The course is for registered social workers who wish to gain a qualification as a Social Work Practice Educator. This unit aims to support the development in understanding of how to organise, support and assess learning in the workplace. By the end of this unit, successful Trainee Practice Educators will have developed the skills and confidence to contribute to the learning and assessment of a range of work-based learners and take responsibility for the learning and assessment of a learner in social work practice. This course was previously called Enabling Work Based Learning.

Indicative unit content

• Introduction to adult teaching, learning and assessment theories with an emphasis on their critical application to work-based learning situations.
• Models and methods of managing learning and assessment in the workplace that promote an effective learning environment, encourage learners to take responsibility for their own learning and support a partnership approach that involve the learner, service users / carers, colleagues and other professionals.
• Learner centred strategies to support effective experiential and reflective learning.
• Models and methods for the collection, critical evaluation and standardisation of assessment information including the use of professional assessment frameworks and procedures to benchmark and guide assessment decisions.
• Strategies for providing feedback to learners that encourage self-evaluation and promote development.
• Strategies for evaluating the overall learning process including those which enable practice educators to contribute to the promotion of a wider learning culture within their organisation.
• Work-based learning experience gained from supporting, enabling and assessing a professional learner in practice.
• Self-managed activities to extend learning and support critical reflection on practice experience.

Intended learning outcomes (ILOs):

By the end of the unit, you should be able to demonstrate:

1. The ability to enable learning and professional development in others by selecting, and implementing appropriate learning and teaching strategies, valuing the uniqueness and diversity of learners, in a social work environment.
2. Taking responsibility for aspects of the assessment of learners in practice, using an appropriate range of methods, basing assessment decisions on relevant evidence and using professional judgement to resolve any inconsistencies in the evidence available.
3. The ability to apply appropriate theoretical frameworks and relevant research to social work practice education.
4. Being able to reflect on their practice, particularly with regard to the application of an appropriate professional and personal value base to practice education.

Learning and teaching methods

Within this unit students will encounter a range of learning and teaching methods, including lectures, small group work, directed self-managed learning, seminars, reflective activities and guest speakers. They will have access to a variety of pre-recorded lectures to deepen their learning and understanding.

The main approach to teaching will be reflection and action learning to help students to translate their theoretical knowledge into potential practice applications.

Students will be expected to participate actively in all aspects of the learning process including preparatory engagement with materials and discussion.

This course requires 100% attendance.

Learning outcomes

Having completed this unit the student is expected to:

1. Organise, monitor and critically evaluate opportunities for professional practice learning and the assessment of capability in practice
2. Enable learning and professional development in others by selecting, and implementing appropriate learning and teaching strategies in a work environment.
3. Take responsibility for aspects of the assessment of learners in practice, using an appropriate range of methods, basing assessment decisions on relevant evidence and using professional judgement to resolve any inconsistencies in the evidence available.
4. Critically reflect on their practice, including consideration of application of professional and personal values to practice education, demonstrating the ability to synthesise information, gain new insights and develop original responses to problems.
5. Demonstrate a systematic understanding of relevant literature including a critical awareness of current issues and recent research and an ability to critically apply appropriate theoretical frameworks in practice

Assessment

The course work comprises:

• Practice requirements must be met and verified, including supervising a social work learner in practice and observation of your practice.  This assessment element is marked on a Pass/Fail basis.
• A guided assignment. This assessment element contributes 100% of the mark for the unit.

Who can I supervise/mentor/assess on placement?

Eligibility and Entry Requirements for Trainee Practice Educators
All individuals undertaking Practice Educator training must be registered Social Workers. Prior to enrolment, Trainee Practice Educators are expected to demonstrate that they are practising at the Experienced Social Worker level (Level 7) of the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) (BASW, 2018) within their current practitioner role.

In addition, applicants must have a minimum of two years’ post-qualification practice experience, inclusive of successful completion of the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE). This experience should provide sufficient breadth and depth of practice to evidence capability at the PCF Level 7 (Experienced Social Worker) standard.

These requirements ensure that Trainee Practice Educators possess the necessary professional competence, autonomy, and critical reflection skills to effectively support, supervise, and assess social work students in practice.

Practice Educator Training Requirements
For individuals undertaking training to become a Practice Educator with Bournemouth University, it is essential that the Trainee Practice Educator supervises/mentors/assesses two different social work learners in practice. A social work learner in practice is a social work student who is formally on an assessed social work placement or, in exceptional circumstances, a newly qualified social worker (please speak with the Bournemouth University course lead if the option of supervising an ASYE is required). This requirement ensures that the Trainee Practice Educator is supporting and assessing practice in line with recognised social work education standards. Individuals such as apprentices who are employed within a social work team but are not undertaking a formal placement do not meet the criteria for this role within the Practice Educator training context.

For Unit 1, the Trainee Practice Educator may undertake the role of Practice Supervisor, Practice Educator, or a dual role (Practice Educator and Supervisor at the same time), provided there is appropriate oversight and support from the employing organisation or agency responsible for facilitating their progression on the course.

For Unit 2, the expectations are more advanced. The Trainee Practice Educator must undertake the role of sole Practice Educator or a sole dual Practice Educator/Practice Supervisor role, with robust oversight and endorsement from the relevant employing organisation or agency responsible for supporting their development and course completion.

These requirements ensure that Trainee Practice Educators gain appropriate, high-quality experience in supporting and assessing social work students within a structured and accountable framework.

Oversight, Support, and Practice Educator Assessor Requirements
Trainee Practice Educators must be supported through their programme of study by appropriate oversight and structured organisational support from the employing agency or organisation responsible for facilitating their progression on the course. This support must include the allocation of both a Practice Educator Assessor who holds a PEPS 2 qualification (or equivalent).

Practice Educator Assessors must demonstrate a suitable level of experience and professional capability to effectively support Trainee Practice Educators, particularly in relation to complex decision-making within practice education. It is expected that individuals undertaking these roles will have substantial prior experience of supervising learners in practice contexts.

Specifically, Practice Educators should have supported approximately five learners (pre- and/or post-qualifying) within a practice learning environment prior to undertaking the role of Assessor or Mentor. This experience should include sustained involvement in supervision, rather than isolated or one-off sessions, and should demonstrate exposure to and management of complexities within practice education. The indicative number of five learners may include those supervised during the Practice Educator’s own PEPS 1 and PEPS 2 training.

In addition, the employing organisation must ensure that appropriate arrangements are in place to provide a suitable social work student on placement, enabling the Trainee Practice Educator to meet the assessment requirements of the programme.