module specification

This module is a core for social work and community nursing students. It may be undertaken by others working in the health and social care field. The module seeks to explore issues of partnership arrangements both at organisational and individual practitioner levels. It addresses the theoretical, policy and practice issues with regard to users' and carers' agenda - it also seeks to analyse and develop more effective inter-professional learning and working.

š To provide an opportunity for social work, community nursing, nurse practitioner and other students, such as health studies and psychology to explore theory, policy and practice elements of partnership working within a user centred approach.

š To provide opportunities to experience in a highly interactive way, within a safe environment, partnership working and management aspects of failures in partnership working to inform present and future practice.

š To be able to reflect upon their own experiences of partnership working and explore both factors that influence this, including resource constraints and the ethical bases across the different professional groups and to see how common values may underpin effective partnership working.

š To locate the changing nature of organisations and the implications for effective inter professional working within a theoretical framework

The integration of health and social care organisations has changed the employment base for many professionals and has increased the need for understanding and collaboration between the professions. Practitioners working within the field of Health and Social Care in both the statutory, voluntary and independent sectors work within a range of inter-professional teams, organisations, networks and systems in order to offer an improved service to service users. Inter-professional working requires practitioners to be able to learn and work together in order to overcome the potential constraints arising from different professional and organisational accountabilities, cultures, values and professional codes of conduct. The syllabus will cover relevant theory, policy, practice and ethical issues. Definitions of partnership working and inter-professional care will be explored, alongside students' own reflections on past experiences. Models of health and social care, social values and professional codes, cultures and user rights and needs will be discussed, as will professional stereotypes. The impact of health and social care policy and organisational issues will be explored in relation to users and carers of services and financial aspects of working together. Skills, competencies and underpinning values will be addressed throughout and include communication, risk management, confidentiality, accountability and shared accountability regarding integrated care. As part of the process, students undertake small and large group works so some aspects of group and team dynamics will be explored.

Interactive workshops based on problem solving live issues, case studies, critical incidents, role play and simulated case conferences, user and carer pales, debates, small group work, video and formal lectures, personal reflection.

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

1. Appraise and evaluate the theoretical aspects of partnership working, inter-professional
learning and inter-professional working and be able to apply them appropriately to their own
practice context
2. Evaluate how different policies, professional codes , organisational frameworks and
approaches impact on partnership working with users and carers
3. Identify and develop skills necessary for partnership working
4. Analyse the factors that promote or hinder partnership working and make recommendations
for their sphere of practice

At post graduate level, the assessment strategy is intended to bring different groups of nursing, social work and others together to analyse and challenge the barriers to partnership working and provide intellectual challenge in applying the theories and key policy shifts to current practice issues in order to improve practice.

Formative assessments will be included throughout eg presentations of competing views, mini simulated case conferences with commentaries across a range of different client groups. This will help them build the skills required for inter-professional working as well as evaluative abilities.

š Participate in an inter-professional simulated case conference(s) demonstrating key aspects of effective partnership working and providing a detailed analysis (1000 words) of the key events within the conference in relation to theory and policies from the user’s perspective (20%). (LO1, LO3)

š Write a 3.500 word report which has two elements 1) a reflective account of their role in the conference (LO3) and 2) a critical review of relevant theory, policy and ethical issues in relation to the conference topic, organisational frameworks and partnership working and making clear recommendations for enhanced partnership working (80%) (LO1,2,4)

Please note due to other professional requirements MSc Social Work students will participate in the simulated case conference but will also have a separate assessment and these learning outcomes will be assessed through their final Project.

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