This module is delivered over a period of 5 days and takes a blended learning approach.  There are three taught days at the University and two days in which candidates undertake practice reinforcing activities. 

The blended covers all the necessary elements to meet the requirements for the Practice Educator Professional Framework Stage 2 Domains, the Professional Capability Framework, and the HCPC Statements of Proficiency, and Values and Ethics for Social Workers.  The blended learning covers an overview of organising and managing practice learning opportunities, developing working relationships, teaching techniques, supervising staff, working with struggling and failing learners, collecting and assessing evidence, and developing yourself as a practice educator.

The module is academically assessed at 20 credits through 4 reflective accounts of approximately 1000 words each (4,000 words in total), and practically assessed through a portfolio of work-based evidence. The assessment includes a requirement for the candidate to be directly observed teaching the learner, and to obtain feedback from the learner with whom they are working.

You must be a registered social worker working in a social care or social work setting and must have been working as a qualified social worker for a minimum of 2 years.

You need to be able to study at Graduate or Postgraduate level, so should have some professionally related qualifications which are either externally accredited or accredited within your organisation as a minimum.

To undertake this module you must take full responsibility for a Practice Learning Opportunity for a social work student, or if this was fulfilled at Stage 1, you can take responsibility for an NQSW undertaking the ASYE, an AMHP student, or another qualified worker being assessed against the PCF.

You must have already demonstrated you have met the requirements for Stage 1 in the Practice Educator Professional Standards either through an appropriate Practice Educator Stage 1 programme or through considerable experience of being a practice educator.

For the Practice Education Stage 1 and 2 modules, most people are sponsored by their organisations who are wishing to offer practice learning opportunities to students on University Social Work Degree programmes. For this reason you will normally need to liaise with the Learning and Development Department of your organisation who will organise the application process for you.

If you are not being sponsored by your organisation then you will need to ensure that you have a social work student to work with, the time to work with them, and a mentor/assessor to both assist in your work with the student and to observe your practice. You can then complete an application form which is available from Chloe Stamper (T: 0121 4149086; E: practiceeducation@contacts.bham.ac.uk).

We run this module as both a credited route, providing 20 academic credits at Level H or M, or as a non-credited route, providing a candidate with a certificate. The non-credited route does not require candidates to submit an academic assignment, although it does require candidates to submit a portfolio of work-based evidence. Both routes provide successful candidates with the Stage 2 qualification meaning they would be able to act as a practice educator for any social work student.

The non-credited route is open to any candidate who has considerable experience of working with social work students, which means they would need to have taken full responsibility for the assessment of at least 5 students. It may be attractive to candidates who have no need for academic credits or practice educators who have considerable experience of working with students but need to complete the Stage 2 module. This will be a reduced fee—please call for details.

All Practice Educators need to take full responsibility for a social work student at least once every 2 years (or 3 years if they have also been involved in assessing ASYEs) for their qualification to be con-sidered current. Those who have not met this requirement are able to attend the teaching days without the need to submit an assignment or portfolio and will be issued with a certificate which regains currency to their qualification. This will be a reduced fee—please call for details.