scholarly journals Peer-Led Group Supervision A model to support and inspire social work students to be ‘active discoverers and constructors of their own knowledge’.

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jo Strang
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Student Evaluation ◽  
Knowledge Exchange ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Group Supervision ◽  
Group Setting ◽  
Pilot Model ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Intended Learning Outcomes

This article reviews the research findings from a student evaluation of a pilot study of peer-led group supervision for undergraduate social work students at a university in the UK. The definition, purpose and concept of peer-led group supervision are considered and the pilot model and intended learning outcomes described. The student evaluation provides positive feedback that this group setting allowed for support, knowledge exchange and an opportunity to discuss learning from placement experiences. Constructive student feedback enables further discussion in regard to the logistical set-up of this group learning environment and the role of an observing Practice Educator/link tutor. Recommendations are made for how this model can be developed in the future to further the learning opportunities for social work students using this peer-led group supervision model.

scholarly journals Intersectional impact of multiple identities on social work education in the UK

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 226-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Chi-pun Liu
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Learning Difficulties ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Lower Probability ◽  
Learning Difficulty ◽  
Structural Barriers ◽  
Social Work Training ◽  
Work Training ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Uk

Summary The study reviews the records of 671 social work students and graduates including the seven intakes from the first cohort in 2003/2004 to the intake in 2010/2011 to examine the interacting effect of learning difficulties, ethnicity and gender on the completion of social work training at a university in the South East of England. Findings Among the students, 79.9% of them were female, 50.1% were black, 27.9% white, 10.7% Asian and 11.3% other ethnicities. A majority of students did not report any disability. Among those who did ( n = 84), 52.3% ( n = 44) reported a learning difficulty. The percentage of students who have successfully completed the training is 76.4%, a completion rate that is comparable to the UK's national figure. Having controlled the confounding variables, hierarchical logistic regression identified the risk factor for dropout from undergraduate social work programme as black female students with learning difficulties (odds ratio = 0.100, 95% confidence interval = 0.012–0.862, p < 0.05). Findings suggested that students with multiplicity of identities, i.e. being black and female and with a learning difficulty, have a lower probability to complete the programme successfully. Applications Strategies for tackling the intersecting disadvantages of race, gender and disabilities in social work training should embrace three principles: providing continuous support, focusing on how the support is provided and addressing contextual and structural barriers.

scholarly journals What influences practice educators in determining appropriate learning opportunities for social work students on their final practice learning placement?

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-62
Author(s):  
Claire Bates
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Education Practice ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Work Education ◽  
The Voice ◽  
Practice Education

Abstract: Within social work education in the UK practice education has been subject to regular and substantive change and continues to have the potential to be fragmented as a result of practice learning taking place in a variety of organisations and settings as well as students having on site and off site practice educators. In this pilot research study individual semi structured interviews were used to gather data from 6 experienced practice educators who supervised students across both the statutory and voluntary sector, including those practicing independently as ‘off site’, to establish what influences practice educators when determining appropriate learning opportunities for social work students on their final placement. Findings indicated that practice educators draw on a variety of influences to determine appropriate learning opportunities for final year social work students, not relying on a single tool or mechanism. The research was undertaken in order to hear the voice of Practice educators and develop a better understanding of the process of supervising students on placement and to work towards enhancing future practice.Keywords: practice education; practice educator; social work education; placements; pcf; learning opportunities

scholarly journals Using creativity, co-production and the common third in a communication skills module to identify and mend gaps between the stakeholders of social work education

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Reith-Hall
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Social Pedagogy ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Work Education

The involvement of stakeholders – academics, service users and carers, students and practitioners – is thought to improve the quality of social work education, although few approaches and strategies for achieving this have been articulated. Even service-user and carer involvement, which is firmly embedded within social work courses in the UK, would benefit from being better theorised and researched. This paper considers how creativity, co-production and the common third helped social work academics from an English university and service users and carers from a local user-led organisation to design, deliver and evaluate a communication skills module for social work students. In spite of some challenges, effective and supportive relationships have developed, with a range of benefits becoming increasingly apparent. However, the strengths of this partnership highlighted gaps in the relationships with other stakeholders. In a conscious effort to overcome paternalistic traditions of transmission-oriented teaching, some gap-mending strategies were developed to involve students in the module’s design, delivery and evaluation. It is proposed that social pedagogy, with its focus on social inclusion and social justice, might help fulfil a current aim of British higher education, to work with students as partners and increase meaningful involvement and collaboration.

scholarly journals Exploring the experiences of practice teachers who are not social workers

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-56
Author(s):  
Chris Laycock ◽  
Laura Walker ◽  
Laura Heath
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
The Social ◽  
Practice Teaching ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Work Student ◽  
And Training

Professionals without a social work qualification have been involved in the practice teaching of social work students since the days of CCETSW (the former education and training body for social work in the UK). Historically this has always happened more in the voluntary sector. With the advent of the Social Work Degree in England, the 50% increase in demand for placements in a variety of settings has seen reliance on practice teachers who are not social workers.This raises some interesting questions about how professionals who are not social workers should be trained and supported in the role of practice teacher.We will attempt to explore these questions, drawing on responses to a questionnaire sent to a range of practice teachers in a county in northern England as well as feedback obtained from a focus group drawn from respondents to the questionnaire. The participants in the research came from a range of work backgrounds in the voluntary and statutory sectors. The experiences discussed in the research, in the main, relate to the Diploma in Social Work (the former UK qualification) as the degree only started in 2003- 2004. We will refer to research participants as Practice Teachers. The key criterion for involvement was that all participants in the study had had sole responsibility for at least one social work student.

Practice Education Network for Social Work (PENSW): Evaluation of an online resource

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 81-96
Author(s):  
Jackie Plenty ◽  
Heidi Dix ◽  
Louise Barley
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Virtual Space ◽  
Social Work Training ◽  
Online Resource ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Education Network ◽  
Training Programmes ◽  
Practice Education

The Practice Education Network for Social Work (PENSW) is an online resource for networking and sharing knowledge and information that is accessed by all the professionals and partner agencies involved in providing social work placements and supervising social work students at the University of Suffolk (UOS) in the United Kingdom (UK). This research explored the ease with which such networks can be set up, and offers an evaluation from network members. Given limited national resources and the need to provide more localised resources; this evaluation demonstrates the importance of providing an easily accessible virtual space for organisations and professionals to access resources, network, and share best practice. The findings suggest that all social work training programmes should consider providing a localised network to support the social work placement process by ensuring that supervisors of social work students have access to necessary  documentation, research, and information so that they can effectively fulfil their roles, and stay connected to the programme provider and other professionals involved in social work student practice placements.Keywords: social work placements; supervision; networking; resources; information sharing; practice education.

A Comparative Study of Social Work Students in India and the UK: Stress, Support and Well-Being

2012 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Coffey ◽  
U. Samuel ◽  
S. Collins ◽  
L. Morris
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Uk

scholarly journals Group supervision for social work students on placement

2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 55-72
Author(s):  
Paul McCafferty
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Social Care ◽  
International Comparisons ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Group Supervision ◽  
Care Work ◽  
School Of Social Work ◽  
The University ◽  
And Training

Partnership Care West is a voluntary organisation that contracts with the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) to provide ten placements for social work students. NISCC is a statutory organisation, with responsibility for registering and regulating social care/work, improving standards in education and training and standardising practice in Northern Ireland NISCC (2003).The students attend the practice learning centre and are then given placements in voluntary sector sites established by the centre. Traditionally, the students were supervised on a one to one basis using the long arm approach. In recent years however, the centre has developed a model for supervising these students in groups.Building on my positive experience of conducting group supervision and to further my knowledge, skills and values in this area, I recently undertook an international comparison with the School of Social Work in Haifa Israel. This School has an already well established model for supervising students in groups and I hoped that I could learn something to help me develop my model further. I would like to thank Nava Arkin at the University of Haifa for her willingness to take part in this comparison and for her encouragement throughout. This article aims to outline my findings of the comparison and outline the theoretical constructs that make international comparisons in social work possible.

scholarly journals Finding the way forward

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-63
Author(s):  
Jean Gordon ◽  
Moira McGeoch ◽  
Audrey Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
The West ◽  
Combination Of Methods ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Work Education

Locating sufficient student practice learning opportunities (PLOs) has been a long-standing challenge in social work education. This article highlights key findings of a study carried out in the West of Scotland to inform a move from a reactive approach to regular crises in PLO provision towards the development of a long term strategic plan for social work practice learning in the region. The study involved a combination of methods, including literature review, local audit, focus groups and consultation with individuals and organisations in the West of Scotland and the rest of the UK. The study found local and national evidence of innovation in developing new models of practice learning to meet the demands of 21st Century social work in Scotland as well as a growing concern that an emphasis on finding sufficient PLOs should not compromise the quality of the learning opportunities available to social work students. Some of the study’s implications for practice learning in the West of Scotland and further afield are explored.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document