How well does the preparation for practice delivered at the university prepare the student for their first practice learning opportunity in the Social Work Degree?

Abstract

This paper sets out to consider the requirement that social work students studying for the Degree in Social Work should be prepared for and assessed as ready and fit to practice before undertaking their first practice learning opportunity. The purpose of the study is to examine the essential elements of good preparation and to evaluate how well the teaching and assessment has prepared students in the South Yorkshire and North East Midland partnership from the perspective of their practice assessors.

This qualitative study involved two key stages. Firstly, a focus group eliciting views from practice assessors on what the purpose and content of preparation for practice should be. Secondly, semi-structured interviews with practice assessors considering how well prepared for practice the first group of Social Work Degree students had been. Interviews were transcribed and data analysed using a ‘framework’ approach. Three major themes emerged, the communication of information on the preparation between student and practice assessor, the ability of students to relate their previous learning to practice and the understanding students demonstrated of the social work task and role.

All practice assessors were positive about the benefits that preparation at the universities could have for practice but the majority of students did not share information on their preparation with their practice assessor. From this project it has been possible to make recommendations concerning the content of preparation but most importantly the importance of requiring that information on the content and learning in preparation should be shared by students with their practice assessor as the starting point for making direct links into their first practice learning opportunity.