Making the Most of Your Social Work Placement

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Practice learning makes up half of the social work degree. Many social work students, however, are often most anxious about this aspect of their studies. The general shortage of placements and concerns about the quality of some practice learning opportunities simply heighten these anxieties.

There is no doubt that where students are well prepared for their placement and where they clearly understand what is required of them, they get more from their practice learning opportunities. Students certainly get out of practice learning what they put into it!

Siobhan Maclean and Rob Harrison, well known for their popular book Theory and Practice: A Straightforward Guide for Social Work Students, have now published a Reference Guide for social work students to assist them to make the most of their placements, whatever the setting.

Social Work Practice Learning

Our aim is to de-mystify the process as much as possible, so that social work students are clear about what the practice learning process entails, what may be asked of them, how they will be assessed during their placements, and what to do if things don't go to plan. We recognise that as well as wanting to learn, grow and develop, most students want to come out of the placement at the end successfully and progress to the next stage of the course or their first qualified position.

Practice learning is not just about passing the social work degree it is half of the degree. Social work is a professional qualification, so that the academic grade which students receive is part of the qualification, and the other part which enables people to practice as a social worker is achieved by successfully completing 200 days of practice learning.

Completing placements as part of the social work degree is also supposed to be an experience which is enjoyable. After all, the idea of doing a professional qualification is to become a competent practitioner in that field of work. Students who complete social work courses usually find that practice learning is the part of their course which makes everything fit together, so that placements allow them opportunities to put into practice all of the academic learning which they have undertaken in the university setting. By de-mystifying some of the process and the expectations around assessment, this book will enable social work students to enjoy the experiences on offer during practice learning.

Learning during social work placements

It is clear that anxiety can impede learning. However, apprehension has a positive impact on learning. This Guide has been designed to address typical anxieties which students might have, whilst recognising that it is useful for students to be apprehensive as they enter their practice learning opportunities.

Social work students need to take responsibility for their own learning as it is as much the individual student's responsibility to make the placement a success as any other participant. Students should be proactive about this from the outset of their placement. An active approach to learning and the ability to explain reasons for decision making and actions are crucial to a successful outcome for social work students.

Supervision for social work students on placement

The word supervision can sound confusing to many social work students, particularly for those who have not had any prior experience of professional supervision in social care or social work. For some social work students, the idea of supervision can provoke anxieties about being watched. Having a clear framework for supervision is important so that social work students are clear about what to expect from supervision sessions in terms of preparation and participation as both part of an assessment process and as a learning opportunity in itself.

Assessment of students during practice learning

Demonstrating competence in social work is key to successfully passing a social work placement. Clearly the fact that placements involve a pass or fail at the end is itself the key issue for most social work students in approaching their practice learning. Understanding how assessment works in social work practice learning and what assessors are looking for is helpful and this guide presents this in a clear and accessible format so that students can feel less anxious and better prepared to achieve the pass they are working towards.

Everything you ever wanted to know about social work placements¦

The book " Making the Most of Your Practice Learning Opportunities " supports social work students to understand exactly what is expected of them in their 200 days of practice learning during their social work course.

This book has been written by two experienced practice teachers to address many students anxieties about their social work placements.

Section A gives an overview of the status of practice learning within the social work degree, and explains the practice learning process. This section helps social work students understand the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved in practice learning, including the practice educator (whether they are working on or off-site), the work-based supervisor, the tutor, and the student themselves.

Subsequent sections include chapters on the following areas:

Getting a social work placement
The differences between statutory and non-traditional practice learning opportunities in social work
How to prepare for a social work placement
Taking responsibility for your own learning during placements
Using supervision in social work practice learning
The assessment process and how this works for social work student placements
What to do if you are failing a social work placement
Identifying your future learning needs and getting a job following your social work degree

Current students and recent graduates have contributed to the guide by summarising their learning and drawing on their experiences to advise students how to get the most from their placement. A number of practice teachers have also contributed to the Guide by outlining what they are looking for from a student on placement.

The idea is for the book to act as a reference guide in order to develop students confidence about social work placements. The aim is that students feel well prepared for practice learning, able to take responsibility for their own learning during placements, and confident to enjoy the experiences which are available during the wide variety of possible practice learning opportunities.

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'Making the Most of Your Practice Learning Opportunities' is a brand new book available from Kirwin Maclean Associates Limited has already proved very popular with social work students and lecturers in social work on a variety of programmes across the country. If you are sent into a sense of panic about what to expect during your social work placement, then this is the book for you and can be seen at

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