Who should attend the course?

Candidates wishing to pursue the Practice Educator Course must be a registered social worker with at least two full years' post-qualifying experience at the start of the practice education training course, including 1 year as ASYE. They should be at PCF level 7 - experienced social worker level.

Course aims

The course is to enable candidates to:

Become Practice Educators (Stage One and stage Two) who will be able to provide an effective learning and assessment environment for learners by supporting, facilitating, teaching and assessing learners within a Social Work Practice learning setting. 

Critically reflect on their own professional development and performace as a Practice Educator. 

Critically evaluate current reserach in practice education and appropriately apply adult learning theories, supervison and assessment models to their practice. 

Course content

The course aims to develop an understanding of supporting, developing and assessment of social work students.  Taught elements include:   

• Update of changes of social work education that impact practice learning and practice education
• Assessment framework, and procedures, and assessment methods
• Supervision models
• Integrating theories and research to practice
• Support for non-achieving candidates
• Theories of adult learning
• Reflective and anti-oppressive practice in practice learning and practice teaching
• Higher Education Institute quality assurance systems

How does the course map with the Practice?

This level 7 module has been developed with reference to the Professional Capabilities Framework for social workers (PCF) and the Knowledge and Skills Statements (KSS) for both Adult and Children practice educators. The module is designed to enable registered social worker to study at the postgradute level to become Practice Educators under the Refreshed Practice Educator Professional Standards (PEPS) developed by the British Assocation of Social Workers. 

Where is the course taught and by whom

The course will be mainly delivered on line, apart from the first lecture and the reacall day. It is facilitated by lectures with expertise in practice education from the University. 

You can find out information about the MSc Advanced Social Work Practice programme here

To obtain stage-two practice educator status, candidates are required to support two social work students and have the placement portfolios assessed at the Practice Assessment Panel.  

A practice folder to include

• Peer assessed presentation 
• Observations of supervision session
• Mentoring social work learners
• Reflection on development of practice educator
• Evidence of 70-hour learning activities
• A completed placement portfolio for each student