Assessment of Direct Practice Modules.

The assessment of a Direct Practice Module requires the evaluation of competence in practice. The competences set for Part 1 and Part 2 are detailed in the Direct Practice Module outline.

Assessment of competence is undertaken by the practice teacher who must submit a written report to the Route Practice Assessment Panel and the University/Consortium Programme Assessment Board.

The Consortium has identified these essential instruments of assessment for use in both Direct Practice Modules:

  1. direct observation in relation to the six core competences. Direct observation of practice must take place a minimum of three times in each assessed practice placement.
    (CCETSW, Rules and Requirements for the DipSW, Revised 1995,)

    One piece of direct observation may be carried out by a link supervisor, or be in the form of a video recording, but on at least two occasions in each assessed practice experience, the practice teacher must directly observe the student working with service users.
    (CCETSW, Rules and Requirements for the DipSW, Revised 1995,)

    One direct observation of practice should normally take place before the midpoint of each placement in order to inform judgements about student progress at that stage.
    (CCETSW, Rules and Requirements for the DipSW, Revised 1995,)

  2. samples of record keeping taken at random.
    (CCETSW, Rules and Requirements for the DipSW, Revised 1995,)

  3. reflective and analytical written and verbal material.
    This material would be brought into the supervision process and used as part of the formative and summative assessment. A reflective diary should be kept by the student for this purpose, but from the outset it requires to be made clear that access to the diary must be negotiated between student and practice teacher as part of the process of formulating the Working Agreement. If access is not to be open, then the Working Agreement should indicate what reflective and analytical written and verbal material would be brought into the supervision process. The summative assessment draws upon the reflective diary or any analytical written and verbal material brought into the supervision process.
    (CCETSW, Rules and Requirements for the DipSW, Revised 1995,)

  4. supervision sessions.

  5. student's report.
    The student's written report is required to provide evidence, drawn from their practice, of their progress towards meeting the five requirements related to DP1 or DP2 as appropriate (see Direct Practice Outcomes).

    Both the student's and practice teacher's final report from the DP1 placement will be passed to the practice teacher for DP2. The purpose of this information is to identify the opportunities for learning and demonstration of competence in DP2 to be fitted to the student's needs and interests.
    (CCETSW, Rules and Requirements for the DipSW, Revised 1995,)

©West of Scotland Consortium for Education and Training in Social Work 2001.