module specification

This module will provide students with an understanding of professional social work values, standards and opportunity to develop practice skills. A wide range of communication methods and theories will be presented. The module will be taught with contributions from practice partners, service users and carers and who will have the opportunity to assess students’ suitability to undertake a practice placement. It will provide students with the underpinning knowledge of professional capabilities and assessment of readiness for direct practice. The module contains a number of skills development days.

This module provides opportunities for students to:

• develop practice skills in an environment that is risk-free for service users and students
• develop abilities, skills and understanding of the generic role of a social worker to achieve readiness for practice across a range of different service user groups
• develop basic communication skills in-line with the Readiness for Practice criteria and PCF domains

• Understanding of reflection, reflective practice and anti-oppressive practice
• Communication skills and application to practice in relation to a range of service user groups.
• Practice knowledge and skills including engagement, information gathering, investigation, authenticity, active listening, self-awareness, use of self, interviewing & questioning skills, managing conflict & confrontation, the use of assertiveness, report writing, presentation and recording skills
• Knowledge of the HCPC Social Work Standards of Proficiency, British Association of Social Workers (BASW) Capabilities Framework and the BASW Code of Ethics and understanding of professional accountability and the duty to report concerns
• Use of supervision in practice and understanding of continual professional development.

The learning and teaching methods on this module will include the following approaches:

• Interactive skills-based workshops: collaborative experiential learning
• Small group and peer learning and reflection on feedback
• Experiential role plays
• Case-study analysis and problem-based learning
• Personal reflection and reflective writing
• Preparation for supervision and direct practice
• Weblearn, video materials & other online educational content
• The module will include service user, carer and practitioner contributions

The use of these approaches will be complemented by students’ active engagement with the learning process as they identify their own learning needs. Students will be encouraged to engage meaningfully with these strategies through personal reflection and reflective writing, use of WebLearn, visual materials and other online educational content. Students will be expected to access educational resources independently and also to work with peers outside of the formal teaching contact hours.
These methods will be underpinned by an understanding of social work values, anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice, which will be integrated throughout the module.

On successful completion of the module students will be able to:

LO1: Demonstrate an understanding and awareness of social work values, anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice, knowledge and skills to permit progression to their first practice learning placement.

LO2: Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding and an awareness of the social work context and social work practice, including legislative context.

LO3: Develop an understanding of professional boundaries and the social work role.

LO4: Demonstrate an ability to learn from service users and carers

The assessment strategy is designed to develop and test students’ skills and values and especially in communication to ensure that they are ready for their first placement.  There will be a number of formative and summative tasks throughout the module which will include feedback from academic staff, services users and carers and practitioners. In week 14, students will submit an e-portfolio (100%) of tasks that test LO 1-4.

Abbott, C. and Taylor, P. (2013) Action learning in social work. United Kingdom: Learning Matters.
British Association of Social Workers (BASW) (2014) ‘The Code of Ethics for Social Work’, Available at:  http://cdn.basw.co.uk/upload/basw_95243-9.pdf (Accessed 17 July 2016)
British Association of Social Workers (BASW) (2016) ‘Professional Capabilities Framework’, Available at: https://www.basw.co.uk/pcf/ (Accessed 17 July 2016)
Davies, K. and Jones, R. (eds.) (2015) Skills for social work practice. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Gardner, F. (2014) Being critically reflective: Engaging in holistic practice. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Grant, L. and Kinman, G. (eds.) (2014) Developing resilience for social work practice. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) (2016) ‘Guidance on conduct and ethics for students’, Available at: http://www.hpc-uk.org/assets/documents/10002c16guidanceonconductandethicsforstudents.pdf
Accessed 18th July 2016
Healy, K. (2012). Social work methods and skills: the essential foundations of practice. Basingstoke: Palgrave.
Moss, B. (2015) Communication skills in health and social care. London: SAGE Publications
Parrott, L. (2014) Values and ethics in social work practice. London: SAGE Publications
Thompson, N. (2009). Understanding social work.  3rd ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave.
Thompson, N. (2012). Anti-discriminatory practice: equality, diversity and social justice. 5th ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave.