Final Project Report and Evaluation of the Provision of a PQ Consolidation Module to a group of internationally qualified social

workers

This project was funded by Skills for Care Innovation Grant to a partnership consisting of London Borough of Bromley Children and Adult Care Services, London Borough of Greenwich Children and Adult

Care Services, AIMHS (Advisors in Mental Health Services) and The University of Greenwich School of Health and Social Care.

May 2008

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1.1 Introduction This funding bid focused on the use of the PQ framework to support the continuing professional needs of internationally qualified social workers, recruited to services in London, particularly the use of a Consolidation Module to ensure readiness to practice. Both Bromley and Greenwich Social Services Departments had experience of recruiting social workers from overseas, and planned to continue to seek to attract overseas social workers as part of their recruitment strategies. Bromley had planned to recruit a group of 10 internationally qualified social workers from Spain, to come and work in the borough from June 2007, and the planning already taking place for this group of workers created the impetus for this bid. The intention was that this group would then participate in a specifically adapted Consolidation Module starting in September 2007. This experience would build on the agency induction process and assist in ensuring that the international workers were ready and safe to practice in the UK context. The University of Greenwich had run a PQ1 programme for four years and this has included staff from both Adult and Children’s services, many of whom qualified overseas. It had been apparent that the cohort of PQ1 students each year contained an increasing number of internationally qualified social workers, some of whom took up post quite recently. The University PQ1 programme had contained an additional module entitled Contemporary Issues in Social Work (CISW 1). This module comprised an overview of contemporary practice. Students undertaking this module evaluated it very positively, especially those of international backgrounds, identifying the value of this module in providing them with an overview of current UK issues and an opportunity to research the policy background to their own UK specialist practice. The intention was to use this experience to adapt the Consolidation Module. Core aims of the project

• to adapt and pilot the Consolidation Module, together with supplementary agency training and workshops, specifically to support the induction and development of internationally qualified social workers

• to evaluate the overall project to ascertain its effectiveness in enabling internationally qualified social workers to consolidate their initial practice in a specialist UK context

• to publish the outcomes of the project and make the adapted modules available for use by services and HEIs across London and other Skills for Care regions.

1.2 Project Management The project was managed by team made up of Sue Hanks, PQ Lead Children and Adult Services, London Borough of Bromley, Teresa Gray, Children’s Training Manager, London Borough of Greenwich, David Best, John Owens, Ann Soppitt, Advisors in Mental Health Services, and Dave Sims and Lynn Baxter, Lecturers at the University of Greenwich School of Health and Social Care. 1.3 Progress of the Project The project ran from February 2007 to March 2008. Initial time was spent planning the revised module, recruiting candidates and liaising with managers and mentors to set up support arrangements. The course took place from September 2007 to January 2008. There were significant delays before the Spanish social workers joined the London Borough of Bromley, caused partly by the time it took individual workers to be registered by the GSCC. It appears that this may be a familiar experience for other agencies who have recruited staff from

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overseas. From the initial group, only 4 social workers eventually joined Bromley and 3 of the 4 then joined the course and participated in the project. In response to the delays and reduced numbers, a decision was then made to open up the training opportunity to existing internationally qualified staff working in the two boroughs. The course then ran with a group of 15 staff, who had initially qualified in a wide range of countries and who worked in a range of Adult and Children’s social care teams. Fuller details of candidate’s profiles are contained in the full evaluation report. 1.4 Outline of the Module In addition to the general requirements of a PQ Consolidation Module, the course aimed to provide candidates with the opportunity to ;-

1. Understand the policy context of UK social work 2. Appreciate the values and anti-discriminatory principles of social work practice 3. Hear the voices, views and perspectives of service users to support their practice

development 4. Further reflect on contemporary theory and its impact on practice 5. Develop their knowledge to support an evidence based approach to practice

Throughout the module there was a strong focus on comparative dimensions between UK and international social work. There were six days of direct teaching, group work, presentation activities, one day was led and run by AIMHS. There was a conscious decision to involve an experienced social worker who was internationally qualified and a PQ award holder as part of teaching team. As an additional support, a resource handbook was provided to candidates containing specific course readings. Additional mentoring sessions were also provided by university staff. The course specification and timetable can be found in the main evaluation report (see below). For social workers who joined after arriving from Spain, the London Borough of Bromley provided an induction, an orientation to living in the UK, specific training days and a buddying system. 1.5 Evaluation The project management team wanted to carry out as thorough an evaluation as possible, and planned an evaluation which included a questionnaire, some interviews and a half day evaluation session to which students, mentors, agency representatives and managers, university lecturers and members of AIMHS were invited. A decision was also made to commission an independent experienced person to assist in the evaluation and produce a report. We were fortunate in that Jane Lindsay from Kingston University agreed to carry out this work for us. The report is attched below. 1.6 Strengths of the project (identified by the project management team)

• Of the 15 students who took the Module, 13 submitted portfolios and successfully passed at first attempt, one did not pass and has an opportunity to resubmit, and one did not submit a portfolio. As acknowledged in evaluation report, this is a good pass rate which hopefully is a reflection of the learning opportunities provided.

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• Another strength of the programme from the perspectives of the university and agency partners was the detailed feedback given by managers when signing off the portfolios. Comments were given on each of the specialist requirements for each candidate.

• The contribution made by service users and carers on this course had a very

significant impact on the students, who evaluated this extremely positively. Members of AIMHS put together an excellent one day programme and this assisted the students to reflect on their values and professional practice.

• The requirement for students to include in their portfolio some service user feedback

was another positive aspect. This was provided by the majority of students and those who could not provide it gave explanations as to why it wasn’t possible. It clearly made students reflect upon their work with service users.

• The workshop in which students presented to each other aspects of social work in their

own countries was excellent and manifested the full commitment of the students, although the evaluation revealed that some students were more ambivalent because of the extra work demands this created. The workshop included detailed Power Point presentations and handouts prepared by the students. It is hoped that the students will present their information back to their own teams as these generated interesting comparative discussions. Such international perspectives could be extremely valuable in an additional module within the PQ Framework so that the UK based social workers can learn from them.

• The additional PQ funding provided by the grant enabled both agencies to support more

PQ candidates than would otherwise have been possible. This is at a time when agency funding for PQ courses is becoming increasingly limited and agencies and training managers want to make full use of all available funding. As noted in the appended evaluation in relation to course fees, this does influence selection of candidates.

• The experience of implementing the project helped to further develop good working

relationships between the agencies and university involved. These good working relationships are particularly beneficial for smaller boroughs or those with limited resources available, and increasingly we are looking to jointly commission training to enable more staff to access a wider range of professional training.

• It was also very helpful to have an independent evaluation, in terms of helping to

challenge assumptions and giving students an opportunity for students to give feedback to an independent person.

1.7 Learning from the project (identified by the management team)

• The project was a valuable learning experience for the project management team and we are intending to undertake a follow up evaluation to enable students to reflect back on their learning and on the impact of the Consolidation Module on their practice in a year’s time.

• The composition of the group of students was not as originally planned because only

four of an anticipated group of ten Spanish social workers did arrive to work in Bromley, after lengthy delays caused partly by the time it took individual workers to be

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registered by the GSCC. For the two social workers who had just taken up their posts it was clearly not the right time for them to be able to make an informed decision about joining the course and to gain the most benefit. Students in this position were offered longer to submit their portfolios. They now have submitted and successfully passed. The delays caused by the GSCC registration process did create difficulties in the planning of induction and training for these social workers.

• It was identified during the course that some students had particular learning needs

and where this was the case they were referred to study skills support in the University. For future courses it would be helpful to identify these needs at the point of application where possible in order to put in place preparation for attending the course (attendance at summer school for example or English classes organised during their induction).

• Students felt that the 1000 word limit for the Critical Development Review was

insufficient to do justice to this important aspect. This would benefit from being extended for future students.

• In this Consolidation Module uniquely run for internationally qualified practitioners,

students appeared to benefit from the support aspect of being with others who qualified overseas, but what they arguably missed is hearing the perspectives of UK trained social workers. The evaluation suggests that the need for a Consolidation module uniquely for internationally qualified practitioners has not been firmly established through this project. Such practitioners may be at different stages of their integration into UK social work and some may benefit from undertaking the Consolidation Module alongside UK trained social workers.

• The overall evaluation suggests that a more individual assessment of learning needs

would be helpful to determine whether an internationally qualified social worker required a specialist Consolidation module or would be would be equally well served on a module for UK trained social workers.

• However, the management group believes that the learning of all internationally

qualified social workers could be enhanced by an additional module which could be offered as an option within the PQ Framework which would enable internationally qualified social workers to develop a fuller understanding of the policy context. This module would draw on ideas from the Contemporary Issues in Social Work 1 course referred to above. Such a course could also be made available to UK social workers returning to practice. An outline framework of such a module is included at the end of this report (Appendix 2).

1.8 The Independent Evaluation - Key questions and issues which emerged The independent evaluation of this programme raised some important points which partnerships seeking to replicate this project may wish to consider. These questions and issues are outlined here, drawn from the full evaluation report which follows.

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1. What length of experience of professional practice in England is needed before a student takes a Consolidation module? Results point to a period in excess of 10 months. This time period may be similar for newly qualified English trained social workers. For international social workers this may allow time for them to settle in work and in the country prior to taking a programme. Internationally trained social workers who have practised in England for a considerable period (at least over a year) may not need a specially adapted programme as they are likely to have gained the specialist policy knowledge needed for practice in England.

2. How might social workers’ knowledge about the rationale and requirements of the PQ framework be improved in order for workers to make informed decisions about coming on programmes? This may be a general need for all social workers, but in relation to the internationally trained social workers who came on this programme, there was some evidence that workers did not understand what they had committed to in starting the programme.

3. How should evidence of fluency in English at application stage to post-qualifying programmes be assessed? The IELTS standard may provide a way forward. It is worth noting that for many professional courses a higher standard of performance in English is required (IELTS 7) than standard undergraduate programmes. The experience of this programme suggests that students who require support in the English language should access such support before starting the programme.

4. University fee levels charged to social workers from outside the European Union should be considered at a strategic level. Whilst international fees were not charged on this programme, this will be an issue facing employers and other Universities in London and may act to restrict internationally trained social workers’ access to the GSCC PQ framework unless addressed. The precedent set by the University of Greenwich in according “home fee status” to international students on credit rated continuing professional development courses is worth noting.

5. What are the specific learning needs of internationally trained social workers? This evaluation suggests that an individualised assessment of learning needs might be useful to determine whether an internationally qualified social worker requires a specialist programme for international students, or would be equally well served by a programme for English trained social workers. Internationally qualified social workers prepare for practice in England by completing GSCC registration forms for international students and preparing for interviews. They also appear to access considerable induction training in their agencies which assisting in adapting to practice in England. One challenge for those using English as an additional language seems to be the translation of names of theories and concepts used in social work. Perhaps there is a need for translation of such concepts into the main other languages spoken. Internationally trained social workers need to be prepared (possibly by employers) for the levels of hostility directed at social workers in England.

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6. Module content which includes presentation by students of approaches to social work in their own countries was interesting for staff and might be of benefit to managers. It may have promoted students in appraising the differences between social work in their countries and in England and help them feel valued. However it was extra work for these students who have already been asked to do more than English social workers in terms of GSCC registration.

7. A specialist course may provide a supportive environment for social workers

trained internationally. The possibly that such support could be provided in another way (such as in agencies) should also be considered. Providing a separate course for international students may restrict students’ opportunities to learn with and from social workers who have trained in England.

8. The importance of in-service training and manager’s and agencies’ support.

Adjusting to life and work in a new country can be challenging. The students who took this programme appeared fortunate in the scale and nature of in-service training they had accessed soon after joining their agency. This was seen to be helpful in learning the procedures and policies framing social work practice. Managers were also identified as a key source of support. It may be that providing agency based informal support groups and mentoring may be helpful in the early stages of transition to work in England.

9. Do international social workers need to undertake an additional module to enable them to learn more about the English policy context prior to undertaking the Consolidation module?

Students taking this programme had relatively limited input on policy on this course, but were able to pass the programme. It may be that this would be helpful, but this evaluation cannot test this idea. An alternative option would be to support these workers to continue at the standard PQ Specialist level.

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Evaluation Report on the Provision of a PQ Consolidation Course to a group of Internationally Qualified Social Workers A project funded by a Skills for Care Innovation Fund Grant to a partnership consisting of Bromley Social Services, Greenwich Social Services (Children’s and Adults’ Services, Advisors in Mental Health Services (AIMHS) and The University of Greenwich School of Health and Social Care Jane Lindsay Kingston University March 2008

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1. The Project’s Aims

This project’s focus was “on the use of the General Social Care Council (GSCC) Post Qualifying (PQ) framework to support the continuing professional needs of internationally qualified social workers, recruited to services in London, particularly by the use of the “Consolidation Module” to ensure readiness to practice” (Project Proposal to Skills for Care).

Consolidation is the first required stage in the revised GSCC Specialist level in the Post-Qualifying Framework for Social Work (2005). It is taken in a Specialist area of practice (Children, Young People, Their Families and Carers: Social Work with Adults or Social Work in Mental Health Services) and is intended to be cross-referenced with workplace induction processes and standards (Skills for Care/ Children’s Workforce Development Council)

The project aimed to:

1. To adapt and pilot the Consolidation Module, together with supplementary agency

training and workshops, specifically to support the induction and development of internationally qualified social workers

2. To evaluate the overall project to ascertain its effectiveness in enabling internationally qualified social workers to consolidate their initial practice in a specialist UK context

3. To publish the outcomes of the project and make the adapted modules available for use by services and HEIs across London and other Skills for Care regions

A detailed project plan was submitted to Skills for Care by the partnership identifying action steps to be taken over a 13 month period (February 2007 – March 2008). The plan included

1. Regular meetings of the partnership to plan and review progress in providing the revised consolidation module

2. Recruitment of suitable students to undertake the module 3. Liaison with managers and mentors to set up support arrangements for

students 4. Provision of the module for 15 students 5. Assessment of students’ portfolios 6. Evaluation of the project 7. Production of an adapted module to be available for use by services and HEIS

across London and other Skills for Care Regions

The plan provided to Skills for Care was acted on by the partnership as set out in the project proposal. The steps taken by the partnership are considered in detail below in the evaluation of outcomes of the project.

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2. Background to the project. 2.1 The needs of new recruits to the local social work workforce.

The partnership (whose members are Bromley Social Services, Greenwich Social Services (Children’s and Adults’ Services, Advisors in Mental Health Services (AIMHS) and The University of Greenwich School of Health and Social Care) identified a need to provide an adapted Post-Qualifying (PQ) training and education programme to meet the needs of social workers qualified outside England who were being and had been recruited to the local workforce. Specifically, the partnership considered that those who qualified in social work outside the UK might need additional focus on the overall English national context at the Consolidation level. A particular impetus for the project was the fact that one of the partners, Bromley Social Services, was in the process of recruiting a group of 10 overseas social workers from Spain, to come and work in the Department from June 2007.

2.2 Adapting to Changes in the GSCC Post-Qualifying Framework for Social Work The revised GSCC Post-Qualifying Framework for Social Work (2005) came into

operation in London in 2007. London Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and their partners developed, agreed and validated common Consolidation modules to meet the first required stage of the GSCC Specialist level. The aim of this process was to promote transferability across programmes and a standardised approach to this stage. Consolidation modules offered by London HEIs have similar learning outcomes and assessment requirements and are credit rated at 15 level 6 credits.

The Greenwich partnership had previous experience in providing a Part One of the

Post Qualifying Framework in Social Work (PQ1) programme (GSCC, 1997) at the University of Greenwich, accredited by Greater London Post-Qualifying Consortium. PQ1 is the predecessor to the Consolidation module. The University of Greenwich’s former programme at this level consisted of two modules (level 3, 45 credits) (a standard portfolio module and a module on Contemporary Issues in Social Work (CISW 1) which comprised of an overview of contemporary practice. Students with international backgrounds evaluated the module Contemporary Issues in Social Work module positively, “identifying the value of this module in providing them with an overview of current UK issues and an opportunity to research the policy background to their own UK specialist practice” (Project Proposal).

The Greenwich partnership were concerned that “whilst the Consolidation module will enable important aspects of the Specialist context to be considered, as a 15 credit module, it is unlikely to create sufficient focus on the overall national context” for internationally trained social workers (Project Proposal). In their bid to Skills for Care for funding to they identified that one of the purposes of the project as being to “enable the services and the university to work in partnership to review the formerly offered Contemporary Issues in Social Work (CISW 1) module (Project Proposal), in order to ascertain whether this should be offered in addition to the London-wide consolidation module to international social workers.

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3. Evaluating the project The Partnership recognised from the proposal stage that thorough evaluation of the

project was necessary in order to ascertain if this approach to supporting the continuing professional needs of internationally qualified social workers was of value.

The project has been evaluated in the following ways:

1. An evaluation meeting was held in February 2008 at the University of Greenwich attended by students, mentors, agency representatives and managers and lecturers from Greenwich University (including Users of Social Care Services and Carers educators).

2. Students were asked to complete an evaluation questionnaire 3. An independent person (Jane Lindsay of Kingston University) was invited in

November 2007 to assist the partnership in carrying out the evaluation and to produce this report.

The evaluation is based on analysis of the following sources of information:

1. Project records (Project Proposal to Skills for Care (2007), minutes of meetings of the partnership (31/07/07 and 19/10/07), University of Greenwich profiles of students and report of assessment outcomes

2. Course materials (Course Handbook and Resource Handbook) 3. Observation of Partnership meeting on 14/12/07 4. Observation of Evaluation Day (February 2008), student evaluation forms and

records of the evaluation event 5. Review meeting with partnership team (March 2008) 6. In-depth interviews with 4 students who took the programme (February and

March 2008). These interviews were taped and transcribed. An interview with a manager was planned but did not take place within the time frame due to the manager being unavailable.

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4. Recruitment and course intake 4.1 15 internationally trained social workers (7 men and 8 women) working in the London

Boroughs of Greenwich and Bromley were recruited for the course in September 2007. Twelve of the students were working in Children’s Services and three were working in Learning Disabilities Services. The international profile of the students is shown in the Table below.

Country of training in social work Numbers Romania 2 Germany 2 Spain 3 Austria 1 South Africa 3 Kenya 1 Australia 1 Philippines 1 USA 1

Total 15

4.2 Professional Experience in Social Work in the UK prior to taking the programme

Information was not available for the whole cohort as to the length of their experience in professional practice in England prior to taking the course. In their evaluation of the programme, the partnership team noted that a major challenge had been the timing of the course and the point when students should be asked to take the course. The “Long course evaluation questionnaire” issued by the University of Greenwich, asked students how long they had been in the UK before they took this course and was the timing of the course right for them. Seven students completed this questionnaire. Results are shown in the table below.

How long were you in the UK before you took this course?

Was the timing of the course right for you? Please comment.

A week For myself was very early to start the course. I would wait for a while before start the course

One week Not really, as I was not settled in my position in that moment, I’d prefer to start the course a few moths after

One month Yes it was 10 months Yes One year Yes, exactly the right timing. Enough experience to draw on,

but not too late in career One year and nine months Yes 2.5 years If I would have had the opportunity I would have likes to take

this course earlier, Given that I have only been working for the local authority for 1 year, the timing was good.

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Students interviewed had widely different profiles, with three of those interviewed having lived, worked and studied in England for more than two years and one student who said that he had arrived in England in September 2007 and started the Consolidation course a week later. The partnership team commented that it had been intended that this student and another student, both of whom who were recruited in March 2007, would have commenced work in London at least 2-3 months before starting the course. The process had taken longer than anticipated.

This raises an interesting question about how long a worker should be in the country

before taking a Consolidation course. For recently arrived workers, being quickly placed on a course appears not to be desirable for a number of reasons. First, they are likely to have to take a number of work-place induction courses in the early stage of their employment and may have quite a slow transition into actually taking on case work. This means that they will not be able to reflect in a meaningful way on their practice in the England in order to meet the requirements of the consolidation module. They may therefore be likely to not to be able to submit their work at the submission dates set by the university. Second, newly arrived social workers are not likely to be fully informed about the English PQ framework and therefore be able to make an informed decision about taking the course.

“What happened was I started the course after a week. So a month later I realised that I can say “no”. I was already involved for one month and I thought ‘I’m not going to go back because at one point I will have to do it’ so I was already involved in this” (Interview with newly arrived social worker who took the programme)

This student appeared to have started the course without really understanding why he was being asked to do the course or if he had an option not to take it. A worker, who had been in practice for a year in England, saw the timing of the Course as suitable for her:

“I think it was ideal because I started the course after one year and I think had I started the course right at the beginning, it wouldn’t have been good so I think that was ideal. It did help me getting more into the system”. (Interview with social worker who took the programme after one year of practice)

However, for these more experienced workers, the question should be asked about whether a special course for internationally qualified social workers is needed, or whether they could take the course with English trained social workers. As one worker commented when asked whether she would have preferred to have taken a consolidation module with English social workers:

“I’m not sure whether it would have made a big difference for me”. (Interview with social worker who took the programme after one year of practice)

A question to consider for future programmes is at what point do workers stop being considered as “international” social workers, if their main experience of social work practice post-qualification is in England.

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4.3 Students’ expectations of the course at the outset It was interesting to note that the small sample of students interviewed reported that

they did not have positive expectations of taking the course. Being required to take an additional qualification seemed to some to be questioning the qualifications they had already undertaken. The necessity of undertaking study outside working hours was also seen as a negative factor, particularly at a point when people need free time to settle in a new country.

“I was surprised [that I had to do the Consolidation module], I was thinking ‘why if I have double degree in Anthropology and Social Work, why now I have to do a qualifying course?’ I didn’t understand that. What’s the point because once you have studied for 3 years to apply to work as a social worker in the UK, I have to apply for the General Social Care Council. I think it was very daft. I have to write many papers, I have to present and there are many things that I have to do and this took me almost 8 months to get in so I was thinking `more of the same’.” (Interview with social worker who took the programme) “Actually I didn’t even want to do this course. I think my manager discussed this PQ framework at one stage with me and I said something like “I’ll think about it” or “not now” but I don’t remember and then he came again and he said “well there’s this course for internationally qualified social workers and I think it would be nice if all 3 of you could go on this”. Yes, sure but I didn’t actually realise that it was this PQ course (laughing), I mean it’s my fault of course. I have a full time job and I want to have my free time because I’ve studied so much, I don’t feel that I have a lack of studying, I’d need to concentrate more on working actually is my feeling so I don’t feel I have a lack of qualification or anything” (Interview with social worker who took the programme) “People who attended PQ before had various or different views about it - if it’s helpful or not - my colleagues from work. But I didn’t know what to expect so initially I thought ‘oh, this will be a complete waste of time’ because I have to do my work as well alongside the assignments” (Interview with social worker who took the programme)

The point raised in the first extract above is pertinent. Internationally qualified social workers will have had to complete the full GSCC registration process for international social workers prior to registration. Consideration might be given as to how this is used in any consolidation module designed for internationally qualified social workers.

There was a sense that students may not have had sufficient knowledge of the rationale for the PQ framework. This may also be the case for social workers who have qualified in England and may point to a more general need to raise the profile of the PQ framework.

4.4 English language proficiency

Information was not provided as to how many of the group were using English as an additional language. The University of Greenwich requires that applicants to

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undergraduate degrees normally provide proof of fluency in English before they can begin a programme (normally IELTS with a minimum score of 6.0 for degree programmes or equivalent)1. The Consolidation module is credit rated at level 3 in the undergraduate degree framework. It did not appear that applicants had been required to provide evidence of fluency in English at application stage. It seemed from discussion in meetings that for some students, fluency in English was an issue. Students who were interviewed for evaluation purposes had widely different experience of using English for study and work. For example, one of those interviewed had taken a Masters degree at another London University and might be assumed to have a well-tested standard of written English. Another, who had recently arrived in England prior to taking the course, commented: “I’m struggling with the language” He noted that he did not like to ask for support in his workplace for his studies on the module

“When I have to write a report and my English is not very good, my manager already helps me with this so I try to not get her involved in the PQ because it’s another thing more”. (Interview with social worker who arrived in England one week before starting the course)

Agency partners have recently made an arrangement with a local college to provide English language tuition.

In future, it may be useful to seek for evidence of fluency in English at application

stage. 4.5 Course fees and internationally trained social workers

Fees for the course were met by the project and it appeared that this may have acted as an incentive in selecting students for the programme. Less than half the group were European trained social workers (7 workers). If this model is to be used by other London and English Universities, consideration must be given to differential fees normally charged by Universities to students from outside the European Union. The fees for example for the University of Greenwich for overseas students on undergraduate programmes are approximately three times that of European students2. It is worth noting that the University of Greenwich’s School of Health and Social Care charges the standard module fee (“home fee status”) for all students on credit rated continuing professional development programmes. The issue of course fees for post-qualifying social work programmes for social workers from outside the European Union who are practising in England is a more general issue faced by all universities and agencies seeking to support workers to undertake programmes and may merit further consideration on a national scale. Other universities may find it worth noting the precedent set by the University of Greenwich.

1 http://www.gre.ac.uk/courses/ug/entry/overseas 2 http://www.gre.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/3052/international_tuition_fees_07-08.pdf

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5. Programme Design, Content and Delivery 5.1 The specific needs of internationally qualified social workers

In their project bid, the Greenwich partnership identified that that:

“The needs of internationally qualified social workers will, of course, vary according to individual background and experience. These individual needs will, however, be superseded by a shared need to:

1. Understand the policy context of UK social work 2. Appreciate the values and anti-discriminatory principles of social work practice 3. Hear the voices, views and perspectives of service users to support their

practice development 4. Further reflect on contemporary theory and its impact on practice 5. Develop their knowledge to support an evidence based approach to practice

(Project Bid to Skills for Care)

In their group discussion to evaluate the programme, the partnership team suggested that a pre-course programme for international social workers to understand about policy context might improve the programme. They also suggested self evaluation to identify knowledge gaps prior to the programme.

It was interesting to note in individual interviews with students, that three of the four students interviewed had undertaken quite extensive preparation for practice in England in advance of being interviewed by local employers.

“I researched a lot on the internet and I read some books, ‘The Learning Matters Series’. I bought some because I thought I want to know what social work students here learn in their Degrees and it was really useful. The books were really good I found because they were so basic and they were really practical with a lot of examples. During my studies I didn’t read too many books of this kind. For me, I think it’s a very narrow focus but you learn exactly what you need to do, what theories are useful and so on, so you get kind of an overview. In [my country], jobs are more broad, more in the voluntary sector and what you learn also is very broad and not necessarily only focused on specific things. I met with ... [another international social worker] before we had the interview and we exchanged knowledge and books and stuff and we both got the jobs so I think that was very good.” (Individual interview)

“I spend quite some time reading through policies, laws, I bought specific books in mental health and learning disabilities. ‘Learning Matters’. They are very basic and very simple and practical. (Individual interview)

“Obviously I had to prepare myself for interview and I’ve only learned general policies like reading the Children’s Act, ‘Every Child Matters’ and ‘Working Together’. These are the three main documents I studied before coming to the interview and I knew very little about “looked after “procedures and child protection procedures which were the main gaps after working”.

The fourth student interviewed noted that he felt “they can’t expect me to know

everything” at interview stage.

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All of those interviewed noted that they had been offered considerable amounts of in-service training to support their work and felt that their service and their managers had been very supportive in this respect.

It seemed possible that the needs of internationally trained social workers originally identified by the partnership may be more varied than originally assumed. Moreover, it is possible that the longer a worker has been in practice in England, they may have gained more knowledge of changes in the policy framework, through accessing local training events. A more individualised assessment of learning needs might be useful to determine whether an internationally qualified social worker requires a specialist programme for international students, or would be equally well served by a programme for English trained social workers. It is worth noting that there are significant differences in policies and legislation in the four countries of the United Kingdom and that this programme appears to have been addressing the policy context of English social work rather than UK social work. It is interesting to consider whether those who had trained in social work in the other three countries of the United Kingdom would also be targeted for this programme.

5.2 Module design and Teaching & Learning Strategies The course provided to the internationally qualified social workers utilised the

University of Greenwich’s validated module for the Consolidation of Initial Competence in a Specialist Context. This module has set Aims, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Strategies. These elements are common for all students (nationally or internationally qualified) taking the consolidation phase of the GSCC Specialist framework. In tailoring the course for internationally qualified social workers the University of Greenwich provided an extended learning programme (of two extra days) consisting of six workshops addressing the five elements set out above and with the following themes:

Workshop 1: Awareness and Information of the background and issues around Service

user involvement and carer support in the United Kingdom (provided by AIHMS Service Users

Workshop 2 Introduction to the Consolidation course, the portfolio and self evaluation

Workshop 3 Values and Anti-discriminatory practice- national and international

perspectives Contemporary policy issues in UK Social Work in Adults and Children’s

Services The specialist standards for Post Qualifying Social Work

Workshop 4 Comparative and Critical Reflection on Social Work: Discussion of a research paper. Requirements of the Reflective case study Student Presentations of national social work from participants’ countries

Workshop 5 Evidence based practice Discussion of a research paper. Case presentations of students’ own

practice. Good practice in compiling a professional portfolio

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Workshop 6 Structuring and presenting the portfolio Case presentations. Meetings with mentor. Peer and mentor feedback.

(Adapted from the Course Handbook) Mentoring: Students were allocated to a mentor and were advised to arrange two

individual mentoring sessions with their mentor in order to have structured discussions about completing the portfolio.

Line manager support: An element of the teaching and learning strategies for the

course was the expectation that students would be able to access regular supervision during the programme from a line manager or supervisor in the workplace (as a minimum of 6 weekly intervals); that a direct observation of practice would take place; and that the line manager would read and verify the portfolio.

Students were provided with a detailed course handbook and portfolio guidelines and

a resource handbook containing two pieces of required reading in order to prepare for learning sessions (an article on the Children’s Assessment Framework, an article on risk management in Adult Services and other readings (including a chapter on writing reflective assignments; a chapter on human life course development; a timeline of the development of social work in England; a chapter on “knowing yourself”, and a chapter on social work in an international context). (Resource handbook for the Consolidation of Initial Competence in a Specialist Context).

While certain elements of the programme of study outlined above might be expected to

be found on any Consolidation module, it was clear that partnership had sought, in their module design, to validate the experience and knowledge that internationally trained social workers brought to their work in England and draw comparisons (student presentations of the national context of social work in their own countries and readings).

The programme was offered over a 5 month period from September 2007 to January

2008, with monthly workshops and a final evaluation day in February 2008. 5.3 Perceptions and evaluation of the learning programme by Partnership members

and students. 5.3.1 Service Users and Carers

The Partnership team members (university staff, AIHMS trainers, training officers and line managers) noted in relation to the sessions provided by AIHMS trainers, that “Users’ involvement highlights pre-conceptions and judgments inherent in the systems operation”. Discussion within the partnership team noted that the session provided had led to questioning about implicit assumptions and about “what helped and what hindered” social work practice. The partnership team commented that the service user and carer led training day was evaluated very positively by the students, with a number also commenting about how the day brought alive the ideas of service user and carer involvement. The students who attended the evaluation day commented positively on the inclusion of feedback from service users in their portfolios.

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“I work with a woman who always complains. I have worked with this person for 2 years. Her feedback was interesting. She said “about my social worker, I like the way she spoke to me”. (Student in group discussion at course evaluation day)

Students also expressed surprise that those who they were working with did not have positive views about social workers. As one Spanish student put it “80% of the people we meet are not satisfied with social workers.” The Partnership team also considered that in future it would be important that international social workers understand about expectations of social workers in England and are prepared for hostility to social workers

5.3.2 Perceptions of course content.

Students were asked in the long course evaluation in what ways did their knowledge develop during the course. Their responses are shown in the table below Students’ views on knowledge development during the course “I learned to questioning myself before acting or put in practice something”(social worker who arrived in England one week before starting the course)

“I’ve learned about models used in the UK. Also, I had the opportunity to reflect on the differences and similarities of social work practice in the UK and my own country”. (social worker who arrived in England one week before starting the course)

“I developed a better understanding of social work practice in the UK. Refreshing practice theory” (social worker who arrived in England one month before starting the course)

“The importance of using research in the intervention and decisions made in my cases” (social worker who arrived in England 10 months before starting the course) “Knowledge about other countries from other students. More clarity about UK context and UK social work training and its limitations through lectures, classes and literature” (social worker who arrived in England one year before starting the course) “I reviewed my knowledge in SW theories and learned more about research in this domain” (social worker who arrived in England one year and 9 months before starting the course) “Writing skills, quotations, academic writing, in depth knowledge gained in theoretical discussions/ research of a specific diagnosis, overall reflection on a group of service users” (social worker who arrived in England 2.5 years before starting the course)

In their group discussion to evaluate the course, the same seven students noted that the course had provided a good opportunity to have an overview of UK social work

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context and degree, to review social work theory and models and learn about research, UK standards and the degree in social work, and the expectations of English professionals. Students commented that discussions about relating theory to practice in relation to the case discussions were very helpful. For some it provided a chance to refresh theories, models and practice and research – a one student noted “Why would I bother to read research when I’m going to work and coming home?” This finding may not be specific to internationally trained social workers. Experience suggests that this is a common comment made by all social workers evaluating learning on PQ programmes.

The students found that it was helpful learning in an environment where lecturers appreciated that you do not know English as fully as a native speaker. Some of the challenges in studying in another language were noted:

“When you’re working all the time it can be quite challenging and to reflect on theory in a second language too. For me, I know theories and models with a different name, the translation is different” (student in course evaluation discussion).

“If you do not have the language, you can’t understand the concepts” (student in course evaluation discussion).

“When you study here, you find you have read about theories and concepts three times before but with a different name” (student in course evaluation discussion). I think the language barrier for some of my colleagues has not been such a big issue as it might have been in a UK course because this is not our native language”. (Interview with student)

Additional study time because of working in a different language was suggested. In their course evaluation discussions and in individual interviews, some students offered a critique of the course content and requirements of the consolidation module. Some of those interviewed noted that the course had not really taken their knowledge further, but they felt it might be of benefit to others.

“I did not really learn anything new. While I’m doing the job I still continued reading

books actually, just because I’m interested. There were probably some new things, I don’t remember but there was nothing where I thought ‘wow’. I didn’t know that. Maybe it’s because I already studied so much in my life, I don’t need someone to explain too many things to me but of course, I do see that it’s necessary for many people so I’m not complaining” (interview with student)

“I think having had so much in-house training already, I would have been ready to go in to a more in-depth course already and I would have been willing to spend more time looking at theory and research and these sorts of things and just continue my academic studies. It was just really brushing up on things but everything was relevant” (interview with student)

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` “What I particularly don’t like, and it was very strong in this course, you’re told exactly what to do and what not to do and I really don’t like that and I don’t think it helps, it really is a problem for me. ‘You need to include this, this and this, you can have only that many words and you need to consider this and then and this aspect’ and then they want you to write very basic things, things that I find very basic.” (Interview with student)

A larger number found the word limits and the requirements of the portfolio in terms of evidencing standards and requirements to be challenging. As one student put it

“I felt writing the case study was like knitting a sweater with 10 thousand colours and not enough thread” because the words that you ought to use are just not enough and you have to compromise somewhere either not put all the requirements or not talk sufficiently about the case”. (Interview with student)

A minority, who appeared to be finding the most difficulty in communicating in English, thought that the word limits were sufficient.

5.3.3 Presentations by students of social work practice in their own countries The partnership team found the presentations by students of social work practice in other countries to be a very positive aspect of the course. It had provided them with an insight into the starting points of the students. They noted that these presentations had felt rushed. They suggested that it would have been good to invite degree students, other international workers and managers to see the presentations on each country. Students were asked in the long course evaluation whether it was helping presenting information about social work in their own country to the group.

It was good knowledge, but I don’t know if it was a help to me in my practice (social worker who arrived in England one week before starting the course) Not exactly helpful, but definitely interesting for me as I am always interested in how things work in other countries (social worker who arrived in England one year before starting the course) It was helpful as it allowed us to understand our practice here by comparing it with our practice in our own country (social worker who arrived in England one month before starting the course) Very helpful and moreover, very interesting to be able to learn about other countries as well (social worker who arrived in England one year and 9 months before starting the course) Yes, interesting to learn about the context of social work in different countries, helps to identify similarities and differences of social work education and practice (social worker who arrived in England 2.5 years before starting the course) Yes. Useful. This helps me understand how to use all this knowledge / information in my practice (social worker who arrived in England 10 months before starting the course) This was one of the sessions I enjoyed most. It brought me the opportunity to find out how is social work in different countries and I was able to realise how similar it is. We

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are all based on the same principles. (social worker who arrived in England one week before starting the course)

. In the course evaluation discussion and in individual interviews, more ambivalence was

voiced about the international presentations. Whilst this exercise might be seen as valuing the background of these students and promoting their consideration of differences and similarities with English social work, some students, for some students it was a challenging task and involved a lot of work in addition to what they were required to do for the module. It is worth noting that these students were being asked to do more than would be expected of English trained social workers on a Consolidation module.

5.3.4 A supportive environment

The partnership team felt that the ethos of learning on the course had been supportive and had complimented but not replaced agency support groups. There was also comment that the informal support offered to international workers could be improved. Students, without exception, noted, both in the course evaluation discussion and individual interviews that they valued the support provided by the course team, as the following comment made by a student in interview illustrates:

“I personally was quite happy with the tutors and the way they organised the course and they’ve been quite supportive and very clear in the way they described the tasks and the assessment. Honestly, there is nothing I can say that they haven’t done or they haven’t done properly. We had plenty of information, plenty of opportunities to ask questions, to ask for individual sessions. (Interview with student)

For some the course provided a supportive environment to settle in to a new country and make friends, whilst at the same time, gaining a national qualification, as the following selection of comments made by students in interview illustrates:

“Actually I think it is a great opportunity for people who come from abroad to settle in and to get started and, I think it is quite important to have some sort of qualification in the country that you want to work in”. (Interview with student)

“It does definitely give the group some sort of empowerment, you’re not shying away from questions because everyone’s from a different country and there’s no such thing as the only right way to look at things because there are maybe 15 different countries.” (Interview with student)

“When you first come to a different country, you don’t have a huge network of friends for example and people are usually quite open-minded and want to make friends and want to get in touch with people. That was quite a nice setting really to do that and settle in in a country in a work context”. (Interview with student)

For one of those interviewed though, being on an international course meant that there was less opportunity to meet English Social Workers.

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“I met new people, new social workers who are not English too but in one way I was thinking now I’ve met other social workers from other parts of the world but I didn’t meet English social workers” (Interview with student)

Students also commented on how helpful the mentoring process had been. Some had only accessed one mentoring session and some had had several sessions. Mentors had provided additional resources to some students (a resource bag) which were seen to be very useful.

5.3.5 Involvement of managers The partnership team saw the involvement of managers in the learning programme to be a major challenge. They noted that it was difficult to get them involved although they were invited to be part of the process. They suggested that a way forward might be an initial meeting with students and managers and suggested that managers could nominate a representative to subsequent course meetings.

The students who were interviewed reported different levels of support from managers. One of those interviewed (a student who had been practising for a considerable length of time in England) reported only having an informal opportunities to talk about the programme with her manager and having infrequent supervision sessions. Another hesitated to discuss the course with the manager as the manager was already providing the student with considerable help with written work for the agency. Two of those interviewed reported having regular supervision and support from their supervisor (on a 3 weekly basis).

“I’m very lucky because my supervisor is our consultant practitioner in the team so

he’s obviously interested in social work and how people are learning. He really enjoyed working with me on this.” (Interview with student).

.

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6. Course outcomes & Areas for Future Development 6.1 Results of the programme

At the point of the evaluation, some results were available in relation to the portfolios submitted by students who took the programme.

• Ten portfolios were submitted on time (4-2-08) of which nine passed. • Four students had negotiated later submission dates of 6 weeks and their

portfolios had yet to be marked • One student did not submit a portfolio

This is a promising set of results which is perhaps a tribute to the learning opportunities provided and the commitment of the students to complete the programme.

6.2 Partnership team and Managers’ perceptions of course outcomes and areas for

development At the course evaluation day, the partnership team commented that it was difficult to know what difference the course had made on practice. They offered a number of suggestions on areas for development, including that agencies could facilitate support groups, offer more study leave and a pre-course programme could be provided for international social workers. Managers also commented that they had noticed a positive change in students’ communication skills through reflection, critical evaluation, skill development and connecting theory to practice.

6.3 Students’ perceptions of course outcomes In their long course evaluation, students were asked to comment on the impact this

course has had on their practice. Their views are shown in full in the box below.

Students’ perceptions of the impact of the course on their practice

• I think that now I have a general overview of practice social work • It gave me an good opportunity to review my achievements and reflect on my

practice • It provided me with the opportunity to discuss career perspectives with my line

manager in more detail; good to have time to reflect on the quality of my work • The course reminded me of the close connection between my daily practice and

social work theory • The course made me reflect on my practice, to be informed about the relevant

information (research) for my specific area of work. • The course gave a good overview over relevant topics, literature and approaches in

the UK context, I now look at my practice differently and I am clearer about what is expected of me. Put cases in context with relevant literature. View them differently.

• It made me reflect on the theory I’m using and different approaches to my day to day practice.

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Developing skills in reflection and integrating theory to practice appeared to be key themes in these responses. In interview, students elaborated on these points. Some examples are shown below:

I think the course in one way helps you to think about yourself and I think is really important because when you are aware about how you are working or why you are doing things or why you are doing another thing (Student in interview)

“Having to write about the reflective case study, I read in one of the books [about] disorganised neglect which I didn’t have a name for it before. So reading in David Howe’s book I realised ‘oh my God, it’s like speaking about this particular family I work with’, I couldn’t believe it so that was actually a completely new thing”. (Student in interview)

Just simply having to have the time to look through a case and research again and to think and finally decide ‘what am I going to write about?’ That definitely had the most impact on my practice. (Student in interview)

6.4 What next? Students’ and Partnership’s perspectives

None of the students interviewed had clear ideas about progressing in the PQ framework to complete the Specialist Award. They seemed to have limited information about the PQ framework. When information was provided in interview, one expressed interest in practice teaching, one said that they had studied enough, one said they would prefer to do a Master’s degree and one commented on the availability or not of agency funding. It may be helpful to provide more information on progressing in the PQ framework on subsequent programmes. The partnership team’s focus was on developing the programme further for international workers. They planned to put forward a proposed course profile (to be included in this report) which would be based on the module formerly offered by the University of Greenwich, Contemporary Issues in Social Work (CISW 1). I would suggest that the need for such an extra programme needs to be firmly established. This was not apparent from the evaluation of the provision of the Consolidation module for internationally qualified social workers. The majority of internationally qualified social workers did well on the programme and achieved the learning outcomes without the need for additional study. If offered, such a module should be located within Specialist pathways within the PQ framework. It is arguable that the standards and requirements for these pathways may already meet the possible needs of these workers as they normally include policy frameworks and legislation. Requiring international social workers to do extra study may not be needed and may be placing an additional burden on these workers. Perhaps a more supportive way forward would be to enable these workers to progress on the Specialist PQ framework in a standard programme.

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7. Summary and Conclusion 7.1 A successful project The Greenwich partnership has provided a well planned and effective Consolidation

programme for internationally trained social workers with a good success rate. The course team and students clearly enjoyed the programme and found to to be a mutual learning experience. The project plan, as put to Skills for Care was adhered to carefully and meticulously.

7.2 Key points for consideration in planning a further Consolidation module for

International Students The evaluation of this programme raised some interesting points which partnerships

seeking to replicate this project may wish to consider. These are outlined below. 1. What length of experience of professional practice in England is needed

before a student takes a Consolidation module? Results point to a period in excess of 10 months. This time period may be similar for newly qualified English trained social workers. For international social workers this may allow time for them to settle in work and in the country prior to taking a programme. Internationally trained social workers who have practised in England for a considerable period (at least over a year) may not need a specially adapted programme as they are likely to have gained the specialist policy knowledge needed for practice in England.

2. How might social workers’ knowledge about the rationale and requirements of the PQ framework be improved in order for workers to make informed decisions about coming on programmes? This may be a general need for all social workers, but in relation to the internationally trained social workers who came on this programme, there was some evidence that workers did not understand what they had committed to in starting the programme.

3. How should evidence of fluency in English at application stage to post-qualifying programmes be assessed? The IELTS standard may provide a way forward. It is worth noting that for many professional courses a higher standard of performance in English is required (IELTS 7) than standard undergraduate programmes. The experience of this programme suggests that students who require support in the English language should access such support before starting the programme.

4. University fee levels charged to social workers from outside the European Union should be considered at a strategic level. Whilst international fees were not charged on this programme, this will be an issue facing employers and other Universities in London and may act to restrict internationally trained social workers’ access to the GSCC PQ framework unless addressed. The precedent set by the University of Greenwich in according “home fee status” to international students on credit rated continuing professional development courses is worth noting.

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5. What are the specific learning needs of internationally trained social workers? This evaluation suggests that an individualised assessment of learning needs might be useful to determine whether an internationally qualified social worker requires a specialist programme for international students, or would be equally well served by a programme for English trained social workers. Internationally qualified social workers prepare for practice in England by completing GSCC registration forms for international students and preparing for interviews. They also appear to access considerable induction training in their agencies which assisting in adapting to practice in England. One challenge for those using English as an additional language seems to be the translation of names of theories and concepts used in social work. Perhaps there is a need for translation of such concepts into the main other languages spoken.

Internationally trained social workers need to be prepared (possibly by employers) for the levels of hostility directed at social workers in England.

6. Module content which includes presentation by students of approaches

to social work in their own countries was interesting for staff and might be of benefit to managers. It may have promoted students in appraising the differences between social work in their countries and in England and help them feel valued. However it was extra work for these students who have already been asked to do more than English social workers in terms of GSCC registration.

7. A specialist course may provide a supportive environment for social

workers trained internationally. The possibly that such support could be provided in another way (such as in agencies) should also be considered. Providing a separate course for international students may restrict students’ opportunities to learn with and from social workers who have trained in England.

8. The importance of in-service training and manager’s and agencies’

support. Adjusting to life and work in a new country can be challenging. The students who took this programme appeared fortunate in the scale and nature of in-service training they had accessed soon after joining their agency. This was seen to be helpful in learning the procedures and policies framing social work practice. Managers were also identified as a key source of support. It may be that providing agency based informal support groups and mentoring may be helpful in the early stages of transition to work in England.

9. Do international social workers need to undertake an additional module

to enable them to learn more about the English policy context prior to undertaking the Consolidation module? Students taking this programme had relatively limited input on policy on this course, but were able to pass the programme. It may be that this would be helpful, but this evaluation cannot test this idea. An alternative option would be to support these workers to continue at the standard PQ Specialist level.

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Appendix 1 Consolidation Module for International Social Workers – Timetable and course specification

Date AM PM Preparatory Tasks September 14th

Introductory overview, Understanding stigma & Service User perspectives

Understanding Carers Perspectives and the tensions of care.

Appreciate the tensions between service user and carers policy, Equality, Diversity, human rights & social work requirements.

Monday 1st October

Introduction to the course Orientation to the University Self evaluation, strengths and learning needs.

International Perspectives on contemporary UK Social Work – sharing experiences, transferring knowledge and skills

Prepare CV

Tuesday2nd October

Values and anti-discriminatory practice – national and international perspectives The Critical Development Review – an introduction

Contemporary Policy Issues in UK Social Work - Adults and Children’s services. Introduction to the Specialist PQ Standards

Reading Task 1 Prepare presentation on social work in own country

Monday 12th November

Critical Reading Seminar. The Reflective Case Study – an overview. Peer feedback on Critical Development Review planning

Overviews of national social work from participants’ countries – student presentations

Reading Task 2 Prepare case presentation Draft Critical Development Review

Monday 10th December

Critical Reading Seminar. Evidence Based Social Work.

Mentor groups case presentations

Draft Reflective Case Study Prepare case Presentation

Monday 21st January

Compiling the portfolio and writing reflectively. Group and individual mentor meetings

Mentor groups case presentations

Monday4th February

Hand in portfolio (by 4pm)

Tues 19th February

Project Evaluation

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Course Specification Code: SOCW 1100 School: Health & Social Care

Course Title: Consolidation of Initial Course Coordinator: Dave Sims

Competence in a Specialist Context

Level: 3 Credit: 15 Department: Family Care & Mental Health Pre-requisites: RSW Aims: To provide the opportunity for registered social workers to reflect upon and consolidate their developing knowledge, skills and competence in a particular area of specialist social work practice against the required specialist standards. Aims: To provide the opportunity for registered social workers to reflect upon and consolidate their developing knowledge, skills and competence in a particular area of specialist social work practice against the required specialist standards. To enable course participants to critically evaluate their work with service users within a framework of values, anti-discriminatory practice and their professional code of practice. To deepen and extend students’ understanding of and reflection on their specialist area of practice and their own performance within it. To enable registered social workers to evidence that they consistently demonstrate the full range of social work competences in their direct work with service users and carers. Learning Outcomes: By the end of this module students should be able to:

1. Critically reflect on their developing practice and learning as a social worker in their employment setting and organisational context

2. Critically evaluate their continuing professional development needs 3. Identify and analyse examples of evidence which have underpinned their practice

since qualification 4. Critically reflect on how the Code of Practice and the Six Key Roles of Social Work

have underpinned their practice

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5. Demonstrate that their practice is consistent with the specialist consolidation requirements for their social work specialism

Indicative Content: Reflection on prior learning, recent and current work based learning and continuing professional development needs. During the course links will be made to induction, appraisal, supervision and personal development planning within the student’s employing organisation as appropriate. Diversity, difference, discrimination and values: their impact on professional relationships with vulnerable people and on outcomes of services. Messages from critical theory. Expertise by experience - service user perspectives on professional practice. Evidence Based Practice and the application of research to students’ own area of practice Social Work theories and methods in contemporary practice. Communication and engagement skills in observed practice Induction to University learning resources and online electronic databases and journals. Legislation, policy and standards relating to and impacting on particular specialist settings and the social work role within these. In relation to the specialist pathways this will include: The National Occupational Standards for Social Work (TOPSS, 2003) The Common Framework of Underpinning Knowledge and Skills for Social Work with Adults (GSCC, 2006) The Specialist Standards and requirements for post-qualifying social work education – Social Work with Adults (GSCC, 2006) The Embedded Values of Social Work with Adults (GSCC, 2006) The Common Induction Standards (Skills for Care, 2005) The Specialist Standards and requirements for post-qualifying social work education – Children and Young People, their Families and Carers (GSCC, 2005) The Embedded Values of Social Work with Children and Young People, their Families and Carers (GSCC, 2005) The Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the Children’s Workforce (DfES, 2005) Every Child Matters (DfES, 2003)

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Learning and Teaching Activities: The learning and teaching activities of this course are designed to allow students the opportunity to achieve the learning outcomes. It is intended that students will undertake a variety of activities that encourage them to explore and engage with course topics and to reflect on their practice in a constructive and critically analytical way. For this reason formal lectures will be kept to a minimum, and an emphasis will be placed on group and project work, the presentation of seminar papers and cases, and the encouragement of discussion and debate. Service users will normally be involved in leading a workshop to ensure their perspectives on service provision are part of student learning. Others activities will include seminars, guided study exercises, independent study, analysis of casework, group work and directed reading. It is expected that candidates will be able to access regular supervision from a line manager or supervisor during the course. The frequency normally expected for supervision would be a minimum of 6 weekly intervals. There will be a direct observation of the candidate’s practice at least once during the module, carried out by a line manager, supervisor or senior practitioner. Students will be required to include this in their portfolio. The Consolidation Portfolio will be read and verified by the line manager who will provide comments on the specialist consolidation standards achieved. The verification form will list these and the manager will comment on them. Students will also be required to identify within the portfolio how their work has related to the specialist standards of the pathway on which they have registered. It is expected that candidates will need to allocate a significant amount of time for reading and to complete assignments. It is therefore recommended that candidates are given at least 3 study days in addition to attending the workshops provided. Mode of delivery and mentoring arrangements At the beginning of the course a mentoring agreement will be established which indicates the names of the candidate, line manager and mentor. This will be signed by all parties. Teaching will normally be delivered over four one day study days. Within these days there will normally be a range of teaching and learning activities in the mornings followed by mentor group meetings in the afternoon (two to three group mentoring sessions over the duration of the course). In addition candidates will normally meet with their mentor once on an individual basis for support in finalising their portfolio. Peer evaluation and feedback will be encouraged. For example, with respect to the Critical Development Review, drafts will normally be read and critically evaluated by peers in mentor group sessions. For internationally qualified students there will be a strong focus on comparative dimensions to their experiences as social workers in the UK and overseas. The timetable includes groupwork

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and presentation activities which aim to explore differences and similarities between social work in the UK and students’ countries of origin. Resource Handbook In addition to this course handbook a separate resource handbook will be available for students containing specific course readings and a more detailed timetable of sessions. Course mapping to demonstrate assessment of Learning Outcomes:

Learning Outcome

Explicit Evidence of how tested

Type of formative assessment identified in T&L strategies

Comments

Critically reflect on their developing practice and learning as a social worker in their employment setting and organisational context

Critical Development Review

Discussions and presentations to peers about students’ organisations. Reflection on students’ individual learning trajectories prior to and since qualification

Links will be made by students to their induction, supervision or current development plan/appraisal.

Critically evaluate their continuing professional development needs

Critical Development Review and Reflective case studies

Case study presentations to small groups Feedback following an observation by line manager

The Review will contain reflection on the impact of previous training on the student’s current knowledge and skills

Identify and analyse examples of evidence which have underpinned their practice since qualification

Reflective case studies critically analysing recent practice

Feedback from mentor on reflective case studies Self evaluation of their own draft assignments

Case summaries will be required as an appendix to the portfolio, ensuring that the case study has a reflective emphasis rather than a descriptive one

Critically reflect on how the Code of Practice and the Six Key Roles have underpinned their practice

Critical Development Review addressing the development of values Reflective cases studies in which students cross reference to the Key Roles.

Peer evaluation of draft Critical Development Reviews Teaching session in respect of values and ADP where ideas are applied to practice

Values and anti-discriminatory practice will be a key theme for the course and reflection on this will be an expectation in the portfolio

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Demonstrate that their practice is consistent with the specialist consolidation requirements for their social work specialise

The line manager signs off the cases studies and indicates on a pro forma the student’s achievement of the particular requirements in practice.

Teaching session relating to the current requirements for practice relating to students’ own areas. Student led discussions in workshops relating to

Students will be introduced to the specialist requirements at the beginning of the course and will be asked to evaluate their current performance against these.

Support Arrangements Mentor Support In order to undertake the programme you will have the support of a mentor. This person will support and guide you in the development of your portfolio. A full description of the role of the mentor is to be found in the Appendix. A mentor will normally be a member of the University staff or may be allocated to you by your employer in agreement with the University. You will meet your mentor to discuss progress with your portfolio and receive feedback on its development. Participants and mentors have a joint responsibility for scheduling these meetings. Mentor Group During the programme you will be a member of a mentor group, comprising a number of students. The aim of the group is to share expertise, provide peer support and allow time for the presentation and analysis of casework which may be included in the portfolio. During the course it is normally expected that students will present a case to their group for discussion and analysis. Support from Line Manager Your agency will have agreed to support you on this programme as a part of your application and your line manager or another senior colleague will be expected to verify your practice. This course aims to enable you to make connections, where appropriate, between your induction, appraisal or supervision activities. Your line manager or training officer will clarify with you the arrangements for study leave. The programme recommends a minimum of 3 days study leave in addition to attendance at the course teaching days.

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Assessment How will my portfolio be assessed? Your portfolio will be assessed against the portfolio requirements described in this handbook and the grading criteria for a level three course with practice. You should submit your portfolio in the format indicated in this handbook. Before submission you should ensure that the portfolio provides all the elements required and you have consulted your mentor. You should attach a checklist to the front of the portfolio to indicate it contains the required elements and that it complies with the confidentiality policy for the university. (see Appendices). For the Consolidation course you will need to demonstrate the standards which apply to the level of the third year of an undergraduate degree. Thus you are required to demonstrate an enquiring and analytical grasp of underpinning knowledge and values, together with competence and skill applied to practice situations in your area of specialism. Intellectual rigour and the ability to reflect critically on practice denote a practitioner able to operate at the specialist level of the PQ Framework. Specialist Practice The Consolidation course is part of the university awards for Specialist Social Work Practice. These awards are offered in two specialist pathways. These are social work with children and families and social work with adults. Your portfolio will be assessed in relation to the pathway you have identified when applying to join the programme. Occupational Standards for Social Work The PQ Framework builds on the National Occupational Standards for Social Work. Students will be required to evidence how they have built upon these standards as a foundation to their practice. Reference to the standards is essential within the portfolio and those students who qualified prior to the publication of these standards must ensure that they are conversant with them. The standards are listed below in the Ap

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Appendix 2 FRAMEWORK FOR A POST QUALIFYING MODULE FOR SOCIAL WORKERS WHO QUALIFIED OVERSEAS OR WHO HAVE RECENTLY RETURNED TO PRACTICE COURSE TITLE : THE CONTEMPORARY CONTEXT OF SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE CREDIT POINTS: 15 COURSE LEVEL: 3 Entry Requirements: Professional registration as a social worker. Support from employer to undertake this module as a part of the Social Work Post Qualifying Framework Note: Whilst aimed at overseas qualified social workers, this module could be offered to UK qualified social workers who have recently returned to practice. INTRODUCTION AND RATIONALE Social work is undertaken in a variety of different settings in the statutory, voluntary and independent sectors. Recent policy guidelines and initiatives have led to clarification and changes in the roles, powers and responsibilities of social workers and in the organisational structures within which they work. This course enables students to explore different structural and policy contexts of social work at both a national and international level, developing their understanding of how the broader context of social work relates to and impacts on their own practice and practice within their organisation. This course aims to consider the implications for critical and ethical social work practice of policy and contextual changes, with particular reference to areas such as professionalism and professional registration, service user and carer involvement, international developments and perspectives, multidisciplinary working, safeguarding, culturally sensitive practice, and monitoring and evaluating services. The course will also enable practitioners to examine the dilemmas and conflicts that may arise when attempting to implement anti-oppressive practice within the context of organisational, legal and policy constraints. AIMS The course aims to:

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1. examine the structural and organisational contexts of social work and the roles, powers and responsibilities of social workers

2. review and analyse changes in the professional, organisational, legal and policy contexts of social work

3. consider the implications for service delivery of these changes and their impact on social

work practice LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of the course students will be able to:

1. critically evaluate their own professional role within structural and organisational contexts

2. critically analyse the impact of recent legislation, policy guidelines and initiatives on

service delivery in their area of social work 3. critically assess the implications for anti-oppressive social work practice of such

guidelines and initiatives

4. reflect upon how they have improved and extended their awareness of the impact of context on social work practice.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

• Contemporary Issues in current Social Work Practice • The Roles and Tasks of Social Workers – historical and contemporary perspectives • Professional Registration, the Code of Practice and their impact on Social Work

Practice • Every Child Matters and Safeguarding Children • Independence, Choice and Wellbeing and Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults • Social Work Values and Anti-oppressive practice • Service user and carer perspectives • Culturally sensitive practice • Learning from International Social Work • Multidisciplinary and partnership working • Evidence Based Practice - evaluating services and appraising messages from

research • Critical evaluation of services

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ASSESSMENT

Type of assessment: a written assignment. Students will identify a significant change that has affected social work in the areas of law, policy or professional guidelines and discuss this with reference to the organisation in which they work, analysing how this has informed their thinking about service delivery. Description of assessment Students should:

• briefly describe the structural and organisational context of their work setting

• identify a recent policy guideline, initiative or piece of legislation which has influenced practice in their work setting

• critically analyse its impact on service delivery in their identified area of social work

• critically assess the implications for anti-oppressive practice of the chosen guideline,

initiative or legislation

• critically assess the implications for their own practice and the practice of the organisation, reflecting on their own learning from undertaking this assignment.