Partners in practice: practice educator and academic tutor - PowerPoint Presentation

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Partners in practice: practice educator and academic tutor perspectives on working together to support student learning on the Frontline programme

Alison Domakin and Liz Curry

NOPT conference 2016Slide2

Check in what you know about the Frontline programme alreadyProvide you with information about the curriculum and ethos of the programmeTell you more about what we do as practice educator and academic tutor working side by side on the programme

Have time at the end for discussion and questions

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What we want to do in this session…Slide3

The gap between academic learning and practice for learning The quality of some practice learningThe quality and nature of some current practice

Recruiting the right mix of people into child and family social workThe organisational context and focus on procedures rather than direct work with children and families

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Some of the key problemsSlide4

Masters or UG degreeLearning in universityTwo placements – one 70 days, one 100 days

Pass placements and assessed on academic work (some of which related to practice)

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Conventional Social Work EducationSlide5

5 weeks Summer Institute1 year ‘practice learning experience’ with an experienced social worker leading a unit of 4 people on the programme22 recall days of teaching

Visited regularly in practice by an ‘Academic Tutor’ for bespoke teachingWeekly unit meetings to discuss work based on the Reclaiming Social Work model

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Frontline programme- core componentsSlide6

A road well travelled……

Practice learning is a: “‘key learning component” (Guransky

and LeSuer, 2011:1) in qualifying

social work programmes

Many universities

pay little attention to this aspect of teaching (Trevithick, 2012)

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Not the conventional university/placement approachAim to bridge the gap between university and practice by creating a

practice based learning experience Based on a belief that you learn how to be a social worker in practice

If we want you to integrate theory and research with practice – then we need to have a practice based course for this to happen

This

requires a partnership between local authorities and educational

provider

And

a focus on delivering an outstanding practice learning opportunity

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Frontline: ;practice based learningSlide8

Systemic Practice

Motivational Interviewing

Parenting Interventions

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Which interventions and why?Slide9

Systemic theories see families as interactive systemsFamilies are embedded within wider and complex systems including culture, race, religion, the professional helping systems and others

the systemic practitioner take these contexts into account when assessing, formulating and intervening at different levels of the systemThis includes understanding the logic of behaviour, beliefs and emotions which form interactional patterns of living and relating

Systemic approaches highlight the importance of curiosity, neutrality and hypothesising

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What is systemic practice? Slide10

The quality of parenting is at the heart of social work with children and families

Parents often need help with both larger systems challenges and problems that affect parenting (e.g. housing, mental health issues)

And

Strengthening their ability to attend sensitively and use non-coercive limit setting

Parenting interventions based on social learning theory and attachment theory have the strongest evidence base for supporting positive change in parenting

Parenting InterventionsSlide11

MI is a counselling style developed to help people with behaviour changeA central focus on understanding “resistance” and how to engage people

Working with ambivalence to support behaviour changeUsed increasingly in child and family social work

Evidence key elements of MI associated with engagement of families in work and some outcomes

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Motivational InterviewingSlide12

They are complementary, strengths based and effective and can be used together in child and family social work:

Systemic practice

provides a conceptual framework to consider and make sense of the complex factors which social workers must take account of AND provides skills for intervening in families and other systems.

Motivational Interviewing

provide skills in engaging , motivating and working with parents and young people in difficult situations.

Parenting Interventions

provide skills in helping parents to build stronger relationships with their children and strengthen parenting.

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Why these approaches?Slide13

7 visits to a family recorded or observed as part of the assessment strategy on the programmeShared marking between CSWs and ATs- 5 first marked by CSW, 2 by AT- second marking and moderation process

Practice is graded and detailed feedback given – in 5 areas- purposefulness, elicitation of intrinsic motivation, child focus, clarity about issues/concerns and relational capacityFirst observation recording – used for a Skills Lab- joint feedback by AT and CSW

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Direct observationsSlide14

Where we intersect is the interesting bit…..

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Connected learning – with the child and family at the heartSlide15

Consultant Social Worker – Liz’s roleAcademic Tutor- Alison’s roleWhere do we interface?What is similar?

What is different?2 major areas – Direct Observations, weekly unit meeting

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Which one of you is the teacher??Slide16

Dilemmas, case management, reflective discussion

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So

what happens at a unit meeting?Slide17

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Practice based learning strategies on the Frontline programmeSlide18

Designated role and timeExperiential/ active learning SynchronicityConnection

Parity- in terms of response to family and sharing- can move in and out of ‘expert’ position in discussions at unit meetingNo one person has the answer- we need to work together from our different perspectives in social work education

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This changes everything – everything can be a learning experience