Stewart Collins

Mental Health Difficulties and the Support Needs of Social Work Students: Dilemmas, Tensions and Contradictions

There are a growing number of students in higher education who experience mental health difficulties and have support needs. The behaviour of small numbers of students on social work programmes indicates also a need to examine the mental health difficulties and needs of social work students. There is only limited factual information on this topic. It is rarely discussed or written about. There is a danger of discriminating against those experiencing such difficulties, especially black or female students. Yet, at the same time, undertaking a social work programme is a demanding experience, as is doing social work itself. Furthermore, on courses leading to a professional qualification, such as social work, there is an obligation to protect the rights of, and assess possible risks to users, as well as to support students. Programmes should give particular attention both to the mental health difficulties and support needs of social work students at selection, during the programme itself and upon conclusion of the programme at a wide range of levels, both within the higher education system and outside that system.

Anti-Oppressive Practice and Social Work Students' Portfolios in Scotland

Anti-oppressive practice is seen by social work educators as a key approach to social work in the UK. However, controversies exist about its use in practice. Recent literature has criticised the complexities and problematics of anti-oppressive practice. An examination is made of the content of portfolios completed by social work students undertaking a final practice learning opportunity on a post-graduate programme in Scotland. The findings indicate that students gave considerable attention to power, empowerment and partnership but there was also an apparent general acceptance of agency policies, procedures and wider structural oppression. Also some aspects of social divisions and forms of oppression such as gender, age, disability and language received considerable attention while others such as ‘race’, class, sexuality and religion received less attention. Limitations of the research are noted. Suggestions for improvement in considering anti-oppressive material include a focus on both micro and macro issues, ranging from the structure for the portfolio and the content of supervision discussions through to agency policies and procedures and the national guidelines provided to social work programmes.

Open and Distance Learning in Qualifying Social Work Education in Britain and the USA: Celebrating Diversity and Difference?

Social work educators seem to have mixed feelings about the development of open and distance learning in Britain and the USA. Open and distance learning has tended to be marginalised. It has been compared unfavourably to campus based programmes, but there has been a lack of research on this topic in the United Kingdom. However, research in the USA indicates that open and distance learning social work students have a high degree of satisfaction with teaching and learning approaches compared with those on campus based programmes, while student outcomes and level of achievement have been at least comparable to those on ‘traditional’ programmes.  Some criticisms of open and distance learning in the UK are examined. These include narrow, mass produced, ‘assembly line’, mechanistic, isolating, individualistic approaches. Advantages of open and distance learning in the UK are considered, such as well organised teaching packs, flexibility and individual choice in pace, time and place of learning with especially good learning opportunities for mature women with family commitments. Improvements are advocated, centred around developing more opportunities to rehearse and develop practice skills, encouraging more divergent, critical thinkers operating from a more pluralistic knowledge base and the empowerment of students in collectives.

Empowering social work students in the college setting

Abstract Relatively little has been written about empowering social work students, especially material which blends ideas with actual practices on the college-based part of social work programmes. The empowerment of social work students is considered within a context of the diffusion of power, discourse analysis and oppressive societal structures, such as racism. Critical perspectives on empowerment are examined. Some suggestions are made to empower social work students more effectively. These include the empowerment of social work lecturers, the empowerment of black students, the provision of more participatory, democratic course policies and practices, and the further development of empowering adult learning approaches, based upon rights and choice.

Virtual placement visits: videoconferencing and placement contacts

Abstract There has been debate about the need for social work tutors to visit practice teachers and students during placements. Pressures on social work tutors and other demands from their institutions of higher education have led to some programmes reducing the frequency of these visits, or abandoning them altogether. It is argued that tutors do have a role to play during the planning, monitoring, assessment and review stages of a placement. Videoconferenced placement contacts made at a distance offer an alternative to the traditional placement visit. Videoconferencing is defined; facilities and processes are described. The experiences of videoconferencing by tutors, and a small number of practice teachers and students on one social work course are described. Advantages and disadvantages of videoconferencing are examined. Some suggestions for developing good practice are provided, with consideration given to future use and developments in the videoconferencing field. Videoconferencing has changed from be...

Stress and social work lecturers: Dreaming spires, ivory towers or besieged in concrete blocks?

The focus of this article is upon the impact of environmental stress and demands on social work lecturers. Stress is experienced as an individual phenomenon by social work lecturers, but is considered within a structural and an institutional context. In particular, it is examined against the background of recent developments in higher education generally, such as the Higher Education Funding Council quality assessment visits and the research assessment exercise. In recent years, there have been significant alterations to the shape of social work education with the establishment of the DipSW, its modification and review, and the development of Post Qualifying Consortia. Classic features of stress have been imposed on social work lecturers particularly by their institutions and other organisations, leading to a lack of control, an imbalance of demands over resources, role overload and role conflict. These stressors impact negatively upon interpersonal relationships with colleagues and students. Some suggest...

Practice teaching: reflections, steps before reflection and some steps for the future

Abstract Much of the literature available on the topic of practice teaching in social work has focussed upon student learning patterns, feelings, behaviour and problems. Traditionally, the functions of a practice teacher have been described as assessing, managing, teaching and enabling. Enabling is a vital function which previously has received only limited attention in the literature. This article examines the attitudes and behaviour of the practice teacher in enabling and facilitating learning. Some contributions from humanistic psychology are considered and, in particular, the work of Carl Rogers and his associates. It is suggested that the Rogerian ‘core conditions’ are significant elements in the behaviour of the practice teacher, while important elements from the student perspective are seen in the significance of experience, description and responsibility.

Placement visits by tutors from college based programmes

In recent years some social work tutors have been subject to considerable criticism regarding their inability to keep pace with new developments, including anti discriminatory approaches. In the current harsh climate evident in higher education and following the development of the Dip SW, agency approval for practice teaching and accreditation of individual practice teachers, the tutors role in visiting placements has been challenged and questioned. The purpose of this article is to argue for a continuation of regular contact by the tutor with practice teacher and student during the planning, monitoring, assessment and review stages of a placement. The tutors responsibilities are highlighted, acknowledging the power base from which they and practice teachers operate. The importance of empowering both practice teachers and students is considered, while also stressing the need for tutors to maintain standards on placements and to ensure the permeation of anti-discriminatory approaches in both placement le...

Working agreements in fieldwork placements—An evaluation

ABSTRACT A brief review is made of the literature surrounding the use of contracts in social work and their adaptation into social work education in the form of Working Agreements. The operation of Working Agreements in fieldwork placements is then considered in some depth, based upon features which include differential participation, reciprocal accountability and explicitness. A variety of positive and negative aspects are identified and some limitations in the application of Working Agreements are suggested.

Welsh language developments on a social work course: The Bangor case

This article examines Welsh language developments on one social work course. It considers the progress that has been made in ensuring that social work education and training is available through the medium of Welsh and that English medium education is culturally and linguistically sensitive. Implications of legislation such as the recent Welsh Language Act are considered and CCETSW, Consortium, College and Course policies are described. An examination is made of some teaching and learning issues for monolingual and bilingual students and lecturers, which are set within the context of anti-oppressive practice.