MSc Interprofessional Practice and Post Qualifying Framework for Social Work

Specialist Level: Working with Children, Young People, their Families and Carers

30 CATS points

In this module, students will explore the spectrum of issues that might influence the development and well-being of children and young people including those with additional and complex needs. Learning will be set against the changing context of professional practice with children and families, including the challenges posed by developing effective inter-professional working. The Unit will be underpinned by the requirements of the Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the Children’s Workforce.

Throughout, students will be expected to demonstrate a good understanding of the perspectives of children, young people and their families and carers, and the importance of promoting service user participation.

As part of this specialist unit students will be expected to develop and evidence higher levels of skills, knowledge and critical reflection to achieve ‘competence in depth’. This module includes an element of assessed practice.

Key themes are:

• Partnerships with children, young people, their families and carers
• Assessment of additional and complex needs, including risk and safeguarding
• The developmental needs of children and young people and parenting
• Inter-professional working
• Interventions and successful outcomes.

The module will be taken on a part-time basis across two terms commencing in January.

There are two pieces of assessment to be completed: an in-depth study of a specialist area of the student’s choice and an analysis of practice.

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Specialist Level: Working with Adults

30 CATS points

Within this module the emphasis will be on integrated learning and development which will equip participants to work in multi agency, inter professional environments. Whilst issues relating to children and mental health will be considered and incorporated, the focus will be on generic adult care. The programme will have a values led stance which will incorporate a critical consideration of the social model of disability, and the application of appropriate professional and framework standards. Service users and carers will be involved throughout in the design, delivery, assessment and evaluation of the programme. Assessment will be based on the completion of a range of individual and group tasks. This module includes an element of assessed practice.

Key themes are:

• Legislation, social policy & social welfare relevant to adult care
• Adulthood, human development & transition
• Communication & engagement
• Assessment, independence, risk, vulnerability and protection.

Time requirements: This module takes 2 terms to complete. Students will be expected to attend 6 days at university. It is recommended to employers that they allow a minimum of four additional days of study leave.

Best Interest Assessor Training Programme
15 CATS points

The Best Interest Assessor (BIA) training can be undertaken by registered practitioners from the following professional groups who have 2 years post qualifying experience:

• Social Work
• Nursing
• Occupational Therapy
• Chartered Psychology.

The programme will enable students to demonstrate the key competencies required by new legislation:

• An applied knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and related Code of Practice
• The ability to keep appropriate records and to provide clear and reasoned reports in accordance with legal requirements and good practice
• The skills necessary to obtain, evaluate and analyse complex evidence and differing views and to weigh them appropriately in decision making.

In addition we will develop the following

An applied knowledge of the Mental Health Act 2007 and the related Code of Practice.

A working knowledge of the MCA DOLS ( Mental Capacity Act Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards) and the related Code of Practice.

The programme will be delivered over five days of attendance; candidates will then be expected to complete a range of assessment tasks in order to demonstrate the required areas of knowledge and competence. The delivery pattern will be of one or two days per week for three weeks with a further follow- up day after several weeks, which will include some written assessments.

Upon successful completion of the programme candidates will gain 15 Masters level credits.

We anticipate holding this course at both the Hull and Lincoln campuses, and also at other venues by arrangement. Please contact Jim Rogers (jrogers@lincoln.ac.uk) if you would like to host a course or if you have any queries about the programme at this stage.

The cost for the programmes is just £500 per person, including all programme materials, amenities and the following key texts:

1. The Social Workers Guide to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 by R Brown and P Barber
2. Legal Aspects of Mental Capacity by B Dimond
3. Blackstones guide to The Mental Health Act 2007 by P Bowen.

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Specialist Level: The Postgraduate Diploma in Interprofessional Practice (Leadership and Management)

180 CATS Points

The Postgraduate Diploma in Interprofessional Practice aims to provide an educational programme to consolidate, extend and enhance effective professional knowledge, skills and practice to achieve ‘competence in depth’ in professional practice and in a specialist area of practice. The specialist focus of the pathway outlined in this document is in practice in Leadership and Management in Education, Health and Social Care.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Interprofessional Practice is distinctive in that it has been developed as a partnership between employers and other relevant stakeholders (including service users and carers) to meet the needs of employers and professionals working in the ‘care’ sector.

It is a part-time, modular, work-based programme offering social workers and other professionals working in relevant care settings the opportunity to study for an award whilst continuing to work in practice. The programme has been developed to be relevant to all professionals working with service users and carers in social care related professions and settings, for example those working with service users and carers in a variety of professional contexts, including Health, Education and Social Housing in the statutory, voluntary and independent sectors. Students undertaking these pathways of learning will be experienced professionals working in relevant care related settings.

A key feature of these awards is drawing on and critically analysing and reflecting on their practice within their learning and within assessment events. Modules will be delivered on a flexible basis, which acknowledges the competing demands of professional and personal lives.

Consequently there will be a mixture of teaching involving university attendance, action learning sets, individual tutorials and independent study.

Every student will have a university based tutor. In addition agencies will be expected to identify work-based mentors to work with the student and university tutor in supporting and developing the student’s knowledge, skills and practice.

The intention is to enable professionals to develop their abilities to work competently and creatively in complex situations and in uncertain and changing environments, taking responsibility for their professional practice, in meeting the challenges and opportunities that arise through working in the social work arena.

The programme is intended to be a modular, part-time work-based programme therefore allowing for flexibility in delivery and in meeting the needs of students who are working in practice. Critically it supports the application and transfer of and assimilation of learning into practice as a key element of the programme.

The core modules (mandatory) for all professionals undertaking this pathway:

• The Self as Manager (15 M level credits)
• Managing Change (15 M level credits)
• Service Improvement Project (15 M level credits)
• Leadership in Multi-Agency Settings (15 M level credits).

Students may also undertake the following modules, which are specific to this pathway:

• Supervision in Professional Practice (15 M level credits)
• Effective team Leadership (15 M level credits)
• Applied Professional Research Methods (15 M level credits)
• Evidencing Professional Learning (15 M level credits).

or any additional modules up to a total of 60 M level credit points, which are part of the Postgraduate Interprofessional Practice Award pathways described above.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Interprofessional Practice (Leadership and Management) adopts the University’s standard model for a 120 credit points, taught postgraduate programme.

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Specialist Level: Enabling Others in Professional Practice

30 CATS Points

This module can be undertaken either as part of the PQ/MSc framework, or as a stand-alone module.

The overall aim of this module is to equip students with the necessary skills, values and knowledge to enable them to become effective Practice Assessors, who support, supervise and assess a student learning in practice; for example: a social work student undertaking a placement in practice as part of their qualification programme.

Through undertaking the programme appropriately qualified and experienced practitioners will develop and demonstrate their competence as high quality Practice Assessors. An adult learning approach encourages you to engage in reflection, critical enquiry and debate in a climate of mutual respect. The programme will demonstrate, both in content and process, that difference and diversity are valued and that we encourage creativity as well as competence in practice assessing. You will be expected to develop your understanding of the structures of oppression whilst developing skills in promoting and teaching anti-oppressive practice. You will also be expected to base your work on the principles of adult learning. The teaching programme, with its combination of group learning, self-directed study, direct teaching, learning in practice, assessment and individual consultation, will both promote and model these two key themes.

The module will focus on a number of themes including:

• The development, organisation and appraisal of opportunities for the demonstration of assessed competence in practice
• Examination of the methodologies and techniques that enable learning and professional development in practice
• Development of a systematic and informed understanding of the processes of managing assessment of learners in practice.

Time requirements: This module takes two terms to complete. Students will be expected to attend 5 days at University (2 days + 1 day + 2 days). It is recommended to employers that they allow at least 3 additional days of study leave.

Students must have a social work student on placement with them during this programme and need to discuss this with their training section.

Students will be able to enrol for a full Masters; Postgraduate Certificate and/ or Postgraduate Diploma. If you have a relevant social work qualification you will also be awarded the PQ Social Work Certificate or Diploma.

There are four main stages in the Programme:

Stage One

This forms the first stage of each Specialist Programme acting as a consolidation/foundation module and is a pre-requisite for progression onto Stage Two.

This unit is generically taught and focuses on each student’s own post-qualifying experience. Current experience shows that professionals benefit from review and consolidation of learning and professional development before moving on to the specialist routes. This provides all students embarking on this programme with a re-introduction to academic discourses, study and writing and to the learning support facilities that the university offers.

Please note: This module is taught at undergraduate Level 6. Students on the Leadership and Management Pathway don’t take this module.

Stage Two

This is the stage at which students enter their chosen ‘Specialist Pathway’ and is the specialist level of the PQ Social Work Framework.

Students embark on the postgraduate/Msc. Level of the programme here. In order to achieve a Postgraduate Certificate in Interprofessional Practice students must undertake their ‘Specialist’ practice module and ‘Enabling Others’ (each 60 Cats points).

On completion of this level, students who have registered for a PQ Award may also achieve the PQ Certificate in Social Work.

Stage Three

This is the Postgraduate Diploma stage Higher Specialist Level and the higher specialist level of the PQ social work framework.
Students can choose to remain in their ‘specialism’ at this level, or can choose to study specific approved modules within other pathways. Students will discuss their requirements with their academic tutor at the university.

In order to achieve a postgraduate Diploma in Interprofessional Practice, students must undertake study which is equivalent to a further 60 M level credits or 120 credits, if undertaking the Leadership & Development Pathway.

Stage Four: Masters Level

Stage Four requires submission of a piece of research, related to the area of specialism and the workplace setting.

In order to achieve a Masters in Interprofessional Practice students must undertake study which is equivalent to 180 M level credits. Students will bring 120 credits from Stages Two and Three of the Programme and have 60 credits to gain from this level.

Top-up Degree

We also offer an opportunity for Social Workers with a Diploma in Social Work to ‘top-up’ this award to a Degree. Students must already have a Social Work Diploma level qualification for entry. They will undertake the following modules: consolidation, both ‘specialist’ level modules and an independent project.

This is a part-time programme and students will be offered a variety of different learning activities to support development of theory, knowledge and research and the application of theory, knowledge and professional evidence into practice. All teaching is related to and supports practice and each module has a ‘practice’ element.

Attendance at the University varies according to the pathway. For example, attendance on the ‘Consolidation of Learning and Professional Practice’ , ‘Working with Children & Families’ and ‘Enabling Others in Professional Learning’ Modules all require days attendance spread over a period of time.

Modules that make up the pathway for Approved Mental Health Professionals ( AMHP) requires ‘block attendance’ for 16 weeks, which includes a 40 day placement in an approved mental health setting.

What support can I expect with my learning?

Lincoln University offers a high level of individual support to students when undertaking learning and you will be assigned an individual academic tutor who works on the Programme and will support you through the module. In addition there is support form Library and Support staff, including individual help when required.

What support can I expect from my Employer?

We have worked closely with local agencies and training departments who have assisted us with developing our programmes. There is a strong commitment from them to supporting students with study time and there is an expectation to provide students with a mentor.

What is a mentor?

All students on the Programme are expected to have an individual learning mentor identified by their agency to support them whilst on the Programme. For some modules, they may be involved in assessing a piece of practice. Mentor training is available.

The recently refurbished Derek Crothall Building in George Street, Hull, offers a unique, dedicated learning facility. Its Professional Learning Suite has open access computer facilities and its own Lecture Theatre, the city-centre site also has a well stocked dedicated Library, excellent cafeteria facilities and a great social space.

For general enquiries and application information please contact:
Brenda Rees: Admissions Administrator
Hull School of Health & Social Care
Hull Campus
University of Lincoln
George Street
Hull
HU1 3BW
Telephone: 01482 311374
Email: brees@lincoln.ac.uk 

For specific questions or advice on the Programme please contact:
Heather Flynn: Programme Co-ordinator and Admissions Tutor
Hull School of Health & Social Care
Hull Campus
University of Lincoln
George Street
Hull
HU1 3BW
Telephone: 01482 311374
Email: hflynn@lincoln.ac.uk