You will commence a 80-day practice learning opportunity (placement) where you will have the opportunity to demonstrate that you have met the requirements of the¿Professional Capabilities Framework¿at the End of First Placement level. Your placement could be in any relevant setting and will have been quality assured to ensure that it provides suitable opportunities to demonstrate your capabilities.¿

During your placement, you will have the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge, critical understanding and application of theories, concepts, and values of social work. You will utilise a range of social work skills to provide and support service users their families and carers.¿

Your learning and assessments of your capabilities will focus on the domains of the¿Professional Capabilities Framework¿at the End of First Placement level.

During the placement, you will attend Professional Development Days (PDD) where current themes and issues will be discussed, and links formed between theories, law, and practice.¿

You are required to complete 80¿full¿days in practice. Any days lost during placement will need to be made up at the end of the placement.

You will submit a Professional Practice Portfolio which you will complete during your 80-day placement. Your portfolio needs to provide evidence that you have met the requirements of the Professional Capabilities Framework at the End of First Placement level.

This will be assessed by:

Completion of all elements of the Professional Practice Portfolio.

Completion of a Mid-Point Review, considering your development against the Professional Capabilities Framework at the ‘End of First Placement’ level.

3 x 500 word critical reflections mapped to the PCF super domains (NB an additional reflection will be required from students where the concerns process was initiated/followed)

Successful completion of three successful direct observations of your practice.

Your Practice Educator needs to complete a report with a PASS/FAIL recommendation.

Where relevant, a Work-Based Supervisor’s Report.

Assessing all learning outcomes.

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities: (42 hours) to include 3 x Professional Development days, and a minimum of 24 hours supervision with a Practice Educator / Work-based Supervisor in line with the guidance in the Placement Handbook. Supervision will support students in:

Developing relevant practice skills.

Developing knowledge and critical understanding and application of theory, skills, and methods for social work.

Preparing for supervision sessions and maintaining supervision notes

Being accountable for their work and working within the learning agreement and any other agreed learning plans.

Guided Independent Study: (158 hours)

Directed reading

Working with team members and other professionals

Reading and working within agency policies and procedures

Reflecting on own practice

Linking the learning from the university modules to practice

Observation and feedback on own practice

Completing agency documentation

Managing workload

1.On completion of this module, you will be able to demonstrate the knowledge, skills and values required by the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) ‘End of First Placement’ Criteria¿
Professional standards 1:1, 2:2, 1:3, 1:4, 1:5, 1:6, 1:7, 2:1, 2:3, 2:4, 2:5, 2:6; 2:7, 3:1, 3:2, 3:3, 3:5, 3:6, 3:7, 3:8, 3:10, 3:11, 3:13, 4:1, 4:2, 4:3, 4:4, 4:6, 4:8, 5:1, 5:2, 5:3, 5:4, 5:4, 5:6, 6:1, 6:2, 6:3, 6:4, 6:5, 6:6, 6:7
PCF 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

1.Knowledge & Understanding¿
Communication

2. On completion of this module, you will be able to demonstrate critical awareness and application of the legal framework, social policies, and procedures, that underpin Social Work practice.
Professional Standards 3:1, 3:3, 3:5, 4:4
PCF 4, 5, 8

Knowledge and Understanding
Application
Problem solving

3. On completion of this module, you will demonstrate that you can apply and evaluate Social Work theories, models, and methods to practice situations.
Professional Standards 3.5; 4.3; 4.4
PCF 5, 6 7

Knowledge
Learning
Application

4. On completion of this module, you will demonstrate your ability to manage your personal and professional values in your work with service users.
Professional Standards 2.1-2.7; 3.7; 4.8
PCF 1, 2, 6

Reflection
Communication

5. On completion of this module, you will be able to demonstrate the ability to reflect on your own practice and use supervision effectively to identify future learning needs.¿
Professional standards 4.1-4.8
PCF 1, 6

Analysis

You will have access to a range of materials on Blackboard VLE including articles, lecture slides, and interactive activities. You will also be able to access a variety of digital material through our Library and specialist databases.

Fenge, L. (2014) The Social Work Portfolio: A Student’s Guide to Evidencing Your Practice. Maidenhead: Oxford University Press

Beckett, C., Maynard, A. and Jordan, P. (2017) Values and Ethics in Social Work. 3rd. London: Sage

Brammer, A. (2019) Social Work Law. 5th. Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd.

Coulshed, V. and Orme, J. (2012) Social Work Practice. 5th. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan

Milner, J., Myers, S. and O’Byrne, P. (2015) Assessment in Social Work. 4th. London: Palgrave

Musson, P. (2017) Making Sense of Theory and its Application to Practice. St Albans: Critical Publishing

Students need to be enrolled on MA Social Work.

This module is open to students enrolled on the MA Social Work course. Students will each be allocated a professionally qualified Practice Educator who will work with them throughout their placement to facilitate critical thinking, support the student to apply classroom learning to real-world practice and promote an anti-oppressive approach to social work practice.