Valuing Freelancers: Supporting Off Site Practice Assessors to Provide Quality Practice Learning

Abstract

This study considers the conditions of service for freelance Off Site Practice Assessors and Teachers (OSPA/Ts) in England, who work with social work degree students during their practice learning experience, also known as placement. It analyses the current situation regarding the quality of practice learning opportunities in England relevant to this role and shows the findings of a small survey of freelance OSPA/Ts in the south west of England. The study identifies the issues to ensure this uniquely flexible role is robust enough to attract and retain OSPA/Ts and safeguard their continued quality.The freelance OSPA/Ts in the project identified issues with their current circumstances and considered possible solutions, including model contracts for agencies and universities working with freelance OSPA/Ts, support networks for professional and academic development, standards for determining freelance OSPA/Ts, and accessible information to facilitate self-employed working.An examination of the current systems in the UK for supporting and developing practice learning suggests that recognition of the professional value and requirement for continuing professional development for practice assessors and teachers would benefit freelance OSPA/Ts, but they require additional structures in place to challenge the isolation and insecurity of the role.

Experimenting with professional innovation through practice learning

“…One of the first problems is that social workers have a heavy workload, which is rarely reduced when they assume supervision responsibilities in addition to their other duties (Gursansky & Le Sueur, 2012). Another difficulty mentioned by Hubbard & Kitchin (2010) is that universities can take supervision for granted, and consequently -as Domakin (2015) observes -they devote little attention to interacting with the social workers who take on practice educator roles. Crisp & Hosken (2016) state that the need to increase the number of student placements has led universities to explore alternative types of field work in organizations where there are no social workers, and staff from other professions act as supervisors.…”