appendices
APPENDIX 1
Access Planning for Practice Learning
Universities and public services have a duty to anticipate access requirements and to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. The faculty has responded with a policy backed up with an action plan to develop inclusive education in all areas of university life. Part of this is a system for developing individual access plans to ensure your equal access to learning opportunities and assessment (see Access Planning leaflet). The following information is set out to help your discussion with the student advisors. It is sometimes useful to start to think about this by looking at arrangements at home or in other work settings.
Activities you can anticipate undertaking while on placement.
Travelling, parking and moving about indoors and outdoors (include lighting)
Home visits Observation
Interviewing Taking notes, producing
Using diary records /reports
Using telephone Reading case notes
Use of filing systems Open plan office, hotdesk
Using in-house IT systems Work routines
Keeping safe Outdoor activities in some
settings
(Social work students are not required to undertake manual handling.)
These activities may not be essential – what is essential is that the learning opportunities are linked to the learning outcomes for the module.
What can be put in place?
The agency may have anticipated accessible working arrangements that are useful to you. Many of the strategies that you already use will need to be mapped over to your placement. For example, if you use a support worker such as a note-taker or a sign language interpreter then you will need to think how you might want to use a support worker in your placement. If you have a mentor or dyslexia tuition arranged through the Disability Service then you need to think whether or not you want this to continue while you are on placement.
You may need to think about how you will be able to access case notes: Will you need to use specialist software? How will you manage with handwritten notes? And how will you make your own notes?
If you use assistive technology, including any specialist software, use of this will have to be negotiated with the placement provider. It may be important to think how you will take your own notes at interviews and meetings etc.
To ensure your safety we need to consider how health and safety policies will work for you; would you need specific arrangements to be protected from any challenging behaviour? Would you hear an alarm signal and be able to make a safe exit if necessary?
Sometimes it is not until you are on placement that your find out what you need, so please let us know if your plan needs to be reviewed at any point during the placement.
2008
APPENDIX 2
THE PRACTICE LEARNING AGREEMENT-
NOTES ON COMPLETING THE FORM
The notes below refer to the numbered sections of the form.
2.2 Times that the student is expected to be at the agency should be noted here. Normally, students are expected to work hours which are typical in that agency, and in any case not more than 37 hours a week (pro rata where the placement is less than 5 days a week). Compensation arrangements for work outside the usual pattern, or beyond 37 hours (or a pro rata equivalent), should be noted here. Any expectation of work at evenings or weekends should have been agreed before the placement starts.
The student’s workload and working week should be planned to take account of the fact that they are students, and that their learning about practice will be enhanced by having time to prepare for and reflect on their work, as well as undertaking practice. They should therefore have reasonable time within their workload to research issues relevant to the practice they undertake and to prepare evidence for the portfolio. It may be appropriate in some circumstances for students to complete this work away from the placement, for example where there is no quiet space available. However, this should be clearly agreed with the Practice Assessor in advance.
2.3 Please clarify arrangements for
- Parking Permits
- Swipe cards
- Identity cards
- Other as appropriate to placement
2.4 Who is paying for student's travel expenses when visiting users, other agencies, etc?
2.5 Students are expected to take out appropriate car insurance if they intend to use their own car whilst undertaking practice learning. This means ensuring cover for ‘business use’. Practice Supervisors are asked to be clear about the nature and extent of insurance cover for the student. Many agencies provide the same cover in the event of personal injury or negligence as they do for their own employees. This cannot be assumed. If necessary, please make clear the policy on driving agency vehicles, such as a mini-bus.
3.3 This will include to whom the student will refer in absence of Practice Supervisor. There has to be a degree of formality in these arrangements. Any arrangements for informal support and supervision may also be noted.
4.4 What are the arrangements for the student's introduction to agency staff, service users and/or carers, relevant professionals from other agencies, etc? What are the arrangements for the student's introduction to the legal framework of the setting, agency policies, procedures and practice guidelines as identified by the Practice Supervisor and, if applicable, the supervisor?
4.4 Health and Safety
Please confirm that as part of the induction the student will:
- be given access to the agency written health and safety policy including lone working policy. Supervisor should discuss how these apply in the immediate work setting
- be advised of relevant legislation and policy and have the opportunity to discuss these
- be advised of significant personnel responsible for these issues
- be advised about infection control and personal vaccination
5.1 A minimum of 4 formal supervision sessions (1½ hours each) are required. There are a variety of formats in which this can be used. The agenda should be negotiated by the student and Practice Supervisor. Arrangements for record keeping need to be agreed and normally this will be shared between the student and Practice Supervisor. Students are expected to prepare for supervision.
Arrangements for one direct observation of the student’s communication skills by the Practice Supervisor need to be made. This should be carried out during the first half of the placement prior to the interim review.
6. Discrimination
The Agreement must include a reference to the agency policy and expectations if the student encounters racism or other forms of discrimination from users or staff. Issues of discrimination should be dealt with using the complaints procedure or other relevant agency policies.
6.2 Whistle blowing procedures
A named agency person for the student to contact outside of the practice assessment process should be identified.
APPENDIX 3
GUIDELINES FOR DIRECT OBSERVATION OF STUDENTS’ COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Students have their communication observed in a planned way by the Practice Supervisor on one occasion during the placement before the Interim Review meeting.
When an observation of practice is planned, if at all possible, involve the service user and ask if they are willing to be part of this process. If they agree then it is the responsibility of the Supervisor and the student to ensure that the service user is given the opportunity to comment on the competence/development of the student and is given feedback about the student and Supervisor’s own assessment.
Not all service users and/or carers will be able or want to be involved in the whole process. However many will also be very happy to contribute and to be part of the assessment process. The Practice Supervisor and the student will have to plan how this is managed, using their knowledge of and relationship with the service user to ensure that this is comfortable for all the parties involved.
Sometimes a direct observation does not always go according to plan – it may be cancelled or need to be cancelled if it is not the right occasion, the situation suddenly changes for example This is understood by the module team and you are encouraged to make new arrangements.
If the student and supervisor think that the direct observation could be significantly improved, they should if possible, undertake a second one.
The student needs to identify relevant literature to prepare and discuss its relevance in the reflection.
APPENDIX 4
Anti Oppressive Practice
Values
Students are expected to demonstrate that all their practice is informed by social work values. There are several statements of social work values which are relevant to assessment of practice and these are outlined below
GSCC Code of Practice
Qualifying social workers are expected to work to the standards of conduct set out in the GSCC Code of Practice for Social Care Workers. This provides a set of criteria to guide practice and the statements reflect some core social work values. Students are expected to work within the requirements of the Code of Practice as a condition of their registrations as student social workers. Qualifying and qualified workers are expected to use the codes to examine their own practice and to look for areas in which they can improve. (It is in keeping with this code that a ‘whistleblowing’ policy is included at Appendix 11 of this Handbook.) However, we think it is best to regard the Code of Practice as the minimum requirement for good practice. More ambitious statements are set out in other documents.
National Occupational Standards
The National Occupational Standards (NOS) begin with a statement of the key purpose of social work, part of which can be found at the beginning of this Section. It includes a clear statement of the value base of social work:
‘Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work’
The statement is as follows:
a. Awareness of your own values, prejudices, ethical dilemmas and conflicts of interest and their implications on your practice
b. 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
c. Recognise and facilitate each person's use of the language and form of communication of their choice.
d. Value, recognise and respect the diversity, expertise and experience of individuals, families, carers, groups and communities
e. Maintain the trust and confidence of individuals, families, carers, groups and communities by communicating in an open, accurate and understandable way
f. Understand, and make use of, strategies to challenge discrimination,
disadvantage and other forms of inequality and injustice
ANTI-DISCRIMINATORY AND ANTI-OPPRESSIVE PRACTICE
Working out an understanding of all these ideas will be a continuing task for every student and every practitioner. Nevertheless, the social work programmes at the University of Bristol and the University of the West of England are particularly concerned to develop students’ competence in anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice.
In what follows we explore the concepts of discrimination and oppression and outline some basic expectations we have of tutors, students and practice teachers in this regard.
Definitions of Discrimination and Oppression
A possible definition of discrimination is:
The use of power by some groups in society to devalue other groups on the basis of a perceived difference, be it race, ethnic or national origin, religion, age, gender, class, sexuality or disability. The consequence is that individuals in such groups are often treated by others in a patronising way or with personal abuse and face discrimination in education, employment, housing and service provision.
A possible definition of oppression is:
‘Oppression is…a complex term which relates to structural differences in power as well as to the personal experience of oppressing or being oppressed. It relates to race, gender, sexual orientation, age and disability as separate domains and as overlapping experiences.’
(Phillipson, J. (1992) Practising Equality: Women, Men and Social Work London, CCETSW p13)
There is considerable overlap between the two terms in the literature and in practice, but ‘oppression’ can be seen as more comprehensive and fundamental than discrimination.
Discrimination and oppression are matters of concern for social workers for three main reasons.
1. The first is that social workers have the professional power to act differentially towards less powerful people.
2. The second reason is that social work agencies, colleges and universities are as rife with discriminatory practices as other institutions in our society. So we have to begin the process of examining our own beliefs and those that are enshrined in the places that we work, in order to explore the way in which power and oppression have become institutionalised into the system of beliefs of the organisation.
3. The third reason is that many of the problems experienced by service users are underpinned or exacerbated by structural oppression in society.
Expectations
For these reasons we expect tutors, practice assessors and students to recognise and understand issues of oppression and discrimination, and to recognise the contribution to collective damage that is made by ignoring or failing to take up these issues. We expect that a personal commitment to positive action is made, and that an Action Plan is made to organise this commitment.
We encourage tutors, students and practice teachers to take a broad approach to discrimination and oppression, and not to privilege one form over any other and to be alert to all its possible dimensions.
Developing Understanding
In developing our understanding of the value requirements in general and of identifying, analysing and taking action against racism, discrimination and oppression in particular, it is useful to make a distinction between recognising the nature of the problem, developing a growing understanding of entrenched practice, and developing strategies to counteract racism, other forms of discrimination & oppression.
THE DEVELOPMENT AND ASSESSMENT OF ANTI-DISCRIMINATORY AND ANTI-OPPRESSIVE PRACTICE
A Model of Understanding and Action
The three levels of awareness identified earlier in these guidelines have been expanded into a developmental cycle of six stages of positive action. Entering the cycle entails making an active choice.
1. RECOGNITION of how
oppression and discrimination are
embedded in our practices
6. EVALUATION of 2. UNDERSTANDING
outcomes, leading to the impact on those
further recognition who suffer the effects
5. ACTION 3. COMMITMENT TO ACTION