Practice Learning

All students on placement have to demonstrate how they engage with service users and carers. There are opportunities to encourage students to look at different ways that they can evidence this and for practice teachers to consider how best to assess this area of practice.

What the Experts Say

“Supports – what helps? – Feeling secure, particularly if students are visiting your home, or if you are having to travel, and having good “ground rules” from the university to refer to and be guided by. Feeling supported, someone to meet and greet you when you arrive at the university, and having a link person at the university to contact, as well as working alongside a more experienced “buddy”. Using language that isn’t difficult or excluding. Feeling valued by being given the status of someone with valued experience, and seeing the perspective of the person who uses services appearing in the student’s practice assessments.”

—Comments from “Grasping the Thistle” Workshop, 19 March 2008

Top Tip: User-led sites can provide valuable practice learning sites:

• Good documentation is essential to encourage organisations to provide practice learning opportunities
• Documentation should indicate a requirement for service user and carer feedback in all practice learning opportunities
• Preparation should include training in the giving and receiving of feedback

Messages from Wider Research

Service users and carers can provide feedback on students’ practice during practice learning opportunities in a variety of ways (Ager, Gee, Ferguson and MacPhail, 2004):

• Written questionnaires are not appropriate for all service users and carers
• Service users can give verbal feedback to practice teachers and students
• If the student’s task/role with the service user of carer is agreed upfront then that individual is involved from the beginning and can give more specific feedback

Good Practice Examples

MSc social work students at University of Dundee spend a total of 24 hours in the life of a carer and service user, experiencing their world. This helps them to more fully understand the caring role and gain some insight into the daily lives of some service users. Students are assessed on a presentation about their experience both by academics and their service user and carer ‘hosts’. Many HEIs now have robust systems in place to ensure that all social work students receive direct feedback from people who use services and carers about their practice.

A learning object on service user involvement is being developed by SCLD for the Practice Learning Qualification. This is being filmed and will be available as online learning materials.

Action

Start discussions with user and carer groups about their providing practice learning opportunities.

Further Information

Ager W., Gee M., Ferguson I. and MacPhail, M. (2004). Integrated Assessment: Involvement of Service Users and Carers. Practice Audit, March 2004. IRISS (formerly SIESWE)

Scottish Social Services Council and Scottish Voices. (2008). “Grasping the Thistle”. Working Together for User and Carer Involvement in Social Work Education.