School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work
Practice Learning Handbook – Intermediate
B.A.(Hons) and M.A. Social Work
2013/2014
College of Health and Social Care Placement Unit,
Room AD101 (off the concourse), Allerton Building,
Contact: placements-chssc@salford.ac.uk
Available on blackboard – Practice Learning
www.salford.ac.uk/nmsw/courses/practice-education
10/09/2013
Contents
Section 1
Introduction
Section 2
Roles and Responsibilities
Section 3
Placement Finding
Section 4
Placement Structure
Section 5
Expectations on Placement
Section 6
Supervision
Section 7
Direct Observation
Section 8
Assessment
Section 9
Portfolio Structure
Section 10
Quality Assurance Processes
Section 11
Practice Educators
Appendices
Appendix 1
HCPC Guidance on Conduct and Ethics for Student
HCPC Standards of Proficiency for Social Work
Appendix 2
GSCC Key Roles/National Occupational Standards
Appendix 3
Greater Manchester Practice Educator Programme
Appendix 4
Complaints and Dissatisfaction whilst on Placement
Appendix 5
Forms for use whilst on Placement
Appendix 6
Whistle-blowing
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Section 1 Introduction
This handbook is designed to act as a guide for students, Practice Educators and On-site
supervisors and Practice Tutors to the practice learning experience incorporated in the BA (Hons) in
Social Work and MA in Social Work. This handbook is accessible on Blackboard.
This handbook concerns the BA and MA social work programmes. All of these programmes were
approved by the General Social Care Council (GSCC) prior to the transfer of its regulatory powers
to the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) on 1st August 2012.
On the BA and MA programmes, students are required to undertake a total of 200 practice days to
complete the Degree (Department of Health requirements). On the BA (Hons) programme the 200
days are divided between 3 placements of 30, 70 and 100 days. On the MA programme the 200
days are divided between 2 placements of 100 days each.
Each placement within the Salford programme is co-ordinated by a module leader. The University
works closely with practice learning co-ordinators in our stakeholder agencies and with Practice
Educators and On-site Supervisors within the independent sector to provide a rich learning
experience for students. Placements are managed within partnership arrangements and are
included in the Memorandum of Co-operation which is in place across Greater Manchester.
All placements are quality assured to ensure that they provide appropriate learning opportunities
and allow students to demonstrate competence within the practice arena.
Assessment of students in practice will incorporate a range of evidence which will include feedback
from service users and carers.
This handbook should be read in conjunction with the relevant programme handbook.
The Practice Learning Team
Contact us: placements-chssc@salford.ac.uk or visit the administration team in Room AD101 (off
the concourse), Allerton Building, Frederick Road Campus.
Administration: placements-chssc@salford.ac.uk
Christine Reay
Placements Assistant
Tel: 0161 295 2186
Caroline Davies
Placements Administrator
Tel: 0161 295 2026
s.mccaughan@salford.ac.uk
Gabi Hesk
First/Intermediate Placement Module
Leader
First/Intermediate Placement Module
Leader
Final Placement Module Leader
Andrea Stanley
Final Placement Module Leader
a.m.stanley@salford.ac.uk
Module Leaders:
Su McCaughan
Cath Cairns
c.cairns@salford.ac.uk
g.c.o.hesk@salford.ac.uk
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Section 2 Roles and Responsibilities
Service Users and carers
Service Users and carers are a vital part of the practice learning process. Students and Practice
Educators must be sensitive to potential disruption caused by students entering and exiting services
users lives on a regular basis. Their views must be sought by students and practice educators
throughout the placement to aid the student’s learning and to inform the final assessment.
Practice Tutor
On confirmation of placement all students will be allocated a Practice Tutor who will represent the
University during the placement and is responsible for supporting the student and Practice Educator
throughout the placement learning process. The Practice Tutor will act as the first point of contact
should any difficulties arise during placement and will provide advice and support as necessary. The
Practice Tutor, following discussion with the Practice Educator, will assess the written work
produced by the student in the portfolio and will provide feedback and tutorial support prior to final
submission.
Practice Educator
All students will be supported and assessed in practice by an appropriately qualified Practice
Educator (Practice Educator Professional Standards for Social Work). The Practice Educator will
provide support for the students learning, identify appropriate work to facilitate student development,
teach and assess the student throughout the placement. They will make the final assessment as to
the student’s capability at the end of placement and provide a report evidencing their judgement.
They will then complete the confirmation of end of placement form to sign off the placement.
Where an agency can provide good learning opportunities but lacks the time or appropriately
qualified staff to provide a Practice Educator in house, an Off Site Practice Educator (OSPE) will
be appointed by the University to work in tandem with an experienced member of staff from the
agency who will act as the On Site Supervisor. The functions of the Practice Educator will be split
between these two people, with the On Site being responsible for issues of accountability for the
agency and directing the students day to day work and the OSPE, providing the additional
supervision re development of professional practice and underpinning knowledge etc. Both will
contribute to the final report but the responsibility for the final assessment will remain with the
OSPE. Where OSPE arrangements are in place, it is important that arrangements are clearly
detailed within the learning contract so that all parties are clear re expectations and responsibilities.
Practice Educators and Off-site Practice Educators will be working in conjunction with a range of
other staff working within the placement setting. Often these team members will contribute greatly
to student learning and student assessment.
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Section 3 Placement Finding
All placements are assessed (see Section 10 Quality Assurance Processes) as meeting
professional regulatory body requirements and provide appropriate learning opportunities for the
student to meet the requirements of the National Occupational Standards for Social Work and in
addition, for the BSc programme the NMC requirements. Each programme has a specific placement
period. Start dates are variable. The University is normally able to allocate placements for students
in a timely manner despite there being a nationally recognised shortage. Every attempt is made to
accommodate the specific needs of individual students by working in partnership with agencies to
provide a quality experience. However, as placements are provided by external agencies we are
dependent on their availability, which occasionally leads to later placements. Choice is limited and
individual preferences cannot always be accommodated. Students are expected to accept the
placement that is offered to them. A student may only reject an offer of a placement on the grounds
that it is not accessible due to physical disability or that the placement is unable to make reasonable
adjustments to meet learning support plans.
The programme is under no obligation to provide an alternative placement should a placement offer
be refused.
Wherever possible, the placement team will strive to place students geographically in relation to
their home address however this is not always possible due to the complex nature of placement
finding. Students will not usually travel more than one and half hours to and from placement.
However, where students live significant distances from Salford, this travel limit cannot be
guaranteed.
Students are not permitted to undertake placements outside the North West Region, and would
normally be placed within a 50 mile radius of Salford.
The placement finding process
All placements are coordinated by Practice Learning Team - Module Leaders supported by the
College Placement Unit. It is essential, in order to ensure practice opportunities for all students, that
all placement arrangements are co-ordinated by the team. Many students bring great experience to
the Programme, including valuable ideas about placement opportunities. The staff are happy to
assess these as potential placements and they may then provide a valuable contribution to the
placement pool. If you are aware of a potential placement opportunity please email details of the
address, phone number and contact name to placements-chssc@salford.ac.uk and the appropriate
Module Leader will assess the opportunities available with that agency.
The process of placement finding involves:
1) Students complete an electronic placement request form. A separate confidential form is
available to inform the module leader of sensitive issues that may need to be taken into
consideration when placements are being allocated, for example if a family member is known to
a particular service.
a. All students will be invited to a placement briefing session where advice will be given
about completion of the form.
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b. Placement module leaders will use the forms to identify how students’ learning needs
and previous experience can be used to help identify a placement.
c. An initial linking of students with placements will be undertaken through a process of
negotiation with Practice Educators in the placement agencies. Sometimes several
approaches are necessary in order to find an appropriate placement, therefore
timescales cannot be guaranteed. An email will be sent to the student informing
them where their application has been sent.
d. Once a potential placement is identified, the form will be sent for consideration to the
agency concerned and the student informed by email. Applications can remain with a
placement agency for up to 6 weeks at which point if the student has not been
contacted the administration team will liaise with the agency for an update on
progress.
2) When a provisional placement has been arranged
a. The placement agency invites the student to attend an informal visit to meet the
Practice Educator and agency. In some instances a more formal interview may take
place.
b. If the Practice Educator feels the placement can go ahead then the placement is
confirmed. It is the student’s responsibility to then email the Placement Assistant at
placements-chssc@salford.ac.uk with the name, and full postal address of the
placement setting, the name and contact number of the practice educator or an offsite practice educator request.
c. If the placement matching is unsuccessful at this stage, students will be provided with
feedback from the interview and a further placement will be sought.
3) A Practice Tutor will be allocated within 10 working days of receipt of the email by the
Placement Assistant. The student will then be sent an email to confirm tutor contact details.
4) It is the student’s responsibility to co-ordinate a placement learning agreement meeting involving
the student, Practice Educator, and Practice Tutor. Placements cannot start until this
meeting has taken place with all parties present and a placement learning agreement has
been completed. If the placement starts early the days are unlikely to be counted as
official placement days.
5) Students and Practice Educators should ensure they have read the Practice Learning Handbook
and accessed the correct documentation from blackboard before attending the contract meeting.
The student timetable will reflect the earliest start date for placements within the cohort. However,
actual placement start dates are dependent upon placement availability within agencies and will be
determined by the placement co-ordinator and practice educator. Occasionally, placements may be
delayed due to circumstances beyond the control of the University.
The University cannot be held responsible for potential loss of earnings, and students are required to
keep the university and placement agency informed of any change of circumstances.
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Placements for Students with Disabilities
The Equality Act 2010 defines a disabled person as
‘…someone who has a physical or mental impairment which has an effect on his or her ability to
carry out normal day-to-day activities’. That effect must be:



Substantial (that is more than minor or trivial) and
Long-term (that is, has lasted or is likely to last for at least 12 months or for the rest of the life
of the person affected) and
Adverse
The Act requires Higher Education Institutions:



Not to discriminate against disabled students
To find out about a student’s possible needs
To make reasonable adjustments
In addition, the Act gives institutions a positive duty to promote the equality of disabled people.
These responsibilities apply also to the provision of practice placements on professional courses.
The University is committed to ensuring that the needs of disabled students are taken into account,
and that all students are given access to placement settings that meet their needs and provide them
with appropriate learning opportunities. However, the safety of service users is paramount and
must take priority over students’ learning needs.
It can take time for placements to put appropriate adjustments in place and the earlier the
placement module leader is alerted to a student's needs, the better. Students are therefore
encouraged to discuss the needs arising from any disability as early as possible in their course.
This can be done by making an appointment with Student Life, where an advisor will be able to help
you with any concerns you may have regarding disclosure.
Where a student discloses that s/he has a disability, the placement module leader will:




Consult with the student (and where appropriate with the Disability Advisor) about the nature
of the support/adjustments required in a placement setting
Agree with the student if and how information concerning their disability should be shared
with the placement staff. Many agencies require sight of the student support plan prior to
offering a placement; this is to ensure that they are able to meet the particular student’s
learning needs.
Prioritise placement allocation for disabled students.
Where necessary, provide additional monitoring of the placement setting to ensure the
adequacy of the adjustments/support provided.
Examples of the kinds of adjustments and support that could be provided include:




Physical adaptations (e.g. handrails etc.)
Provision of specialist equipment (e.g. dictaphones for note taking)
Adaptation to IT resources and/or use of specialist software
Adjustments to the pace of a placement e.g. shorter working week to minimise fatigue. (NB
This would result in placement taking more weeks to complete than the required number of
days)
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Students are encouraged to attach a copy of their support plan or provide a summary of the
adjustments required on their placement application form. Where students provide a summary they
are encouraged to share the whole support plan with Practice Educators and Practice Tutors at the
earliest opportunity, (e.g. at the informal visit). Support requirements and adjustments can then be
incorporated into the learning agreement at the initial placement meeting.
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Section 4 Placement Structure
Placements are usually structured around 2 placement meetings:
Placement Meeting 1: The Learning Agreement meeting
A placement learning agreement meeting is held at the start of the placement. The purpose of this
meeting is to agree all aspects of the placement and to formalise these in an agreement. This
meeting is led by the Practice Tutor and includes the student, Practice Educator (or off-site Practice
Educator and On-site Supervisor) - see proforma available on Blackboard and on the Practice
Learning website.
The learning agreement allows all parties to clarify their expectations and roles. It is essential that
attention is paid to the completion of this form, which ensures that everyone has contact details and
agreed arrangements for the remainder of the placement. This form is completed by the tutor which
is then word processed by the student: it is then approved by the Practice Tutor and copied to all
members of the agreement meeting, and placement administrator - placementschssc@salford.ac.uk. This should be a word document or scanned PDF file by email. The student
is responsible for ensuring that final copies of the form are completed and distributed within
a week of the placement agreement meeting.
Placement Meeting 2: The Mid Point Review
The midpoint review provides an opportunity to check that the placement is proceeding satisfactorily
and is in accord with the placement agreement. It reviews positive progress but also allows any
party to express concerns about the arrangements for the placement, availability of learning
opportunities, levels of demonstrated student competence and to agree changes that will address
any issues that arise.
The Practice Educator provides an assessment of the student’s progress on placement to date.
The Practice Tutor formally checks a sample supervision record; reflective log entry; and 1 direct
observation record. The practice tutor and practice educator provide feedback on the submitted
piece of written work.
Copies of the midpoint review pro-forma will be distributed as above. The form should be completed
by the tutor then typed by the student, who is responsible for sending a signed copy to placementschssc@salford.ac.uk. This should be a word document or scanned PDF file by email. The student is
responsible for ensuring that final copies of the form are completed and distributed within a week of
the placement agreement meeting.
Where concerns are expressed about a student’s progress on placement, their performance, the
learning opportunities available or any other issue an action plan should be developed at the
midpoint placement meeting. A date will be set for an additional placement meeting later to review
progress against the action plan. The Practice Tutor should notify the Programme Leader and the
placement module leader of the issues raised and the outcome. Where necessary the matter will be
referred to the Director of Social Work to determine any further action necessary.
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End of Placement
The student should complete their portfolio and include the Placement Assessment Report by the
date agreed at the contract meeting. The student will forward the portfolio to the Practice Tutor
electronically.
The tutor will discuss this with the Practice Educator by telephone and send
feedback to the student by email. A meeting to formalise the ending of the placement will therefore
not usually be required.
On the final day of the placement the student will present their portfolio and the Practice Educator
must complete the End of Placement Form. This confirms that the student has completed the
required number of placement days and is a confirmation that the student has passed or failed the
placement.
This form should be sent to the Practice Tutor as an email attachment and copied to placementschssc@salford.ac.uk. The form is available for download from blackboard.
A final placement meeting may be held if required for example if:



the student has demonstrated outstanding performance and it is deemed desirable to
identify and celebrate this achievement;
issues have arisen about the provision of learning opportunities during the placement and
discussion is useful to promote future learning opportunities.
where a practice educator is making a fail recommendation in relation to the students
practice.
If a final meeting is held it should be recorded on the Final Placement Meeting Form which is
available on blackboard. A copy of the completed form should be returned to placementschssc@salford.ac.uk and included within the student’s portfolio.
Any concerns regarding the students practice should be raised by the Practice Educator at the
earliest opportunity in supervision and if unresolved an additional meeting involving the tutor should
be requested (see Extraordinary Placement Meeting).
Submission of the Portfolio
When the placement is completed, it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the completed
portfolio is submitted to the University to Room MS1.03, Mary Seacole Building the next working
day.
The student’s portfolio is then moderated at the University and a final mark confirmed at the
programme examination board.
Issues or Concerns:
It is recognised that occasions may arise when an additional meeting is required to discuss
concerns about the behaviour/competence of an individual student or changes of circumstance
within the placement setting.
If a Practice Educator/On-site Supervisor has concerns about either the behaviour or competence of
a student on placement, then the Practice Educator/On-site Supervisor should in the first instance
inform the student of the concerns. If the matter cannot be resolved the Practice Educator should
involve the Practice Tutor to arrange a concerns meeting. The meeting will agree an action plan; a
copy of this should be circulated to all parties and copied to c.davies@salford.ac.uk. If necessary
10
the Tutor will involve the Programme Leader/Placement Administrator for advice and guidance
regarding the next steps.
Serious concerns will be reported by the Programme Leader to the Director/Head of School for
consideration with regard to the Fitness for Professional Practice Procedures.
Students can access further support in this process from their Practice Tutor and/or from the
Student Union.
Placements should wherever possible continue until the 70 or 100 days have been completed. The
decision to terminate or suspend a placement rests solely with the Head of School. Under unusual
circumstances Agencies may choose to withdraw support for the placement due to the seriousness
of the concerns raised. This decision should be immediately communicated to the Programme
Leader and the Placement Administrator who will take appropriate action.
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Section 5 Expectations on Placement
Placements take place in a variety of settings and with different services and service user groups.
However, there are some essential principles that all students should adhere to whilst on
placement.
Attendance
Students must complete the total 70 or 100 days in each of the placements. The placement day
will be 7 hours in length, excluding breaks. Students will need to be flexible and respectful of
usual working patterns within the agency and may be required to work shifts, including evenings and
weekends.
The detailed pattern of placement attendance will be determined at the pre placement contract
meeting and will incorporate the student support plan and timetabled university attendance as
appropriate.
Practice Educators will keep a record of student attendance and the completed
student attendance sheet must be included in the student portfolio.
Up to 5 days study leave may be taken during the course of the placement to support student
learning in placement and the development of practice assignments. This must be agreed in
advance with the Practice Educator and must not interfere with required completion dates. These
days do not count as placement days.
Other leave may only be taken in exceptional circumstances and with agreement of the practice
educator, tutor and programme Leader if necessary.
Any placement days missed (e.g. through illness) must be made up. You should notify your practice
educator and the University via email at placements-chssc@salford.ac.uk. An absence of more
than 7 calendar days will have an impact on your end date and will require presentation of a Fit Note
to the Placement Administrator.
Any interruptions to placement of 3-4 weeks or more must be referred to the Programme Leader. It
is unlikely that a placement can be resumed following interruption of greater length. Interruptions due
to medical, unplanned, or unforeseen circumstances will be considered at an additional placement
meeting with the module leader and may be referred to the Programme Leader/Director and
considered at the Partnership Advisory Panel.
Placements are designated as 70 and 100 days and cannot be extended. Competence must be
demonstrated within the given time.
Behaviour
Students should expect respect and consideration from agencies of their student status and in
return be respectful, considerate, punctual, reliable and accountable to the agency.
As a student on placement you will spend time with people using the service. It is important that you
give consideration to the manner in which you enter and exit from their lives and to the
consequences of this for them and for you. Your priority must be to put service users’ needs
first before your own needs and before your learning needs and assessment requirements.
As a team member familiarise yourself with the expectations of workers within the service and the
agency policies and procedures. Should there be any areas of confusion or concern raise these
12
with your Practice Educator/On-site Supervisor. Should any issues arise that you are unable to
resolve in this way discuss them with your Tutor.
Confidentiality
As students on placement in social work/community/healthcare agencies you will have access to a
considerable amount of personal information relating to the people who use the service. It is
expected that you will treat this information in a discreet and confidential manner.
Confidentiality is not the same as secrecy.
Secrecy means that information that you are given will not be divulged to anyone else in any
circumstances. Confidentiality means that the circumstances in which information may be shared is
understood and all parties are aware of the people with whom it may be shared.
You will need to share information about the service users with whom you are working with your
Practice Educator and possibly other colleagues in the agency. This is because they are
accountable to the agency for the work that you are doing with the service user. You should be
honest and open about this with service users. Information may also need to be shared elsewhere
in the agency if there is clear evidence of serious danger to the service user, worker or any other
persons in the community.
Do not let service users think they can expect you to keep secrets.
Most agencies have an open access to records policy that means that service users are entitled to
see the records that are kept about them. You must record information accurately, which may mean
checking the facts with the service user or anyone else who provides information.
You must also ascertain whether information given to you about a service user by a third party can
be shared with the service user or not. This will affect where you record the information and what
you do with it. This is also important as it demonstrates the requirement to understand legislation
and agency policy and procedures in this area.
Any information regarding service users must not be disclosed in any way to unauthorised persons.
You will need to check with your Practice Educator/On-site supervisor who is considered to be an
authorised person in each case. You must check the authenticity of anyone, but particularly
telephone enquiries before disclosing any information. Ask for guidance on the agency policy for
checking authenticity.
It is important that service users cannot be identified from anything that you write or say about them
unless you have their express permission that has not been given under duress. This includes all
assessment work. In all written course work ensure that you specifically refer to the fact that
you have changed the names of the agency and individuals and that you have consent from
the people concerned to refer to the work that you have undertaken with them.
Dress
Students are expected to dress appropriately whilst on placement. Different settings may require
different forms of dress, for example residential work, street youth work or court work. Check
policies and expectations with your Practice Educator/On-site Supervisor. Your Tutor will be able to
discuss this with you should any confusion/ disagreement arise.
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Travel expenses
Arrangements for travel expenses vary somewhat according to the programme. For BA and MA
students in receipt of a bursary funding for travel to and from placement is included in the student’s
bursary ‘basic grant’. Students will not be able to claim separately for placement travel costs.
Further information can be found at www.ppa.org.uk/swb .
Some agencies may pay expenses for travel undertaken on agency business. Students will need to
clarify this with the agency at the placement agreement meeting.
Reflective Diary
Throughout the placement, students should complete a reflective diary on a daily basis and this
should be shared with the Practice Educator in supervision (see section on Reflective Diary/Log for
more details). The reflective diary is a key learning tool for the student and may be requested by the
University as additional evidence of the student’s competence in achieving the NOSSW.
Placement evaluation
It is an expectation of developing professional practice that students contribute to the placement
evaluation process. All students are required to complete the electronic evaluation form at the end
of their placement. Comments made will be shared with all parties to the placement to facilitate
development but will not impact on assessment. Students should include an email receipt for their
completed evaluation form in the portfolio. The form and instructions about completion can be
found on the Practice Learning Blackboard site.
The information completed will help the University and stakeholders continue to develop the quality
of practice environments for social work students.
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Section 6 Supervision
A core component of any practice placement is the supervision provided to promote a student’s
learning about professional practice. Students from the BA and MA programmes are supervised by
either a Practice Educator from within the placement or an Off-site Practice Educator if the
placement does not have a suitably qualified practitioner on site.
Practice Educators expected to provide at least one hour of supervision for every 5 placement days.
Supervision sessions provide the forum to discuss a student’s on-going work; and to promote the
integration of theory into practice, and the preparation of assessment tasks for inclusion in the
portfolio. During supervision, students should receive formal feedback about their progress. Any
issues or concerns should be initially raised within the supervision forum but if unresolved a
Concerns meeting can be called by any party.
Throughout the placement, a key element of
discussion in supervision will be professional values and ethics. Students should at all times adhere
to the HCPC Code of Conduct.
Where there is an off-site Practice Educator and On-site Supervisor, responsibilities and
assessment will be shared and there will be some joint, three way supervision sessions to ensure
clarity of roles, teaching and assessment. The off-site Practice Educator will provide fortnightly
supervision (i.e. once every 10 placement days) on issues related to social work theory and practice
and assist the student with the development of their portfolio. The On-site Supervisor will give
additional supervision on issues related to working within the agency, which includes managerial
responsibility for the student within the agency. The specific arrangements will be discussed and
agreed at the Learning Agreement Meeting. Records of supervision must be made and copies held
by the student and Practice Educator (or off-site Practice Educator and On-site Supervisor).
Supervision notes may be requested by the University to assist in the resolution of disputes about
the quality of the placement or the student’s work.
Throughout the placement, the Practice Educators (or Off-Site Practice Educator and On-site
Supervisor) will discuss values and attitudes. They will seek to see evidence of a well integrated
value base throughout all aspects of the students work will be part of the overall assessment.
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Section 7 Direct Observation
The Practice Educator should formally observe the student’s practice of direct work with service
users on a minimum of two occasions for the second BA/first MA placement (70/100 days).
The aim of these direct observations is to provide a formal, planned and recorded assessment of
the student’s practice. In addition, these observations provide an excellent teaching tool and source
of feedback about the development of professional competence for the student. It is essential that
any service users involved in the observed practice give their consent to being part of an observed
piece of practice. They may also be invited to provide their comments about the student’s practice –
this will depend on the practice context.
Formal observations must be of the student working directly with service users. Presentations to
team meetings and other events may provide useful informal observations that contribute to
learning and assessment and can be referred to in the practice educator report but cannot stand as
one of the required direct observations. Co-working, joint working (in which the Practice Educator/
On-site Supervisor/colleague are fully involved) and live supervision (in which the Practice
Educator/ On-site Supervisor may have an interventionist role) also provide useful learning and
assessment opportunities but do not count as direct observations in which the student carries sole,
uninterrupted responsibility for the intervention.
Where there is an off-site Practice Educator they should undertake at least one of the formal
observations. One of the observations may be undertaken by a professionally qualified social
worker or a suitably qualified and experienced member of agency staff who is neither the Practice
Educator nor the off-site supervisors. (for example, a social worker if they are joint-working with the
student could complete one of the formal observations) but must be approved by the practice
educator.
One formal observation should take place before the interim placement meeting and the completed
form should be available at this meeting. This will contribute to the interim placement assessment of
progress.
Original copies of the completed pro formas for the observations should be appended to the Final
Placement report as evidence of their recommendation about the student’s professional
competence.
Planning and Preparation
Planning is an essential element of a useful direct observation. However well prepared, students
may feel apprehensive or nervous about the direct observation and it is therefore advisable to wait
until they have gained some confidence in the placement setting before the first direct observation
takes place
It may help students to overcome anxieties if they identify the work that will be observed and the
skills and knowledge on which they would particularly like feedback.
Preparing a Service User for an Observation
It is essential to obtain consent from people who are using services before carrying out a direct
observation of work with them. The student should be proactive in this process and provide
evidence of their actions within the report.
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With good planning this can be an opportunity to empower people using the service, stress the
importance of the service users’ involvement in educating new professionals and seek their full
involvement in the session and feedback of their experience where possible.
The student should actively identify issues of values, ethics and confidentiality and how these are to
be addressed. It is essential to adhere to the HCPC Code of Practice.
Feedback to Students
The Practice Educator/Off-site Practice Educator/On-site Supervisor should discuss the intervention
and seek the student’s own assessment of their performance. Students frequently learn most from
identifying themselves where they can improve.
Feedback from the practice educator should be clear, giving examples of positive skills and values
and identifying learning and developmental issues. Allow time for immediate, informal feedback as
soon as the observation is completed. Then the observer should complete the formal written
feedback (proforma available on Blackboard/in the appendices) as soon as possible. This should be
discussed in supervision to develop learning and provide an opportunity for the student to record
their own comments whilst the situation is still fresh in their mind.
Ensure that service users have the opportunity to provide feedback and that this is done in the most
appropriate way. It may be helpful to offer the opportunity for service users to provide their views in
writing after the event if they prefer.
17
Section 8 Assessment
The Practice Educator will recommend that the student passes or fails the practice element of the
placement based upon their own assessment of the student’s progress throughout the placement.
Practice Educators should take a holistic approach to assessment of the key roles. Use of a
competence based model may at times produce a segmented assessment but assessment in
practice should reflect the complexity of social work tasks. Practice Educators must consider
student progress overall not just in relation to individual units and elements. Evidence must be
drawn from a range of sources.
The ongoing assessment should be discussed with the student throughout supervision and prior to
the final placement meeting. The Practice Educator will assess and validate the work in the portfolio
and write their report (see proforma in the appendices). The Practice Educator’s report must clearly
identify evidence of the student’s competence in NOSSW Key Roles. The student’s written evidence
is an integral part of the Practice Educator’s/Offsite Practice Educator’s assessment. The student’s
direct work with service users, written work in the agency and in the portfolio, their professional
conduct with colleagues and their adherence to agency policy and procedure must be of appropriate
standards according to the NOSSW key roles for the Practice Educator to make a PASS
recommendation.
The Practice Tutor is responsible for assessing the portfolio and recommending a mark following
consultation with the Practice Educators. The final mark for the students’ assessed work in the
portfolio mark will be the sum of the marks of the 3 assessed pieces divided by three. If any of the
pieces of work in the portfolio are marked at a recommended mark of less than 40% (for BA and
BSc (Hons) students) or less than 50% (for MA students) then the student cannot pass. The tutor
will email the feedback sheets to the student for inclusion in portfolio before submission.
A student cannot pass the placement unless practice and written evidence are assessed as being
satisfactory and provide evidence of competence in the NOSSW Key Roles, value base, and Code
of Practice and integration of theory in practice.
Portfolio of evidence
Assessment of practice includes the student’s portfolio. The portfolio consists of a report from the
Practice Educator, the completed Direct Observation forms and the written evidence as outlined in
the portfolio structure (Section 9).
All elements must be completed successfully to pass the practice module.
Once settled into the placement students, Practice Educators and on site supervisors where
applicable, should begin to identify the assessment requirements for the placement and how they
can provide evidence of meeting these.
It is the Practice Educator’s and On-site Supervisor’s responsibility to assess the students
performance throughout the placement, alongside the student’s written pieces for the
portfolio, along with other sources of evidence/feedback from service users, carers and
colleagues and make judgement regarding the students professional capability.
The Practice Tutor, in consultation with the Practice Educator, will award a mark for each of the
written pieces of work within the portfolio.
18
Practice Educators will provide advice and guidance on the plans for completing the work. In
particular they will discuss the relevance of theory that the student presents in supervision. Practice
Educators should not read drafts of work until the portfolio is complete. This is to ensure that the
student is not tempted to cross the boundary between seeking advice and quoting the Practice
Educator’s own views.
From the beginning of the placement Practice Educators and students should begin to identify the
assessment requirements and consider how students can provide evidence to demonstrate their
development in relation to the Key Roles. Practice Educators should regularly discuss progress
toward completing the portfolio in supervision.
A hand in date for the portfolio is agreed at the placement agreement meeting. This should
normally be two weeks before the end of placement. It is not possible to set a single submission
date for all students as placements commence on different dates.
Assessment of the portfolio
The Practice Educator will recommend that the student passes or fails the practice element of the
placement based upon the student’s performance against the NOSSW Key Roles. This should be
discussed with the student throughout supervision and prior to the midpoint review and end of
placement. The Practice Educator will assess and validate the work in the portfolio and write their
report (see pro forma in the appendices). The student’s written evidence is an integral part of the
Practice Educator’s/Offsite Practice Educator’s assessment. However, the student’s direct work with
service users, written work in the agency and in the portfolio, their professional conduct with
colleagues and their adherence to agency policy and procedure must be of appropriate standards
for the Practice Educator to make a PASS recommendation.
The Practice Tutor is responsible for assessing the portfolio and recommending a mark following
consultation with the Practice Educator. If any of the pieces of work in the portfolio are marked at a
recommended mark of less than 40% (for BA students) or less than 50% (for MA students) the
student cannot pass. The tutor will email the feedback sheets to the student for inclusion in portfolio
before submission and inform the module leader/programme leader.
A student cannot pass the placement unless practice and written evidence are assessed as
meeting the required standard.
Reflective Diary
Throughout the placement, students are required to keep a reflective log on a daily basis and this
should be discussed with the Practice Educator in supervision (see Appendix 2 for details of
suggested format). The log should enable the student and Practice Educator to identify the
development of the student’s professional skills and abilities combined with the application and
integration of professional values and ethics. Students should focus on significant learning
experiences. It is important to monitor such experiences and development because impressions
often fade and the immediacy of learning can be lost. The log will reflect the process of change and
professional development and will assist students to complete the written tasks for the portfolio. The
log is designed to enable students to measure their professional development along a range of
dimensions and to explore the application of theory, research to practice and skill development.
The record should be given to the Practice Educator on a regular basis to read and provide
feedback.
19
The reflective diary is a key learning tool for the student and may be requested by the University as
additional evidence of the student’s capability.
Assessment timetable
The student should complete their portfolio and include the Practice Educator Report by the date
agreed at the learning agreement meeting. The student will forward the portfolio to the Practice
Tutor electronically. The tutor will discuss this with the Practice Educator by telephone and send
feedback to the student by email. A meeting to formalise the ending of the placement will therefore
not usually be required.
The student must keep their own copy of all the pieces of work they hand in.
On the final day of the placement the student will present their portfolio and the Practice Educator
must complete the confirmation of end of placement form. This confirms that the student has
completed the required number of placement days and is a confirmation that the student has
passed or failed the placement.
This form should be sent to the Practice Tutor as an email attachment and copied to placementschssc@salford.ac.uk. The form is available for download from blackboard.
The Examination Board
The examination board has responsibility for all formal assessments of students, including taking
pass or fail decisions in relation to all students and taking decisions on the further progress of failed,
referred or deferred students etc. It is constituted according to University requirements.
The Partnership Advisory Panel (PAP)
The Practice Assessment Panel provides advice to the University on matters related to practice
learning. The panel meets quarterly during the academic year to monitor the standards and
consistency of practice learning; practice assessment arrangements and considers specific issues
in relation to students.
The membership includes: the Director of Social Work, representatives from stakeholder agencies;
programme leaders/representative from the programme team, module leaders for practice learning,
service users/carers; and the placement administrator. The chairperson is a stakeholder
representative.
20
Assessment tasks (BA Second, MA First Placement)
Intervention Project
This task is the opportunity for students to provide evidence of many elements of NOSSW Key
Roles 1-3. It is also an opportunity for you to identify and evaluate your own skills, knowledge and
values. However, it is designed to specifically address
Key Role 1 Units 1, 2 and 3 and Key
Role 2 Units 5 and 6.
Assessment should be considered broadly, to incorporate on going reviews and informal
assessment, or formal assessments using your agency’s formal assessment format. Both formal
and informal assessments require similar skills and abilities and understanding of power and
partnership with service users.
Consider the key principles of creating a care plan, intervention plan or contract with services users
and include the plan in the text or as an appendix referenced in the text.
Intervention Project: BA and MA Students
Task: Discuss an assessment you have undertaken on placement. Demonstrate
understanding of a range of social work theories and methods and an ability to analyse and
evaluate your role in the intervention.
Word Limit: 2000 words
In completing this task you should
1. Provide a brief description of the circumstances within which this piece of work took place and
the reason for the agency’s involvement.
2. Discuss an assessment that you have undertaken on placement, providing a rationale for your
chosen approach, with reference to relevant theory.
3. Outline the agreed care/intervention plan based on the needs identified. Demonstrate an
understanding of a range of concepts in the assessment (including legislation, social work
theory and issues of anti-discriminatory practice that contribute to understanding the
circumstances of the service user(s) involved).
4. Describe the chosen method of intervention. Analyse and critically evaluate your role in this
intervention and identify ways in which you could improve the way in which you work in similar
situations.
5. Conform to programme expectations about the standard of written English and use University
Guide for referencing style for academic work.
21
Group Work Report
This task is the opportunity for students to provide evidence of a range of Key Roles. However, it is
designed specifically to address Key Role 2 Unit 8 and associated elements.
To meet the requirements of this task you must be involved in taking some degree of responsibility
for the group. Most commonly this will involve co-working with another member of staff or taking a
particular clearly defined role within either a new or existing group.
However you chose to work with the group, either in an informal or formal way there must be a
focus to the work that you undertake, for example, talking or activity as the focus of meeting
together. You should be involved in the group consistently through much of your placement,
although you may be involved in a specific time limited group such as training for people interested
in becoming foster carers.
Some examples of groups that you could be involved in:





Reminiscence with older people in a day or residential setting;
Training or educational work with young people, people with a learning disability, foster
carers or others;
A regular informal drop in which aims to support people who are living in the community,
perhaps people with a diagnosis of mental distress, or young mothers;
A group which offers formal talking support to explore specific issues, for example with
young people who have been looked after; young offenders; people who have histories of
abusing substances or a recent diagnosis of a condition that will affect their future lives;
A support group for carers.
Group Work: BA and MA Students
Task: Describe a piece of group work in which you have been actively involved on placement
demonstrating understanding of group work theories, skills and methods and an evaluation
of your own skills and learning in this area.
Word Limit: 2000 words
In completing this task you should
1. With reference to relevant group work theory, provide a brief description and analysis of the type
of group you have been working with and your specific role within this group.
2. Evaluate the degree to which service users have been involved in setting up and managing the
group, with reference to issues of partnership and empowerment.
3. Analyse the effectiveness of the group work undertaken, with reference to outcomes and your
own impact as facilitator
4. Conform to programme expectations about the standard of written English and use University
Guide for referencing style for academic work.
22
Advocacy Report
This task is the opportunity for students to provide evidence of a range of Key Roles. However it is
designed to specifically address Key Role 3 Unit 10 and 11. It will also enable students to evidence
of competence in NOSSW Key Role 1 Unit 2.
Advocacy Report: BA and MA Students
Task: Demonstrate an understanding of the role of an advocate in social work settings,
including the skills required to undertake advocacy and participate in decision-making
forums in support of or on behalf of service users. Provide evidence of your understanding
of relevant theory.
Word Limit: 2000 words
In completing this task you should
1. With reference to relevant theory, describe one example of a situation where you supported a
person or group to self-advocate or where you acted as an advocate on behalf of a person or
group.
2. Outline the reasons advocacy, or self-advocacy was required in this situation and provide an
analysis of issues of power and partnership within this situation.
3. Critically evaluate the effectiveness of the advocacy or support given to the self advocate(s) and
the effectiveness of your role in this situation, with reference to relevant theory.
4. Conform to programme expectations about the standard of written English and use University
Guide for referencing style for academic work.
23
Section 9 Portfolio Structure
It is essential to follow these guidelines in this section in the preparation of your portfolio
Presentation and Organisation of the Portfolio






The portfolio should be in a file, which allows the reader easy access to the contents e.g. an A4
ring slim style binder
Write on one side of the paper only
Plastic pockets should not be used
In the written assessment tasks word limits must not be exceeded
Ensure that that the portfolio is clear and legible throughout
Write in clear language and avoid the professional jargon of your placement setting
Confidentiality
The portfolio and each piece of work must include a statement that clarifies that the names and
other identifying features of all service users, staff, establishments, services and agencies have
been changed. Any reference to the name of the agency or service should only be in the proforma
placement meeting forms and Practice Educator’s report
Structure of the portfolio
1.
Section
Portfolio Marking Sheet
2.
Front cover
3.
4.
5.
Confidentiality statement
Contents page
Copy of email confirming receipt of
Placement Evaluation
Placement attendance/Supervision
6.1 Placement Attendance Sheet
6.2 Record of Supervision
Section One: Contexts
7.1 Brief description of your previous experience,
including, paid, voluntary and placement and post
school education (250 words)
7.2Brief description of the placement setting, type
of agency, geographical location (urban, rural
etc.), type of local community (250 words)
Section Two: Reports (include the signed 8.1 Pre-Placement Agreement placement
originals)
meeting 1
8.2 Mid-placement Review placement meeting 2
8.3 Practice Educator’s Report and Direct
Observations
8.4 Confirmation of End of Placement
Section Three: Assessment Tasks
Advocacy
Groupwork
Intervention
Section Four: Record of Practice Record of Practice Evidence against NOSSW
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Contents
 Portfolio Marking Sheet
 Assignment Feedback Sheets x 3
 Name:
 Student number:
 Qualification route (e.g. BA (Hons) in Social
Work Studies)
 Level of placement:
 Dates of full course (e.g. Sept 2009 – July
2012)
See proforma in appendices
See proforma in appendices
24
Evidence
Key Roles
Handy Tips for Students to help complete the Portfolio









Set your portfolio up at the beginning of the placement, or before you start
Ensure that you and your Practice Educator/Off-site Practice Educator have discussed the
assessment tasks early in the placement.
Maintain an on-going discussion about these tasks with your Practice Educator/Off-site Practice
Educator and seek advice from your Practice Tutor.
Choose pieces of work that will provide the best evidence of your competence in each of the
selected areas
Provide a range of evidence across the academic assignments to illustrate your practice.
Make sure that you understand and are aware of all Units in the relevant Key Roles and revise
these as you progress through placement
Be concise. Social workers often have to write reports that contain all the relevant information in
short reports.
The portfolio should contain reference to published materials about social work theory and
research
Ensure all work contains evidence of your ability to evaluate outcomes and reflect on your work,
especially your ability to learn from your mistakes.
25
Section 10 Quality Assurance
Identifying and Monitoring Appropriate Placements
All placements are quality assured to ensure they provide appropriate learning opportunities for
students to develop their professional practice in relation to the Key Roles and provide a positive,
supportive learning environment for students. All placements meet the criteria as defined by The
HCPC. A register of appropriate placements is maintained in the Placements Unit.
All placements are visited before use by the practice learning module leader to assess suitability,
learning opportunities and any development needs for the agency. This will also ensure the
Practice Placement setting is a safe and supportive environment for the student.
The University uses the QAPL tools to record and manage the data collected via audit and
evaluation.
QAPL – Quality Assurance for Practice Learning
Quality assurance is undertaken via 3 monitoring tools—one audit form and two evaluation
questionnaires. The audit form is completed by the University or an agency to assess / review the
suitability of a practice learning setting.
Once in use, two questionnaires, one for practice educators and one for students (completed at the
end of placement), assist the University and agencies in monitoring and evaluating the quality of the
practice placement. Additional information is also provided by practice tutors/students/off site
practice educators and module leaders on an informal basis following visits to the placement
setting.
Placement Audit
Before a practice placement is used an audit visit takes place by the module leader in order to
check, be satisfied with and record the following on the QAPL audit form:
1.
The range and type of placements which are likely to be available in the immediate setting
and any other placements linked to the workplace.
2.
The specific learning and range of work opportunities available.
3.
Confirmation that the agency is committed to the HCPC Standards of Conduct and Ethics.
4.
The complexity and type of work available and the level of student attainment necessary to
participate in it.
5.
The experience, training, qualifications and registration status of designated practice
educators involved in the student’s learning and information about anyone else who will
normally contribute to a student’s learning, assessment and support.
6.
The capacity of other workplace team members to contribute to student learning.
7.
Information about access and facilities to meet a range of student needs, including scope for
reasonable adjustment.
8.
Health and safety policy and procedures.
26
9.
Any arrangements for financial resourcing of the provision, including students’ travel costs
while on agency business.
10.
Any other key policies and procedures and any other information impacting on potential
students and their suitability.
11.
Any updating that is necessary to ensure currency of information and confidence in the
continuing suitability of the setting.
Audit information is reviewed on an annual basis and considered alongside evaluation information
as to suitability for continued use. Where concerns are raised, placement settings are re-visited by
the module leader to discuss these issues raised and plan how these might be addressed. Any
training needs will also be identified. If serious concerns are raised, the placement will not be used
again unless measures are taken to address these and the agency is happy to work with the
university to improve the quality of the experience for students.
Placement Evaluation
The evaluation process of the practice placement provides the opportunity for:
1.
Each student to offer honest and safe feedback once the final assessment decision has
been made.
2.
The practice educator and/or any other key participant to offer feedback on their experience
of managing the practice placement.
3.
A process whereby the University may confirm the continuing suitability of the practice
placement for future students or identify any necessary development work.
4.
A process for collecting and collating feedback data from each particular practice
placement in order to provide for an overall evaluation of practice learning provision.
Student evaluation of the placement forms part of their portfolio of evidence and ensures 100%
return.
Evaluations are submitted to the administrative team who perform an initial quality check
highlighting any areas of concern that require immediate action and these are referred to the
appropriate Module Leader.
The module leader should prepare a report summarising findings for each module.
27
Section 11 Practice Educators
The University of Salford is a partner in the sub regional collaboration for the Greater Manchester
Practice Educator Programme. This incorporates a partnership between the 4 social work education
providers, the 10 Local Authorities and representatives of the independent sector placement
providers across Greater Manchester.
Over the last 10 years, Salford has led a series of projects in conjunction with the Greater
Manchester employers and Universities, aimed at developing a practice educator training scheme
to enhance the quality of practice learning in the sub region. This enabled the sub region to pilot the
Practice Educator Framework and then finalise a Greater Manchester Practice Educator
Programme to implement the Practice Educator Professional Standards for Social Work.
This provides a two stage approach to qualification for practice educators and allows for APL in to
the PQ programmes.
All practice educators are assessed against the PEPSSW. Where appropriately qualified staff are
not available on site, an off- site practice educator (OSPE) will be supplied by the University. Salford
University have always used the Practice Teacher Award as the benchmark for OSPE and so are
well placed to ensure the new standards for placements from Sept 2013. We have supported the
training and assessment of practice educators across the region in order to ensure quality
standards for students on placement and there is a regular programme of training available.
Each year a series of workshops is delivered for qualified practice educators to ensure all are kept
up to date and provide an opportunity for sharing knowledge and ideas. This will contribute to
ensuring currency and CPD for the practice educators working with the programme.
See GMPEP packs and training schedule available on the Practice Education website.
28
Appendices
29
Appendix 1
The responsibility for the regulation of social work has now been assumed by the Health Care
Professions Council (HCPC), which has a set of Standards in relation to a) Proficiency and b)
Conduct Performance and Ethics. These documents can be found at:
http://www.hcpc-uk.org/aboutregistration/standards/
The GSCC codes being superseded by the HCPC.
HCPC Guidance on Conduct and Ethics for Students
The guidance can be found at the following web page:
www.hcpc-uk.org/assets/documents/10002C16Guidanceonconductandethicsforstudents.pdf
HCPC Standards of Proficiency for Social Work
The standards can be found at the following web page:
www.hcpc-uk.org/publications/standards/index.asp?id=569
30
Appendix 2
National Occupational Standards for Social Work
Key Roles for Social Workers
Students on BA Placement 2; MA Placement 1 and BSc Placement 3 are required to evidence
Key Roles 1 - 3
Students on BA Placement 3; MA Placement 2 and BSC Placement 5 are required to evidence
Key Roles 4 -6 (students on BSc (Hons) Professional Studies Nursing and Social Work
(Learning Disabilities have additional NMC requirements)
Key Role One:
Prepare for, and work with individuals, families, carers, groups and
communities to assess their needs and circumstances.
Unit 1: Prepare for social work contact and involvement.
Unit 2: Work with individuals, families, carers, groups and communities to help them make
informed decisions.
Unit 3: Assess needs and options to recommend a course of action.
Key Role Two:
Plan, carry out, review and evaluate social work practice, with
individuals, families, carers, groups, communities and other professionals.
Unit 4: Respond to crisis situations.
Unit 5: Interact with individuals, families, carers, groups and communities to achieve change
and development and to improve life opportunities.
Unit 6: Prepare, produce, implement and evaluate plans with individuals, families, carers,
groups, communities and professional colleagues.
Unit 7: Support the development of networks to meet assessed needs and planned
outcomes.
Unit 8: Work with groups to promote individual growth, development and independence.
Unit 9: Address behaviour which presents a risk to individuals, families, carers, groups and
communities.
Key Role Three:
Support individuals to represent their needs, views and circumstances.
Unit 10:
Advocate with, and on behalf of, individuals, families, carers, groups and
communities.
Unit 11:
Prepare for, and participate in, decision-making forums.
Key Role Four:
Manage risk to individuals, families, carers, groups, communities, self
and colleagues.
Unit 12:
Assess and manage risks to individuals, families, carers, groups and
communities.
Unit 13:
Assess, minimise and manage risk to self and colleagues.
Key Role Five:
Manage and be accountable, with supervision and support, for your own
social work practice within your organisation.
Unit 14:
Manage, and be accountable for, your own work.
Unit 15:
Contribute to the management of resources and services.
Unit 16:
Manage, present and share records and reports.
31
Unit 17:
systems.
Work within multi-disciplinary and multi-organisational teams, networks and
Key Role Six: Demonstrate professional competence in social work practice.
Unit 18:
Research, analyse, evaluate and use current knowledge of best social work
practice.
Unit 19:
Work within agreed standards of social work practice and ensure own
professional development.
Unit 20:
Manage complex ethical issues, dilemmas and conflicts.
Unit 21:
Contribute to the promotion of best social work practice.
32
National Occupational Standards
National Occupational Standards
The National Occupation Standards for Social Work (2002) provide a set of Key Roles, further
divided into units and elements which detail the practice expectations of social workers. The Key
Roles can be found at this address:
http://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/developing_skills/National_Occupational_Standards/social_work_NO
S.aspx
1. Communication skills and information sharing
Social workers must:
a. Explain their:
• role and the purpose of contact, e.g. assessment
• their powers, including legal powers in a way that can be understood by all
involved
b. Inform individuals, families, carers, groups and communities about what steps they are
going to take
c. Give information to individuals, families, carers, groups and communities about their
rights and entitlements
d. Be open and honest about what they can and cannot do
e. Be honest if they cannot offer the resources needed
f. Inform individuals, families, carers, groups and communities about what is available,
beyond the brief of their organisation
g. Listen actively to what individuals, families, carers, groups and communities have to say
h. Talk to those requiring and using services, and their carers, with due respect for their
age, ethnicity, culture, understanding and needs
i. Involve individuals, families, carers, groups and communities in decision making
j. Offer individuals, families, carers, groups and communities choices and options
k. Share records with individuals, families, carers, groups and communities
l. Build honest relationships based on clear communication
2. Good social work practice
Social workers must:
a. Be good at time keeping
b. Be good at starting, continuing and closing relationships
c. Respect confidentiality, and explain when there is a need to share information with others
d. Recognise the expertise of individuals, families, carers, groups and communities about their
own situation and have regard for their wishes
e. Involve individuals, families, carers, groups and communities in all meetings which may
affect them
f. Give individuals, families, carers, groups and communities sufficient time to work with them
properly
g. Ensure that contact is maintained
h. Assess needs properly:
• making sure that all options are explored before deciding on a plan
• looking for options when the services needed are not available
• being creative
• involving individuals, families, carers, groups and communities:
33
− in setting goals
− when developing a care plan, and being honest about the limitations of
choice and the options
− when reviewing and changing plans
i. Help individuals, families, carers, groups and communities to access benefits and services
j. Assess risk and support risk taking when appropriate
k. Work with individuals, families, carers, groups and communities to develop and/or maintain
independence
l. Link individuals, families, carers, groups and communities to support groups and networks
and support them to extend involvement with groups and networks
m. Be accountable to individuals, families, carers, groups and communities for their practice
3. Advocacy
Social workers must:
a. Be able to:
• lobby on behalf of individuals, families, carers, groups and communities to access
services
• challenge their own organisations on behalf of individuals, families, carers, groups
and communities
• challenge injustice and lack of access to services
• challenge poor practice
• advise individuals, families, carers, groups and communities about independent
advocacy that can best meet their needs
b. Enable individuals, families, carers, groups and communities to be empowered to represent
their views
c. Help individuals, families, carers, groups and communities represent their views in all
meetings affecting them
d. Involve independent advocates, where appropriate
4. Working with other professionals
Social workers must:
a. Be honest, clear and make sure all involved understand: what happens to the information
individuals, families, carers, groups and communities give to the social worker; how it is
kept
who it is shared with, and why how it might be used
b. Understand what information other organisations can offer and share with families, carers,
groups and communities individuals,
c. Work effectively with others to improve services offered to individuals, families, carers,
groups and communities
5. Knowledge
Social workers must:
a. Have knowledge of:



services relevant to individuals, carers, families, groups and communities needs and
circumstances (not just those offered by their organisation) and how to access other relevant
services
benefits and direct payments
of legislation
34
b. Have in-depth knowledge of the individuals, families, carers, groups and communities group they
are working with
c. Keep themselves up to date with:
• all relevant knowledge and information
• the rights of individuals, families, carers, groups and communities 6. Values Social workers must:
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
e. Be able to:
• challenge discriminatory images and practices affecting individuals, families, carers,
groups and communities
• put individuals, families, carers, groups and communities first.
35
Appendix 3
Complaints & Dissatisfaction Whilst On Placement
Placement is usually an enjoyable learning experience for both student and Practice Educator. If
either party should have concerns whilst on placement it is hoped that these can be resolved by
talking to each other or the Practice Tutor, or by calling a meeting. However it is recognised that
occasionally, situations may arise when more formal complaints may be necessary and informal
resolutions are not satisfactory. The concerns fall into 3 main categories. Those in relation to issues
concerned with the placement, those to do with the individual members of agency staff or agency
policy and procedures, and those in relation to the competence and behaviour of the student.
Complaints about a Placement Issue
If difficulties arise within a placement, which cannot be resolved between student, Practice Educator
and Practice Tutor, the module leader and Programme Leader should be informed and, where
appropriate, Practice Co-ordinators within the Agency. It is acknowledged that it may be difficult for
students to complain about those who may be assessing the placement. Issues need to be jointly
resolved by the agency and University personnel in the interest of the student’s learning. Any
complaints about placement which raise matters of the Programme’s policy or procedures will be
referred to the Partnership Advisory Panel.
Complaints about an Agency Member or Agency Policy or Procedure
The student, Practice Tutor, Practice Educator or On-site Supervisor should contact the Programme
Leader who will raise the matter with the relevant managers. Any policy or procedural matter will be
dealt with by the management of the agency concerned, together with the BA (Hons)/MA
Programme. Where appropriate, Practice Co-ordinators should also be informed.
Professional Misconduct
In the event of professional misconduct by a Practice Educator, On-site Supervisor, manager or any
other member of the agency, agency procedures will be implemented to deal with this. With regard
to students and Practice Tutors, action will be taken in consultation with the Programme Leader, the
Director of Social Work, and through University procedures.
36
Appendix 4
Forms for use whilst on placement:
For reference only - please download these forms from Blackboard – Practice Learning









Placement Learning Agreement
Mid Point Review
Confirmation of End of Placement
Direct Observation Report
First and Final Practice Educator Reports
Statement of Confidentiality
Attendance Sheet
List of Supervision
Record of Work Undertaken on Placement
37
Placement Agreement Meeting
Intermediate Placement (Key Roles 1-3)
Programme of Study
Placement Start Date
Placement End Date
Date of Mid Point Review (to be
attended by all parties in the learning
agreement)
Date of Final Assessment Meeting
Personnel Information
Students Name
Address
Contact Phone Number
Home
Mobile
Email
Emergency Contact Number
Practice Educator’s Name
Off-site:
Please confirm Practice Educator’s
Qualification
Contact Phone Number
Email
Placement Supervisor’s Name (if
applicable)
Contact Phone Number
Email
Tutor’s Name
Contact Phone Number
38
Email
Learning Settings
Practice Learning Base
Address
Contact Number(s)
Email
Placement Agency Status:
Local Authority/Health/Voluntary/Private/
Other please state:
Service User Group/s
Setting ie day-care, residential, fieldwork,
community work etc.
Additional Settings (if applicable)
Contact Number(s)
Email
Practical Arrangements
Days/Hours of Work (A placement day must be a minimum of 7 hours plus lunch)
Arrangements for Travel and other Expenses
Areas of hazard and or risk – how will these be managed?
Specific requirements eg Health and Safety, accountability, student’s responsibilities etc including the
name of the person to whom any concerns should be reported.
Does the Agency have a Lone Working Policy
Yes
No
How should the student report absence if they are ill and how can they book leave?
39
Criminal Records: The student must produce a current CRB certificate for inspection by the agency.
I have inspected the CRB certificate.
Signed: …………………………………………………………..
Date: ……………………………..
Facilities and support available to the student
(including support groups, workspace , administrative support, learning resources)
Supervision arrangements with Practice Educator (to include the placement supervisor where applicable)
covering frequency, preparation and respective responsibilities. Programme requirement – minimum of 1
hour per 5 working days.
Learning Opportunities
What are the specific learning requirements of the student?
How will these be met?
40
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes for Final Placement
Key Roles 1 – 3
Key Role 1: Prepare for, and work with individuals,
families, carers, groups and communities to assess
their needs and circumstances.
Key Role 2: Plan, carry out, review and evaluate
social work practice with individuals, families, carers,
groups and communities and other professionals.
Range of work/learning opportunities available
within the agency
Key Role 3: Support individuals to represent their
needs, views and circumstances.
Opportunities to address the GSCC Code of Practice
Opportunities to address issues of power and
oppression within the workbase
(This should include work which may address issues
of discrimination around gender, sexuality, race,
ageism and the interplay between these)
Any additional learning needs/outcomes from Level
1
Direct Observations of Practice
The student’s practice should be directly observed on a minimum of two occasions during the placement
and recorded on the provided format; all direct observations must involve the student’s practice with
service users. One direct observation should be completed prior to the Mid Point Review
Target Dates for Completion of Portfolios Items
Portfolio Item
Direct Observation (by mid point Review)
Draft Assignment (prior to mid point review)
Evidence Document
Complete Portfolio
Target Dates
Daily Placement Fee Payment Arrangements
Please note: payment of the daily placement fee will be made following the midpoint review at the following
rate:
Daily Placement
Fee
Statutory Placements
£18
If Off-site Provided by the
University of Salford
(£11 per day deducted)
£7
41
Private/Voluntary/Independent Placements
£28
£17
Signatures of all Parties to the Agreement
Student
Practice Educator
On-site Supervisor (if applicable)
Tutor
Date
42
Mid Point Review Meeting
Intermediate Placement (Key Roles 1-3)
Students Name
Programme of Study
Name of Practice Educator/Off-site
Practice Educator
Name of Supervisor
Name of Tutor
Placement Information
Practice Learning Base
Address
Contact Number(s)
Email
Date of Review Meeting
Placement Days Completed to date
Record of Review
Describe the work undertaken by the student to date
Use of Supervision – is this taking place regularly; is this recorded?
Sample of record of supervision to be seen by tutor x 2
Sample of daily log
Details of Direct Observation to date
Is Progress in Practice Satisfactory?
43
Summarise Evidence with regard to key roles and standards (Ref to evidence grid)
Key Roles
Evidence Recorded
Satisfactory
Progress Yes/No
Values/Standards from Codes of
Practice
Any Areas of Concern (eg student competence in practice, learning opportunities, supervision)
Please provide detailed information and ensure an action plan is drawn up to address area of concern
Action Plan for Second Half of Placement
Feedback from the Practice Educator/Off-site Practice Educator and Tutor on piece
of written work from student
44
Alterations to Submission Dates or Final Assessment Meeting
Revised Date
70/100 Days Attended
Complete Portfolio
Final Assessment Meeting
Signatures of all Parties to the Agreement
Student
Practice Educator
On-site Supervisor (if applicable)
Tutor
Date
45
CONFIRMATION OF END OF PLACEMENT
This Form must be completed on the Final Day of placement and submitted to placementschssc@salford.ac.uk within one week of the end date.
Name of Student
Programme of Study
MA Full-time
Please tick
MA Part-time
BA Full-time
BA Part-time
Joint Programme
Name of Practice Educator
Name of Tutor
Placement Address
Placement Start Date
I confirm the student has
completed
Placement End Date
Other please state
70 days
Practice Educator Recommendation:
90 days
PASS
100 days
FAIL
Signed by:
Practice Educator
46
Direct Observation of Practice
Students Name
Work Observer
Date of Observation
Name of Tutor
1a. Brief summary of the context in which the observation will take place (to be completed by
the student)
1b. Preparation and planning of session including specific objectives and identification of key
roles to be evidenced (to be completed by student)
Feedback from Observer (to be completed by Observer)
2a. How did the student achieve their objectives?
2b. How did the student demonstrate values / standards in their practice? (see section in
handbook)
47
2c. What key roles, units and elements have been demonstrated? Please give specific examples
from the observation.
2d. Comments from service user
3a. Student evaluation of the session
3b. Student response to feedback
4a. Areas for further development
4b. Any additional comments
Record signed by:
Student
Practice Educator
On-site Supervisor (if applicable)
Date
48
Practice Educator Report
Intermediate Placement (Key Roles 1-3)
Students Name
Programme of Study
Name of Practice Educator/Off-site
Practice Educator
Name of Supervisor
Name of Tutor
Placement Information
Practice Learning Base
Address
Placement Dates
Recommendation
PASS / FAIL
1. Introduction
2 Students Profile
3. Progress of Placement
4. Direct Observations of Practice
5. Students Response to Supervision
49
6. Evidence of the HCPC guidance on conduct and ethics
1 You must act in the best interests of service users.
2 You must respect the confidentiality of service users.
3 You must keep high standards of personal conduct.
4 You must provide (to us and any other relevant regulators) any important information about your conduct
and competence.
5 You must keep your professional knowledge and skills up to date.
6 You must act within the limits of your knowledge, skills and experience and, if necessary, refer the matter
to another practitioner.
7 You must communicate properly and effectively with service users and other practitioners.
8 You must effectively supervise tasks that you have asked other people to carry out.
9 You must get informed consent to provide care or services (so far as possible).
10 You must keep accurate records.
11 You must deal fairly and safely with the risks of infection.
12 You must limit your work or stop practising if your performance or judgement is affected by your health.
13 You must behave with honesty and integrity and make sure that your behaviour does not damage the
public’s confidence in you or your profession.
14 You must make sure that any advertising you do is accurate
Comments
7. Evidence of the values and ethics of social work (Service Users and Carers Statement)
 Awareness of your own values, prejudices, ethical dilemmas and conflicts of personal interest and
their implications for your practice
 Respect for and the promotion of:
Each person as an individual; independence and quality of life for individuals, whilst protecting
them from harm, dignity and privacy of individuals, families, carers, groups and communities
 Recognise and facilitate each person’s use of language and form of communication of their choice
 Value, recognise and respect the diversity, expertise and experience of individuals, families, carers,
groups and communities
 Maintain the trust and confidence of individuals, families, carers, groups and communities by
communicating in an open, accurate and understandable way
 Understand, and make use of, strategies to challenge discrimination, disadvantage and other forms
of inequality
Comments
8. Evidence of competence in the National Occupational Standards for Social Work key roles 1 – 3:
Please take a holistic approach to the assessment of the Key Roles. Consider how the units and elements
are inter-related. Social Work tasks are complex and this should be reflected in progressive assessment of
the student’s work throughout the placement.
Key Role 1 – Prepare for, and work with individuals, families carers, groups and communities to assess
their needs and circumstances
Evidence/Assessment:
PASS/FAIL
Key Role 2 – Plan, carry out, review and evaluate social work practice, with individuals, families, carers,
groups, communities and other professionals
50
Evidence/Assessment:
PASS/FAIL
Key Role 3 – Support individuals to represent their needs, views and circumstances
Evidence/Assessment:
PASS/FAIL
9. Future Learning Needs
Please outline any areas where the student is not yet competent and identify any future learning needs for
the student.
11. Summary
Record Signed by:
Student
Practice Educator
On-site Supervisor (if applicable)
Tutor
Date
51
STATEMENT OF CONFIDENTIALITY
(To be included in portfolio)
To preserve confidentiality all names and other identifying factors have been changed in this
portfolio. This includes names, addresses and DOBs of service users, their family and carers and also
the names of other professionals, staff members and organisations.
With regard to service users and their family I have preserved their anonymity by the use of (tick as
appropriate):
Pseudonyms or random initials

Tippexing and photocopying

In cases where other professionals or the placement organisation is mentioned by name or has
provided evidence to authenticate a piece of work, permission to identify them has been obtained
and a signed statement by those concerned to this effect is included in the portfolio.
SIGNATURES
Student
Practice Educator
Date
52
Social Work Placement Attendance Sheet
Key: P=Placement U=University L= Leave A=Absent R = Recall day S = Skills day
Week
No
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Week
commencing
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
Days
completed
Placement days completed:
Student signature & date:
PE/supervisor signature & date:
NB: THIS ATTENDANCE SHEET MUST BE SIGNED BY YOUR PRACTICE EDUCATOR OR ON-SITE SUPERVISOR IF
THERE HAS BEEN AN OFF-SITE PRACTICE EDUCATOR ARRANGEMENT.
FAILURE TO OBTAIN THIS SIGNATURE WILL RESULT IN YOUR PORTFOLIO BEING RETURNED TO YOU WITHOUT
BEING ASSESSED BY THE PRACTICE ASSESSMENT PANEL
53
List of Supervision dates
Date of Supervision
session
PE or OSS signature
Student signature
54
Record of Work Undertaken on Placement
The student should provide a brief description of work undertaken during the placement, including case
summaries detailing key issues and their role in the case.
This should be verified by the Practice Educator and appended to their report.
55
Appendix 5
Whistle-blowing (Public Interest Disclosure)
Policy for social work students on work placements
Introduction
The University recognises that students on placements have a duty to report dangerous, abusive,
discriminatory or exploitative behaviour and practice that sits outside their immediate learning
activity. It also recognises the relative powerlessness and vulnerability of students who may well be
undergoing a process of assessment by work-based staff during their placement. The University
takes seriously its duty of care for students and regards as important that students are able to voice
their concerns and that their interests are safeguarded as far as possible.
The University also recognises that where a concern unrelated to the learning experience is raised
about an external body the University’s own powers to investigate may be limited both by practical
consideration and legal constraint. Accordingly, where an incident results in whistle-blowing outside
the institutional and academic context of learning the following procedure shall apply:
Procedure
A student wishing to report a matter should in the first instance report their concerns to the
programme leader. The programme leader will advise the student on the preparation of a statement
setting out the issues (‘Statement of Issue’) and of the procedure that will be followed. This advice
shall include advising the student on the possible limits placed on any investigations as a result of
protecting anonymity. It is not the role of the programme leader to draft the Statement of Issue or to
counsel for or against its submission. It is however appropriate for the Programme Leader to advise
the student in circumstances where the alleged incident is in fact part of normal practice such that
the evidence identifies no malpractice (e.g. misinterpretation of legal methods of constraint in
appropriate circumstances:
a) The Statement of Issue will be submitted by the Programme Leader to the Registrar and
Secretary on behalf of the student. This action will not imply any endorsement or support for
the allegation by the Programme Leader.
b) The student’s name will be disclosed to the Registrar and Secretary The Registrar and
Secretary will forward the Statement of Issue to a named person at the organisation
concerned requesting that the matter be investigated. The identity of the student will only be
disclosed by the Registrar and Secretary with the express written permission of the student.
c) All organisations accepting students on placements must identify an appropriate contact
person for the purposes set out above, who is competent to implement an appropriate
internal; investigation. Normally this will be via the organisation own established whistleblowing process. Where no such process currently exists, the placement organisation will
be required to put in place an appropriate process, which will be specified in an annex to
their agreement with the University. This will set out the circumstances in which such a
procedure might be invoked, and confirm the rights on anonymity and freedom from
discrimination for the student submitting a Statement of Issue.
d) On conclusion of the investigation by the organisation concerned a report setting out the
findings will be submitted by the organisation to the Registrar and Secretary, who will
forward the finding to the Programme Leader and student.
56