You will need access to one/several of the following texts:

Gee, V. (2003) Becoming a Social Worker. London, Routledge
Moss, B. (2008) Communication Skills for Health and Social Care, London, Sage
Parker, J. (2004) Effective Practice Learning in Social Work. Exeter, Learning Matters
Thompson N. (2005) 2nd Ed, Understanding Social Work, Preparing for Practice Basingstoke. Palgrave Macmillan,
Thompson N (2002) 2nd Ed, People Skills. Basingstoke. Palgrave Macmillan
Trevithick, P. (2005) Social Work Skills (2nd ed) - A Practice Handbook. Buckingham Open University Press

This module is open only to students enrolled on the BA (Hons) Social Work who have successfully completed modules:
HEW73113-1; HEW73114-1, HEW73115-1; HEW73116-1 and HEW73117-1.

Access to Practice Learning Opportunity
Computing facilities will be needed to access materials on the web and specialist online databases.
Access to appropriate texts and journals.

Supervision with a Practice Learning Supervisor for one and a half hours each week (or equivalent). This will involve:
- learning practice skills to intermediate level - see outcomes below;
- developing knowledge and critical understanding and application of theory, skills, and methods for social work;
- preparing for supervision sessions and maintaining supervision notes;
- monitoring and working within the learning agreement.

Working directly with service users and their support networks.
Directed reading.
Working with team members.
Reading and working within agency policies and procedures.
Reflecting on own practice, by means of the Analyses of Practice
Linking the learning from the university modules to practice.
Observation and feedback on own practice.
Completing agency documentation.
Managing workloads.

Some materials will be accessed through Blackboard / VLE

WHICH WILL BE ASSESSED (AGAINST THE GSCC REQUIREMENTS) BY:

A portfolio of materials from the student's practice learning setting, which taken together, demonstrates a student's achievement of competence at intermediate level both in academic and professional requirements.

The academic standard will be assessed by the academic tutor and practice learning supervisor/assessor in the four analyses of practice. The professional requirement will be assessed
`competent/not yet competent' basis, by the practice learning supervisor/assessor.

STUDENTS WHO FAIL THE PRACTICE ELEMENT WILL NOT NORMALLY BE GIVEN A SECOND ASSESSMENT OPPORTUNITY.

a) Academic Knowledge, Understanding and Learning, underpinning professional practice - graded

Four Analyses of Practice Based on National Occupational Standards (6 Key Roles), and including an analysis of the student's use of values; law; theory and process and communication skills in social work practice.

Learning Outcome 1

Students must achieve an overall mark of 40%. Students must achieve a pass in both academic and professional requirements.

b) Professional practice

Students will be assessed as competent/not yet competent in the following elements:

1) A competence report based on the NOS Key Roles 1 to 6 demonstrating ongoing competency developments `signed off' by the practice learning supervisor/assessor together with the summary of evidence report.

2) Three direct observations of practice, demonstrating competent `signed off' by the practice learning supervisor/assessor

Students must also submit for information purposes only, a description of the practice setting; an account of the work undertaken; the learning agreement; the mid point report, and the formal evaluation of the practice learning opportunity.

Word targets:

Analyses of Practice 4 x 1000
Other documentation maximum 1000

TOTAL 5000

Students must achieve a pass in all components

Practice learning in a social work, social care, health, offenders, and/or education agency in the statutory, voluntary or private sectors of social work and social care provision.

This period of practice learning will enable students to demonstrate knowledge, critical understanding and application of the well established knowledge, concepts and principles for social work.

Practice learning and assessment will focus on the National Occupational Standards for Social work (2002)key roles for social work :

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, communities and other professionals;
Key Role 3: Support Individuals to represent their needs, views and circumstances;
Key Role 4: Manage risk to individuals, families, carers, groups, communities, self and colleagues;
Key Role 5: Manage and be accountable with supervision and support for your own social work practice within your organisation;
Key Role 6: Demonstrate professional competence in social work practice.