Reports

Our aim was to consider new opportunities for inter-professional learning within a range of existing and new service settings and explore the possibilities for a shared approach to the assessment of social work students in these placements. We have done this by placing one cohort (8) of Fast-track Direct Practice 1. (D.P.1.) Diploma in Social Work (Dip.S.W.) students in a range of placements provided by Quarriers.

This evaluation examines the processes involved in establishing the provision of a range of innovative opportunities for interprofessional learning. The report also evaluates the experience of students who have completed interprofessional practice placements on two demonstration projects. The pilot projects operated from October 2004 until March 2005 and the demonstration projects operated from February to June 2005.

Between November 2003 and July 2005, the Scottish Institute for Excellence in Social Work Education commissioned The Universities of Edinburgh, Dundee and The Robert Gordon University to undertake a study of Learning for Effective and Ethical Practice (LEEP), the main purpose of which was as follows: To improve radically the quality, quantity, range, relevance, inter-professionality and management of practice learning opportunities for the new social work honours degree.

The overall aim of the Integrated Assessment Project was to develop innovative flexible and aligned assessment methods to promote deep learning for ethical and effective practice. It comprised of three discrete projects with the following key objectives:

• Project 3.1 New Methods of Assessment
• Project 3.2 Shared Assessment
• Project 3.3. Involvement of Users and Carers

Prior to the implementation of the Project's Demonstration Model, the key themes highlighted by the Practice Audit and Literature Review were used to design two pilot projects, which were run in Local Authority Social Work settings between February and May 2004 (Bruce, 2004). One pilot project was based in Aberdeen City Council's Criminal Justice Service, and another pilot project in Children's Services, Aberdeenshire Council.

Evaluation of a novel method of supporting the integration of learning for practice in Social Work settings: the Academic Advisor role. This evaluation examines the process and workings of a new approach to the integration of learning and practice, namely the introduction of Academic Advisors to practice learning settings in Edinburgh, Midlothian and Glasgow.

An evaluation of critical incident analysis used as a method of assessment in the context of social work education.

Report illustrating what happened during the conferences and highlighting the key messages that service users and carers conveyed. At the end of the report there follows a proposal linked to these key messages indicating how stronger service and carer involvement might be achieved within social work education across Scotland.

Shared educational experiences between professionals is seen as one way of improving joint working once students qualify in their respective professions. The aim of this shared assessment project is to explore and document the ways in which professionals from disciplines other than social work can contribute to the performance assessment of social work students and conversely where they are less able to do so.

This review seeks to identify the key themes informing the task of equipping social workers to work in a multidisciplinary context (SSSC 2003). The review considers how policy imperatives for organisational change have reinforced new budgetary, managerial and operational relationships across the professions.