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Leeds Met scoops Gold award for online child protection project
Implemented by the University's Faculty of Health and Social Sciences in collaboration with experiential learning company, Toolwire, the programme - known as a learnscape, scooped Gold in the category of best External Learning Project of the Year at the Learning Awards, hosted by the Learning and Performance Institute.
Social Work Course Leader Anne Llewellyn, who led the project, said Leeds Met had beaten competitors including Network Rail, ITV, Thomson Reuter and Telefonica to first place.
"We are absolutely delighted to have won this award, for such an important project that will have a real impact and influence on society," she commented.
"The learnscape has been piloted on about 100 pre-qualifying social work students at Leeds Metropolitan University and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with many commenting that they felt more confident about the safeguarding process after working through the learning tool.
"We worked closely with Toolwire to create the immersive online learning experience for our students to develop observational, communication and decision making skills in the area of safeguarding vulnerable children. It takes them through observations and risk assessments and requires them to interact with parents, children and other members of the multi-disciplinary team who are engaged in the child protection process."
Denise Chenery, who is undertaking the second year of her MA in Social Work at Leeds Metropolitan University, added: "I am about to chair a Child in Need review and know from having shadowed a few colleagues how realistic the meeting was on the Toolwire scenario. It was a great opportunity for students to 'test drive' the learnscape project and I hope it will fast become an integral part of social work training in the UK and beyond."