Concern at "disconnect" between training and social work practice

Newly qualified social workers who are already working in a team or did their placement in a team they go on to work in tend to fare much better than those taking up brand new posts, a SASW workshop at Scotland’s Social Services Expo found.

Looking at the transition from learning into the workplace, the session heard from delegates that there is sometimes a "disconnect" between the academic preparation for the post and current practice on the ground.

Examples provided by course lecturers are not always up to date or reflective of the pressures of practising in an environment in which new policies, legislation and guidance are a constant factor.

Workshop participants agreed that having mentors from outside the workplace could prove extremely helpful in making the transition into work. They also acknowledged the importance of reflective practice and good supervision, which was not hurried and allowed for discussion.

Other effective supports available to newly qualified social workers included having an agreed and structured CPD plan, taking part in one of the local practitioner forums and joining a professional association, such as SASW.

Throughout the day at Expo, SASW also organised sessions on Assessing Longitudinal Parenting Needs Versus Short Term Experiences in Kinship Care; Scottish Gypsy Travellers: The Last Bastion of Respectable Racism?; Developments in Criminal Justice; and Current Issues from Social Work Practice.