Practice Assessor Briefing
2011
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
Previous experience
Academic learning
Workshops
Learning needs
Practice
Assessor
Sponsoring agency
Agency coordinator
SW training team
PLO team
Line managers
Sponsoring agency
The Student
Workplace
Supervisor
OU Programme
Tutor
OU Social
Work team
Milton Keynes
OU region (Bristol)
•Staff Tutor
•Student support
•Academic tutors
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
Level 3 (K315) Critical Social
Work Practice
• 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
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
Six Key Roles (abbreviated)
• 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
Relationship between the key roles
and values and ethics
Manage and be accountable
Preparation for assessment
Of need
Support,
Representation
And advocacy
Values
and Ethics
Assess and
manage risk
Plan, intervene, review
and evaluate practice
Develop professional knowledge,
values and competence
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
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OU course Materials
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OU Agency website
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PePLE Website
•
Individual surgeries with Programme Tutors
New developments for 2011
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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
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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 Observation
Should 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.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Planning (Student)
Context and Purpose (Student & PA)
Service user / carer feedback (PA)
NOS Grid (PA)
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
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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
Checklist:
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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
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