On behalf of the Practice Learning Team at Bournemouth University (BU), we want to take an opportunity to extend our sincere thanks to all Practice Educators, Placement Supervisors and Teams who have hosted and supported students in their placements in recent months. Students are now coming to the end of their final placements and we have been hearing of some amazing experiences brought about from situations where the only option has been to adapt. This is in safe hands, if it is in the hands of the Social Work profession.
It has been a challenging time for all concerned but also an exciting opportunity to re-imagine ways of working and learning. We thank you for your patience in working with us as the situation evolved. We have been, and continue to be, immensely grateful for all your support and expertise in guiding students to manage the changes and challenges. Moreover, how creative and diverse the learning opportunities have been for students. It has been a very different time for practice education. Your role in providing learning opportunities is vital in building a strong Social Work workforce for the future. BU are pleased to be involved in the Teaching Partnership and, along with our Workforce Development partners, we hope to build on that partnership in future.
If you are interested in supporting Social Work students, we encourage you to speak with us and your Workforce Development Leads. We welcome offers to host students on first or final placement and to work with people who may not have had a student before, or who may not have hosted a student recently. It can be a really enriching and valuable experience for teams and individuals. There are so many diverse teams and roles out there, and if you think you could host a student placement we encourage your contact!
You do not have to be a qualified Practice Educator, as you can support learners as a Work-Based Supervisor. We fully support practitioners with any information they may need to know about how we work at BU and what is involved. We are also happy to help Practitioners or Managers with information on what is involved in working with students at BU, in partnership with our workforce partners. Maybe you are someone who is thinking about taking steps into supporting learners as part of your career development? Whether you are interested in becoming a Practice Educator or finding out about the role of a Work-Based Supervisor, we are interested to hear from you. If you would like more information, please feel to contact either Ros Dray, Mel Hughes or Fiona Cusack.
Thank you!
Ros Dray, Mel Hughes and Fiona Cusack
Contact details:
rosdray@bournemouth.ac.uk (Practice Lead and Unit Lead for final placements)
fcusack@bournemouth.ac.uk (Practice Learning Coordinator)
mhughes@bournemouth.ac.uk (Unit Lead for First Placement)
