University of Stirling

Dr Ruth Emond and Dr Samantha Punch speak about a research project that they were involved in around food practices in residential children's homes. The significance of food to both children and the adults in the home is discussed. The project involved a research fellow living alongside the children and the staff for just under a year. It also involved individual interviews and focus groups with children and staff.

Kay Goodall, from the School of Law at the University of Stirling talking about research she is currently undertaking about sectarianism, racism and 'hate' crime.

Dr Niall Hamilton-Smith of the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research and Dr David McArdle of the Stirling Law School discuss football related violence and disorder in Scotland, with particular reference to the use and efficacy of banning orders.

This recording is part of a 'discussion series' which aims to encourage and capture discussion and debate, and to share academic thinking and research findings as widely as possible.

In this clip, Bill Munro, lecturer at the University of Stirling, talks about issues around criminal justice and utopia. He is currently exploring these ideas with Margaret Malloch (also from the University of Stirling), and they are in the process of developing some of their thoughts into a book proposal.

Three demonstration projects were initially planned to cover assessment of performance of social work students within three distinct aspects of the social work degree: readiness to practice, academic based coursework and practice learning. The University based coursework project did not proceed. However, as noted above, this area was covered in more detail in the literature. The two demonstrations that ran addressed areas where little appears to have been tested.

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.

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 report describes an audit of current, recent and planned arrangements for enhancing the contribution of service users, carers and employers in the learning and assessment of social work students in Scotland.