Back to School for social work students

Abstract

Every Child Matters: Change for children (DfES, 2004) places effective inter-professional working at the top of the child care agenda. Developing new opportunities for practice learning in different professional settings, therefore, is high on the agenda for all those concerned with the teaching of social work. Learning within a different professional setting can bring many benefits, but also challenges. This article outlines a well-established project in Hull, where student social workers have been experiencing practice learning opportunities in mainstream schools for the past four years. The project has been evaluated using an action research model and as such reflects the subsequent development and consolidation as the project has expanded. We highlight both the benefits and the challenges for all those concerned with these placements, addressing some of the issues for students, practice teachers, and work-based supervisors in their roles in this new approach.