptor,
and includes sufficiency and depth of evidence across all nine
domains.
• Individual capability statements provide details of expectations for each
domain, and identify gaps, areas of development or concerns.
• The assessment process and judgement is trustworthy, reliable and
transparent including the use of triangulated evidence and audit trails.
• Evidence includes the ability to reflect critically, including reference to
different types and sources of knowledge and research.
• The student contributes evidence for assessment but the professional
judgement of sufficiency must be made by the Practice Educator.
Theory and Practice links
Although there are two essential themes to the programme, theory and practice, it is
essential that the two combine symbiotically to ensure that neither is more dominant
than another. Theoretical assignments are based on the analysis of practice issues
and practice requires study of relevant knowledge to underpin practice competence.
Students undertake a theoretical assessment for their academic work which can be
assessed through a variety of tasks. These can include examinations, case
scenarios, presentations and written assignments.
It is likely that students will be working on theoretical assessments throughout each
placement learning opportunity and it is important to note that time out of placement
to either work on these assessments in the library or submit first or resubmission
assignments usually IS NOT permitted and any time spent in this way cannot be
claimed against practice days. Students are permitted 3 – 3.5 hours per week in
negotiation with their PE / onsite to complete reflective work or work that is
directly related to placement (e.g. completion of the HART). If a student is
completing their placement on a part-time basis, the time applies to every 5
placement days completed. The 3.5 hours should not be accumulated.
39
Service Users and Carers and meeting PCF requirements
The updated PCF (2018) has incorporated greater reference to requirements
involving service users and carers in practice. The University has worked closely
with service users and carers to seek their views on the social workers of the future.
An outcome of this ongoing consultation is that students benefit from their feedback
in the practice setting, as well as within the development of the classroom
curriculum. Therefore, service users from all pathways and their families (as
appropriate) will now be able, with appropriate informed consent, to give students
feedback in their summative assessment. This feedback will form a key piece of the
student portfolio, a critical reflection on service user and carer feedback, which will
be linked to the PCF assessment.
Section 8: Covid-19 guidance
As a result of the current Covid-19 restrictions, Social Work England advises that a
flexible approach can be adopted in order for all students to fully demonstrate the
SWE professional standards and programme requirements for practice learning. This
is an approach that the CCCU social work team is keen to support.
The following exceptional circumstances will result in a review in the number of
placement days required:
1. If the learning opportunities become too limited in your current placement, or if
your supervision is impacting on service delivery, or the organisation
suspends placement because of their capacity to support student placement,
or if the government imposes restrictions on movement. This will require you,
your Practice Educator and your University Placement Tutor to consider your
progress to date in meeting the placement learning outcomes, in line with
SWE guidance, to see if an assessment decision can be made based on your
current experience to date.
2. If you experience significant health or other personal issues. Your individual
situation will be reviewed with you, your Practice Educator and University
Placement Tutor to consider your progress to date in meeting the placement
learning outcomes, in line with SWE guidance. Any health or personal issues
will need to be validated by a report from the Student Support Health and
Wellbeing Team, or the university Occupational Health Team. These
professionals will assess the impact of your health or personal issues on your
university experience. Your programme team will amend your learning where
appropriate as directed by the Student Support Health and Wellbeing Team or
Occupational Health report.
40
For some students who have exceptional circumstances, the consideration of your
progress to date may reveal that you are not yet in a position to meet the practice
outcomes. If this is the case you will need to complete agreed alternative learning
activities or further practice learning at a later stage, to allow practice learning
outcomes to be met. This may extend your programme, and this is beyond the
university control.
It is important to note, that it is only after you have completed these additional
supportive measures, that you will then be put forward for formal summative
assessment.
70-day placements
The expectation of the programme team and local employers is that in general,
it is anticipated you will complete 70 days of practice learning, where this is
possible to be successfully prepared for your future career. This time period will
support you to maximise your learning from your practice placement and support
your preparation for qualified practice.
However, we are aware that the current Covid-19 situation is continuously evolving,
with added service pressures for placement providers who are mainly in non-
statutory settings. Additionally, for MA19 students, there is an added pressure to
complete a 70- and 100-day placement, plus academic module work within the
academic year.
As a result of this and the flexibility provided by SWE guidance, we have introduced
a ‘fast-track’ option for MA19 students only who can complete a minimum of 75% of
the placement days in total (i.e. 53 days), if their Practice Educator and Onsite
Supervisor assess they have met all requirements of the PCF End of First Placement
to a good standard (see guidance documents below). Under the ‘fast-track option
you can ‘pass’ your placement at any point from day 53 to 70. However, as detailed
above the expectation is you will complete 70-days on placement if the provider is
able to support this.
We have developed the following contingency plans, should there be further Covid-
19 restrictions locally or nationally in England that impact on the continuation of
practice placements:
1. If you have completed all 70 days; your practice and portfolio will be assessed
in the normal way.
2. If you have completed at least 75% of the 70-day placement (53 days);
guidance will be sent to your PEs on the assessment of your placement. This will
41
enable a moderated application of what can be accepted in terms of days,
observations and other evidence if this has been impacted by the current
situation, and where required additional opportunities will be provided to enable
an assessment decision to be made, at an agreed point.
3. If you have completed less than 75% of the 70day placement, and your
placement is suspended: You should maintain a clear and agreed record of
your placement activity to date. This will be used to verify the remaining
placement requirement and we will enable you to re-engage with placement as
soon as it is safe to do so to complete the minimum threshold experience of 53
days. The time of re-engagement is not within the university’s control; therefore,
alternative learning activities may be considered on an individual basis to enable
you to demonstrate your practice learning. Information on the alternative learning
activities will be made available if required.
100-day placements
The expectation of the programme team and local employers is that in general,
you will have the opportunity to complete 100 days of practice learning,
wherever this is possible to be successfully prepared for your future career. This time
period will support you to maximise your learning from your practice placement and
support your preparation for qualified practice. There is therefore no automatic option
to reduce this time period, however there are exceptional circumstances where a
reduction in days can be considered (see page 39).
Your placements are primarily within statutory service provision, and as a result, the
expectation is that all students will mainly work remotely / at home or follow their
placement’s guidance on health and safety / risk assessment for any face to face
work in office settings or with service users. Local authorities have / will be providing
you with appropriate technological devices to enable you to access data essential to
your placement experience, although this may vary for non-local authority statutory
placements.
As a result of these limitations, we recognise that within your 100-day placement the
approach employed to learning and assessment in placement will require flexible
and creative approaches through alternative learning activities to address any
shortfalls in your current placement learning experiences. Your programme team will
work with you and your practice educators to provide choices in this area, to enable
you to progress with your placement learning and the ongoing development of
understanding of your role in different contexts.
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Portfolio Submission
Whilst access to the Canterbury campus is restricted, placement portfolios are to be
submitted via Turnitin within the following modules on BlackBoard:
2020-21 (S2) Placement/HART Assessment (MSWHF0HRT) (MA students only)
2020-21 (S1) Practice 2 (MSWHT2PRA) (BA19 students only)
2020-21 (S2) Practice 3 (MSWHT3PRA) (BA18 students only)
Details of how to submit your portfolios are detailed within the above modules, both
in written form and Recap videos.
The final submission dates for portfolios are detailed within the above modules under
Key Dates; however, MA19 students are able to submit their placement portfolios
within a submission window from 2nd November to 7th December 2020.
‘Banked’ Placement Days (MA19 students only)
Some MA19 students who were on placement in March 2020 were not able to return
to the same placement in September 2020 to conclude their 70-day placement. If
you are one of these students, you will have days completed on your March 2020
placement that you can ‘bank’ as part of your practice placement in September 2020.
A new Appendix 20 has been developed that you must include in your placement
portfolio that will help you record the ‘banked’ placement days and your Placement
Tutor will be required to sign the appendix as confirmation.
Appendix 1a Contents Page has been amended to include Appendix 20. If Appendix
20 does not relate to you, please put an ‘x’ in the right-hand column.
43
Guidance Documents
Knowledge and Skills Statements (KSS) (Adult Services (2015) and Children and
Family Services (2018) - these statements directly apply to qualified social workers
in practice, particularly those at the stage of Newly Qualified Social Worker. They are
most relevant to the 'super domain' of practice within the new PCF (2018) - domains
5, 6 and 7. For a 70 day placement they are included as information rather than
being referenced within sections of the HART (as is the case for 100 day, final
placements) but some aspects may be relevant to 70 day practice.
BASW: The Code of Ethics for Social Work (2014)
Social Work England’s: Professional Standards
https://www.socialworkengland.org.uk/standards/professional-standards/
Raising and Escalating Concerns
FPLC 6 - Raising and Escalating Concerns in Practice.docx
44
BASW, PCF, 2018 - domains detail re: Readiness for Direct Practice, 70-day
placement and 100-day placement level
Flow chart - placement concerns
BASW, new PCF, Readiness for Direct Practice descriptors, October 2018, final.docx
BASW, new PCF, level descriptors, First, 70 days Placement.docx
BASW, new PCF, level descriptors, Last, 100 days Placement.docx
Flow chart, placement concerns, CCCU, final.docx