Practice Education

In line with national drives to raise the quality of social work education and training, a priority for the South Yorkshire Teaching Partnership is to raise the quality and capacity of Practice Education. This has involved work in a number of different areas which staff from across the partnership have contributed to.

The South Yorkshire Teaching Partnership has hosted 91 placements for students from Sheffield University this academic year. Central to this work has been the agency co-ordinators who contribute to the Practice and Placement Development Group (PPDG). They co-ordinate student placements across the authority and quality assure Practice Educator portfolios.

The Teaching Partnership have refreshed the Practice Educator module available to staff to train as a Level 1 Practice Educator and have just completed delivering this for a second time to staff from across the partnership. A module for Level 2 Practice Educators is currently being finalised for delivery in January. Additionally, there have been two “masterclasses” offered already this year with a focus on Practice Education, including one on learning styles and another one on supporting failing students. Practice Educators also attend quarterly network sessions so that they can keep up to date with changes across the partnership and refresh their own knowledge base.

Work has also been ongoing with students with staff from across the partnership contributing to a number of workshops that have been delivered for students. This has included newly developed workshops on child protection and also employability for students hoping to work in adult services.

Catherine Mawn, SYTP Quality Assurance and Standards Manager