NOPT conference 2017 Changes in Practice Education and Assessment Cheryl Wall, Skills for Care

Practice education and assessment… Overview: Where are we now? Work in progress/developments Challenges What’s next?

Practice education and assessment… What do we have now: Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) Practice Educator Professional Standards (PEPS) Practice Development Educator (PDE) guidance – Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) assessor standard within Knowledge and Skills Statements (KSS), updates completed but not published Direct observation guidance (on our website) ASYE KSSs– adults (social worker) & children and families (C&F) (social worker, practice supervisor and practice leader)

National Assessment and Accreditation Standards Context and developments National Assessment and Accreditation PCF Teaching partnerships Practice Educator Professional Standards (PEPS) C &F Practice Supervisor KSS Adults’ Practice Supervisor Knowledge and Skills Statement Direct Observation Guidance Practice Development Educator Guidance (ASYE standard) Revised learning objectives Adults Principal Social Worker KSS

Current developments – PEPS Context – why changes…. Questions re status, standards, quality assurance increasing in 2016 Trawl for views – Early 2017 PEPS widely implemented but assessment process and development programmes vary considerably. Variation in use and implementation of stage 1 and stage 2 Absence of national quality assurance (The College of Social Work accreditation could have contributed…) Varying ‘currency’ arrangements Strong message of support for national PEPS standards/accreditation Variation in HEI accreditation Recognition that review is needed… BASW appointed to undertake this in partnership with profession/sector bodies, survey circulated by BASW and Skills for Care.

Current developments Knowledge and Skills Statements (KSS) Practice Supervisors’ context… KSSs for adult social work (ASYE) in 2015, child and family statements (practice supervisor and practice leader in Nov. 2015) October 2016 Request from Lyn Romeo to draft KSS for practice supervisors (Link to C&F KSS, PCF and PEPS) Working group established to developed draft statements and options for assessment and accreditation Feedback gathered through network events Report completed and sent to Lyn Romeo in early April Further work/considerations: Links with PEPS/PDE – BASW undertaking ‘refresh’ Alignment with principal social workers KSS

Current developments Knowledge and Skills Statements (KSS) Practice supervisors’ draft statement Role of practice supervisor in Adult social work Social workers providing professional, reflective supervision Operating at different levels within PCF dependent on role May supervise social care staff Supervision statement Strengths based model to supervision Assessment against professional standards Importance of professional supervision if line manager is not RSW Managerial and performance issues, professional development and providing emotional support/resilience

Current developments - KSS Practice supervisors’ draft statement Knowledge and Skills Statements (draft) Comments Values and ethics Promoting and governing excellent practice Developing excellent social workers Promoting and supporting analysis and decision making Relationship based practice supervision PEPS prior accreditation? National QA challenge? Shaping and influencing practice within the organisation and community Effective use of power and authority as a supervisor Assuring good social work practice and development Performance management and improvement Values and ethics an addition – Some the same as C & F others tweaked..

Practice Supervisors’ KSS - Update Considerations/further work/questions…. eligibility (two years’ post registration) and currency assessment and accreditation – ASYE model? How will this work in practice, transitional arrangements, implementation guidance development activity/programmes regulation links with PEPS/PDE – alignment with BASW ‘refresh’ alignment with principal social workers KSS (working group established in June – to report in September) Formal Department of Health consultation – Autumn 2017

Assessor/educator standards Links to professional levels Level Title KSS Assessor Standard Strategic Strategic SW Educator Principal Social Worker (Adults) ? Advanced Professional SW Educator KSS Practice Supervisor (Adults linked to PCF) Experienced Social Worker ASYE Social Worker Qualifying Practice Educator (split into stage 1 and 2) KSS Practice Supervisor (Both) Proposed progression/ accreditation from PEPS (Adults) PEPS/PDE (Adults) PEPS KSS Social Worker (Both) Coming back to the bigger picture Start from left – fairly established. Titles – practice educator widely accepted, prof SW educator varied adoption? KSS – newer, development from 2014/5 - Practice supervisor still in development Assessor standards Working from bottom – PEPS is most straightforward at the moment but under review– then gets a bit trickier Is this helpful – not sure – demonstrates the need for clarity? Potential for clearer understanding of the assessor role

What’s next….

What’s next…. Past Present Future??? Practice teaching/ education Accredited practice teaching programmes since at least mid eighties (CCETSW/GSCC PTA) 2003 social work degree – ‘appropriately qualified and experienced’ PEPS since 2011 Fully implemented Autumn 2015 National standards but not quality assurance Teaching partnerships criterion Nationally accredited practice educator status? Regulation? Career progression/links Practice teaching used as a step to management for some Difficulties retaining practice educators PEPS integrated within some JDs and used to support ASYE Increasingly promoted with career frameworks (teaching partnerships) Progression from practice educator to practice supervisor? Supervision In house supervision/management training PQ leadership programmes Practice supervisor role establishing Overlap with practice education and ASYE assessment variable Assessment and accreditation?