Thematic Group Supervision to support Practice Learning Opportunities in Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.

Group supervision for students within practice learning opportunities

Abstract

Within this article we reflect on the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (BHSCT) Workforce Learning Development Improvement Service’s response to Covid19, and the need to support social work students commencing their Practice Learning Opportunity/placement (PLO) within Adult Services in August 2020. It was recognised that the global response to the Covid19 pandemic generated a landscape of significant change and innovation for both the Workforce Learning Development and Improvement Service within the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (BHSCT) and students who were due to commence their PLOs within BHSCT for a period of practice learning from August – December 2020.  The article explores how the Workforce Learning Development Improvement Service across in Adult Services within the BHSCT responded to meet changing need for social work students, BHSCT practice teachers (practice educators) and the operational context within which social workers practiced. The initiative, now consolidated within the student experience of their Practice Learning Opportunity (PLO) within BHSCT, is audited annually, and this article explores the learning from the initial audits in December 2020 and June 2021, as well as the ongoing changes embedded within the teams as we emerge from the Covid19 pandemic.

Within this article we reflect on the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (BHSCT) Workforce Learning Development Improvement Service’s response to Covid19, and the need to support social work students commencing their Practice Learning Opportunity/placement (PLO) within Adult Services in August 2020. It was recognised that the global response to the Covid19 pandemic generated a landscape of significant change and innovation for both the Workforce Learning Development and Improvement Service within the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (BHSCT) and students who were due to commence their PLOs within BHSCT for a period of practice learning from August – December 2020.  The article explores how the Workforce Learning Development Improvement Service across in Adult Services within the BHSCT responded to meet changing need for social work students, BHSCT practice teachers (practice educators) and the operational context within which social workers practiced. The initiative, now consolidated within the student experience of their Practice Learning Opportunity (PLO) within BHSCT, is audited annually, and this article explores the learning from the initial audits in December 2020 and June 2021, as well as the ongoing changes embedded within the teams as we emerge from the Covid19 pandemic.