This handbook is a website resource about the role of external examiners on the social work degree programmes across the UK. It was produced in 2009 by the four UK Care Councils together with the Higher Education Academy Subject Centre for Social Policy and Social Work (SWAP), and the Joint Universities Council Social Work Education Committee (JUC/SWEC)

In 2010 SWAP undertook a survey of postgraduates who teach social policy and a key outcome of the resulting report highlighted the requirement for resources to aid in the teaching of qualitative and quantitative methods. In response SWAP has now published two information sheets which list a selection of web resources from the field, which you may find useful in your teaching.

In 2010 SWAP undertook a survey of postgraduates who teach social policy and a key outcome of the resulting report highlighted the requirement for resources to aid in the teaching of qualitative and quantitative methods. In response SWAP has now published two information sheets which list a selection of web resources from the field, which you may find useful in your teaching.

This helpsheet offers some pointers for social work academics wishing to increase student awareness of homelessness by holding an event.

This template letter has been developed for use by SWAPBox members who shared the resources of others by web-linking them to their profile but would like to encourage the original author to also upload the resource file. It is envisaged that this will be particularly applicable to special interest groups within SWAPBox, who are collecting resources and materials around a particular topic. The template can be easily customised, pasted into an email or sent out in letter format.

Donald Forrester, University of Bedfordshire provides a short introduction to some of the tools he has used to research substance use and how those tools translate into teaching social work students

A helpsheet created in partnership with service users about ways to embed service user experience in teaching and learning about alcohol and drugs

A short four page summary created by Sarah Galvani suggesting different levels of engagement with substance use across the social work curriculum

A short information sheet prodcued by Rachel Lart, University of Bristol summarising useful resources for the teaching of drugs and society to social policy students

A short information sheet prodcued by Sarah Galvani, University of Bedforshire offering ideas for teaching domestic violence and substance use in the social work curriculum

A short information sheet prepared by Ian Paylor at Lancaster University. The sheet includes suggestions for ways to discuss blood bourne viruses in social work teaching

This SWAPBox how to guide explains the 'Groups' function and how to make the most of it, including creating a group page, joining an existing group and contributing resources to group pages.

Frances Gordon and Hilary Pengelly presented the activities detailed here at a jointly funded SWAP and HSP event. Delegates enjoyed the event and comments incldued: 'I will certainly use de Bonos six thinking hats with my students. I have found the whole session very motivational and have serveral atrategies to take back and use with my students'. Delegates also found the pointers on how to use mateiral from serious case reviews very useful.

The publication includes interviews and case studies with social policy and social work academics across the UK who have successfully embedded internationalisation in the curriculum

This is a presentation I gave at the Joint Social Work Education Conference 2010. It outlines my theoretical proposition for 'creative pedagogy' and invites evaluation, contributions and comments from participants. The presntation includes the notes to myself, so they're not complte and comprehensive, but i hope they illuminate the slides to some extent. Please do let me know what you think about the proposition. I'd love to hear from you

Westmead Hospital is a major teaching hospital in the western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. A student unit exists within the large social work department. As part of the social work practicum, students on placement design and implement a program known as Careers Day. Senior secondary school students attend an interactive day in order to explore the option of social work as a career. This paper will discuss my role as student educator in guiding the social work students to develop and facilitate this unique and evolving program. A multi-layered learning process takes place involving the educator, the social work students and the participants. Social work skills are facilitated and enhanced through the use of role play, groupwork, teamwork and organisational activities. A variety of creative techniques are used to demonstrate and discuss the nature of social work. Students on practicum learn while they teach. Data will be provided about the success, challenges, methods, effectiveness and outcomes of this program for all involved.

"One of the great untested assumptions of current educational practice is that students learn through discussion." (Laurillard 2003:158) This paper explores student social workers’ perceptions of learning from participation in online discussions and analyses how these can be used most effectively to develop understanding about interpersonal communication. The research context was a communication unit on a social work degree course in which teacher-designed discussion questions followed each teaching session. Student questionnaires were analysed and the results compared with a grounded theory analysis of online postings (Strauss and Corbin 1998). Research shows that despite the potential for online discussions to stimulate deep learning, this remains elusive (Wallace 2003). This paper reviews the literature examining why evidence of complex engagement with ideas is difficult to locate in online discussions, and how meaningful discussion can be encouraged. Findings from this study suggest that participating in online discussions is an emotive experience for students. A model using online discussion to teach communication skills is proposed, building on the work of Gunawardena et al (1998). In the proposed model the links between ‘process knowledge’ (how students communicate with each other online and how they experience this) and ‘content knowledge’ (the curriculum) are used as learning material. It is argued that deeper learning may result from examination of this dynamic. The paper concludes that it may not be useful to search for evidence of deep learning in online discussions alone. Learning about communication should be considered as a cumulative process involving group interaction through online discussions, followed by individual reflection and application in social work practice. Further research to investigate applications of this model in social work education is needed. References Gunawardena, C N, Lowe, C A, Anderson, T. (1998)Transcript analysis of computer mediated conferences as a tool for testing constructivist and social constructivist learning theories, Paper presented at the Annual Conference on Distance Learning and Teaching Madison WI Aug 5-7 Laurillard, D. (2003) Rethinking University Teaching, 2nd Edition London and New York: RoutledgeFalmer Strauss,A and Corbin, J.M (1998) Basics of Qualitative Research: Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory, Thousand Oaks Calif:Sage Wallace, R M. (2003) Online learning in Higher Education: A review of research on interactions among teachers and students, Education, Communication and Information, 3:2

Paper presented at 2009 JSWEC Conference. It’s more like learning together, being on an equal footing, using our collective mind (Comment by service user, 2009) The (abridged) story of service user and carer involvement in professional programmes at a distance learning university is presented here to illustrate the complexity of issues of identity and the context of the power relationships in which they are enacted. This paper will explore issues of identity in service user and carer involvement through reflection on roles, relationships and communication between service users, carers, tutors and academic managers as they have evolved during a five year period of joint work. Early work focused on initial engagement and setting the framework and tone of involvement. The second phase involved a task-centred approach, concentrating on specific tasks in the development and implementation of the honours social work degree, an on-going project. Service user and carer roles across the social work programme are identified and explored. Relationships are described as ‘co-learners’ in a process of development and discovery. A third stage sees the extension of the group to include colleagues from the wider Health and Social Care Faculty and the development of an on-line interactive website - a wiki- in combination with local face to face networks of service users and carers. This is an attempt to reach out to geographically dispersed populations and to make connections with under-represented groups. There will be an analysis of roles, relationships and communication strategies to extend the reach of service user and carer involvement. By illustration there will be a demonstration of the wiki and presentation of ‘job’ descriptions contained therein to identify opportunities for involvement and two-way influence, followed by discussion of issues of identity, inter-professional involvement and the benefits and limitations of on-line communication.

Paper presented at 2010 JSWEC Conference. There is a perception, both domestically (Ombudsman for Children, 2006; Andrews, 2008) and internationally (Tham, 2006, Stalker et al., 2007), that retaining child protection and welfare social workers is problematic. This paper presents the findings of a recently completed qualitative study that examined this issue in one Health Service Executive (HSE) area in the Republic of Ireland. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with child protection and welfare social workers to explore their understandings of the factors that influence their decisions to want to stay in or leave their current employment. Contrary to expectations, the study found that the turnover rate for these social workers was quite low and that two thirds expressed their intention to stay in this work. This paper examines the professional, organisational and individual factors which contribute to these social workers’ retention. Particular emphasis will be placed on one aspect of this study that examined social workers’ understanding of career pathways in social work and explores how these understandings influenced their employment decisions and retention. This analysis looked at social workers use of metaphors to describe their motivations for ‘doing’ this work. This led to the development of a typology of social workers’ entry motivations which contributes to our understanding of how social workers make decisions to stay or leave decisions which are often made before they even start working in child protection and welfare. The research found that the situation might not be as pessimistic as an initial reading of the literature might suggest. The presentation will conclude with an examination of the implications of these findings for the users of child protection and welfare services, social work education and child protection and welfare service managers.

Paper presented at 2010 JSWEC Conference. The present government aims to ensure that people who use social services are given personal/individual budgets with which they can directly purchase the care and support they need. Personal budgets are seen as the means by which services will be ‘personalised’ and designed to fit around the person who uses them, rather than the other way around. Increasingly, this is becoming the ‘default’ model as local authority Performance Indicators encourage councils with social services responsibilities to offer personal budgets to service users, and ‘traditional’ forms of service provision are discouraged. However, the evidence base to support the introduction of personal/individual budgets currently remains weak, with only a handful of published studies, which are of variable quality. Our paper reports on a large, quantitative study, using a quasi-experimental design, of the impact of self-directed support and personal budgets on people who use social services. It was carried out in an English shire county in 2008-09. Amongst other findings, the study found evidence of positive outcomes for people from most care groups, on a range of measures. However, like the Individual Budgets Support Evaluation Network (IBSEN) report (Glendinning et al 2008) the study found no evidence of benefit for older people who were offered budgets. Evidence from both studies raises questions about the appropriateness of personal budgets for some people as a means of achieving personalisation. We then focus attention on the socio-political ‘lineage’ of personal/individual budgets, considering more fully what the drive to personalisation tells us about the nature of citizenship and governance contemporaneously. We argue that personal budgets may offer a false prospectus to many people, not least firstly, by promoting market rights but actually diminishing social rights and, secondly, by proffering participatory forms of governance as a replacement for traditional representative democratic structures.

Paper presented at 2010 JSWEC Conference. Four decades of public inquiries into child deaths and mental health tragedies have had a significant impact on public perceptions of social work. More recently, the death of Baby Peter led to intense media criticism of social workers, leading to the Sun newspaper petition to sack all of the social workers involved, which was signed by 1.2 million people. The Social Work Task Force, formed in response to the negative media coverage, has recommended reforms in social work education and the formation of a Royal College of Social Work that will act as the public face of the profession. This paper will present the findings of a mixed methods research study that investigated the impact of negative media coverage on student social workers. 68 students participated in three focus groups that used interactive software to collect survey-style quantitative data combined with focus group discussions. Over half (54%) of students reported that negative media coverage had a strong or mild negative effect and almost half (47%) had questioned their future career as a result of the media criticism. 86% believed that media criticism increased the likelihood of defensive practice and 83% felt the possibility of negative media coverage would influence their approach to a child protection referral. All of the effects identified increased as students progressed through their studies, with significantly higher rates for final year students. However, many articulated belief systems that provided a defensive function and acted as ‘discourses of resistance’. There was clearly an important topic of students, with 77% supporting this to be included in the social work curriculum. The implications for empowering student social workers will be discussed and the challenges currently facing the social work profession will be explored.

Paper presented at 2008 JSWEC Conference. An analysis of social work curriculum delivery in the UK appears to focus predominantly on UK society and practice. Social work has tended to be a locally specific discipline that has focussed on geographically bounded legislation, political configurations, economic frameworks, culture and norms (Dominelli, 2000). This may seem necessary as the majority of social work students will practice within their country of educational origin. However, it is also increasingly important that social work students gain knowledge of an international perspective due to the increasing globalised nature of social work together with an increasing transient social work population. Indeed, Dominelli and Bernard (2203, p.26) argue that: the theorisation of international social work and its impact on international exchanges in linking the global and the local has not been given high priority...This limited approach to internationalising social work has short-changed the profession... For a few social work students it is possible to gain first hand accounts of social work theory and practice from an international perspective through student exchange systems (Tesoriero and Rajaratnam, 2001). However, the majority of teaching and learning relies heavily on knowledge that is transferred from lecturer to student and, therefore, it is vital that lecturers gain an understanding of social work from a global view. This research adopts an action research perspective by facilitating first hand exchanges in dialogue between social work lecturers at Anglia Ruskin University, UK, and social work lecturers from the University of Mumbai, India. A on-line web based Community of Practice has been designed and has facilitated a collaborative inquiry over a one year period. The presentation will consider the setting up of the study: finding a collaborator; designing a web based Community of Practice; dominant themes arising from the collaboration. It will finally consider the impact on social work lecturer participants in relation to their continual professional development and how this gained knowledge is shared with their respective student population. References: Dominelle, L. (2000) 'International Comparisons in Social Work' in Pierce, R. and Weinstein, J. (eds) Innovative Education and Training for Care Professionals. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishing Dominelli, L. and Bernard, T.W. (2003) Broadening Horizons: International Exchanges in Social Work. London: Ashgate Tosoriero, F. and Rajaratnam, A. (2001) Partnership in education: An Australian school of social work and a South Indian primary health care project. International Social Work 44(1) pp.31-41

Paper presented at 2009 JSWEC Conference. Klein (2004) has summarised accurately the realities of professional practice by suggesting that the problems practitioners face are marked by unpredictability, ambiguity, turbulence and uncertainty. The tragic case of Baby P, like that of Victoria Climbie, has underlined these demands yet again. Both these cases evidence the need for social work and medical practitioners to work together collaboratively, communicating clearly and understanding each other’s language, perspectives and assessments. In qualifying training the need to prepare social work and medical students for practice in these difficult environments and to enable them to develop collaborative attributes is essential. Moving beyond policy requirements in relation to inter-professional practice and learning, this paper proposes that complexity theory should play a central role in the theorisation of inter-professional learning and practice. Informed, inter alia, by the notions of attractors, simple-rules, self-organisation and emergence, it is argued that more emphasis should be placed upon creating receptive conditions and contexts which will support and facilitate good collaborative working. The paper also reports case studies of learning and teaching where medical and social work students work together early in their training, and together consider the difficult realities of service user/ patient need, whilst exploring key skills for joint working. The importance of incorporating openness to collaborative practice as students develop and negotiate their professional identify is highlighted, as is the part played by teaching staff in modelling collaboration. Reference Klein JT (2004) 'Interdisciplinarity and Complexity: an evolving relationship'. Emergence: Complexity & Organization 6:1-2 pp2-10

This workshop will explore the student experience of a blended learning approach (Macdonald 2006) to the teaching of human development across the lifespan. By showcasing the core components of the module, participants will be encouraged to explore how they could utilise similar techniques within their own learning and teaching strategies. The structure will be a short presentation followed by hands on experience and wider discussion. Human development is taught at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) to undergraduate students in the 2nd year of the course. This is a large student group involving full-time students and part-time students who are employed within social care posts in our partner local authorities. Employing an essentially constructivist approach (Koohang et al 2009), students are introduced to several ‘families’ within the virtual town ‘Clydetown’ where their classroom learning of the theories of human development are tested against the experiences of the people within the case studies. This facilitates the scaffolding of the learning process (Hung 2005) as students can test out through discussion their understanding of the taught materials. This is further augmented by the use of audio materials from the BBC archive which allows this understanding to be tested against the lived reality of individual testimony. This module evaluated consistently well with students who found the blended approach responsive to their varied learning styles, age differences and practice experiences. It also begins the process of understanding how to function within the group learning environments and of reflective understanding (Fook and Gardner 2007) that will be required for their practice placement in the subsequent semester. References. Fook J and Gardner F, (2007) Practising Critical Reflection : A Handbook, Maidenhead, Open University Press Hung D, Chee T.S., Hedberg J.G. and Seng K.T. (2005) ‘A framework for fostering a community of practice: scaffolding learners through an evolving continuum’ , British Journal of Educational Technology, 36 (2) pp.159-176. Koohang A, Riley L and Smith T (2009) ‘E-learning and Constructivism: From Theory to Application, Interdisciplinary Journal of E-Learning and Learning Objects, Volume 5 . Macdonald, J. (2006), Blended Learning and Online Tutoring - A good practice Guide. Gower Publishing

Paper presented at 2010 JSWEC Conference. In the last decade marginalised groups have directly or indirectly utilised a range of creative and visual media to challenge dominant stereotypical and pathologised imagery and representations. Such 'outsider' perspectives have provided an alternative voice in a range of cultural contexts, from art in the street and installation to post modern 'sit down' comedy and contemporary music. In the author's role as a lecturer in undergraduate and postgraduate social work education a range of contemporary creative media have been used in and outside of the university environment to raise students' awareness of the ideological battle that is currently taking place in the 24/7 media that surround them.This has aimed to provide students with greater understanding of issues of power and partnership alongside a critical awareness of how authentic experiences of exclusion are being articulated. In the teaching of a 'Creativity and empowerment' unit,the author and students have worked alongside artists, poets and film makers who are engaged in changing perceptions and 'mainstreaming' perspectives that have previously occupied the position of being 'outside' most institutions. The paper will outline and critically evaluate how such a curriculum has been developed with the involvement of service users and been delivered to student groups over the last two years. A consideration will also be given to the use of creative artefacts to assess students knowledge and their ability to embrace the principles of participation in their consultative work with service users.

Paper presented at 2008 JSWEC Conference. In this paper I shall provide an update on the recently funded ESRC RDI 2 project entitled 'Increasing the Competence and Confidence of Social Work Researchers II: An Action-learning Programme to Develop Research Capacity'. This project builds on the successful ESRC Researcher Development Initiative Phase I Project in 2006 aimed at increasing the research capacity of social work researchers. It was made on behalf of JUCSWEC in collaboration with SCIE,the Scottish Institute for Excellence in Social Work Education (SIESWE), and the Social Work and Policy (SWAP) HEA subject centre. The pioneering work on the application of scoping studies and systematic reviews to social work and social care by SCIE is being used as one of three platforms to launch this intensive development programme over two years. The second platform explores the value of mixing methods specifically to build the evidence base for the discipline. The third platform focuses on quasi-experimentation and instrument design, specifically aimed at social work research. SCIE and other research organisations are providing a number of 'placements', offering participants the experience of learning first-hand about systematic reviews. An innovation is the use of action-learning sets to support participants transform fledgling ideas into fully designed and costed proposals, ready for submission to funding bodies (especially the ESRC). Participants have already been invited to apply to join one of a number of action learning sets over the two years. They will also be offered regular support through the use of a buddy system, and a list of mentors to include experienced social work researchers with a record of securing and managing high-quality, externally-funded research. Lectures, seminars and workshops will be video- and audio-recorded using technology capable of producing downloadable files for subsequent transmission to laptops, Mac/PCs, iPods and MP3 formats.

Paper presented at 2010 JSWEC Conference. The significance of religion and spirituality for social work practice is now quite often acknowledged in academic writing, although arguably it is not yet so well recognised in routine social work practice. Western academic writing in social work books and journals tend to emphasise an individualised version of spirituality which is reasonably comfortable for secular liberals. This presentation will argue, on the basis of research with Muslim families about the religious nurture of children, that when social work practitioners are interacting with Muslim service users, they need to be aware of the importance of formal religion, rather than spirituality in any individualised Western sense. Although Muslim families are diverse in their belief and practice, the dominant world view tends to be an unwavering monotheism and conformity to religious texts. The presentation will draw on a research project from the AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society programme. This involved secondary analysis of the Home Office Citizenship Survey and multi-method qualitative research with 60 Muslim families across a wide spectrum of ethnicity and social class. The presentation will focus on the implications of the research findings for child and family social work.

Paper Presented at JSWEC 2009 Conference. This workshop will provide the opportunity for participants to learn about the challenges experienced in developing materials for e-learning. Participants will be able to have hands on experience of a new e-learning resource on ‘interprofessional and inter-agency collaboration’ (IPIAC) and to consider its usefulness for effective teaching and learning. The authors of the resource will share their experiences of the process of developing the e-learning materials. They will reflect on the different domains, discourses and identities the project brought together, including those involving: the commissioners, the developers, subject material authors and peer reviewers. The presenters will explore how the process of continued negotiation and learning required, was managed to create the resource. Several factors produced tensions and opportunities during the content writing and technical development of the resource, relating to the expectations of the people and organisations involved in producing the resource. These factors included: prioritising the needs of potential learners, the variable development of the current knowledge and research base, the creative possibilities and limitations of e-learning, the different perspectives of the authors, the timescale of the project and the technical demands of translating IPIAC ideas into an e-learning resource. Discussion will explore parallels between the subject content of interprofessional and interagency collaboration, and the process of producing the e-learning resource with people from different professional backgrounds and organisations; both involving learning to work together effectively. Following a presentation by the authors and discussion about the process of producing e-learning materials, participants will be able to use the resource, comment on the experience and offer feedback on the potential application of the resource in their curricula.

Paper presented at 2009 JSWEC Conference. The implementation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 has implications for social researchers as well as health and medical research. The Act, however, is focused on the latter and Ethics Review for social research, where people may lack decision-making capacity to take part, presents complexities that have not yet been fully addressed. This paper reports a study of social work researchers’ involvement in university research ethics committees where the capacity of participants may be an issue. The findings suggest that perceived implications of the Act may inadvertently stifle important research and, if not carefully negotiated, the use of Research Ethics Review may prevent rather than enable people to become involved in research as participants. This may infringe the rights of people to participate in research and, therefore, may detract from the principles of the Act in presuming and enabling capacity where possible. The research was undertaken in two stages. A web-based search and documentary analysis of a sample of university research ethics committees’ policies and procedures determined current practice. The second stage involved semi-structured interviews with social work/social care researchers likely to be involved in areas covered by the Act. These interviews were thematically analysed to explore how ethical issues were considered, whether explicit account was taken of the Mental Capacity Act and in what ways the Act was believed potentially to impact on future research proposals. The study suggests there has been little attention to the implications of the Act so far by social work researchers, but where it has been considered problems have been identified. This paper makes some suggestions for negotiating university research ethics committees and making positive use of the Mental Capacity Act in developing research proposals where capacity may be an issue.

Paper presented at 2008 JSWEC conference. The stimulus for this small, empirical study involving three statutory agencies in the south-west of England was provided by the convergence of important changes in 2006/07 to qualifying and post-qualifying education and training in social work, with the first graduates emerging from new degrees, and the implementation of the revised PQ framework, which stipulates a first 'consolidation module' in a specific area of specialist practice. Transferring these ideas into the workplace as part of the 'seamless continuum' envisaged for professional development presented a number of questions about the induction of newly-qualified social workers(NQSWs). A mix of methods was used to obtain quantitative and qualitative data from NQSWs, first line managers and staff development officers. Key themes emerging from initial postal questionnaires were used to inform the delivery of two sets of face-to-face semi-structured interviews with line managers and NQSWs, at six and twelve months into first employment. The study revealed a journey of transition and change, across three inter-related dimensions - personal, organisational and professional - each of which provided rewards as well as producing tensions. The personal dimension was one in which students emerging from their final placements found that the learning was not over and transition into the workplace, carrying full responsibility for a social work caseload, as well as an organisational identity, was stressful and demanding of personal resources. These experiences are explored in relation to new entrants to other professions, notably diplomate and graduate nurses and newly-qualified teachers. The organisational dimension was one in which change, both structural and procedural, appeared endemic. NQSWs faced high levels of organisational turbulence as social services departments metamorphose into services for children and young people. Management theory underpinning the development of learning organisations is used to inform understanding of the study findings and formulate suggestions for action. The professional dimension was no less beset with change with national induction standards, the review of roles and tasks, career grades and progression all coming to the fore. Discussion of the professional aspirations of NQSWs and first line managers is linked to these national debates, touching on definitions of social work and professional identity and status. Latterly, proposals by CWDC to develop a 'probationary year' for NQSWs resonatae with the issues which stimulated the study and with a number of its findings.

Using the idea of space to understand how the partnership between De Montfort University, local authorities, and service users and carers has been shaped in working together on Post Qualifying Awards. We will examine how the space is identified as a 'growing space' where people have been valued and enabled to grow. Within this space ideas are shared freely by all and crutially everyone has a voice. We intend to examine processes and practices to ascertain how the space became a 'growing space' rather than a restrictive space. We will also examine how this partnership approach has had an impact upon candidates undertaking the programme. Through the use of evaluative processes, lessons learned are to be considered and implications identified in relation to the Social Work Task Force recommendations. The application of lessons learnt are to be considered by participants in relation to their current partnership arrangements and consideration given to how to make these 'growing spaces' for all involved. Our approach to delivering this presentation will be seen to mirror the partnership working that has been established on the PQ Programme. A service user representative, local agency partner and PQ Programme leader at De Montfort University have designed and will deliver this presentation together.

The current period is dominated by two significant realities which have enormous implications for social work: first, the increasing evidence of the damaging and dysfunctional nature of our economically divided society; second, the banking collapse and bailout. The former poses serious questions about the efficacy of individualised interventions which predominate through much of contemporary statutory social work, while the latter flatly contradicts every argument ever made about the cost of welfare being "too great". In this context, there is an opportunity for re-articulating radical traditions within social work that focus on structural, collective and non-pathological models. We begin by offering a critique of ‘old’ Radical Social Work (RSW) noting it’s emergence from the so-called ‘crisis of Labourism’ of the late 1970s, and the leftward shift within key sections of society in the context of working class radicalisation and the emergence of the New Social Movements (NSM), chief amongst these being feminism, anti-racism and service user activism. Paradoxically while the language of opposition to ‘oppression’, which RSW took from the involvement in NSM’s into social work, has become mainstream, the project of wider social transformation and equality of outcome, which it also saw itself as part of, has been completely marginalised within social work. Crucial to the political marginalisation of radical currents resides in the question of the relation of social work to the neoliberal capitalist state. The idea of being ""in and against the state" was cleverly appropriated by the New Right, who had their own agenda to dismantle the welfare state. It is this that explains RSW’s current difficulty at an analytical level - its language of "liberation", "empowerment" and "anti-oppression" are no longer ‘radical’ in the sense that they now sit comfortably within a neoliberal managerial discourse. In order for a dissenting radical current to re-emerge within social work it is essential that an agenda is set out which genuinely challenges the managerialism which has impoverished and demoralised front-line practice, as well as defending and reconstructing the best traditions within social work’s rich history.

The ability to work interprofessionally is integral to professional education and training in social work. Emphasis is placed on students undertaking specific learning and assessment in partnership working and information sharing across professional disciplines (DH, 2002). This implies that aspects of inter-professional education (IPE) should be included within social work training in order that students acquire skills in effective collaborative practice (QAA, 2008). But how can social work education best address this when much of it is singular in nature and most social work students spend the majority of their undergraduate experience mainly in the company of other social work students? This paper begins by exploring the theoretical principles underpinning inter-professional education. A number of themes will be discussed which are highlighted in the literature relating to the aims and outcomes of IPE. Drawing on doctoral research which evaluated the perspectives of graduates who had undertaken joint training in learning disability nursing and social work, the paper will move on to evaluate the skills and knowledge they acquired through this particular model of IPE. It will consider what can be learned from their experience which may be applied to the development of social work students more generally. The paper will argue that there is much to be learned from this alternative model of professional training, in particular about how interprofessional experiences and reflection on them can support the development of critical perspectives in social work graduates. References Department of Health. 2002. Requirements for Social Work Training. London, DH. Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. 2008. Social Work Subject Benchmark Statement. Gloucester, QAA.

Paper presented at 2009 JSWEC Conference. The School of Social Work at Kingston University/ St George's University of London and North West and South West London Skills for Care sub regions were awarded a Skills for Care Post Qualifying (PQ) Innovation Fund project in January 2008 for the development of a pilot system for an electronic portfolio for the PQ Module ‘Consolidation'. The aim of this piece of work was to develop and pilot a web-based e-portfolio, which, if successful, could be shared with other universities across London providing 'consolidation'. It was also aimed to promote line managers’ engagement in PQ studies, by enabling them to access and track their staff member’s progress on the portfolio and requiring them to contribute to the assessment of their work. The e-portfolio was designed by a steering group of the partners, including representatives of Kingston University’s Service Users and Carers Advisory group. A company, VIS, which had previously worked on Skills for Care projects in the Midlands, was commissioned by the group to develop the electronic portfolio as a web-based system. The pilot has now been completed and evaluated (February 2009). This presentation will report on the outcomes of this pilot, its evaluation, some of the challenges experienced, lessons learnt and consider the potential of e-portfolios for PQ levels - a suitable medium or not?

The issue of partnerships is a core requirement in social work training (Department of Health, 2002). However, mainly as result of a lack of substantive research, a partnership that is central to the delivery, quality and experience of care - the partnership between service users and their carers - receives little attention. This paper will focus on the impact of personalisation on this partnership, and argue that it should not be forgotten within social work education and practice in the move to mainstream operation of personalisation (Department of Health, 2007). It will start with an outline of the nature of the carer-service user relationship, focusing on those qualities that contribute to its partnership status. Specific reference will be made to the mutual interdependence that has been found to characterise caring relationships. An exploration of the ways in which personalisation has the potential to shape aspects of this partnership will follow. For instance, initiatives introduced within this agenda mean that carers can be faced with the situation where their dependants make more of the decisions about their own care, they have to make different contributions to the provision of care which may involve them in new tasks and in some cases, a contractual relationship with the service user. The effects of these sorts of changes could also be compounded by any misalignments with their own needs. Hence personalisation can affect the dynamics of the caring relationship. Given the importance of this interdependent relationship to the successful implementation of initiatives within personalisation, it is crucial that changes in this relationship are recognized and addressed in social work practice as this agenda gathers momentum. Therefore, the final part of this paper will include some ideas about resolving this dilemma and ensuring the implications of personalisation for carer-service user partnerships are both incorporated into social work education and translated into effective practice. References Department of Health (2002). Requirements for Social Work Training. London: HMSO Department of Health (2007). Putting people first: a shared vision and commitment to the transformation of adult social care. London: HMSO

Paper presented at 2009 JSWEC Conference. Social work courses recruit a higher proportion of students from different black and minority groups than many other courses. However, national statistics continue to demonstrate that some groups of students do not progress through social work training at the same rate as other students. Students from black and ethnic minority groups and disabled students have a significantly higher rate of referral and deferral than other groups of students and the recruitment, progression and achievement of men is worsening. Representatives from the GSCC multi-agency project group Diversity, Progression and Achievement which includes students, people who use services, carers, programme providers and other stakeholders will share their understanding of the recent findings from the research carried out by the Social Care Workforce Research Unit (Hussein et al 2009) with whom they have been collaborating. Further evidence will be presented from the latest social work degree annual monitoring exercise carried out by the GSCC. This examines what HEIs report they are doing to support vulnerable groups. Initial analysis suggests that problems in progression are more likely to be identified and responded to as individual issues. The paper explores what the implications are for universities, students, stakeholders and the regulatory body and poses How effectively are universities responding to the needs of those groups who are not progressing as they should? How can the GSCC become more effective in regulating and promoting equality requirements? How can HEIs continue to measure, monitor and improve their own progress in this area? Reference: Shereen Hussein, Jo Moriarty, Jill Manthorpe (2009) Variations in the Progression of Social Work Students in England, Social Care Workforce Research Unit, Kings College London/ General Social Care Council Full report - www.gscc.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/B5A5B087-E7B9-471C-BAAF-207DA1FBE1DA/0/Progression_analysis_FT_UG.pdf Executive Summary - www.gscc.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/E4482365-4F9F-46F0-9238-A030302E0ED7/0/Progression_analysis_FT_UG_0305__Executive_Summary.pdf

Paper presented at 2010 JSWEC Conference. This paper contrasts the virtues and vices of the positivist and constructivist paradigms in social work education research and highlights the dearth of studies rooted in a critical paradigm. Questions will be raised in respect of the compatibility of different paradigms with social work values and the possibility of combining approaches in future research into social work education. The main example of research rooted in a positivist paradigm is the study published by the evaluation of the social work degree in England team in 2008. This generated standardised data from students' responses to survey questionnaires and hypothetical vignettes along with statistical profiles of students and their progression rates and statistical correlations between the variables deemed to be influential in teaching and learning. Such robust objective data may nevertheless have a limited use-value for educators and students at the grassroots. The presenter has recently completed a study of social work education which is due to be published as a textbook for students. It was an ethnographic study drawing upon a participatory approach to encourage students to share their experiences in interviews or focus groups and to submit their practice portfolios for a research reading, and it was rooted in a constructivist paradigm. This generated a wealth of real-life case studies of students' experiences of teaching and learning in university and community settings including their use of critical reflection, theory and research and the dilemmas thrown up by working with service users and other professionals. Nevertheless, I was confronted with a number of ethical and political predicaments during the conduct of the research, and the use of real-life case studies may itself prove to be controversial in due course. Evaluation of the Social Work Degree in England Team (2008) Evaluation of the New Social Work Degree Qualification in England Volume 1 Findings and Volume 2 Technical Appenix, available at the SCIE website www.scie-socialcareonline.org.uk Humphrey, C. Becoming a Social Worker. A Guide for Students. London: Sage (forthcoming, October 2010

Paper presented at 2010 JSWEC Conference. The concept of emotional intelligence places emphasis on the ability of an individual to identify, understand and manage the emotional content of their interactions and experiences (Salovey and Mayer 1990). This paper will establish links between the concept of emotional intelligence and a potential role within social work practice. It will be argued that awareness of the emotional content of social work practice is congruent with 21st century social work principles such as the promotion of service user involvement in the services they receive. The potentially uneasy relationship between emotions and effective decision making will be explored. The familiar paradigm that emotions cloud judgements will be challenged and a case will be made to suggest that emotions are inextricably linked to thought processes and in turn we can begin to develop a view that the construct of emotional intelligence has a resonance in practice. There are many interesting parallels between emotional intelligence and the concept of the reflective practitioner. These will be explored and supervision will be highlighted as a key forum to develop the expression of emotions in practice. Reference Salovey, P. & Mayer, J.D. (1990). 'Emotional intelligence. Imagination', Cognition, and Personality (9) 185-211

Paper Presented at 2010 JSWEC Conference. One of the specific work areas for the SSSC is to drive and support the implementation of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) as a key element of the skills strategy and to increase potential benefits to the learning and development of the social services workforce. At degree level in terms of shaping the learning and teaching experience the drivers have been: - The report prepared for the SSSC by Bellevue Consultancy and Critical thinking which suggested that each course should be able to show, and should take steps to explain as appropriate, its levels of practice within the SCQF - The IRISS report, 'New Degree New Standards' which explores methodologies to be more explicit about what and when students learn in their degree programmes. The SSSC has commissioned materials and pilot work to benchmark the Standards in Social Work Education against the SCQF level descriptors. Project Definition: - To write illustrations of practice for selected outcomes (Learning Foci) of the social work degree; to write these descriptors at SCQF Levels 9 and 10; to do this within the context of case studies - To consult with stakeholders about how this work can potentially be used - To undertake a pilot use of the illustrations - To review the practice illustrations in light of the pilot. Outcomes of the work will be - The development of a language through which to assess applied knowledge in practice at different SCQF levels - Materials to make this possible - The testing of language and materials in practice - Feedback from stakeholders about the usefulness of the approach. The workshop will outline the process,content and outcome of this work and offer considerations about how to take it forward with stakeholders. It will include small group consideration of the materials, particularly the case studies and feedback about their usefulness. References SSSC/Bellevue Consultancy and Critical thinking www.sssc.uk.com/nr/rdonlyres/245afd96-2bbd-437c-af02-dac55423ab44/0/qacommissionfinalreport.pdf IRISS 'New Degree New Standards' www.iriss.org.uk/publications

The study upon which this paper is based aimed to explore the experiences of students enrolled on „Access to Social Work‟ courses striving to navigate their way from further education (FE) to higher education (HE) social work programmes. The study was set within the context of widening participation policy and more stringent Department of Health (DH) entry requirements for social work education introduced in 2003. These requirements stipulate that all applicants to social work education must demonstrate key skills in literacy and numeracy equivalent to grade C GCSE, and personal suitability for social work (DH, 2002).

Paper presented at 2010 JSWEC Conference Writing in 1942, as America faced the crisis of joining World War II, Bertha Reynolds argued "The best preparation for adapting to the social work of the future, or to its absence if the good life of that time has no need for it, is to see it now, without illusions, as a part of our own time, and to face what we have with an active determination to be flexible enough ourselves so that we do not hold back its growth into something else". Sixty years later, these words resonate, at a time of what might be describes as ‘perpetual crisis’, within the profession and in the broader society within which social work is defined and practiced. This presentation offers social work practitioners and educators the opportunity to reflect on the context, social, economic, political and spiritual, local and global, that shapes social work practice. It asks: 1. What measures, personal, professional and organisational, must be implemented for practitioners to ‘hold the faith’ as brokers of hope for the poor and marginalised in this fluid, contested and arguably risk saturated practice environment; 2. What new (and perhaps old but neglected) capacities and/or philosophies can assist and nourish them; and 3. What educational strategies, pre- and post-qualifying, are necessary to develop the intellectual rigour, emotional strength and integrity necessary for empowered and creative practice. Bertha Capon Reynolds (1942) Learning and Teaching in the Practice of Social Work National Association of Social Workers, Silver Spring; Russell & Russell, New York

Paper presented at 2009 JSWEC Conference. There are increasing signs of a deepened and broadened interest in how the integration of learning can be enhanced. Our exploration of the integration of learning began five years ago and has previously published on how academic contact with social work students during placements can bridge the gap between theory and practice. We have continued our work on the place and role of academics in the enhancement of student learning (e.g. the tutor - student relationship) and have now gone on to seek the views of finishing students as to the most helpful people, moments and processes in the enhancement of their learning. We will present preliminary results and observations from a two-year study during which the views of two similar cohorts of students were sought. The first results provide something of a wake-up call for academics with the message being that: If social work ‘can’t go on doing more of the same’ (Changing Lives, 21st Century Review of Social Work 2006) then social work educationalists also can’t continue to act as though it were the 19th century. The belief that transmission of information equals student learning needs to go the same way as Gowns and Latin. The findings from our research will be interesting for training officers, trainers and practice teachers and constitute something of urgency for lecturers and tutors.

Paper presented at JSWEC 2009 Conference. It seems that students' capacity to benefit from the learning experience is influenced by their previous level of study, previous successes, the length of time since they last studied, their perception of the relevance of the study to their professional development and by the support they receive from their employer. This paper will describe our preliminary findings from a project looking at the satisfaction of students undertaking Post-Qualifying (PQ) Awards in Social Work with Children, Young People their Families and Carers. These students are qualified social workers who are currently in practice. Their qualification may be either a Diploma in Social Work (BA Levels 1 and 2) or a Bachelors Degree in Social Work (BA Levels 1,2 and 3). We have observed dissatisfaction with the entry modules to the programme from some students who feel that they are not receiving enough ‘teaching’. These students appear to be those with Diploma qualifications who have not previously studied at BA, level 3 and specifically have not undertaken an undergraduate dissertation which can be argued develops autonomous learners. Students undertaking any continuous professional development are under the scrutiny of their employers and if they are finding these studies difficult are likely to blame this on the course provider rather than expose their own capacity. This is therefore an important area to investigate as these students need the PQ qualifications and this may be best achieved by pre-course preparation programmes, to develop capacity, for some candidates. If our hypothesis is correct this will also lead to improvement in student satisfaction and completion rates.

This PowerPoint presentation was used at a recent SWAP workshop to introduce new users to the SWAPBox repository. It could be used by anyone looking to give a quick overview of the repository. Also included are three sets of exercises for novice users of SWAPBox to start trying different functionalities of the repository - these should be done in conjunction with the relevant 'How to Guides' in the Getting Started Section of SWAPBox. The exercises also include a brief feedback form for users to reflect on the ease of completing the different tasks.

Samples of material used in a ten-week module on human growth and mental health on the qualifying social work programme

A list of about twenty acronyms that emerged during the course of teaching a module on mental health on a social work qualifying programme (answers in the notes!). Some of the acronyms link directly to websites that give further information, though these links will only be live as long as the websites themselves exist. Some of the sites are local to Hampshire as this was the location of the course. I would love you to add a few more examples. i used this as a quick quiz at teh end of the module and, although great fun, it also served as a reminder to students of some of the content of previous sessions

a resource for use in teaching the beginnings of human development, together with an accompanying narrative of the journey into making the resource an OER

This PowerPoint presentation giving an overview to the SWAPBox repository was delivered at the SWAPBox launch event in November 2010. It includes information on the project partners and project timescale, available features in SWAPBox and an outlook to future developments.

The social work degree: preparing to succeed is for prospective and current social work students to help them to be successful on their degree. The advice has been written by students on social work courses, so it offers insider tips! Published June 2007

Supporting inclusive learning and teaching helps you make your learning and teaching inclusive for all. It was produced as a result of the introduction of the Disability Equality Duty on 4 December 2006 and requires all public authorities to look actively at ways of ensuring that disabled people are treated equally.

Effective social work curriculum design needs to open up dialogue between professionals at the earliest stage of their professional development and employ creative and innovative approaches to facilitate this. The ten creative pointers presented here emerged from research into social work practitioners’ views of the implementation of Children’s Integrated Services (within the context of the Every Child Matters agenda and passage of the 2004 Children’s Act).

Ensuring students are adequately prepared to undertake practice is a topic of national and international interest in social work education. This project seeks to further develop knowledge in this area by undertaking empirical research into student perceptions of the effectiveness of teaching and assessment approaches to preparation for practice. The study develops previous research already undertaken with students during their first practice learning opportunity by tracking the same cohort into their final practice experience before they qualify as social workers (Wilson & Kelly, 2008). The main aim of the research is to identify ways in which teaching, learning and support might be improved in order to enhance the student learning experience throughout the social work education programme. Key messages from the research will be disseminated through a learning and teaching guide and workshops with social work educators and other stakeholders across the UK.

Approaches to assessment - Inside this issue: 'Changing an assessment method', 'In conversation with Nick Ellison' (Social Policy Association, Learning and Teaching sub-committee) and 'Introducing a formative assessment tool'. Published November 2008

Inside this issue: 'What has sustainability got to do with social work?', 'In conversation with Amanda Torr (Director of Strategy and Planning, Wellington Institute of Technology, New Zealand)', and 'Environmental justice as a social work issue'. Published September 2010

This is the project report of a collaborative project that conducted comparative analysis of current practices in assessment feedback within the SWAP constituency, and explored related NSS data from a range of HEIs. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, it built upon existing research on this topic carried out at the University of Lincoln and across the sector. The project had an extensive dissemination strategy, including the production of staff and student guides to effective practice and a national conference. In this way the project increased and disseminated knowledge about effective feedback practice.

Paper about Employers, Service Users, Carers and a University Developing the PQ Higher Specialist Level Mental Health Programme. Presented at the 2008 JSWEC Conference

Paper presented at JSWEC Conference 2008. Social workers are required to undertake continuing professional development to maintain their registration (GSCC 2006). Employers are also expected to provide opportunities for continuing professional development to their staff (GSCC 2002, no 3.3) and many spend considerable resources providing in-service training courses as one way of fulfilling this. Questions remain whether what courses teach is actually used in practice (i.e. what impact does training have on practice). Increasingly inspectors are making recommendations that organisations develop systems to measure the impact of training and ensure that learning about research and evidence-based outcomes is embedded in practice (e.g. Ofsted 2008, p. 13, 29). This interactive workshop will start with a brief presentation discussing the methodology and preliminary findings from an ongoing research project evaluating the impact of a mandatory internal training programme on practice within a social work service provider. This is an attempt to move beyond ‘on-the-day’ participant feedback forms to research (using both quantitative and qualitative data drawn from approximately 1500 employees) that measures the changes in practice as a result of using skills developed through training. The presentation will be followed by a facilitated discussion about the following key issues: What are the inevitable ‘trade-offs’ of doing this kind of ‘real world’ research? How can cost effective research about internal courses become part of systematic processes in social work so that it is embedded in the organisation? How can internal training become more research minded? How can the transfer of knowledge to practice best be measured?

Presentation to 2008 JSWEC Conference. Informed by the work of Holden et al (1999, 2002) and Unrau and Grinnel (2005) research has been undertaken as part of the Evaluating the Outcomes of Social Work Education project funded by the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) and the Higher Education Academy Social Policy and Social Work subject Centre (SWAP) to look at how undergraduates develop self efficacy in research skills. This 3 year project using undergraduate participants following a second year Using Research for Practice unit of study on a qualifying social work programme in England has explored the development of confidence in research skills. Data was collected from 3 consecutive cohorts of students, at the beginning (T1) and end (T2) of the unit of study and a comparison group was recruited from another university. The data was analysed using SPSS software. The project also provides a case study of research capacity building in academic staff with the project researchers being mentored by an experienced researcher experienced in this research methodology. This paper will explore the methodology and findings of the research project and will consider some implications and challenges for the teaching of research skills to qualifying students in order to develop research minded practitioners. References Holden G. Barker K. Meenaghan T. and Rosenberg G. 1999. Research self efficacy: a new possibility for educational outcome assessment. Journal of Social Work Education. Vol 35. Holden G,, Meenaghan T, Anastas J and Mtry G. 2002. Outcomes of social work education: the case for social work self efficacy. Journal of Social Work Education. Vol 38. Unrau Y.A. and Grinnell R.M. 2005. The impact of social work research courses on research self-efficacy for social work students. Social Work Education. Vol 24, no.6.

Presentation to 10th JSWEC conference, Cambridge, 9th July 2008.

An explanation of Creative Commons using work licensed under Creative Commons licenses. Creative Commons provides free tools that let authors, scientists, artists, and educators easily mark their creative work with the freedoms they want it to carry. You can use CC to change your copyright terms from "All Rights Reserved" to "Some Rights Reserved."

This user guide looks at the SWAPBox commenting function and explains the reasons for using this feature. It also includes step-by-step guidance on how to add, edit and remove a comment for an OER.

This guide explains how you can identify SWAPBox members sharing your research/teaching interests and how to communicate with them in SWAPBox.

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This information sheet lists key dvd, web sites and journals which social work academics might find useful when teaching substance use. They have been compiled by Sarah Galvani and Donald Forrester.

This project makes the coded and categorised Climbie corpus available for search. The corpus includes all transcriptions from the 68 days of oral evidence. Suggestions for how to use the data as a learning and research resource are also included.

Website produced by the ICSP sub group of the Social Policy Association. The website includes a range of resources for teaching International and Comparative Social Policy

This How to Guide explains how you can quickly and easily upload your existing learning materials to SWAPBox. It also includes information on licensing options.

This PowerPoint presentation was used to introduce Homeless Awareness Day in Belfast in 2010. These slides would be very useful for anyone thinking or setting up a similar type of day in the UK.

This case study describes implementation of an interprofessional course for social work practice teachers and community nurse practice teachers to break down professional boundaries and share common good practice.The processes are described; the issues involved in gaining necessary resourcing is discussed, together with the need to develop a common language and concentration on the commonalities of the task of practice teaching. Differing levels of academic aspirations are also described.

This case study describes implementation of a short inter-professional course for health and social care professionals leading to both professional and academic qualifications. The students range from social work practice teachers, mentor training for nurses and midwives, community nurse practice teachers and occupational therapists and the aim is that they benefit learning alongside one another. This study looks at different ways in which learning takes place and appreciates the similarities in approach and setting across professional boundaries. Difficulties in admin support, obtaining the right professional mix and teaching staff are discussed, together with opportunities of extending the course overseas and to other professionals.

This case study focuses on the initial planning of some joint teaching for social work and nursing students at the University of Staffordshire, using a Problem Based Learning (PBL) approach to teach the process of assessment. Five two-hour sessions are planned with each group having equal numbers of nursing and social work students. Not only will this provide opportunities for joint working at an early stage in their professional training, but it is envisaged that it will lead to improved skills in professional problem identification and seeking out relevant information to answer questions raised by the scenarios. Factors which have facilitated this development are noted along with issues which need to be addressed in the planning of teaching multidisciplinary groups of students.

A case study is discussed of ‘joined-up training’ based on an initiative developed between the Medical School, the School of Social Work at the University of Leicester and nursing students from De Montfort University. It brings together trainee health professionals (doctors and nurses) and social workers in a joint investigation based around one GP practice in the city. The aim is to encourage students to work collaboratively with patients/service users, in understanding their perspective on the services provided.The paper draws attention to the potential benefit of this kind of collaborative initiative to agencies, training bodies, students and policy-makers; it concludes by suggesting that the gains identified suggest that this kind of opportunity should be incorporated more centrally into social work and other professional training courses.

This case study discusses the planning, progress and implementation of the validation of the MA Child Protection Pathway at the School of Human and Health Sciences, University of Huddersfield, for post-qualifying social workers and post-graduate health professionals. The proposal took full advantage of developments in work-based learning, learning agreements and the use of mentors. Development issues are discussed, together with reflection on how the course has progressed.

This case study describes stage 1 of a two-part research project which aims to explore the impact of an innovative learning and assessment process. The BA (Hons) Social Work / BSc (Hons) Nursing & Social Work Studies module focuses on partnerships and participation in social work. The study aims to evaluate the contribution to collaborative and individual learning and to explore skill and knowledge development across and within professional boundaries.

This case study explores both the student and staff experience of two core modules delivered as part of the interprofessional/interdisciplinary year one learning and teaching for students in community education, teacher education and social work. The case study, drawn from an action research project, demonstrates that students experienced an initial disorientation which was exacerbated by complex subject areas not seen as relevant by the students. By contrast, the focus on human development and psychology in practice was seen to be useful by the student cohort. Both staff and students felt that environmental factors influenced the quality of teaching on these modules. In general, both staff and students rated the quality of teaching, assessment and staff support as relatively high although there was a consensus that more interactive, task orientated approaches were most effective. Finally, there was both a staff and student view to suggest that interprofessional education is perceived as being more useful at a later stage of the students training beyond year one.

This case study describes the use of a report into the death of a young child as a means of examining interprofessional communication and working with students.

This case study discusses the early stages of implementing an interprofessional unit for level 2 nursing and level 3 social work students. The aim is to give them interprofessional practice experience of using a particular approach to improve client care. The support of line management is highlighted and emphasis is made of the time consuming process implementation will take. The need for practice based managers to understand the relevance is also discussed.

This case study shows how informal peer consultation was turned into structured small peer group presentation and feedback in order to enable students to make an early start on part of their final assessment. The formative task required each student to present sources of evidence on five different perspectives on a social issue of their choice. Guided peer feedback, coupled with tutor feedback on referencing, was then used by students to develop their final written assignments. Outcomes and student feedback indicate that this is an approach worth further development.

This case study is based on teaching practice which is being developed at The Family Institute (Cardiff). We are interested in the underlying principles and processes in the application of systemic ideas to wide areas of different forms of practice including social work, health services and education services across statutory, voluntary and private sectors and in particular in the training of family and systemic psychotherapists. This particular case study looks at how the 'practicum' can become a moment of transformation in education and development - a moment when light floods the arena. During one particular study day with a group of professionals reflecting on their experience of how language defines systems and how feedback influences change in relationships and depends on context, we were struck by the energy the conversation had generated and we became particularly interested in trying to find a vehicle where some of what was being described about practice 'out there' might be experienced 'live' in the here and now for students. This case study describes a role-play exercise as such as vehicle.

The group ‘A voice of reason’, which is comprised of young people with experiences of being in care, worked together with 60 first year social work students in a 3 hour session structured around two group exercises. The first exercise was about meeting and greeting, emphasising the importance of first impressions. The second exercise focussed on the qualities which make up the ideal social worker. This involved drawing around a person on a large sheet of paper and placing the ‘good’ qualities inside the body and the negative characteristics outside. The discussion generated during this process gives the student an insight into the lived experience of the young people.

I have been leading a group of service users, tutors and social workers on the PQ in social work at London South Bank University in the use of poetry as a medium for expressing their creativity in learning. I wanted to invite tutors working with social workers following Leadership and Management and Practice Education Awards and practice assessors following the Enabling Others Unit to think about the relationships between service users, students and practice assessors.

In this case study formative peer assessment was introduced on an essay that would eventually be submitted for summative assessment on a first year social work undergraduate social policy module. The aim was to promote students’ understanding of the assessment criteria and process in order to enhance their learning and achievement.

This project was an intergenerational initiative developed via a partnership between London South Bank University Faculty of Health and Social Care and ‘1st Framework, 3rd Thought’, an older people’s drama company. Through the use of drama and film making, a small group of social work students worked together with older actors and film makers over a period of two days. As a result they developed a digital resource of 16 short clips that can be used as stimulus material in teaching and learning in health and social care on the theme of intimacy and sexuality in later life.

A new programme unit was developed for inclusion in Post Qualifying Awards at the Specialist level to meet the revised GSCC requirements that all such awards should develop skills and knowledge that would prepare candidates to 'enable the learning of others'. The unit was designed to enable specialist social workers to provide basic support to a wide variety of learners in the workplace, equipping them to facilitate and assess the development of competency and develop an understanding of how they could also support 'learners' to develop the wider notion of professional capability.

This case study describes the experience of using posters for assessment and includes feedback from students.

The aim of this case study was to devise a classroom exercise under 'controlled conditions' in an attempt to ensure that we were assessing social work students' own work, rather than something that they had found - or bought - on the internet. The aim was to stimulate learning beyond "acquisition of knowledge and skills" towards "changes in behaviour" (Barr et al 2000 cited in Carpenter, 2005) and the development of skills required of emerging social work practitioners.

This case study describes an exercise asking social work students to identify their core assumptions, beliefs, values, principles and ethics and resulting attitudes and behaviours that flowed from these.

This case study focuses on the involvement of service users in learning and teaching about assessment and the context in which this occurs at the University of Glasgow. One of a number of methods of assessment taught to social work students is person centred planning. Learning takes place through students participating in a series of exercises which can be used in person centred planning. In the final session, John, a service user, was introduced to the class and he explained how person centred planning had helped him take control of various aspects of his life. While this was a positive experience for both John and the students, the need for careful preparation prior to bringing service users into the classroom is essential.

A national Special Interest Group called the Sexuality Symposium was established as a community of practice to enhance discourse and debate between practitioners, research, academics and students in social work. The Sexuality Symposium is a virtual and real support network aimed at providing mutual support, an increased knowledge base, growing confidence and enhancement of practice around sexuality.

For the last year the school of health and social care has run a three stage assessment process for all social work candidates. These three stages are designed to measure a range of knowledge, skills and values relating to academic and work experience criteria.

A pilot enquiry into the key moments, processes and people involved in the enhancement of student learning on a social work degree training programme.

This case study describes how we developed an interprofessional PGCert/PGDip/ MA: Education (Professional Practice Learning) as a pathway in the Integrated Masters Programme, Faculty of Education at University of Plymouth. The pathway has been accredited at GSCC PQ Higher Specialist Level and Advanced Level has been applied for. The pathway is open to anyone involved in supporting and/or assessing adults in their professional practice learning and would be of interest, for example, to social workers, clinical psychologists, health professionals and teachers.

This case study describes stage 1 of a two-part research project which aims to explore the impact of an innovative learning and assessment process. The BA (Hons) Social Work / BSc (Hons) Nursing & Social Work Studies module focuses on partnerships and participation in social work. The study aims to evaluate the contribution to collaborative and individual learning and to explore skill and knowledge development across and within professional boundaries.

This case study outlines an initiative between the University of Edinburgh and local social service agencies in which a pre-practice opportunity has been devised to develop students' awareness of service provision and to evaluate their readiness for practice.

We met with students learning community profiling skills in focus groups during their first year in order to evaluate what they had learnt and the links they made between their learning and their understanding of the social work degree curriculum.

A unit for Communication: Theory and Practice course for foundation year 'welfare practitioners' (undergraduate, post-graduate and employment-based trainee Social Workers and Youth and Community Workers) was developed in which online and experiential classroom based learning is integrated. The support from the institution is discussed, together with the need to conserve opportunities for small group work and experiential learning within the module. The author's reflections and key milestones are identified. Examples extracted from the course are given illustrating these milestones. Additional outcomes are also recognised and the question 'Can online learning contribute to a process that will enable the integration of theory and practice/ experience and further develop knowledge and professional competence? is also answered.

This case study demonstrates how the focus on learning and teaching about assessment is embedded into the DipSW curriculum at the University of Southampton. Beginning with the module Practice Methodologies prior to the first placement, learning about assessment continues until the end of the course. It is proposed that good practice requires assessment that is underpinned with theory and there is an expectation that will be able to articulate a general theory of assessment, not just a descriptive statement of how to do it.

Dr Derek Clifford produced a CD-rom Social Assessment: Applying Critical Auto/ Biographical Methods which he has used with both DipSW students and employees of a local authority social work department to facilitate learning about assessment. In this case study, Derek discusses the development and use of this CD-rom, and also other ways in which he has incorporated e-learning into his teaching about assessment, including email, Blackboard, Pro-Care and CCIS. Used together with other methods of teaching, it is proposed that e-learning can facilitate students developing an understanding of a holistic anti-oppressive analysis of social situations and to relate theoretical principles and basic skills to assessment of a complex case study.

This case study describes a day workshop for social work students attending Post Qualifying Child Care Award programmes, which was organised and run by the universities of Bristol and London (Royal Holloway) and The Hayward Gallery - a creative collaboration. The aim was to use an exhibition on prostitution and trafficking in women at The Hayward Gallery as the focus for an innovative workshop, using art to facilitate learning in an emotive and complex area of practice, and to provide the opportunity for social workers from London and the south west to study together, sharing feelings, practice experience, knowledge and ideas.

We did not have approval for a part time course. When investigating this I came up with 2 startling ideas that might not be that startling to others. Firstly to do what is now a 3-year course part time would take 6 years. The second was that full time students only attend for about 27 weeks a year and are then off working for agencies. The challenge was to design something that allowed 3 days a week attendance over say 45 weeks per year. This would then fit in with our current approval and regulations, which states that a student completing a year's worth of modules within an academic year is classed as full time.

A practice teacher working for Gwynedd County Council discusses the importance of language choice and the opportunities available in a mixed language community (Welsh and English) for social work students needing to develop their language sensitivity and anti-oppressive practice. Tensions regarding language can sometimes arise when working with service users and students are given an opportunity to employ their professional skills in challenging oppression and balancing differing rights, needs and opinions.

This case study describes how a practice assessment tool was developed and introduced for further and advanced pqsw courses in child and adolescent mental health at Anglia Ruskin University. The aim was to develop a useful tool that offers social workers a structured, evidence-based learning experience to improve practice with troubled young people.

This case study describes the way in which students' prior experience is recognised on a social work degree. It explains the APEL process, the evidence students need to obtain and the modules gained through the process. It also describes initial outcomes for students.

This case study is one of four outputs created as the result of a funded project entitled ‘Thinking, learning and ‘doing’ international work experience’. this case study describes how a team of colleagues at Sheffield Hallam University added an international stream to a core level 2 degree module.

This first year module has changed its mode of delivery from the traditional lecture/seminar approach to a problem-based approach. This approach to learning is seen as equipping students with some models and regimes of comparative social policy early on in their university studies which encourages them to see different patterns of policy provision. By encouraging group work throughout the module, students are expected to work as a team, support and learn from one another.

This case study forms one of six submitted to SWAP to illustrate ways in which academics use social policy research in teaching. This initiative develops student appreciation of research/consultancy in the discipline and brings findings from staff research into teaching and learning into the curriculum.

This case study forms one of six submitted to SWAP to illustrate ways in which academics use social policy research in teaching. This initiative develops learner appreciation of research/consultancy in the discipline by bringing data/findings from staff research/consultancy into a community training environment.

This case study forms one of six submitted to SWAP to illustrate ways in which academics use social policy research in teaching. In this case study the lecturer uses teaching and learning processes which simulate research processes. She also uses assignments which involve elements of research processes and gives students first hand experience of research based consultancy.

This case study forms one of six submitted to SWAP to illustrate ways in which academics use social policy research in teaching. In this case study the lecturer is developing student appreciation of research/consultancy in the discipline by bringing data/findings from staff research/consultancy into the curriculum.

This case study is one of four outputs created as the result of a funded project entitled ‘Thinking, learning and ‘doing’ international work experience’. This case study describes the process of students keeping a reflective diary for the duration of a level 5 ‘work and professional development’ module. They were expected to write up their reflections at the end of semester two via an electronic portfolio after they had carried out some form of work experience or work-related activity.

In this case study formative peer assessment was introduced on an essay that would eventually be submitted for summative assessment on a first year social work undergraduate social policy module. The aim was to promote students’ understanding of the assessment criteria and process in order to enhance their learning and achievement.

The use of chatrooms on two level 3 modules, Children's Rights and Children's Rights Project are discussed. Student feedback is encouraging and the lecturer felt that the use of chatrooms and its informal approach aided in seeing what students were thinking and how they understood issues. An excerpt from student guidelines is also attached.

This case study forms one of six submitted to SWAP to illustrate ways in which academics use social policy research in teaching. In this case study the lecturer develops students' appreciation of research/consultancy in the discipline by using teaching and learning processes which simulate research processes. She also develops student research/consultancy skills by using assignments which involve elements of research processes.

For two modules on a social policy degree programme, a role-play approach has been adopted to break with formal tutorials. In the style of 'Shooting Stars' gameshow, students join teams divided into 'Kens' and 'Barbies' to debate a seminar topic. (Real dolls are used to indicate which team member is to talk and these must be passed around for one module). Points are awarded to teams throughout the debate. The seminar questions are non-assessed formative essay questions and students must prepare prior to the seminar. Feedback on this approach is shown from students and the lecturer. An excerpt from the student guidelines is also attached. It should be emphasised that there is increased student participation and the sessions tend to be quite manic and ad hoc.

An account of a special project aimed at addressing recruitment and retention of 16-18 year old students onto both Social policy and Criminology courses at Hull University. It summarises the problems identified at Hull and specific activities piloted to deal with them, initiated by the university's Marketing and Communications department and developed with the Department of Comparative and Applied Social Sciences. It provides a framework with which departments running similar courses can assess their own situation.

The revalidation of this institution's BA (Hons) Social Policy award was designed to expose students to a wider range of assessments. The 10-credit 2nd year module 'Health Policy' uses stimulus response. This comprises 4 weighted sections. Each contains a short extract or quote, which acts as a stimulus for students. Each of these in turn has a number of questions attached. Some of these relate directly to the extract, others require students to develop arguments, read more widely, find new material or relate the extract to wider issues. The implementation and feedback is discussed, and a copy of the assessment is included.

This case-study describes the use of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) known as LEARN to provide an information base for students studying a criminology module. The aim is to use the facilities offered by e-learning to provide students with a large amount of text-based information in an accessible form and to offer an interactive online exercise on sentencing policy for follow-up discussion in seminar groups.

This is a very simplistic attempt to get students to think about some of the different areas they have studied within a unit and to encourage them to think about how these might link up. Students may also find these useful in making links between levels as well as between units and are a good way of helping some to put their degree in context. This can help encourage the application of theories and concepts learned in one unit to other units and can encourage more insightful work from those who are able to make these links. Students usually produce far more complex mind maps, but something fairly basic, such as this example, usually works as a starting point

First year social policy students were found to have gaps in their foundational factual knowledge of a module entitled 'government and institutions' which created barriers to more advanced work in subsequent modules. A one-hour multiple choice exam has been developed as part of the assessment. Student feedback is positive and the teaching benefits are that it builds student confidence early on whilst also allowing staff to identify any early problems. A few questions are attached to indicate the level of understanding required. Further developments have occurred.

This case study is one of four outputs created as the result of a funded project entitled ‘Thinking, learning and ‘doing’ international work experience’. Fifteen students elected to join the international stream of a Work & Professional Development module. Of these, three students went overseas to New York for one week and were accompanied by SHU staff. This case study reviews this short international work experience abroad. SHU students took with them projects they needed to carry out in order to fulfil the module’s assessment requirements. These projects were concerned with work-related activity (i.e.the students themselves became researchers, or, the topic under scrutiny was either something they had prior work experience in or was an area that International work experience they were interested in developing as a possible career area).

This case study describes the process of introducing personal development planning into a first year module of a Sociology degree, the activities undertaken and the lessons learned from working with the first cohort who took the module.

In response to the findings of a research project exploring student perceptions of assessment feedback we created a PowerPoint presentation which colleagues could easily embed in lectures and/or seminars. In addition, the Department of Policy Studies decided to add guidance about the purpose of assessment feedback to the coursework presentation and marking guide. Students were also provided with the opportunity to have a one-to-one feedback session with members of academic staff about their work and the assessment feedback provided.

This case study reports on the use of a PowerPoint presentation on Assessment Feedback which lectures and tutors at the University of Lincoln could embed in lectures and/or seminars.

This paper discusses the implementation of FirstClass computer conferencing for a second-year undergraduate module over the last six years which has proved challenging for both tutor and student. Asynchronous interaction has aided group collaborative work and the process of the collaboration has been made visible to tutors. Although time-consuming, much has been learned about the process of introducing computer conferencing and what can be expected. Giving students a structure has aided their online discussion and also by dividing them into groups. Emphasis is now on group work rather than the technological aspects of using this type of technology.

In response to institutional requirements regarding the additional curriculum and changing student needs, the social policy teaching team designed a level 1 module which integrated the development of transferable and employability skills with subject specific knowledge and study. While retaining a skills focus, it was tightly structured around conceptual, theoretical and practice-related issues: poverty and social exclusion. Students worked in small ALGs, received supporting lectures and a module handbook. Student feedback was positive even though the workload was relatively demanding. Staff saw cohesion within the student body and also an excellent relationship between staff and students.

This case study is one of four outputs created as the result of a funded project entitled ‘thinking, learning and ‘doing’ international work experience’. This case study reviews the desk based international experience implemented by colleagues delivering the international stream. The main aim was to enable desk-based students an opportunity to develop their work and professional development skills and interests around an international perspective. In effect, we wanted to internationalise these students’ experiences without them having to travel.

A collection of six case studies on 'Using Social Policy Research in Teaching' conducted in 2007. It is hoped that the six case studies will stimulate thinking and ideas for integrating research into teaching and learning activities. The case studies represent a snapshot of the tools and techniques employed by lecturers in social policy to illuminate their own and others' research within their teaching in ways that enhance students' learning experiences and equip them to become research minded and research active. They also show how engagement with what might be seen as 'dry' or 'difficult' policy can be highly enjoyable as well as rewarding.

This case study forms one of six submitted to SWAP to illustrate ways in which academics use social policy research in teaching. In this case study the lecturer develops students' appreciation of research/consultancy in the discipline by using teaching and learning processes which simulate research processes. She also uses assignments which involve elements of research processes and gives students first hand experience of research based consultancy.

An automated assessment of a level 2 unit entitled 'Theories of welfare' was used for 20% of the unit's assessment. The institution was encouraging the use of Blackboard as a VLE. A set of 'gateway' multiple choice questions were offered and which had to be answered correctly to enter the next stage. Students had to attempt all five comprehension exercises on excerpts relating to each of the five theoretical topics. Although there were benefits to student learning in that the gateway questions developed foundation knowledge without penalising incorrect answers, the frustration encountered as technical problems occurred, together with the additional time needed meant that this form of assessment is no longer used.

A staged problem-solving exercise was devised to enable students to make an assessment of whether Esping-Andersen categories or critiques of them aid understanding of differences in health care inputs/outputs in selected countries. The design is around a tutor-led workshop where students are provided with guidance through a set of notes and they work through exercises using statistical tables and referring to theoretical models. An excerpt from the worksheet is also given.

This Tutors' Manual was prepared in 2003 for The School of Social and Political Studies, University of Edinburgh. It covers a wide range of topics including preparing and spending time teaching, marking coursework, as well as administrative tasks and pastoral support.

This report informs on the project 'Younger students in social work education: our new 'non-traditional' students?. The report includes the following sections: 'Introductory Comments', 'Project Aims','Project outcomes','Future plans' and 'Concluding comments'.

This project report informs on a SWAP-funded project 'Teaching, learning and assessing communication skilss with children and young people: Developing the social work qualifying curriculum'. It includes the following sections: 'Background to the dissemination project', 'The aims of the dissemination project', 'The first workshop', 'Follow-up from the first workshop', 'The second workshop' and 'Evaluation and review of the project'.

In 2005 SWAP funded eight projects in social policy and social work education designed to promote the use of effective learning, teaching and assessment activities; to encourage the development and sharing of innovative approaches and to raise awareness of the importance of evaluating the effectiveness of educational methods. The following is the final report Social Work Law in Practice: a research project to explore social work students’ law learning on practice placement.

This guidance is designed to complement established good practice initiatives in the involvement of service users and carers in Social Work training on Degree programmes in Northern Ireland. Based on research conducted with service users, carers, students, agency and academic partners, the guide focuses on the key values which need to accompany such involvement as well as including case studies of good practice to show how service users and carers have been effectively involved to date at all levels of social work training in Northern Ireland.

In 2005 SWAP funded eight projects in social policy and social work education designed to promote the use of effective learning, teaching and assessment activities; to encourage the development and sharing of innovative approaches and to raise awareness of the importance of evaluating the effectiveness of educational methods.

In 2005 SWAP funded eight projects in social policy and social work education designed to promote the use of effective learning, teaching and assessment activities; to encourage the development and sharing of innovative approaches and to raise awareness of the importance of evaluating the effectiveness of educational methods. Interprofessional Education is a report from the Learning from Lives project.

The aim of this funded project was to develop an understanding of the needs of both students and their work-based learning mentors in settings where the student is aiming to demonstrate the underpinning principles and theories of integrated practice. By gaining an insight into these needs the project sought to identify key issues that can contribute to appropriate work-based support for student learning in new roles. An additional specific outcome was to identify and develop appropriate resources that would support a critical understanding of the Integrated Children’s Services agenda in practice settings associated with a Foundation Degree (Working with children, young people and their families).

In 2005 SWAP funded eight projects in social policy and social work education designed to promote the use of effective learning, teaching and assessment activities; to encourage the development and sharing of innovative approaches and to raise awareness of the importance of evaluating the effectiveness of educational methods. The following is the final report The Impact of Work Based Learning on Students’ Understanding of Citizenship and their Role in the Community.

This project report discusses the results of a research study into group learning in social work student practice placements in Northern Ireland. The research was carried out during 2002, and made use of quantitative and qualitative methods to collect data. The report includes a literature review, methodology, findings, discussion and summary of conclusions.

This project report informs on a research study into the experience of first year undergraduate students on an Applied Social Studies Programme. The objective of the project was to gain an understanding of factors that contribute to the support, development of learning, progression and retention of a diverse range of non-traditional entry first year students in order to be able to create appropriate and meaningful changes to learning and teaching support for learning strategies. The report includes background information, methodology, research findings and outlook.

This project report presents and discusses findings from research undertaken into the perceptions of level 2 and level 3 Department of Policy students on receiving feedback. The study furthermore looked at how the students were receiving and using feedback. The report includes literature review, methodology, results and recommendations.

This is the final project report of a 2006 SWAP-funded project on 'Examining the Impact of PBL on Surface and Deep Approaches to Learning'.

This is the project report of a project conducted in 2003/2004 on Information Literacy provision for Social Work.

In 2005 SWAP funded eight projects in social policy and social work education designed to promote the use of effective learning, teaching and assessment activities; to encourage the development and sharing of innovative approaches and to raise awareness of the importance of evaluating the effectiveness of educational methods. The following is the final report of the project Skills Development and Theorising Practice in Social Work Education.

This step-by-step user guide explains how to modify your profile on SWAPBox and how completing certain fields contributes to building the SWAPBox online community. It also recommends other guides that may be of interest to SWAPBox users.

This step-by-step user guide explains how to register on SWAPBox and recommends which other guides might be of interest to SWAPBox users.

This digest is for social work students undertaking practice learning. The advice that follows is drawn directly from student responses to a survey conducted at a British Association of Social Workers (BASW) student conference. They provide a rich source of tips based on first hand experience which is why they have been presented without alteration or supplementary comment. SWAP would like to thank BASW and all the students involved for their contributions.

Vanessa Cookson talks about her experience of good social policy lectures as an undergraduate student, while Zoe Irving offers ideas for engaging lecturers perspective.

This guide to teaching and learning has been written for lecturers and tutors working within social work education. The guidance and activities can be used at both qualifying and post qualifying levels and across a range of modules and practice learning opportunities. It is not intended to be a prescriptive guide, simply a way to support social work educators seeking to increase or consolidate their current teaching and learning in relation to alcohol and other drugs.