1. “The Best Way Forward” achieving staff “buy in”

2. Aim & Scope Scope Objectives
“The Best Way Forward”
Aim & Scope
Establish the reasons for the lack of engagement by FE tutors with the BEST System
Scope
School of Health, Care & Early years
Ards Campus
Health & Social Care provision
Objectives
To maximise efficiencies gained from using the BEST system
Aim
The aim of this project is to establish the reasons for the lack of engagement by FE placement tutors with the Business Engagement & Student Tracking System (BEST).
Scope
Within the School of Health Care and Early Years (HCEY) – Concentrating on the Ards Campus – Health and Early years courses.
Specific objectives of this project were:
To encourage an increase of 10% completion of BEST placement information in relation to the Health and Social Care provision within School of Health, Care and Early Years by 24 May 2013.
To conduct in-depth interviews with three HCEY members of placement staff in order to establish barriers to completion by 24 May 2013.
3. Develop an improvement plan which enables the completion of the placement information on BEST by tutors by August 2013.
4. Research prospective placement providers for Health & Social Care using the SERC Geographical Information System (GIS) to determine which areas to concentrate on.

3. Justification Justification
Whitaker (2008) argues that staff support with new initiatives is essential for the success of a new project, “A new initiative without staff support is like dough without yeast: Work as you might, you'll never get it to rise to success. But with the right approach, you can win over even the most change-averse staff”.
To maximise the efficiencies of BEST it was vital to analyse the number of placements recorded on the system and staff access data provided by reports from the BEST;
If we take into consideration that SERC manages over 4000 placements each year through the TfS and Further and Higher Education provision.
The BEST system statistics quantified: in 2012/13 the TfS department had populated BEST 100% (3000 placements per year) whereas FEHE only 29% of their 1165 placements per year have been recorded.
83% placements recorded on BEST were TfS and only 17% FEHE.
To justify the scope of the project an audit was completed by the HOS’s for the BEST System Coordinator; this indicated that five out of the nine Schools in SERC offered placements. Quantitative data on the courses was provided by MIS and covered three years providing comprehensive data as see in this table; there were a total of 3931 placements.
From this data the School of HCEY managed 41% and ASS 30% of the overall placements managed by SERC; with this knowledge and the fact that the HOS’s audit specified that HCEY students were on placement at least twice per year, this made the HCEY school the obvious choice for investigation.

4. Justification
BEST statistics revealed a lack of implementation with BEST by the HCEY academic staff; between Jan and May 2013 reports for the school indicated placement activity was recorded by the Child Care WPOs and tutors (from each campus) who accounted for 75% of the overall access compared to Health and Social Care tutors only 25%.
It was therefore obvious to look at the staff to student ration and if there was the assistance of a WPO. This made it obvious that the Health and Social Care tutors were struggling; concentrating on Ards Campus staff because they had shown the most resistance to the system in previous communications.

5. Staff Interviews Staff Interviews Outcomes
No placement timetabled hours at the start of the academic year
Possibly the wrong placement documentation – block or year placement
Lacked organisation - no documentation monitoring process
Different assessment requirements – practical and employability
Likelihood of unwarranted time spent on placement visits
The next step was to complete interviews with the staff based on a questionnaire to determine the barriers staff had to BEST; two members of staff approached declined to take part which empathised predicted constraints of the project. Three members did participate:
Staff listed having no timetabled hours at the start of the academic year to complete the initial placement visit and record information on BEST and no WPO assistance. Student contact time (SCT) and tutorial time was provided and used for placement assessment visits. The initial placement visit could take 20 mins. not including the travel time on average 40 mins. return.
Possibly using the wrong placement documentation - student have to complete (30 hour) – if completed one day per week for academic year initial visit to FHEPPA and BEST required, but if block placement (two weeks or less) – Defined as “Work Experience” – no initial visit by staff and WEPA completed – no evidence of insurance required – all time saving variants.
Likelihood of unwarranted time spent on placement visits – especially as it was determined that the HSC students only require an Employability assessment not a practical one.
Tutors lacked organisation, no monitoring process ensuring the PPA documentation were completed and returned to SERC!! If BEST was utilised it would save time sourcing and recording placements.

6. To Save Time and Source HSC Placements
One objective of this project was to research prospective placement providers for Health & Social Care using the SERC Geographical Information System (GIS) to determine which areas to concentrate on.
Quantitative and Qualitative data from the HOS audit and MIS on the location of students home and campus address was mapped by GIS in order to better understand the provision of student placements from a geographical perspective and source potential placement providers to encourage staff “buy in” to BEST GIS.
SERC staff acknowledged FE students were not keen to travel far for placements so this information was matched with industry specific information requested from Invest NI, NISRA (NI Statistics and Research Agency website) through the Census 2011 and was presented by GIS on a layered PdF file.
The results for the Ards Campus indicated the areas to concentrate on where Bangor, Dundonald and Newtownards.
GIS mapping established a list of 57 Residential and Nursing Care and 57 Child Care prospective placement providers which the Ards Child Car WPO offered to contact.

7. Project Conclusions & Options for HSC
Project Conclusions and Options
Tutors could continue to manage the Work Placements at £30.74 per hour but will require further training on Work Placement Procedure, BEST and Placement Documentation – may need WBA hours for initial placement visits - however if BEST was utilised this would reduce these visits.
If block placement – less documentation and no need for initial visit.
The introduction of a WPO for HSC – the grade would need determined?
Grade 4 – £9.94 per hour - Manage the placements including the Employability skills assessment visit.
Grade 5 – £12.86 per hour - Manage the initial and complete the practical assessment required.
The Introduction of a Grade 4 Work Placement Officer for FE in SERC not just one school!
Grade 4 WPO - completes all responsibilities for several schools placements – Initial placement visits, BEST and completes Employability Skills assessment placement visits;
For practical assessment visits; Tutors would complete and therefore keeping WBA visit hours and contact with industry

8. FE WPO for SERC BEST would reduce the initial visits for FE
Training Organisation
WPO - 36 hours weekly contract for Placements
90 students
2.5 students per hour
14 placement visits per week
BEST would reduce the initial visits for FE
Currently 1012 students on placement with 605 companies – reducing by 40%
2012/ placements reduced by 40% = 342 initial placement visits
FE varied Mode of Attendance – visits further reduced – Sept and Jan starts
Further research would be required to determine the number of WPO officers required but we could quantify this option by looking at the Training Organisation placement model; (table)
The BEST system would reduce these statistics for FE because the Work Placement Procedure differs from the Training Organisation requirements; fewer initial placement visits are completed if students return to placement providers previously used.
Quantitative data from BEST reports state that currently there are 1012 students out on placement in 605 different companies; this would reduce the number of initial placement visits by 40%.
The 854 total of FE placements for 2012/13 could be reduced by 40% which equates to 342 initial placement visits.
These placement visits could be further reduced by taking into consideration the fact that not all students are on placement at the same time throughout the academic year.

9. Results of the Project Information recorded on BEST FEHE Placements
FEHE Placements
Companies
2 May 2013
342
4047
19 May 2013
371
4119
% Increase % 2%
Additional potential placements were provided by GIS for HCEY staff to encourage the use of BEST.
The 10% completion rate of BEST placement information for the Health and Social Care was not achieved however the project highlighted an urgent need to audit the completion of current FHEPPA and this was carried out by three HOS. This ensured documentation would be completed correctly producing accurate information for BEST. Although this is an area for development the following table demonstrates an encouraging increase of activity on BEST in only 12 working days.
Addressing the need for additional training highlighted in the interviews should increase staffs confidence in the work placement procedure and BEST enabling the completion of this information on BEST by August 2013.

10. “Awarding institutions are responsible for the academic standards of their awards and the quality of provision leading to them, and have in place policies and procedures to ensure that their responsibilities, and those of their partners involved in work-based and placement learning, are clearly identified and met”.
QAA Code of Practice
Indicator 2 Responsibilities for academic standards and quality
While SERC realises the need for a greater emphasis on work-based learning ensuring students get relevant high quality industry experience to improve employability and develop individuals beyond their specific study discipline.
We must also ensure our responsibilities to our placement partners are met; QAA.
Unfortunately several tutors managing FE placements have recently acknowledged their lack of time to manage this process inclusive of BEST, has lead them to decide not to offer the placement modules next year!

11. Any Questions? (Be gentle!)