Disabilty Discrimination Act: Implications for Practice Placements

Group Discussion

Group 4

Establishing the Teaching and Learning Process

Agency planning and support, matching and selecting specific placements

• issues about how information is managed and communicated to key personnel
  

• managing opportunities for prioritising placement arrangements for students with disabilities.
  

• are these students more likely to be late start students? - (anecdotal but could be explored). Are these students more likely to be left to last because 'difficult to place'?
  

• issues about managing funding arrangements in relation to D.S allowance (e.g. DSA not paid until university place confirmed). Need to anticipate. Often reactive responses rather than planned.
  

• questions around roles and areas of responsibility in working out what demands/challenges may be faced by all parties.
  

• student is central to the process but how can the student know what to expect?
  

• flexibility of placement arrangements recognised but the reality of achieving this is complicated in measuring the demands/contingencies of social work practice.
  

• challenging roles for all parties.
  

RECOMMENDATIONS

• identifying students at as early a stage as possible
  

  - matching first rather than in the rush of placement provision

  - use of placement swop shop
  

• creative use of opportunities for DPI.
  

• need to have more informed debate about elective modules.
  

• and process to discussion with named staff at the end of first year/placement to allow for this.
  

• tutors', agencies' and practice teachers' knowledge needs to be conveyed to students.
  

• there should be more workshops and course teaching on issues about disability - need to raise awareness, share information, knowledge and understanding with student group.
  

• legislation which empowers is crucial.
  

• selection must include consideration of placement arrangements and students' abilities if students with disabilities are to be sustained in finishing what they started.
  

Therefore

- negotiations between agencies/courses

- anticipation in exploring issues

- methods of raising awareness need to be revisited

- implications of DDAct need to be explored further with clarity

Disability Links