BA Year 2 Community Education Professional Practice 1 ... · Guidelines for Students and Supervisors 2018/19 Welcome Welcome to the 2018/19 Professional Practice 1 Handbook. It is

BA Year 2

Community Education

Professional Practice 1

Placement Handbook

2018 - 2019

Guidelines for Students and Supervisors 2018/19

Welcome Welcome to the 2018/19 Professional Practice 1 Handbook. It is designed to give you a broad picture of the aims and objectives of the second year placement and the procedures related to the placement process. I hope it proves useful to you but if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us at any time. The partnership between the university and the field of practice remains a central component in the education of professional practitioners both in terms of their skills base and their ability to analyse practice. We value this partnership highly and hope to strengthen it in the future. We are grateful to those who continue to support the professional preparation of emerging generations of community educators through offering their time and the resources of their agency as a site of learning for students. Thank you for your commitment. A programme of Placement Supervisor Training runs twice a year. The training programme lasts for one day in advance of each placement period and a half-day evaluation following the placement. If you are interested in attending please contact the Placement Administrator to book your place. Key Contacts Course Organiser Margaret Petrie 0131 651 4788 [email protected]

Placement Tutors Vernon Galloway 0131 651 6640 [email protected] Programme Secretary Lesley Spencer 0131 651 6373 [email protected] Placement Administrator Jo Laing 0131 651 4189 [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



To request this document in an alternative format, such as large print or on coloured paper, please contact the Placement Unit. Please note the following significant dates for BA2 placement:

*Could Placement Supervisors please note especially the date and times of the Mid-Placement Review Session in order that they are free to attend

Part time element of Placement (12 hours per week for ten weeks)

From week beg. 14 January 2019

Placement contract to be submitted (see task 2)

1 February 2019

Full time placement begins

8 April 2019

*Mid Placement Review Session 09.30 – 12.00 (Moray House)

11 April 2019

Mid Placement Report to be submitted (see task 6)

18 April 2019

Placement Hours Log to be submitted (see task 7)

24 May 2019

Final Report (see task 8)

24 May 2019

Placement Ends

24 May 2019

Placement Presentations

27 May 2019

The Programme 1. Introduction A distinctive feature of the BA (Hons) degree programme in Community Education is the interface between academic and vocational standards. These different and sometimes contradictory demands create a dynamic which ensures that the relationship between theory and practice is central to our work. The Programme is also informed by the changing policy context and its implications for practice.

2. Professional endorsement The BA (Hons) Programme is informed by the framework set out by the Standards Council for Community Learning and Development for Scotland (SCCLDS) (contained within this handbook and for more background visit the Standards Council’s web site at http://www.cldstandardscouncil.org.uk/the_competences/Competences_for_Community_Learning_and_Development). The framework seeks to ensure that students are operating to an appropriate professional standard. Students have been collecting evidence of their competence from their previous placements and so they should be able to share that with you. It is important for the student to review this and set out to fill any gaps that may exist. It is important that competence is defined in a way which is developmental rather than prescriptive and that ‘evidence’ should be collected in a way that is conducive to the work undertaken on the placement. For example, reports of meetings, analytical recordings, discussion papers, work-plans and the setting of aims and objectives can all provide evidence that the student has met the performance criteria of a particular competence. This kind of evidence should be collected by the student so that it is available to supervisors and external examiners. 3. Integrating the taught curriculum and placement in the BA programme Given the prominent status of practice experience within the programme, we have developed a rationale which we hope addresses both the distinctiveness of each stage and articulation between them. In addition, we have attempted to be systematic in integrating the professional practice and the taught programme so that they complement and enhance each other. Below is an outline of each year of the programme which indicates how this works: Year 1 Courses:

Introduction to Community Education

Developing Professional Identity in Community Education

Working with Individuals and Groups

Community Education Theory, Policy and Politics

A choice of courses outside our programme area

http://www.cldstandardscouncil.org.uk/the_competences/Competences_for_Community_Learning_and_Development

http://www.cldstandardscouncil.org.uk/the_competences/Competences_for_Community_Learning_and_Development

First year has an important formative and foundational function. The taught programme includes a broad introduction to theory and practice in community education. This is intended to stimulate students to extend their thinking as a precondition for critical reflection on practice. They will be introduced to frameworks for locating practice in the wider policy context and encouraged to consider some of the implications. They will be prepared for the task of developing disciplined and systematic approaches to practice and will be introduced to a range of teaching and learning strategies in community education settings. There is no formal placement arrangement in year one. However as part of the Developing Professional Identity course students carry out fieldwork study visits and are encouraged to take-up voluntary commitments in the field. Year 2 Courses:

Concepts & Controversies in Community Education;

Professional Practice 1 (Placement Preparation);

Introduction to Research in Community Settings;

Community Education practice 1: Placement equivalent of 11 weeks

Course drawn from across the University Second year is concerned primarily to develop a sense of professional identity which enables students to engage critically and purposefully with the field of practice. The taught programme will enable students both to consolidate previous learning and to develop their existing knowledge and skills. It will also give them the opportunity to extend their own intellectual horizons by studying a subject which is not directly related to their degree programme. The combined elements of the programme should progressively enable them to make judgements about what practice is appropriate in what circumstances for what purpose. The placement element involves the student in some practical field research within which they use the practical skills they have developed as part of their research course and the analytical frameworks developed in Concepts and Controversies. Year 3 Courses:

Community Education Methods and Approaches: Developing Dialogue

Professional Practice 2 (Placement Preparation);

Politics, Policy and Professional Identity in Community Education;

Managing Professional Life;

Electives in Adult Education, Community Development, Work with Young People

Community Education Practice 2: Placement of 10 weeks The third year programme is designed to enable students to develop the capacity to make competent, confident and defensible judgements. It should enable them to operate at a relatively sophisticated level of professional activity and intellectual understanding. Both the taught and practice elements will provide the opportunity to work with an increasing degree of critical autonomy. A focus on policy analysis will encourage students to critically assess the possibilities and

constraints of particular contexts of practice. Overall, the programme should prepare them for the task of selecting, justifying and deploying appropriate theoretical arguments and educational methods. The placement element involves a research project which considers the role of the Community Educator in relation to the constraints on and possibilities of their practice. Year 4 Courses:

Honours Seminar;

Research Methods (Dissertation Preparation);

Professional Practice Placement Preparation;

Electives in Adult Education Community Development, Work with Young People,

Community Education Practice 3: Part-time 18 hours per week for 20 weeks

Honours Dissertation The fourth year is a summative year which draws many strands of study together and focuses on the Honours Dissertation Project. The students enter a more autonomous mode of study in which they take a more active role in the development of content. The placement component is a part-time commitment of 18 hours per week over semesters 1 & 2. Students may well use these placements as a source of research which could feed in to their dissertation work.

4. Second Year Placement 4.1 Expectations This course focuses on developing practice competence in a supported setting. Participants will relate their academic studies to the practice context where they will undertake professional tasks in a controlled and developmental way. The emphasis is on understanding processes of informal learning and development on the basis of first-hand observation and interaction. Students will have the opportunity to experiment with informal educational methods and to explore the idea of reflective practice during class and the part-time and block placement. By the end of the placement students will be able to:

Assess their competence in terms of the Scottish CLD Standards Council Competence Framework

Prepare learning objectives for the placement period and manage their time effectively

Set appropriate work related goals and develop action plans

Develop a profile of the community based on research techniques learned in IRICS

Profile the placement agency and comment on its connection to the community profile

Mode/Delivery

The part time element of the placement will be 12 hours a week for ten weeks during the second semester. There will be a two week break then the seven week block placement will take place from the start of the University's designated ‘Assessment Period’ following the 2nd semester. A full–time engagement will be

required, including time for supervision, completion of placement tasks, recording and reflection. For more guidance, please see the FAQs in this handbook.

A professional practice taught course will take place throughout Semester 2 to help students reflect on professional practice during the part-time element of the placement and prepare for the block placement. An outline of the programme for this taught element is provided to students separately from this handbook. Each student will be allocated an academic Placement Tutor to provide support and guidance in relation to preparation for and engagement with the placement setting.

This handbook is designed to help students to relate Year 1&2 academic studies to the practice context and to understand the specific requirements of this placement. A Placement Contract will be negotiated and agreed between the student and the Practice Learning Tutor (Placement Supervisor), stipulating specific hours of attendance and work activities. The Supervisor should ensure that all the tasks in this workbook are completed including the Placement Report outlining the student’s progress, which will include a commentary from the student. Progress should be monitored through continuous reflective practice and through discussion with the Practice Learning Tutor during supervision sessions, normally weekly. Students will compile a digital portfolio using a University online platform called Pebble Pad.

Placement Tasks and Assessment

These specified tasks are set out to help students and supervisors ensure that the placement includes a range of elements and activities. Every placement is of course different and there will inevitably be elements that receive more or less attention and emphasis in any particular case. Student and supervisor should however work together to ensure that all the tasks are given a reasonable amount of attention. Assessment of the placement requires the following three elements:

Placement Tasks

As part of the placement supervision process students should complete the listed Placement tasks, which will provide supporting evidence in relation to the Supervisor’s (Practice Learning Tutor’s) Report. The placement task templates are available as MS Word (.docx format) documents on the course Learn page, where you will also find a timetable for completion of the tasks.

Practice Learning Tutor’s Report

Assessment of the placement practice is carried out by the Supervisor, on a pass or fail basis, based on evidence of competence against the learning outcomes listed above. The student will assemble a portfolio of material in Learn including but not necessarily restricted to the specified tasks for use as evidence in this regard. Students will receive formative assessment and feedback on these submissions from their University tutor. The student will be asked to add their own comments to the placement report.

Research Presentation

At the end of their Professional Practice experience the students will be required to make an assessed presentation report on an aspect of their placement. This may focus either on the small scale research project students are expected to carry out, or on another aspect of their placement (such as a particular programme or project). The presentation and portfolio evidence will be equivalent

to a 3000 word written paper. Students will make their presentation, reflecting on their learning across the programme as a whole, and respond to questions from two examiners, usually a member of academic staff and a practitioner. The digital portfolio of materials recording their placement experience on Learn will be used in the preparation and performance of the presentation.

Overall Assessment and Grading

The board of examiners will take account of all the assessment elements in arriving at a grade. The research presentation is the only formally graded item and will provide the main basis for an individual grade, but the board will have discretion to take account of observations made in the Practice Learning Tutor’s Report, the digital portfolio and evidence in the placement tasks in arriving at an overall Course Grade.

Feedback

Students will have sight of the supervisor’s report before it is complete. A copy of the examiners’ report on the presentation will be provided to the student and an optional post-placement tutorial with the Placement Tutor will be available on request. 4.2 Supervision Regular support and supervision meetings should be held between the fieldwork supervisor and student. In the case of PP1 we would suggest one hour and thirty minutes at a pre-set time per fortnight during the part time period and per week during the full time period. These meetings need to be confidential so pre-arranging a private space is essential. We suggest you might want to consider a set agenda for the meetings which may include some items like the following:

a look at plans from the previous supervision session and a report on progress is given;

progress on the research project is reviewed;

the student presents a reflective recording from the previous week for discussion;

the student selects an extract from some university literature to discuss with the supervisor;

the student presents some evidence of competence in relation to the competence framework;

plans are made for the following period with specific objectives in mind. 4.3 University support

The placement will be supported by a preparation period for students prior to commencement and a period of critical reflection at the end.

Students will have weekly Professional Practice reflection sessions throughout the period of the placement.

Students will have the support of an academic placement tutor who will be on hand to respond to any questions the student might have.

The Placement Unit is on hand to deal with any administrative issues that may arise.

A mid-placement re-call session will be held in the university on Thursday 11 April 2019 09.30 – 12.00 to allow students and their supervisors to meet the academic tutors and get a bit of space to reflect on their experience thus far and lay plans for the second half of the placement. Placement Preparation – Taught Programme The programme is designed to support students with preparation for the block placement which takes place during April-May. 15th January Introduction: An overview of the placement process, expectations, managing and recording your work The handbook; general and individual objectives; the placement contract; programmes of work; recording; supervision; assessment. The foundations for any professional practice require effective self-management. In this session we will look at tools that assist in planning and organising a workload. We will revisit Learn as a means of compiling a digital record of your work. 22nd January Taking stock: Engaging the Community This session will explore what you know about the community with whom you are working and the strategies you might use to build positive working relationships with colleagues and communities. What issues are people facing and how do you understand the purpose of the agency? What is your role and what skills and experience can you draw on to support your practice? 29th January The Reflective Practitioner In this session we will review student posts and digital records on Learn and discuss the practicalities of planning and recording your work as a community educator. We will explore core elements of reflective practice and the resources that can help in developing your approach to recording work on placement.

5th February Connecting with the Curriculum Linking theoretical ideas and concepts to practice is a primary focus for the block placement. How do you ensure that meaningful connections are made between the taught aspects of the BA Community Education curriculum and the practical work undertaken during placement?

12th February Connecting with the Curriculum 2

One of the reasons practitioners appreciate having students on placement is because they ask questions and want to discuss ideas creating the opportunity to reflect on their own practice and engage again with theoretical ideas. This session will explore the theoretical ideas relevant to your placement setting and how you might consider these with your colleagues and supervisor.

19th February Meet the Supervisors and Making the most of Supervision For this session we will be joined by field-based colleagues with experience of placement supervision. This will be an opportunity to discuss issues of interest and concern relating to placement first-hand with professional community educators. Effective supervision on placement is essential for your personal learning and development. What can you expect from your supervisor? How do you get the best out of their experience?

26th February Professional Competence and Being Assessed What knowledge, skills, ethics and values are needed to be a competent community educator? Drawing on student experiences to date and the readings we will explore, in this session, some of the key characteristics and qualities of the professional practitioner and how you demonstrate you have them.

6th March Managing Stress

Being on placement in the context of a University course, part-time work and family life can be stressful. In this session we will consider and share strategies to manage stress.

13th March Troubleshooting Sometimes you may find you are dissatisfied with your placement for a whole range of reasons. In this session we will review the potential and actual challenges students might be facing and drawing on the reading consider practical strategies to tackle them.

20th March Review & Final Assessment Discussion This final session will focus on reviewing learning to date, the final assessment of placement and on responding to any outstanding issues and questions still remaining for students.

4.4 Assessment Students will be required to achieve a pass standard as assessed by the fieldwork supervisor in relation to tasks undertaken in the practice setting. The overall assessment of the student is carried out by the fieldwork supervisor in relation to both the SCCLDS framework and the quality of student engagement with the placement. These combined measures should form the basis of a pass/fail assessment by the fieldwork supervisor, in discussion with the student. If there are any reasons to suggest that a student may fail, these should be notified to the University tutor as soon as possible so that shortcomings might be addressed. It is obviously extremely important that there is common understanding of the placement expectations and these should be carefully considered in formulating the contract and subsequent assessment. At the end of the placement the fieldwork supervisor, in discussion with the student, undertakes a review and makes a final report which should be forwarded to the placement unit.

4.5 Processes and procedures

In order to ensure that there is a measure of consistency and coherence across the placement experience and the student cohort, we have devised a general process for selecting, matching and assessing placements.

1. Placement agency profiles of potential fieldwork placement opportunities are processed by the Placement Unit and offers of placement sought.

2. Tutor, student and Placement Unit work together to match up individual learning needs with fieldwork practice offers received. Initial contact is generally made by the placement unit or the student’s university tutor. Preliminary visits are arranged by the student and agency.

3. Students make an initial visit to the agency to discuss their learning needs and interests and check that these match with the available learning opportunities.

4. If agreement is reached, the student will notify the Placement Unit and the tutor that they are satisfied with the visit and wishes a placement to be set up. The Placement Unit confirms with the fieldwork supervisor that they are happy to host the student and then confirm the exact placement dates and forwards the paperwork associated with the placement. If agreement is not reached, the process outlined will continue.

5. After the induction period, when the student has greater knowledge of both the requirements of the placement and the supervisor has greater knowledge of the student, the Placement Contract should be negotiated between the student and the placement supervisor (task 2) by 1 February. On completion, it should be sent to the Placement Unit so that the tutor can refer to it at the mid-placement review.

6. The University is now required to monitor students’ hours whilst on placement. Please complete the Placement Hours Log (task 7) at the times specified and return it to Jo Laing ([email protected])

7. About mid-way through the placement, a review session is held at the University for all supervisors and students in order to review the student’s progress and to assist students in making connections between the practice experience and the taught curriculum. The mid placement report form is submitted a week after the review session.

8. At the end of the placement the fieldwork supervisor, in discussion with the student, undertakes a review and makes a final report (task 8) which should be forwarded to Jo Laing ([email protected]) at the placement unit.Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

5. Frequently Asked Questions

How many hours should a student spend on placement per week?

During the part-time placement period the student will be working 12 hours per week however during the block placement period the student is expected to work within the normal working practices of the placement agency. So, if 35 hours is the norm for a full-time staff member in the agency then the student should be expected to contribute a similar number of hours. Of course there may need to be some flexibility but, in general, the expectation is that the student is treated as the equivalent of a full-time member of professional staff. Students are generally required to complete 120 hours during the part-time period and 240 hours during the block placement period.

How much study time should students expect to have? Notwithstanding the response to the previous question, it is important to remember that these are students on placement and we expect them to keep in touch with their studies. The students will be attending University classes throughout the placement period and will have essays and other assessments to overtake. Like all of us they need to learn to manage their time and to create the right kind of balance between the competing demands of work, home, university, life etc. The time that they are on placement should be dedicated to their placement work, which includes completion of the placement tasks. Equally the time they spend in university should also be committed time. The two should not necessarily impinge on each other so they should not require time off placement to do university work and vice versa. They will need time to read and to think about placement as well as reflecting on practice through analytical recordings, and time to prepare for supervision, mid-placement review and so on. Again, everything is negotiable, but one to two hours per-week is more than adequate. It is good for them to develop good habits in terms of taking time for reflection as long as it is kept in proportion.



What if students need to take time off for illness or other reasons? If the student has to take days off for any reason, including illness, this should be communicated immediately to the programme secretary, the placement unit and the placement agency. Either the student or the agency should ensure this happens. Placement is a relatively short period of time and absences of a few days can have a detrimental effect on placement work. If the absence is short then time can be made up elsewhere, but if it is more than a few days some other forms of compensation may be required. What kind of things should we cover in supervision? Everyone has their own ideas about structure and content as far as supervision goes so this is entirely up to you. However, we may be able to point to some experiences of supervision which both students and supervisors have found helpful in the past. We encourage students to develop the skills of the critical and reflective practitioner and they have been introduced to the idea of recording. This has been done by keeping a diary of work which is filled in after significant work sessions, especially with groups, where the student may use an informal narrative style, a formal analytical/critical framework or a simple ‘when, who, where, what, why?’ structure. If you would like some advice on appropriate recording tools, don’t hesitate to contact us. Recordings can be given to the supervisor in advance of the supervision meeting to help them to consider what questions might be raised. The students need to be encouraged to continue to engage with reading both in terms of academic texts and the policy arena. Some supervisors find it helpful to share some reading and then discuss it at the meeting. Students can be asked to share some reading they have found particularly stimulating. The contract can be used as an on-going reference point to check progress and it is important to monitor the aims and objectives set by students at the start of the placement. How much priority should be given to external demands? There are a couple of factors that are worth noting here. First, many community education students have come to study later in life and have family and other commitments which have to be taken into consideration. Second, the nature of student finances are such that many students have to work to keep solvent, sometimes holding down substantial contracts during their period of study. They should have made clear during the pre-placement period the nature and scale of their commitments in order to allow the placement to consider whether these can be accommodated. We stress to the students that their priority must be the placement and we encourage them to put appropriate arrangements in place well in advance of the placement period in order to ensure that there is no clash of loyalties. However, circumstances can change unexpectedly and in these cases some adjustment may need to be made but we stress again the students should make the successful completion of the placement their priority. If there is any doubt about what is legitimate or feasible, you should contact the tutor. How should I judge whether a student should be given a pass or a fail? Again there are no hard and fast rules about this but there are a few notes for guidance that we might offer. There is a triangulation of judgements at work in the process of deciding on a pass or a fail. First, there is the supervisor’s overall

assessment - based on their own professional experience. Remember that students aren’t expected to be the finished article; they are mostly only embarking on their professional career. You make the judgement about their potential to become competent, critical and professional in their future careers. Second, there is the SCCLDS framework which simply helps you consider how the student is progressing in relation to a range of areas of work. Third, you are asked to assess the quality of the student’s engagement during the placement and we have drawn up a list of areas that we think you should consider. These three aspects should combine to help you come to your conclusion but if you are still having doubts please give the appropriate university tutor a call. What if things start to go wrong? Most placements proceed without any real difficulties, but a few present problems for both students and supervisors. Most issues can be sorted out in the process of supervision but sometimes this proves impossible. If you are having any difficulties that you think are beyond a straightforward resolution please contact the university placement tutor or the programme director as soon as you sense that things are moving beyond the bounds of the straightforward and we will intervene in an appropriate manner. Any possibility of failure should be signalled by the supervisor as soon as possible. The mid-placement review provides an opportunity for problems to be raised and discussed by student, supervisor and placement tutor.

PLACEMENT TASKS

Pre-Placement (tasks to be undertaken in Semester 1 and during/alongside part-time hours in Semester 2)

Task 1: Self-Assessment

Self-assessment task.

Student C.V.

Task 2: Placement Contract

Pre-Placement meetings between supervisor and students looking at needs and how they might be met.

Placement Contract to be negotiated and completed, tasks and activities agreed.

During Placement (tasks to be undertaken during 7 week block placement)

Task 3: Contacts established

Meetings and visits with colleagues and other contacts as required for agreed programme of work.

Task 4: Approaches to Practice

Select 1 or 2 readings for discussion with your supervisor

Task 5: Explore and apply informal learning processes

Individuals and groups engaged in a variety of situations

Co-work on particular pieces(s) of work

Responsibility taken for 1 or 2 activities (eg. educational sessions, local meetings, a residential weekend) with specified objectives evaluated in supervision

Task 5: Demonstrate learning from reflecting on practice

Weekly supervision sessions held

Week to week objectives set

Analytical recordings posted on pebble pad and shared with placement supervisor, joint agendas for supervision prepared

Informal educational practice observed and discussed with (a range of) practitioners

Reflective Summary

SCCLD Competence Framework – Self Assessment of Development Needs & CV

The Standards Council for Community Learning and Development have drawn-up the following competence framework as standards for competent practice. Your task is to consider the competencies in relation to your previous experience. As a second year student you are not expected to demonstrate full competence in any of these areas but you do need to understand what will be expected of you.

Read through the material below and consider what you already know and understand, what you already know how to do and have experience of, and what you recognise as an area of skill, experience or knowledge that is something you have yet to begin developing.

Know and understand the community in which we work

Purpose: so that practitioners can work with individuals and communities to identify and plan action based on knowledge of some of the internal and external influences at work. Context: understanding the context within which our work takes place will be based upon our knowledge of social, political and wider environmental influences on communities. Competent CLD practitioners are aware of the relevant global and local factors that impact on the community with which they work. As a competent practitioner with an understanding of the community/ environment in which you work, you will be able to demonstrate that you can:

conduct an external community/ environment assessment, considering the political, economic and social context of the community;

investigate internal views and information relating to the area within which you work;

critically analyse internal and external factors impacting on individuals and communities;

identify needs, assets and opportunities using relevant information and evidence;

involve other stakeholders in identifying and agreeing needs and local priorities;

evidence an awareness of challenges relating to barriers to participation within the local community/environment;

ascertain conflicting needs and demands.

Build and maintain relationships with individuals and groups

Purpose: so that people’s ability and opportunities to work together are enhanced. Context: CLD is built upon the interactions between people, be these community members, activists or those working with organisations offering support. These relationships provide the basis to support learning and engage people in action to support change within their communities. As a competent practitioner able to build and maintain relationships with individuals and groups you will be able to demonstrate that you can:

seek out and engage with individuals, groups and communities;

practise in different roles, such as facilitating, supporting, leading, advocating, that are appropriate to the work in which you are involved;

use informal dialogue in individual relationships and within groups;

handle challenges and opportunities constructively;

understand and deal with the underlying dynamics at work within relationships and groups;

work towards the resolution of conflict;

recognise the power dynamic and action needed to equalise power relationships in decision making;

facilitate endings for individual and group relationships where appropriate.

Provide learning and development opportunities in a range of contexts

Purpose: so that people can identify and achieve their individual and collective goals. Context: CLD is based on providing learning and development opportunities that are accessible and responsive to individual and community priorities. These opportunities create personal and community benefits such as improving self- confidence and skills and enhancing employment opportunities, as well as supporting health and well-being, community regeneration and individual and community activity. As a competent practitioner able to provide learning and development opportunities in a range of contexts you will be able to demonstrate that you can:

provide education and development opportunities that are developed in dialogue with individuals and communities;

generate learning opportunities that will stimulate personal and community change;

tackle barriers to participation;

develop, design and deliver learner-centred programmes;

take advantage of learning and development opportunities in everyday situations;

use appropriate methods and techniques;

support progression and transition;

use appropriately targeted methods to promote learning and development

opportunities.

Facilitate and promote community empowerment

Purpose: so that people can take individual and collective action to bring about change. Context: CLD practice is built on critical analysis of internal and external factors that influence individual and community priorities and has a distinctive role in working with people to take action to identify and influence decisions that impact on the quality of individual and community life. As a competent practitioner able to facilitate and promote community empowerment you will be able to demonstrate that you can support individuals, groups and communities to:

analyse and understand power dynamics and decision-making processes;

use community action as a means to achieve change;

be inclusive and involve the wider community;

interact within and across communities;

participate in decision-making structures and processes;

campaign for change;

identify and manage community assets.

Organise and manage resources

Purpose: so that individuals, communities and organisations can achieve effective management of community assets and resources, services and organisations. Context: CLD practitioners need to understand the culture of organisations, the responsibilities of those involved and how organisation and management styles, practices and governance relate to sustainable organisations. As a competent practitioner with an understanding of planning, organising and managing resources you will be able to demonstrate that you can:

develop and plan programmes and project activities;

manage and monitor programmes and project activities;

promote and manage a culture based on equality;

organise, deploy and monitor resources effectively;

recruit, manage and support people (staff, volunteers);

identify and access funding/ resources;

understand and manage risk;

interpret and apply relevant legislation (e.g. equalities, Child Protection,

Health and Safety).

Develop and support collaborative working

Purpose: so that people can enhance decision making and collaborative activities that impact on the quality of life of individuals and communities. Context: CLD practitioners need to understand, recognise and value the benefits of collaboration and build appropriate and effective alliances, networks and other forms of working together.

As a competent practitioner able to develop and support collaborative working you will be able to demonstrate that you can:

develop and support collaborative working within your own organisation;

initiate collaborative working with relevant organisations;

participate in partnership and collaborative working;

support community participation in partnership and collaborative working;

clarify and articulate the role of your own organisation and that of others;

negotiate and agree roles in collaborative and joint work, taking a leadership

role where appropriate;

identify, put in place or provide appropriate training and development opportunities for collaborative working;

challenge and be challenged on issues undermining effective partnership

working being aware of tensions and conflicts;

manage the ending of collaborative and joint relationships.

Evaluate and inform practice

Purpose: so that robust evidence can sustain, inform, influence and change policy and practice. Context: Competent CLD practitioners require to build evidence-based practice based on an appreciation of the value of research and evaluation. They need a knowledge of the methods and techniques commonly used and an understanding of the current issues and challenges in evaluation, quality assurance and performance measurement in CLD. As a competent practitioner with an ability to evaluate and inform practice you will be able to demonstrate that you can:

understand the differences between research, evaluation and associated concepts;

employ appropriate tools, frameworks and methodologies in the evaluation of practice;

draw on evaluation findings to inform your own practice;

use participative evaluative processes;

promote and support community led research and evaluation;

analyse policy, research and evaluation evidence;

learn from other perspectives and challenge your own assumptions;

interpret and use evidence related to outcomes and impact;

present evidence to a range of audiences using appropriate tools and technologies.

Task 1: SCCLD Competence Framework – Self Assessment & CV Based on competences listed above, say something about your previous experience in relation to the following categories and the areas where you may need experiences to develop your knowledge understanding and practise of the area of work. Please refer to Appendix 1 for guidance on the competence framework.

Know and understand the community in which we work Previous Experience: Development needs:

Build and maintain relationships with individuals and groups Previous Experience: Development needs:

Provide learning and development opportunities in a range of contexts Previous Experience: Development needs:

Facilitate and promote community empowerment Previous Experience: Development needs:

Organise and manage resources Previous Experience: Development needs:

Develop and support collaborative working Previous Experience: Development needs:

Evaluate and inform practice Previous Experience: Development needs:

Student CV

Personal Details Name: Placement Tutor: Address while on placement: Tel No: Mobile: Email:

Education Start and end date: School or College: Qualifications: Start and end date: School or College: Qualifications: Start and end date: School or College: Qualification:

Previous CE Employment Name of Employer: Start and end date: Responsibilities: Name of Employer: Start and end date: Responsibilities: Name of Employer: Start and end date: Responsibilities:

Previous CE Placements Placement Agency Host: Responsibilities: Learning Outcomes:

CPD Training Courses: Title of Course:

Dates: Learning Outcomes: Title of Course: Dates: Learning Outcomes: Title of Course: Dates: Learning Outcomes:

Hobbies and Interests:

Responsibilities: (e.g. Care, Work, Commitments etc.)

Task 2 Fieldwork Placement Contract

BA Community Education Year 2 Professional Practice Placement

Placement Agency: Placement Supervisor: Address: Tel No: Email:

Student: Address: Tel No: Email:

Placement Tutor: Address: Tel No: Email:

Placement Induction: Please outline the planned induction activities:

Supervision Arrangements: Please outline the planned supervision arrangements e.g. regularity, dates and times:

Student Professional Learning Requirements: (Refer to the learning needs identified in their Professional Learning Profile appendix 3.)








Placement Work Programme: Outline the key areas of work that the student will undertake

and how these will address the learning requirements listed above.

Supervisor’s signature Date Student’s signature Date Tutor’s signature Date Please return this form to Jo Laing in the Placement Unit, [email protected], by Friday 1 February 2019


TASK 3: Establishing Professional Contacts

Who are the key people you will need to establish working relationships with? They might be community activists, particular groups of young people or adults you will be spending time working alongside, fellow professionals from different agencies and professional disciplines, elected representatives and so on.

Who? (Person’s name, roles, contact details)

Why? Explain why this person or group will be important for your placement.

You should discuss this task with your supervisor during your part-time placement in Semester 2. It may be useful to think of this as a ‘work in progress’ rather than as something you can simply complete in a single session.

Begin Posts on Learn from January 2019

TASK 4: APPROACHES TO PRACTICE

In this task you are to identify and use key concepts to analyse and provide an account of practice in different settings.

During the placement you should identify a short passage which is helping you to think about an aspect of the placement and your work from one reading in each of the following courses:

Course Reading

Introduction to Community Education

Community Education Theory, Policy and Politics

Concepts and Controversies in Community Education

Research in Community Settings

Select one or two readings for discussion with your supervisor. Please provide a copy of the reading for your supervisor in advance of your discussion, and discuss the reading from one course in one supervision session. The following questions provide a framework for that conversation:

What bearing does the reading have on your work in the placement?

How does the reading inform your understanding of the work of the agency?

How does the reading inform your understanding of community education practice in general?

Is there a fit or a contradiction between practice and the reading?

How do these readings help you to think about the research aspect of your placement?

What issues and questions are raised by the reading?

Post ideas for discussion with supervisor on Learn by February 22 2019

TASK 5: EXPLORE AND APPLY INFORMAL LEARNING PROCESSES

STUDENT RECORDINGS

The suggestions below have been informed by the work of Jason Wood whose advice about student recordings can be found in full at:

http://youthworkcentral.tripod.com/recordings.htm

Introduction

Recordings are about reflection and analysis and can provide evidence of your learning and experiences on placement. They can also help you to make links between the university curriculum and the practice situation. They can provide a good basis for discussion in supervision sessions. Here are some headings that you might find useful:

Situation

Make notes about the date and time, and the number of workers and users or participants involved.

Aims

Summarise any aims for the session, event, or happening.

Description

A short and straightforward record of ‘the observed facts’ - what happened in terms of what, when who and where.

Analysis

Comment on an incident or sequence of events from ‘the facts’. Draw attention to how people interact, how group dynamics and roles are significant. Relate what you have observed to theory, i.e. authors, concepts, frameworks, course materials. You may also want to say something about your own reactions in terms of thoughts and feelings

Reflection

Summarise your learning. You may think, for example, about when you:

Had to make an important decision

Discovered something new about yourself

Felt that you had done something well

Made a significant mistake

Had a serious disagreement or clash with someone

Had a problem you needed support to handle

Could not find support when you thought you needed it

Start reflective blog including digital artefacts such as posters, photos etc. on Learn from January 2019

Learning and future actions

Summarise your learning and relate the summary to your learning objectives for the placement. Note any future actions that you intend to take, or further information that you need, and whether you think you need further guidance and supervision.

Record the dates and times of your weekly supervision sessions:

Select and describe a couple of examples of the objectives that you set following a supervision session:

Provide an example of a recording that you used in supervision

Provide an example of informal educational practice that you observed and discussed with one or more practitioners:

Try to summarise, in 5 or 6 paragraphs, how you have integrated learning from the taught and practice elements in your programme so far

Post on Learn by May 17 2019

Task 6 Mid-Placement Report Form

BA Community Education Year 2 Professional Practice Placement

Student: Supervisor: Agency: University Tutor:

Key Competence

Student Progress

(please mark the relevant answer in

bold)

Comments/Action


Objective Achieved On track Limited Progress No Progress







Key Competence

Student Progress

(please mark the relevant answer in

bold)

Comments/Action







Overall assessment by the placement supervisor of the student’s progress to date:

Please mark in bold the statement that applies to your student’s progress: The student is on track to meet their learning objectives The student has made limited progress but should still meet their learning objectives by the end of the placement period Insufficient progress has been made and the student is unlikely to meet their Learning objectives

Please return this form to Jo Laing in the Placement Unit, [email protected], by 18 April 2019


Task 7 BA Community Education Year 2 (Professional practice 1) Record of attendance log Student to complete each week in consultation with the supervisor and return at the end of part –time week 5 and the end of part-time week 10. The block placement record of attendance must be emailed by the student, with a copy to the supervisor, after week 3 and at the end of placement to [email protected] Student Name: Supervisor:

Part time Placement Hours Completed Agreed by Supervisor Signature/Initial

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Total Part-time Hours

Block Placement Hours Completed Agreed by Supervisor Signature/Initial

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Total Hours Completed

Students must notify the placement agency, their university tutor, the placement administrator and the programme secretary if they will be absent from placement.


Task 8

Fieldwork Placement: Final Review BA Community Education Year 2 Professional Practice Placement

(To be completed by the supervisor at the end of the placement. Please comment on the student’s practice in relation to the following headings. These are drawn from the SCCLD competences, see appendix 1. Please keep in mind the stage the student is at.)

Student: Supervisor: Agency:

Know and understand the community in which we work What evidence have you seen regarding the student’s competence in relation to this aspect of practice?

What does the student need to work on in the future in relation to this?

Build and maintain relationships with individuals and groups What evidence have you seen regarding the student’s competence in relation to this aspect of practice?


Provide learning and development opportunities in a range of contexts What evidence have you seen regarding the student’s competence in relation to this aspect of practice?


Facilitate and promote community empowerment What evidence have you seen regarding the student’s competence in relation to this aspect of practice?


Organise and manage resources What evidence have you seen regarding the student’s competence in relation to this aspect of practice?


Develop and support collaborative working What evidence have you seen regarding the student’s competence in relation to this aspect of practice?


Evaluate and inform practice What evidence have you seen regarding the student’s competence in relation to this aspect of practice?


Supervisor’s general comments about the placement: (Please comment on: the student’s overall sense of competence and professionalism; their broad knowledge of the field of practice including the policy arena; their ability to work as part of a team; their continuing professional development, what they should consider in future)

Student’s general comments about the placement: (Please comment on: the main points of learning you will take away from this experience; the supervisory relationship; your overall sense of competence at the end of the placement and the challenges that lie ahead in your continuing professional development.)

Overall assessment of student performance: PASS or FAIL (please delete as appropriate) Signature of Fieldwork Supervisor: Date: Signature of Student: Date: Please return to the Placement Unit, [email protected] , by Friday 24 May 2019


BA Year 2 Community Education Professional Practice 1 ... · Guidelines for Students and Supervisors 2018/19 Welcome Welcome to the 2018/19 Professional Practice 1 Handbook. It is

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