This module equips registered social workers to undertake the responsibilities of a Stage 1 Practice Educator (Practice Educator Professional Standards, PEPS) of the British Association of Social Workers (BASW). Trainees who complete this module successfully will be able to supervise, teach and assess social work degree students up to, but not including, the final assessment prior to qualification. At this stage they may contribute to the last placement, but not take full responsibility for assessment or act as the practice educator on a day-to-day basis.
Trainees undertaking this module are required to undertake a practicum which entails acting as a Stage 1 practice educator to a degree in social work student on a first placement (70 days). The module includes practice assessment.

Aims
• To provide trainees with an overview of the context of practice learning, including the underpinning evidence and research base.
• To support trainees in developing their planning and organisational skills in managing the practice learning experience.
• To equip trainees with the knowledge and skills to develop and apply a practice curriculum consistent with the Professional Standards for Social Work at the End of First Placement Level.
• To assist trainees to design, co-ordinate and evaluate an agreed plan for the holistic, formative and summative assessment of a social work student’s practice, that is in accordance with assessment principles and the PEPS Values.
• To develop and enhance trainees’ ability to apply theoretical concepts and research knowledge, critical reflection, analysis and intervention skills to their own practice and learn how to enable social work students’ learning and practice in these areas.
• To enable trainees’ learning and professional development in their professional practice with pre-qualifying social work students, to critically reflect on diversity and values issues and dilemmas, within both the practice and practice learning contexts.

What and how students will learn on the module
▪ Preparing to offer a placement and developing a practice curriculum. Understanding the requirements for social work education and devising a curriculum for an applied setting.
▪ Managing learning in the workplace. Induction programmes. Negotiating practice learning outcomes and drawing up Learning Agreements which integrate individual learner's development needs, professional requirements and the agency context. Coordinating and supporting the work of all contributors to placement learning programmes and using the practice curriculum to frame and structure learning.
▪ Facilitating and enabling learning and professional development of others in practice: adapting, planning and ensuring the delivery and review of programmes of learning in the workplace, including reflective supervision skills and approaches to support learners and promote learning.
• Managing the assessment of learners in practice, including working with those who are not demonstrating capability. Using different assessment methods and report writing.
• Ethical practice in professional practice education in social work, including an exploration of discrimination in practice education and power relationships.
• Reflective Practice. Reflection and self-evaluation of own performance as a practice educator, identifying future learning needs and professional development planning.

Assessment Methods

Practice Portfolio and Practice Assessor Report Pass/Fail, Self-Evaluation coursework & Practice Curriculum