CERT HESOCIAL WORK SUPPORT

PROGRAMME HANDBOOK

FEBRUARY 2015

CONTENTS

Pages

1INTRODUCTION1

2WHAT DOES THIS PROGRAMME OFFER YOU?3

3THE PROGRAMME TEAM 8

4THE PROGRAMME STRUCTURE10

5PROGRAMME TIMELINE AND OUTCOMES 11

6MODULE OVERVIEW 14

7LEARNING, TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT 16

8ASSESSMENT AND PROGRESSION 18

9ATTENDANCE21

10FEEDBACK 22

11PROGRAMME EVALUATION23

12 REFERENCES 24

DISCLAIMER

The information contained in this handbook is, as far as possible, accurate and up to date at the time of printing. The express permission of Teesside University must be obtained to reproduce any, or all of this publication, other than for personal use or for those purposes permitted by law.

1INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the Certificate in Higher Education (Cert HE) Social Work Support Programme. We hope that you will find this innovative programme enjoyable, challenging andrewarding. This Cert HEis the result of a close partnership between Teesside University and local authority employers. It has been designed to address your knowledge and skills development in a way that values your experience. The programme also encourages you to take up work based learning opportunities that are available to you as this can provide evidence for your university work. An essential part of the programme will be to analyse the relationship between theory and practice and link practice to theory.

Programme Handbook (you’re reading it!)

This programme handbook has been designed to provide you with information about the programme, which you shouldfind useful throughout your studies. It has been designed in partnership with your employer.

The School of Health & Social Care (SOHSC)Student Essential Guide – Studying at a Distanceisavailablevia the e-learning site should be read in conjunction with this handbook and with the University Handbook. Together they give information on theUniversity-wide services and procedures.

  • They include sections on the Library and student support services.
  • They also include details of theUniversity procedures such as the Grievance Procedure and the Assessment Review process, as well as information on facilities, other relevant procedures and policies.
  • You will find guidance on referencing and the submission of assignments as well as generic marking criteria in the essential guide.Explanations of mitigating circumstances and extension procedures are also found there.

You will often find that many of your queries can be answered by referring to either the handbook or SOHSC Student Essential Guide or additionally there is a wide range of information available on the StudentIntranet at

You will need your log-in details (username and password) to access these,butifyou cannot find an answer, or are unsure of where or who to go to for help,then do not hesitate to contact a member of the programme team.

Module Guides

These provide information about each individual module and the module timetable. Also included are the contact details of the Module Leader and teaching team. In addition, you will find a list of recommended reading and details of the module assessment. You should keep these safe as you will need to refer to them throughout the programme. This information will also be available onthe Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), this will be explained later.

Why a Certificate in HE?

This programme has been developed in consultation withlocal authorities/social care employers and aims to provide a recognised qualification to employers.

There are a number of key drivers influencing the development of educational programmes such as this in relation to social care. Some of these have been listed below. You may also find there are other key policy initiatives which are influencing practice in your worksetting (you may find the information and sources quoted below very useful in relation to your studies in particular modules).

The Leitch Reviewof Skills(2006) identified the need to develop the skills base of the population supporting the ambition of the UK in being a world-class leader in skills. Leitch recognised the need for new qualifications to support the development of job-related skills and ensure that employers are at the forefront of this skills development. Within social care and health thereis growing emphasis on developing new roles and new ways of working with a particular focus on developing skills. The programme will support you to develop your practical skills and knowledge, this may result in you taking on new skills or consolidating existing skills.

More information onthe Leitch Report can be found at:

Skills for Care’s workforce simulation model (SfC, 2010) has projected to 2025 the numbers of social care workers that may be needed to meet the future social care needs of adults and older people in England. They suggest that the number of people working in adult social care could increase from the current 1.6 million to between 1.8 million and 2.6 million in 2025. Most adult social care jobs involve directly providing care and support. In 2009, 72% of the total were jobs of this kind. (SfC, 2010).

Skills for Care also highlights that care services are changing in response to the combination of demography, personalisation and funding issuesthat all come together to transform the social care workforce. They suggest that numbers of assessments of adults (all client groups) will rise by 17.7%, from 585,000 in 2005 to 685,000 in 2041. These issues require care services to change and “Within this transformation there is a need to understand the underlying reasons for change and to respond to them in positive, creative and dynamic ways”.

The workforce development document ‘Capable, Confident, Skilled’ (SfC, 2011) suggest that staff are supported to identify and develop new skills to meet this service agenda and ‘Find more effective ways of doing things, developing new roles and ways of working, and delivering more value for money’ (SfC, 2011).

The workforce development document ‘Capable, Confident, Skilled’ (SfC, 2011) emphasises the need for “…more effective ways of doing things, developing new roles and ways of working…” (SfC, 2011).

You can find these documentsat:

As students on this programmeyou will be working in roles that compliment and support qualified social workers. The Cert HE Social Work Support programme has also been informed by the current developments in the education of social workers, in particular the work of the Social Work Reform Board (SWRB). The SWRB (2012) suggested a standards framework, the ‘Professional Capabilities Framework for Social Workers in England’, which supports and informs the national career structure for social work. They propose nine capabilities, which they believe are relevant and appropriate for all social workers, no matter their level of experience or the setting in which they work. The document refers to entry level and Stage 1 requirements for social work, which this programme curriculum development team believe is the level that this Cert HE is addressing.

As you progress through this programme you may find it useful to refer back to some of the key drivers outlined here.

2WHAT DOES THIS PROGRAMME OFFER YOU?

This programme offers you the opportunity to explore exciting new dimensions of learning in an environment that will value your prior knowledge, skills and life experiences.

The overall aims of the programme are to:

  • Develop the knowledge and skills of social work support staff to recognise, reflect and respond in a flexible and adaptable manner to the changing nature of practice, within the context of their role.
  • Develop safe effective and knowledgeable support staff thatare able to take on extended roles and develop practice.
  • Facilitate development of social work support staff that can interpret and adhere to local and national legislation, policy and guidelines and apply current best available evidence to promote safe and effective support for service users and colleagues.
  • Encourage social work support staff to demonstrate attitudes, values and perspectives that reflect the spirit of relevant professional codes of practice in relation to self, colleagues, clients and the service.
  • Develop social work support staff lifelong learning and reflection skills.

The social care sectors and their associated professions are undergoing great change. As technologies and knowledge change and service users’ expectations and demands for more effective, efficient services impact, you will need to be flexible, receptive and adaptable to change. You may even be at the forefront of it! That is why the programme also aims to develop your commitment to lifelong learning.

Learning to Learn

In the programme you will be supported to develop a range of academic and study skills including:

  • Understanding how you learn
  • Your academic writing skills
  • Learning how to access and use information for your studies and to practice your IT skills

Alongside these skills you will be developing your knowledge and understanding of work-related skills and gaining greater insights into your practice.

Teesside University offers you support through your programme and also through the many books and open learning materials from the Library. The Programme Team provide tutorial support for the development of study skills throughout the programme. If you need further support your Programme Leader will refer you to the Learning Hub( is based in the Library at Teesside University (see School of Health & Social Care Student Essential Guide for more details).

Previous students have commented on how their personal and professional skills have developed as a result of their experience on foundationlevel programmes. They often state that they have increased confidence and feel able to be a more effective member ofa social or health care team, being able to integrate theory and practice more effectively.

Shared Learning

Throughout the programme you will meet other students, some of whom will be working with different groups of service users and in teams and settings that are different from your own. You will find that you will be undertaking some joint modules and you may also meet them throughout your work-based learning. This shared learning will benefit you by enabling you to acknowledge the range of perspectives and roles of other professionals and agencies within social care, to gain a better understanding of the holistic care and services required by service users. Respect for others grows from being able to understand and value difference and the unique contribution an individual and her/his profession and role can make.

WhatWillyoubeDoing?

An outline programme structure can be seen on page 10 and an overview of the modules on pages 15-16. On commencing the programme you will take part in an induction and this will be followed by themodule ‘Learning to Learn: An Introduction to Academic Study Skills’which is designed to help you to prepare for your studies. It is usually completed throughthree half dayswithin the first few weeks the programme. Following this you will commence the‘Social Work Support: Foundations of Practice’60-credit module. This module runs for the duration of the programme which is normallytwo years. You will then complete the remaining modules during the two year period. The first 20 credit social work module you will undertake will be ‘Social Policy and Law for Social Work’ which is a 20 credit module. This will be taught over thirteen consecutive weeks in Year 1. The other 20 credit social work module, ‘Lifespan Development for Social Work and Social Care’ will again run over thirteen weeks. The remaining 10 credits Safeguarding Adults module (if you are working with adults) or Best Practice in Safeguarding Children (if you are working with adults) will be taught in the second year of the programme and will involve students attending a one day taught session and a one day workshop/tutorial session.

Formal Work-based Learning

This relates to the learning opportunities available to you through your Workplace training/education department. Application of this type of learning to the programme relates specifically to the learning outcomes for the module ‘Social Work Support: Foundations of Practice’and will be discussed indetail when you start that module. This module involves you the student, staff from your workplace and staff from the University working together in partnership to ensure you achieve the learning outcomes that you need.

Informal Work-based Learning

This relates to the day-to-day, ‘on-the-job’ learning opportunities that you encounter or can be made available to you. To make the most of this you will have been asked to identify a PRACTICE GUIDE. This is an experienced practitioner in your workplace who will be able to provide guidance and support. Details of this role are explained further on pages 7-8.

Learning and Teaching

The central emphasis of the programme is of enabling student achievement. The programme team are committed to providing a student-centred, positive learning environment appropriate to the wide range of educational backgrounds of the individuals who will participate in this programme.

We all want you to succeed!

The backgrounds and experiences of students on the programme are often wide and varied with some students having fewer formal educational qualifications whilst others may have undertaken previous higher education study. The approach we will take will be to facilitate and support your learning and promote the development of independent, reflective learners in preparation for lifelong learning and Continuing Personal Development.

You will experience a range of different approachesto your learning from lectures, workshops, seminars (tutor and student-led),electronic learning (via the VLE at independent study, group work to individual tutorials. Students are expected to engage fully in all the learning and teaching approaches offered.

It really is a case of the more you put in the more you get out!

There will be lots of opportunity to discuss issues and share your views and opinions with academics and students. We also involve service users in some aspects of teaching as well as using a wide range of service users’ stories and perspectives through the use of case studies and of course your own experience as service users where appropriate!

E-learning

E-learning is used extensively by academic staff to support your learning. You will be introduced to these sites during induction and in the first module ‘Learning to Learn’. You will find sites for all of the modules that you are studying at Academic tutors will post learning materials and resources on these sitesfor you to read and also certain learning activitiesfor you to complete, oftenin preparation for lessons.

It is very important that you engage with this learning environment it is an important aid to your learning both when in class and when studying at home. It is important to support your learning with all the additional resources and activities available to you.

E-learningalso provides a facility for you to communicate with academic staff and students. In this way you can keep in touch with fellow students and share ideas and views through discussion boards or straightforward emails.

You will be given information about how to access these using your personal log-in details during induction.

Academic skills are as essential as work-based skills. The programme structure, learning activities, culture and assessment strategy are designed to enable development of independence and confidence in learning.

The programme will support the development of your information technology (IT) skills through teaching sessions in IT skills and guidance on e-learning often these are taught on site in your local training departments or at the Darlington University campus where you willalso have access to a number of computers.

Work-based Learning

Work-based learningis an essential component of the programme. The integration of theory and practice is central to the programme structure. The programme-long, 60-credit module‘Social Work Support: Foundations of Practice’is specifically linkedto yourwork-based learning, but you will find that other modules in the programme also require you to link your classroom learning to practice, both in class-based activities and in your assessments.

Your Practice Guide

Your Practice Guide should normally be at manager/supervisor level within the organisation. You and your Practice Guide will also be supported by a member of the module team, who will be available at designated points in the programme in the form of ‘drop-in support sessions’ and group support meetings (for Practice Guides and students). Your Practice Guide will support you by advising you of the learning opportunities and resources available in the workplace to aid achievement of the module outcomes. He/she will also sign to confirm thatyour Action Plan and written portfolio work is relevant to the practice setting and will sign any consent forms in accordance with School of Health & Social care guidance for written work pertaining to service users or staff colleagues.

You Practice Guide will be provided with a handbook detailing their role and responsibility. The handbook also includes details of the programme and your learning requirements, including assessments and dates for formative meetings in practice. They will also have the opportunity to attend a Practice Guide Workshop.