Practice Assessor Briefing2011

Overview of Practice Learning

The Practice Learning Guide

• Contains valuable guidance and instructions for students, PAs, WPS and Programme Tutors

• Reference to the guide when completing documentation

• Allows a common and transparent approach to assessment

• Included in the information pack

• HSC-SW-enquiries@open.ac.uk

Practice Learning Team

The Student

OU ProgrammeTutor

Workplace Supervisor

Practice Assessor

OU Social Work team

Milton Keynes

OU region (Bristol)•Staff Tutor•Student support•Academic tutors

Sponsoring agencyAgency coordinatorSW training team

PLO teamLine managersSponsoring agency

Previous experienceAcademic learningWorkshopsLearning needs

Who does what?• The agency co-ordinator

– recruits and selects students, finds suitable PLOs and practice assessors

• The course tutor– delivers workshops, assesses written work and

facilitates on-line activities

• The programme tutor– ensures that the requirements of the programme are

met within the PLO and that it enables the student to meet the NOS

Level 2 (K216) Applied Social Work Practice

• Aim to build on level 1 studies

• Begin to apply their theoretical learning to practice

• Acquiring a broader knowledge base

• Select and explain the application of appropriate knowledge to specific practice contexts

• 100 days PLO first opportunity to be assessed on applying their learning to meet service users needs

• Completion of K216 and level 2 courses

• Aim to reflect on, critically analyse and evaluate their role as social workers

• Critical approach to theory and evaluation of their practice

• Working more independently as an accountable and responsible practitioner applying their learning in a range of contexts

Level 3 (K315) Critical Social Work Practice

National Occupational Standards for Social Work

• Central to the assessment of student practice in K216 and K315

• Downloaded from Skills for Care website or OU agency website

• Students need to show they can perform the 6 key roles at the appropriate level

• Assessment is at unit level: elements provide illustration of how units can be evidenced

• Key Role 1: Preparations for assessment of needs

• Key Role 2: Plan, carry out, review and evaluate practice

• Key Role 3: Support, representation and advocacy

• Key Role 4: Assess and manage risk

• Key Role 5: Manage and be accountable,

• Key Role 6: Develop professional knowledge, values & competence

Six Key Roles (abbreviated)

Relationship between the key roles

and values and ethics

Values and Ethics

Preparation for assessmentOf need

Assess and manage risk

Plan, intervene, reviewand evaluate practice

Manage and be accountable

Develop professional knowledge, values and competence

Support,RepresentationAnd advocacy

Integration of social work values

A. Have respect for:• individuals, families, carers, groups and communities regardless of their age, ethnicity, culture, level of understanding and need• for the expertise and knowledge individuals, families, carers, groups and communities have about their own situation

B. Empower individuals, families, carers, groups and communities in decisions affecting them

C Be honest about:• the power invested in them, including legal powers• their role and resources available to meet need

D. Respect confidentiality, and inform individuals, families, carers, groups and communities about when information needs to be shared with others

D. Be able to:• challenge discriminatory images and practices affecting individuals, families, carers, groups and communities• put individuals, families, carers, groups and communities first.

GSCC Code of Practice for Social Care Employees

Social care workers must:• Protect the rights and promote service users interests

• Establish and maintain trust and confidence of service users

• Promote independence and protecting from harm

• Respecting rights of service users balancing risk of behaviour to themselves or other people

• Uphold public trust and confidence in social care services

• Being accountable for the quality of their work and improving their knowledge and skills

Practice Assessment

Key Question: has the student met the standards and requirements for social work training? (DoH, 2002)

Practice assessment must include:-• Adequate performance of statutory social work tasks

involving legal interventions (See PLG p18 -19)

• Adequate performance of the standards with at least two different service user / carer groups (See PLG p20)

Sources of evidence

• Supervision records

• Service User feedback

• 4 Direct Observations

• Feedback from colleagues

• Feedback from other professionals

• Reports, letters, recordings etc produced by the student

• 6 Records of Practice

Supervision

Line management supervision (WPS)• Agency guidelines• One-to one supervision meetings• Informal supervision• Induction into processes and procedures

Supervision with the practice assessor• 1 ½ hours per week • Reflect on how they can / have practised in a way that

meets the Standards• Assess the development

Supporting OU students

• Often very experienced practitioners• Returning to learning after a long break from academic

study• Demanding pace of academic study• Practice learning in their own workplace / agency• Busy lives and barriers to learning• Pace of change in social care

Process of Transition

Supporting students, managing difficulties or disruption

Split into four workshops• Protecting student status while undertaking a PLO in

own team / agency • Supporting experienced practitioners make links

between theory and practice • Supporting students PLO when the team / agency are

under going change / periods of reorganisation. • Supporting student when there are difficulties

Task (40 minutes)

• Select the group you want to work in• Discussion around some of the key issues• What does the Practice learning guide /

Sponsoring agency recommend?• Sharing of strategies and approaches• Record key points from discussion• Highlight 2/3 issues to feedback to the main

group that could improve support provided to OU students

Feed back to the whole group• 2/3 key issues that could improve the support

provided to students during a PLO• Feedback from each group

Lunch

Have allowed an hour allowing opportunities to network

A range of resources will be available in the second half of the lunch hour

• OU course Materials• OU Agency website • PePLE Website• Individual surgeries with Programme Tutors

New developments for 2011

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

Direct observation

• Four direct observations of students practice• Three by Practice Assessor• One by WPS / or another• Three must include interaction with service users• All should include service user feedback • One can be carried out without a service user• Student reflective comments should be included after

PA has provided feedback• Written feedback by PA within 5 working days

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

Direct Observation form

Has five Sections

1. Planning (Student)

2. Context and Purpose (Student & PA)

3. Service user / carer feedback (PA)

4. NOS Grid (PA)

5. Student reflective comments (Student)

Good practice guidelines are included in PLG (p29-30)

Records of Practice (K216)Records of Critical Practice (K315)

• Provides a framework for describing, reflecting and evaluating a piece of work.

• Development and Reflective tool to link theory with practice

• It should include: a brief description of the activity a brief description of the intended goals of the

activity a critical review and reflection on the experience,

using knowledge, skills, theories, methods and values

Identify future learning

OU Guidance

• Recommends students complete 6 ROP / RCOP• 4 ROPs are submitted with the PAR• Students prepare 1 draft ROP for each of the 6

workshops which relates to the key role being discussed.

• 2 ROP should be presented to the practice learning team at the mid point review meeting

• Students should submit all their ROPs to their PA one week before the end of the PLO for inclusion in the PAR

Difference between ROP & RCOP

Key differences

• Word Limit: (K216 1000 words, K315: 1500)• Greater degree of analysis and evaluation of practice in

RCOP • Demonstrating that they are practising with a level of

autonomy and independence (K315)

Service user feedback

Greater emphasis for 2011• In line with recommendation of the SW reform board

• Evidencing how service users have been consulted and involved in the assessment process

• Introduced Record of (Critical) Practice Values

-To be completed in the second half of the PLO

- Reflect on interactions with SU / Carers across whole PLO

The Practice Assessor’s Report

Purpose: to record the practice assessor’s assessment of

whether a student has met the NOS

The Practice Assessor Recommends either a Pass or Fail to the practice

assessment panel on the practice learning element of K216/ K315

Students cannot pass K216 or K315 without passing the practice learning component

Practice Assessor’s Report: Structure

Front sheet with student & PA details and a recommendation of pass or fail

PA’s summary statement PA’s practice learning grid matrix PA’s report on service user feedback 4 Records of Practice (1 must be ROP (values) 4 Direct Observations records

Practice Assessors report

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

Checklist:

Small Group Working

Role and Tasks of PA’s and WPS’s at level 2 and 3

Opportunity to spend time with other’s undertaking a similar role

Explore in more details the OU’s expectations in relation • Service user feedback • Learning opportunities• Key sources of evidence • Assessing evidence • Units that might be more difficult to evidence