Assessed and Supported Year in Employment ( ASYE )
Liz Bord – Wiltshire County CouncilKay Renshaw – Dorset County Council
Assessed and Supported Year in Employment ( ASYE )
• Builds on Newly Qualified Social Worker Programme (NQSW)
• Assessed against Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF)
• Linked to induction, probation, appraisal, employer standards and supervision framework, CPD and Partnerships therefore employer ‘owned’
• Holistic approach to assessment with core plus optional elements
• Process for moderation and Pass or Fail Element
• Certificate issued by The College of Social Work
Professional Capabilities Framework
Principles of Holistic Assessment for ASYE
• Development of a conceptual understanding of social work practice
• Integrates all areas necessary for supporting the development of “professional expertise”
• More accurately reflects the complexity of the social work role.
• Provides a coherent account of practice demonstrating understanding, analysis and capacity to critically reflect.
• Based in everyday practice - starts from analysis of the user’s situation, and reflection on all aspects of the intervention to provide a more informed service.
• Development is assessed over time – demonstrating the capacity for CPD
McNay M, Clarke J, Lovelock R, The Journey towardProfessionalism in Social Work: Conference paper JSWEC 2010
Use of the PCF in Holistic Assessment for ASYE
• Nine capabilities interdependent because they interact in professional practice.
• Capabilities need to be assessed as a whole; reference could be made to specific capability statements, but assessors should not focus on addressing each one separately.
• The PCF reflects the increasing skills of social workers (assessors) to make professional judgements.
However :• Statements enable clear identification of areas that need
further development when concerns are identified.
Domains within the PCF
1. PROFESSIONALISM - Identify and behave as a professional social worker, committed to professional development
2. VALUES AND ETHICS - Apply social work ethical principles and values to guide professional practice
3. DIVERSITY - Recognise diversity and apply anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive principles in practice
4. RIGHTS, JUSTICE AND ECONOMIC WELLBEING - Advance human rights and promote social justice and economic wellbeing
5. KNOWLEDGE - Apply knowledge of social sciences, law and social work practice theory
6. CRITICAL REFLECTION AND ANALYSIS - Apply critical reflection and analysis to inform and provide a rationale for professional decision-making
7. INTERVENTION AND SKILLS - Use judgement and authority to intervene with individuals, families and communities to promote independence, provide support and prevent harm, neglect and abuse
8. CONTEXTS AND ORGANISATIONS - Engage with, inform, and adapt to changing contexts that shape practice. Operate effectively within own organisational frameworks and contribute to the development of services and organisations. Operate effectively within multi-agency and inter-professional settings
9. PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP - Take responsibility for the professional learning and development of others through supervision, mentoring, assessing, research, teaching, leadership and management
Principles and conditions for holistic assessment
• Assessment is progressive over a period of time (e.g. initial qualifying placement, ASYE), leading to effective summative assessment.
• Assessment must be consistent with the appropriate PCF level descriptor, and includesufficiency and depth of evidence across all nine domains.
• Individual capability statements will be important in terms of providing detail ofexpectations for each domain, and particularly significant to identify gaps, areas ofdevelopment or concerns.
• The assessment process and judgement must be trustworthy, reliable and transparent(e.g. include clear guidance in handbooks, assessment panels, triangulated evidence,audit trails )
• Evidence must include the ability to reflect critically, including reference to differentsources of knowledge and research.
• The learner will contribute evidence for assessment but the professional judgement ofsufficiency must be made by a registered social worker (at initial qualifying level,assessors must meet the Practice Educator Professional Standards).
Evidence of Capability
• Core content (presented to the assessor) – must include- supervision records- direct observation- case records
• ‘Critical' reflection– integral to all evidence from direct practice– a reflection on direct practice submitted towards the end of the year
• Service user feedback– implicit or explicit?– or part of a wider 360 approach for feedback use as part of the evidence.
Evidence of Capability
Defined by;
• practice undertaken throughout the year• a range of work (relevant to the employment
setting)• typically drawn from at least 5 examples of
direct practice
BUT determined by quality of evidence.– quality of evidence determined by PCF
Evidence of Capability
Optional –
- other activities that an employer chooses to include in a programme of learning and/or development
- related to organisational requirements
- related to setting specific requirements
Evidence of Support
Confirmation that these have been in place during assessment period –
• Reflective supervision• Workload management• Professional Development Plan• Development time
Learning Contract -• Employer Standards Group should support this• Would incorporate the purpose of 'confirmation'• Covers whole year
Professional judgement ofassessor
• Increased scope and responsibility for judgement of the candidate’s ability to develop over the nine capabilities to the level specified.
• Execution of professional judgement – need to be empowered and supported.
• Development of confidence in professional judgements.
References
• Proposals for the assessment model for the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE). Ambition to Reality Conference, Taunton. Spring 2012
• The Assessed and Supported Year in Employment: Further information to support the briefing for employers. www.skillsforcare.org.uk/asye
• The College of Social Work : Understanding what is meant by Holistic Assessmenthttp://www.collegeofsocialwork.org/uploadedFiles/TheCollege/_CollegeLibrary/Reform_resources/holistic-assessmentASYE1.pdf
• The College of Social Work – The Professional Capabilities Frameworkhttp://www.collegeofsocialwork.org/pcf.aspx