1. Partners in practice: practice educator and academic tutor perspectives on working together to support student learning on the Frontline programme
Alison Domakin and Liz Curry
NOPT conference 2016

2. What we want to do in this session…
Check in what you know about the Frontline programme already
Provide you with information about the curriculum and ethos of the programme
Tell you more about what we do as practice educator and academic tutor working side by side on the programme
Have time at the end for discussion and questions

3. Some of the key problems
The gap between academic learning and practice for learning
The quality of some practice learning
The quality and nature of some current practice
Recruiting the right mix of people into child and family social work
The organisational context and focus on procedures rather than direct work with children and families
employers feel social workers are not “practice ready”; academics answer that this is not an appropriate expectation

4. Conventional Social Work Education
Masters or UG degree
Learning in university
Two placements – one 70 days, one 100 days
Pass placements and assessed on academic work (some of which related to practice)

5. Frontline programme- core components
5 weeks Summer Institute
1 year ‘practice learning experience’ with an experienced social worker leading a unit of 4 people on the programme
22 recall days of teaching
Visited regularly in practice by an ‘Academic Tutor’ for bespoke teaching
Weekly unit meetings to discuss work based on the Reclaiming Social Work model

6. A road well travelled……
Practice learning is a: “‘key learning component” (Guransky and LeSuer, 2011:1) in qualifying social work programmes
Many universities pay little attention to this aspect of teaching (Trevithick, 2012)
First point is you will learn from practice – how? Your programme is fundamentally different. Like other sw programmes you will be assessed against national criteria and you need to pass your practice learning experience -
It focuses on practice -
This is the first time social work education has had such fundamentally different way of organising a social work qualifying programme – fact number 1 – this programme focuses on learning from practice. Much debate in sw ed about linking theory and practice – the distinction is academic – social work is an applied discipline teaching should relate to and learning arise from practice. Most programmes have distinct structure of teaching followed by separate practice learning experience – my own research has shown that there is little thought to how links with practice learning can be made or with the practice educator responsible for assessing your work on placement.
Social work knowledge is informed by a number of disciplines (Trevithick, 2007) and recent research revealed 50 programmes taught a total of 81 theories (SCIE, 2010). This and the wide range of social work tasks increase pressure on the curriculum which is: “creaking under the weight of expectations for it.” (James 2007:11) In such circumstances it is easy to respond with a teaching strategy based on knowledge transmission and the teaching of ‘off the peg’ techniques and theories (Gordon and Cooper, 2010)
During your practice learning experience you wil be supported by a Consultant Social Worker and work in groups of 4 – mirroring the units Reclaiming Social Work led by Steve Goodman and Isabelle Trowler – you will hear from Steve about RSW later today. Learning will arise from your practice and taught sessions and your studies will also apply directly to your practice- more in a moment about this
Key issue is how we connect with your practice learning to provide an integrated cohesive experience

7. Frontline: ;practice based learning
Not the conventional university/placement approach
Aim to bridge the gap between university and practice by creating a practice based learning experience
Based on a belief that you learn how to be a social worker in practice
If we want you to integrate theory and research with practice – then we need to have a practice based course for this to happen
This requires a partnership between local authorities and educational provider
And a focus on delivering an outstanding practice learning opportunity

8. Which interventions and why?
Systemic Practice
Motivational Interviewing
Parenting Interventions
In Frontline you will be taught and will have to demonstrate competence in three evidence based interventions- these are assessed through the course

9. What is systemic practice?
Systemic theories see families as interactive systems
Families are embedded within wider and complex systems including culture, race, religion, the professional helping systems and others
the systemic practitioner take these contexts into account when assessing, formulating and intervening at different levels of the system
This includes understanding the logic of behaviour, beliefs and emotions which form interactional patterns of living and relating
Systemic approaches highlight the importance of curiosity, neutrality and hypothesising

10. Parenting Interventions
The quality of parenting is at the heart of social work with children and families
Parents often need help with both larger systems challenges and problems that affect parenting (e.g. housing, mental health issues)
And
Strengthening their ability to attend sensitively and use non-coercive limit setting
Parenting interventions based on social learning theory and attachment theory have the strongest evidence base for supporting positive change in parenting

11. Motivational Interviewing
MI is a counselling style developed to help people with behaviour change
A central focus on understanding “resistance” and how to engage people
Working with ambivalence to support behaviour change
Used increasingly in child and family social work
Evidence key elements of MI associated with engagement of families in work and some outcomes

12. Why these approaches?
They are complementary, strengths based and effective and can be used together in child and family social work:
Systemic practice provides a conceptual framework to consider and make sense of the complex factors which social workers must take account of AND provides skills for intervening in families and other systems.
Motivational Interviewing provide skills in engaging , motivating and working with parents and young people in difficult situations.
Parenting Interventions provide skills in helping parents to build stronger relationships with their children and strengthen parenting.

13. Direct observations
7 visits to a family recorded or observed as part of the assessment strategy on the programme
Shared marking between CSWs and ATs- 5 first marked by CSW, 2 by AT- second marking and moderation process
Practice is graded and detailed feedback given – in 5 areas- purposefulness, elicitation of intrinsic motivation, child focus, clarity about issues/concerns and relational capacity
First observation recording – used for a Skills Lab- joint feedback by AT and CSW

14. Connected learning – with the child and family at the heart
CSW
Student
Child and Family
Where we intersect is the interesting bit…..

15. Which one of you is the teacher??
Consultant Social Worker – Liz’s role
Academic Tutor- Alison’s role
Where do we interface?
What is similar?
What is different?
2 major areas – Direct Observations, weekly unit meeting
SI focuses on getting people R for P

16. So what happens at a unit meeting?
Dilemmas, case management, reflective discussion

17. Practice based learning strategies on the Frontline programme
Learning & Inspiration
Classroom
Practice
Feedback on Practice
Assessment of Practice

18. This changes everything – everything can be a learning experience
Designated role and time
Experiential/ active learning
Synchronicity
Connection
Parity- in terms of response to family and sharing- can move in and out of ‘expert’ position in discussions at unit meeting
No one person has the answer- we need to work together from our different perspectives in social work education