Useful Web Links for Practice Teachers and Practice Educators
UK Practice Teaching and Education Organisations
The Scottish Organisation for Practice Teaching (ScOPT) www.scopt.co.uk
Welsh Organisation for Practice Teaching (WOPT) www.wopt.co.uk
National Organisation for Practice Teaching (NOPT - England) www.nopt.org
Practice Education Links/Teaching and Learning Resources
www.practicelearning.org.uk/ (this currently takes you directly to the Skills for Care Social Work page, which contains several direct links to further practice education related information sites such as LeaRNS, Practice Educator Framework, PE Pilot project information and practice placements)
Making Practice Based Learning Work - www.practicebasedlearning.org/home.htm offers a range of freely available resources for use by both students and practice educators in relation to issues such as managing a placement learning experience, communication skills, reflection and assessment.
Social Policy and Social Work Subject Centre (SWAP) – Working together with educators, practice communities, and organisations to promote and enhance the student learning experience - see website www.swap.ac.uk/ which offers a range of teaching and learning resources, some of which are available to download.
Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) An online source of good practice guidance, research and learning materials for social care and social work- see website home page www.scie.org.uk
Skills for Care (formerly Topss England) An employer led authority on the training standards and development needs of social care staff - see website home page www.skillsforcare.org . Offers access to a vast range of resources including information about the Quality Assurance Framework for Practice Learning (QAPL), LeaRNS, NQSW, PQ, Adult Social Care Workforce Strategy and information about the current (2010) Practice Educator Framework Pilot sites.
Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) for information on Workforce Development issues relating to working with children, young people and their families. www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/
Department for Education - newly formed in May 2010 replacing the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). You can access a range of statutory guidance and legislation, research and publication information from this website including publications previously produced by DfES and DCSF. www.education.gov.uk
Learn to Care (Supports Workforce Development across the Social Care Sector) – Represents people engaged in the management and implementation of staff development and training in the personal social services – see website home page www.learntocare.org.uk
Regulatory Bodies for Social Work
General Social Care Council (GSCC) www.gscc.org.uk is the Social Care Workforce regulator for England. Copies of the GSCC Codes of Practice for Social Care workers and Employers can be accessed directly from the website.
Care Council for Wales (CCW) is the Social Care Workforce regulator for Wales www.ccwales.org.uk/home . Copies of the Codes of Practice for Social Care workers and Employers can be accessed directly from the website.
Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) is the Social Care Workforce regulator for Northern Ireland www.niscc.info/ . Copies of the Codes of Practice for Social Care workers and Employers can be accessed directly from the website.
Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) is the Social Care Workforce regulator for Scotland www.sssc.uk.com/ . Copies of the Codes of Practice for Social Care workers and Employers can be accessed directly from the website.
Care Quality Commission (formerly the Healthcare Commission, Commission for Social Care Inspection and the Mental Health Act Commission) is the new combined health and (adult)social care regulator for England www.cqc.org.uk
Professional Bodies and Associations for Social Work
College of Social Work www.collegeofsocialwork.org a new organisation currently being established following the recommendations of the Social Work Task Force aiming to be an independent organisation led and run by social workers to lead the development of the profession. Currently undertaking a period of consultation (August 2010 onwards)about its purpose and functions to which all social workers are asked to contribute their views via the College of Social Work website.
British Association of Social Workers (BASW) www.basw.co.uk a well established professional association for Social Workers in the UK that has a Code of Ethics partially accessible via the website (and fully accessible to BASW members).
International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) www.ifsw.org to access the current International Definition of Social Work (currently under review in 2010) - and an International Declaration of ‘Ethics in Social Work; Statement of Principles’.