Dr Paula Beesley

Ideal for students seeking to enhance their critical thinking abilities, this book is a valuable addition to any academic toolkit.

This chapter presents reflective and flexible research in health and social care. The chapter will consider how a researcher can reflect for ethical and efficient research, react flexibly in research to the variances that working with often vulnerable people within health and social care research create, and reflect on research processes to enhance research findings. This chapter reflects on the use of reflective research, including making use of a reflective research diary and research supervisors. The chapter concludes by considering the importance of flexible research within the research process, particularly reflecting on the needs of people with lived experience who participate in research projects. The use of a social work student with a pre-earnt doctorate enables the application of research theory to the practice of often qualitative research throughout the chapter.

This thesis considered what contributes to students’ development of knowledge and skills in social work student supervision. This is a protected time for students to explore their experiential learning from their practice within placement. Nevertheless, this is undertaken in a private space, so has rarely been subject to scrutiny.  The uniqueness of this study is founded in two core differences. This is one of the first research studies to include both supervision participants’ perspectives and one of the first that observed social work student supervision, giving it a unique data perspective that enriched the significance of the findings.  The methodology for this thesis was firmly rooted in a Narrative Inquiry, which enabled the use of a range of data collection methods. Eight social work student supervisions were observed and audio-recorded, and each supervision participant (practice educator and student) interviewed immediately afterwards to develop a significant data corpus.  A thematic analysis approach identified two themes: diligence and collaboration. It was identified that where supervision participants had a diligent approach, which included being committed and organised, it enabled collaborative social work student supervision, which reduced the inherent power differential and enabled the development of students’ social work knowledge and skills. Implications are discussed that include both the importance of students understanding supervision as a site of the development of their knowledge and skills, and the development of positive social conditions in which both participants feel confident to contribute openly and honestly to develop students’ knowledge and skills.  Finally, a model of development of knowledge and skills in social work student supervision was developed that incorporated the core themes of practice educator and student diligence and collaboration.

Social work students on practice learning placement undertake a range of learning activities and are expected to reflect independently on their strengths and areas for development within an intervention to develop their knowledge and skills. This is often supplemented by reflective discussion in social work student supervision. Nevertheless, supervision is undertaken in a private space, so has rarely been subject to scrutiny. The uniqueness of this study is founded in two core differences. This is one of the first research studies to include both supervision participants’ perspectives and one of the first that observed social work student supervision, giving it a unique data perspective that enriched the significance of the findings. The methodology for this thesis was firmly rooted in a Narrative Inquiry, which enabled the use of a range of data collection methods which were thematically analysed to identify two core themes of diligence and collaboration. A model is presented that develops the principle of experiential learning (Kolb, 1984), applying the importance of diligent preparation for and collaborative participation within social work student supervision by both practice educator and student to enhance the development of students’ knowledge and skills.

Social work students in England undertake two placements in their qualifying course. They are supported by a practice educator, who provides regular (often weekly) supervision. This is a protected time for students to explore their learning from their practice, but as it is undertaken in a private space it is rarely subject to scrutiny. The objective of the research was to identify what contributed to the development of knowledge and skills in social work student supervision. The methodology was a Narrative Inquiry, which enabled the use of a range of data collection methods: eight supervisions were observed and audio recorded, creating supervision transcripts and field notes, and both supervision participants were interviewed immediately afterwards. A theme of diligence was identified, where a commitment to and organisation for and within social work student supervision by both parties was critical. This article will focus on the finding that students became more diligent as they developed an understanding that supervision would enhance their knowledge and skills. It will offer recommendations for students, practice educators and social work educators that support students’ development of a diligent attitude to social work student supervision.

Social work student placements were significantly impacted over the past two years as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, but a ‘new normal’ of placement provision has started to emerge. This conference paper provides reflections on the experiences of social work education providers, placement providers and practice educators on the new opportunities that have been created as a result of flexible responses to the changing landscape of blended placement provision necessitated by the pandemic, which were gathered at two international workshops held virtually at academic conferences in 2021. The workshops identified common responses from higher education institutes (Higher Education Institutions) and practice educators, where loss and change created the need for connectivity and flexible and creative solutions. This article will present the themes identified within the teaching partnership as well as findings from the two workshops to enhance understanding of the sustainability of blended social work placement provision.

This practical guide will takes you step by step through your social work placement, guiding you through what you will be expected to do, and helping you to make the most of your placement.

The first quarter of 2020 saw unprecedented global, national, and local changes as the world adapted to a pandemic that swept the world at an alarming rate and prompted a policy of social exclusion and social distancing. Inevitably, the pandemic impacted upon social work education and placement provision significantly. The ability to respond to the impact of the pandemic crisis within social work placements will be presented as an unprecedented wicked problem. The ability to respond to this crisis can be argued to have demonstrated the worth of teaching partnerships, as the developed relationships and understanding of partner’s differing priorities enabled this to be undertaken effectively, efficiently, and expediently. This article will reflect on how the Leeds and Wakefield Social Work Teaching Partnership (LWSWTP) undertook responsive partnership decision-making to develop and implement new placement protocols. The article will also explore if partnership working with the stakeholders has been sufficiently robust, using the Arnstein’s 1969 Ladder of Participation. The article will conclude by reflecting on the key learning points from partnership working in the Covid-19 crisis situation as we move forward post crisis.

Key features: - Wide range of case studies from an array of service areas and user groups - Reflective tasks and questions to stimulate critical thinking and discussion - Skills audits to test where your strengths are and areas for ...

This article reports findings of a research project aimed to evaluate the experiences of British social work students in communication skills development. The collaborative experiential learning model across eight weeks consisted of teaching followed by role-play practice, which was undertaken in groupwork within a university teaching space and on Teams. The students provided peer feedback which was supplemented with feedback from teaching staff, a person with lived experience or a qualified social worker and it was videoed, all enabling reflection on practice by the students between sessions. The data was collected from n = 35 first year students and apprentices on a social work degree participating in a qualitative survey to gather views on the collaborative experiential learning model used in the module. The research findings identified the themes of engagement with learning, collaborative experiential learning, and factors that impacted learning. Research participants identified multiple and often unexpected skills, which included the development of peer relationships, reflective skills, communication skills, planning skills, knowledge, confidence, groupwork skills and ability to give and receive feedback to enhance future service provision. This was enabled by a positive working group, formed by a supportive role for each other, a non-judgemental attitude, and participation and engagement.