« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
REFORM OF SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION: PROPOSALS FOR CONSULTATION ON THE CURRICULUM FOR THE NEW HONOURS DEGREE
4. Introduction to practice learning in the new degree
4.1 The Practice Learning Project Group is comprised of representatives of the wide range of stakeholders, including carers and people who use services, with an interest in practice learning. The Group has met on a number of occasions between May and October 2002. It will continue to meet to finalise its recommendations to Ministers for November 2002 and in the light of the outcomes from the consultation.
4.2 It should be noted that to assist them in their task, several pieces of work were commissioned by the Scottish Executive. These included a literature review 1, a mapping exercise comparing qualifying routes, course content and continuing professional development requirements across a number of professions 2, an economic analysis of the costs of practice learning and student support under current practice learning arrangements 3 and a review of the regional training consortia, fora and practice teaching units 4. These reports will be used by the Practice Learning Group to inform its final recommendations about practice learning in the new honours degree for Scotland.
4.3 Reform of social work education is taking place across the four UK countries with England looking to introduce the first new degree courses in 2003. Wales and Northern Ireland are introducing new degree courses in 2004. In Scotland the new degree courses will also be introduced in 2004. Issues in respect of alignment of the new arrangements across the four countries will be considered in due course.
4.4 The English requirement for at least 200 days practice learning is seen as being in approximately the same proportion to the amount of practice learning in the current two year Diploma in Social Work (DipSW) programmes. It also leaves flexibility with Higher Education Institutes (HEIs), along with their partners, to construct practice learning in ways that meet the requirements set out in the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) Benchmark Statement and the National Occupational Standards for Social Work (NOS).
5. The present situation
5.1 Current requirements of the former validating body, the Central Council on Education and Training for Social Work (CCETSW), include practice placements of a specified minimum length. This is 50 days for the first placement and 80 days for the second placement with core competencies and practice requirements in relation to which students must demonstrate competence.
5.2 These minimum practice placement requirements are dealt with differently across Scotland. The West of Scotland Regional Training Consortium for example, requires a higher number of days - 145 in total.
5.3 A number of difficulties have been identified with current arrangements for practice learning as part of the DipSW programme and which are not confined to Scotland 5. Issues include 6:the need for an adequate supply of good quality placements and practice teachers;
- legal responsibility lying with HEIs for finding placements;
- funding arrangements;
- low status and priority of practice learning within organisations;
- lack of diversity and flexibility of practice learning settings and arrangements;
- variability of support and partnership arrangements for practice placements; and
- differing expectations of and support for newly qualified social workers.
5.4 The PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) findings confirm the need for changes to the current system, which is not cost efficient. The system is under strain and increasingly failing to provide suitable placements on time in a sufficiently wide variety of settings.
« Previous | Contents | Next »