Developing an Integrated Practice
Education Programme
Exploring flexible options for
Practice Educators in Social Work and Social Care
Alison Paris, University of Birmingham – 02. 06. 10
A ‘Welcoming’ Activity
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The emerging Practice Educator……5WH
Who :What :Where :When ? – Please add
your comments to the sheets on the wall..
 For Why and How?... Welcome to this
Workshop!
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This workshop aims to offer…
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An overview of the background to , and purpose of,
the development of a Practice Educator Framework
An account of the initial development of the
continuing development process supported by the
Practice Educator Framework
An approach to the development of a Practice
Educator ‘Pathway’ and Programme.
Space for exploration and discussion
Developing a new Practice Educator
framework- some possible starting points;
(Adding the ‘Why’?)
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Post Practice Teacher Award/New PQ Framework
Issues for Enabling Others
Practice Learning Opportunities – Challenges and needs
Social Work Task Force( Building A Safer Future, December
2009) priorities – Continuing Professional Development;
Statutory experience; The Practice Educator Role; the
Advanced Workplace;
Proliferating roles and tasks– Mentoring, Supervising and
Assessing ; Pre-Qualifying Social Workers; Newly Qualified
Social Workers; Early Professional Development ; Specialist
and Higher Specialist PQ; AMHP; Leadership and Management
Responding and translating the
framework into a development process
– starting to focus on the ‘How?’
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A Continuing Professional Development
pathway for Practice Educators reflecting the
differing stages of the framework
 a series of academically accredited steps
with options for MA level
 A professionally accredited award escalator
So the framework supports…
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A process of learning
 A process for extending and endorsing the
journey from capability to expertise
 A scaffolding for accountability and quality
assurance
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Bringing the Practice Educator Role
Centre-stage!
Approaching a learning pathway with
integration and flexibility in mind .
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Sectors - Statutory , Private and Voluntary – the
importance of Social Care
Settings – Adults ,Children and Families, Mental
Health and other linked specialist settings
Interdisciplinary, Multi-professional and Partnership
contexts
Roles - Varied within and across agencies
Knowledge – Underpinning Principles, Evidence- led
Practice
Skills – Core and transferable
Beginning to develop the Framework
in Practice – The SkillsforCare Pilot
Projects
Developing a ’Stage 2 Practice Educator Award’ –the
experienced Practice Educator
 Integrating the proposed new Domains( GSCC
Guidance for Assessment in the Workplace)
 Linking levels
 Building on a ‘Stage 1’ Award - Enabling Others
 Moving forward with an developmental Programme
for Practice Educators
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The University of Birmingham Project
– starting the process
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Linking a 5 day module to an assessed portfolio
 Naturally occurring material; supported by
academically accredited Reflective Accounts – 20
credits at each level
 Linking the Portfolio to Beginnings ,Middle and
Ending for the pre-qualified social worker Practice
Learning Opportunity (PLO)
 Linking the module and Practice education
standards to the Portfolio and the PLO!
Working with partners
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Establishing a Consultative Group of Employers and Practice
Educators- building on Enabling Others, Leadership and
Management and other PQ Programme links
Offering an initial framework for discussion and amendment - to
meet organisation, practice educator, and learner (‘service
user’) needs
Agreeing a process for regional evaluation – beginning middle
and end of both learning and assessment processes – using
steering groups and Focus Groups
Connecting with the National Evaluation of the projects
Making connections -the building
blocks
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The new Domain D – the underpinning element,
which featured in all of the module days and
underpins the process of assessment
Emphasising the new criteria with Domains A, B and
C
Building bridges – the new criteria, ‘Stage 1’ and
‘Stage 2’
Applying the new criteria in the context of the existing
criteria
Making connections - the bigger
picture
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The PQ framework – identifying links and
progressions
The new NQSW Framework
A new kind of Practice Educator? Taking the best
from the Practice Teacher Award and applying in the
changed context
Joining up the dots- Day 1
and Critical Reflection –reflected in the
title of the module
 The twin – track effect – the learner’s development
and the practice educator’s
development….interlinked.
 Evaluation and Audit –
- a skills audit for ourselves
- learning about QAPL.
 Research – minded practice… educating learners
on the basis of evidenced knowledge.
 Reflection
Joining up the dots continued:
Days 2 - 5
Induction
 Learning and Teaching Programmes
 Models and methods of supervision
 Diverse approaches to assessment against the
Nation Occupational Standards
 The Codes of Practice and Values - impact of power
in practice education
 Making difficult decisions about learner competence
– using evidence
 Charting your personal development
 Transferring your skills to other roles
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Colouring in the background–
‘Building a Safer Future’(2009)
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The Advanced Workplace and the Learning
Organisation (Days 1 and 2)
 Teaching about Safeguarding in all sectors (All
Days)
 Teaching about the Law in Social Work practice
in all sectors (Days 1 and 2)
 Educating for Continuing professional
development
 Integrating Practice Education into the
organisation and profession
Skills for the Job
Developing Key Skills sets – Coaching
Mentoring and Supervising and Assessing
 Developing Core Skills and values for many
settings – Pro-Social Modelling; Emotional
Intelligence; Motivational Interviewing;
Problem Solution; Active Listening and
Person Centred Values (Days 2, 3 and 4)
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The Completed Picture – the Pilot
5 Days –specifically connected to the Portfolio but
also interlinked
 Day 1 setting the scene – reflection, research,
audit, the learning organisation (Domain D and
key Stage 2 criteria)
 Day 2 – The beginning of the PLO –emphasis on
Induction (Domains A and D)
 Day 3 – The middle period - emphasis on
supervision and teaching (Domains B and D)
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The Completed Picture
Day 4 – Formative and summative
assessment - HEI and practice criteria
(Domains C and D)
 Day 5 – revisiting the themes – transferring
skills and knowledge to other roles and your
own development (All Domains)
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Running the module – the pilot delivery of
the taught programme
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So far…..
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Did the candidates enjoy the experience?
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What did they learn from the experience?
The Candidates
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Experienced Practice Educators and , for the
purposes of the Pilot, all specifically social work
qualified.
 Undertaken Enabling Others Stage 1 or equivalent
 From Adults, Children, Mental Health sectors and 4
from Voluntary Organisations (children)
 Practitioners, senior practitioners and managers; one
senior manager
 Admissions Panel held with employers to ensure
equity
The Action!
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5 days face to face delivery
 Taught by University staff team including one
independent trainer/practising manager – all
Registered Social Workers
 Inputs, discussion, role plays, use of DVD,
supporting learning materials for use on the
module and afterwards with learners
 Before and after Skills and Knowledge Audit and
Module Evaluations
Mentoring and Tutoring
Designated University tutor – candidate
generated contact
 Roll – in monthly support sessions, shared
with Enabling Others Stage 1 candidates
 A half day designated support session
 Varying organisation mentoring
arrangements – University links
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Current sources of evaluation
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Skills Audits
Evaluations of the module – key themes and
ratings
 Partner organisation evaluations
 Initial National Evaluation
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Did the candidates enjoy it?
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100 % said they had enjoyed the module
 100 % said that all material was valuable and
necessary but 90% said the module needed
to be longer – 6 days
 100 % mentioned usefulness of materials but
2 people asked that it be streamlined for ease
of access
Did the candidates enjoy it ?
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All mentioned valuing and enjoying shared
experience and knowledge – consolidation
and knowledge and sharing ideas for change
 Ratings 4/5 (very good and excellent) for
enjoyment and value in all cases. Two ratings
at 3 (Average to Good) for presentation
What did the candidates learn?
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Skills Audits – showed increase in knowledge
and confidence for –
Understanding Audit (QAPL)
Setting up the PLO, Induction and Supervision
and Reflection
Delivering Learning for Safeguarding and
legislation
Making decisions about competence in marginal
situations
Understanding relevant standards
What did the candidates learn?
Module Evaluations –
 Confidence and awareness of QAPL and
differences between reflection, evaluation and
audit – and why it matters
 Links with Research
 Understanding key skills sets and core skills
underpinning these – wanted more time to explore
and develop these – particularly Motivational
Interviewing and Emotional Intelligence
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What did the candidates learn?
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Looking beneath the surface of routine processes
– Induction, finding work opportunities,
supervision, assessment, evaluation
 Exploring the impact of levels (Personal, Cultural
and Structural) of power, and types of power, on
the learning and PLO Process
 Reviewing their knowledge from the module and
linking this to personal development
Evaluating beyond the programme
In-Organisation evaluations – corroborated
the initial findings; greater emphasis on
candidate enjoyment and sense of value
reflected
 National Evaluation so far – echoed local
evaluations. Greater emphasis on variable
candidate satisfaction with mentoring
arrangements
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What we know we will do differently
next time
 Hone information, with emphasis on key knowledge,
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underpinning principles and core skills, as identified
by evaluations
Increase emphasis on mentoring skills - mentoring
other Practice Educators, NQSWs, PQ
Build in a midway Reflection Day for candidates to
consolidate knowledge
Work with partners to strengthen mentoring
arrangements in- house ,and linked with University
Further evaluation contributing to
views in retrospect
Focus Group – following submission of the
Portfolio and Reflective Accounts (September
2010) – will give information about how useful
, effective and ‘do-able’ the assessment task
and process was .
 Final National Evaluation – the whole picture
nationally.
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Developing the Pathway
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Looking ahead to a new Practice Education Pathway
linking the journey from initial Practice Education
responsibility to the leading and management of
learning in organisations and sectors
Incorporating the best of the Practice Teacher Award
but also different from the Award
Practice Education for Social Work and Social Care
for the needs of today, and for the future.
Integration and Flexibility
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A sense of direction – Novice, Advanced Beginner, Proficient and
Expert
Accounting for changing and interchangeable roles in organisations
Offering choice and ease of movement : hence, cost –saving.
Inter-professional
Harnessing the Core Principles, Knowledge, Skills discoveries
emerged about particular significances
Connecting a Practice Educator Award escalator with the Leadership
and Management Programmes
Forming a programme - A Certificate/Diploma in
Practice Education for( Interdisciplinary)Social
Work / Social Care
Certificate Level – offered at Graduate and
Postgraduate levels
 Enabling Others – Initial Practice Education skills
 Enabling Reflective Practice in the Workplace –
experienced Practice Educators, mentoring others
 Leading for Learning( module from the Leadership
and management award) –leading the practice
education process in the organisation - varied
aspects, different skills
A Certificate /Diploma ctd
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Diploma Level – offered at Graduate and Postgraduate levels
Modules from the Leadership and Management( L and M –
Postgraduate level)) and Reflective Management Practice
Programmes(RMP – Graduate level)
(SkillsforCare Funded modules plus one other); Choice of 4
from 5 at PG level.
Leading for Quality Assurance – Supervision and
Performance Management across the organisation( G and PG)
Developing Organisations and Organisational Change –
developing the organisation through your pivotal role (G and
PG)
Certificate/Diploma ctd
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Coaching and Mentoring for Managers – focus on
skills for enhancing and developing performance(G
and PG)
Researching Professional Practice – developing
knowledge in your organisation( PG Only)
Choice to enter at top –up MA of the same title
PQ ( Higher Specialist Award) for PG Candidates
Ease of movement between Leadership and
Management and Practice Education Awards
 Recognising the Practice Teacher Award – Accrediting this
within both the Practice Education and Leadership and
Management pathways
 Ease of Accreditation of Prior Learning from Practice Education
to L and M/RMP Diploma; candidates with the Practice
Education route may need to do only 1 further module and part
of workbased assessment to achieve L and M Diploma and PQ(
HS) Award
 Candidates with L and M Diploma may need to do only 1
further module and part of workbased assessment to achieve
the Practice Education Diploma and envisaged PQ (HS) Award
In this workshop we have…………..
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Explored the background to and process of
building a Practice Education Pathway fro a
new Practice Educator Framework
 Considered an approach to this which seeks
to offer integration and flexibility
Your thoughts……………
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Strengths
 Weaknesses
 Opportunities
 Threats
Thank you!
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For coming
 For your participation
 For your views and ideas
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Alison Paris – University of Birmingham – June 2010