Holistic assessment against the PCF ASYE Assessment Report Template [Farida Begum] ASYE assessment report template, p.1 of 13 Part 1: You may wish to use this section for TCSW for quality assurance purposes This form is intended for electronic completion. The answer spaces will expand to accommodate text. Guidance notes on last page (Employer logo can be inserted here) Box 1: Identities NQSW Professional supervisor/assessor Farida Begum (FICTIONAL EXAMPLE) Margaret Munday Line manager (if different role to above) Agency /employer X Local Authority, Children in Need Team Date ASYE commenced 10 September 2012 Box 2: Progressive assessment (see guidance note 1a) Date Strengths and areas for development Action plans Learning agreement 20 September 2012 Farida has good knowledge of legislation and is keen to learn. She has good interpersonal skills. She needs to develop her skills in assessment and recording. She also needs to increase her knowledge of local resources and agencies. Develop skills in assessment. Develop knowledge of local resources and agencies.
[Farida Begum] ASYE assessment report template, p.2 of 13 1st review 12 December Farida has started well but 2012 there are some issues on workload management, and she also needs to continue to develop her recording and assessment skills. Develop workload management. Attend time management course. Develop recording skills. Attend course on report writing. Developing assessment skills by discussion in supervision. 2nd review 13 March 2013 Farida continues to make good progress but needs to increase her confidence in decisionmaking. She is doing quite well with her critical reflection, but now needs to explore different models. She has worked with families with older children and needs to develop work with families with young children. Increase confidence in decision-making. Discuss in supervision. Complete two casework examples in detail using critical reflection models. Take on a couple of cases with very young children. Develop communication skills, and make contact with relevant professionals and discuss roles. Final assessment 11 September 2013 Box 3: Minimum basis for robust judgements ( see guidance note 1a ) Does the evidence contain: Confirmation & examples (cross reference to box 4) Evidence of identifying and meeting learning need via: learning agreement professional supervision reviews Observations of a range of examples of practice In different settings The learning agreement was written at the beginning of the programme and has been updated at reviews. The dates of supervision and reflective supervision offered have been noted. There have been reviews held within the timescale. Three observations. Two observations were of home visits and one at a child in need meeting.
[Farida Begum] ASYE assessment report template, p.3 of 13 By different observers Over the period of the programme Final assessment recommendation made by experienced registered social worker One before 1st review by assessor. One just after 2nd review by team manager. One a month ago by assessor. Before 1st review, after 2nd review and month before final review. Yes Box 4: Summary of evidence (see guidance note 1b ) Evidence for final assessment (This is not a prescriptive list of evidence requirements and you may wish to add other examples) Please give a summary of the pieces of evidence that were used to contribute to the final assessment. Give details (dates, type, etc.) Manager report (where the assessor is not the line manager see attached template ) Learning agreement Interim review 1 Assessor is the line manager. Learning agreement. Notes from review. Interim review 2 Notes from review 2. Supervision records dates List of supervision dates attached. Direct observations dates Work products (list) As listed. Examples of case work notes, reports and assessments. Casework examples x 4. Feedback from other agencies. Feedback from colleagues. Feedback from service users. Review meetings. Extended piece of critical reflection (date/s) Other Farida has produced two pieces of critical reflection. Farida has attended all six NQSW workshops.
[Farida Begum] ASYE assessment report template, p.4 of 13 Box 5: Signatures Assessor Line manager (if different role to above) NQSW (to confirm you have received this report) Continue to part 2
[Farida Begum] ASYE assessment report template, p.5 of 13 Holistic assessment report, part 2 (see guidance note 2a) ASYE level descriptor: By the end of the ASYE social workers should have consistently demonstrated practice in a wider range of tasks and roles, and have become more effective in their interventions, thus building their own confidence, and earning the confidence of others. They will have more experience and skills in relation to a particular setting and user group, and have demonstrated ability to work effectively on more complex situations. They will seek support in supervision appropriately, whilst starting to exercise initiative and evaluate their own practice. Feedback on overall capability Building on interim reviews including the progressive assessment of the NQSW s capability please provide an overall judgment of professional capability at ASYE level, taking into account capability across all nine domains of the PCF, with reference to the level descriptor for ASYE and to the requirements for progression between levels. Link your comments to examples of the evidence presented over the course of the year. (Guideline approx. 500 words; box will expand to accommodate text.)
Feedback on overall capability [Farida Begum] ASYE assessment report template, p.6 of 13 Farida started work in the Child in Need team in September 2012 and has become a valuable member of the busy team of which I am the deputy team manager. She has developed her confidence over the year and increased her skills in her social work practice. I have supervised her throughout this period. She has consistently taken advantage of learning opportunities and used supervision well to develop her knowledge and skills (Domain 1). At the first review there were issues identified of how she managed her workload, but it was accepted the high level of referrals during the first three months of her employment had led to her having a few rather more complex cases than would have been desirable for an NQSW at that early stage. This was discussed and resolved. She had some problems initially in keeping her records up to date but now she records accurately and in a timely way. She has been keeping to timescales and writing good assessment reports (Domains 1 and 7). Farida has been able to identify issues related to her own upbringing which may impact on her practice. She is able to work well with families from a range of backgrounds and has received a number of positive feedback comments from service users and other professionals. She practices within an anti-discriminatory framework (Domains 2, 3, 5 and 7). Farida has progressed in her assessment skills and confidence. She has completed initial assessments, core assessments and reports for a range of multi-disciplinary meetings. She found these difficult at first but her increasing competence in critical reflection has meant that she can now analyse situations and use evidence based practice to write her reports. Farida has good knowledge of substance misuse as she had a student placement in a drug and alcohol project, and has built on this knowledge in her casework (Domains 5 and 6). Farida is able to work with a range of people and engages well with service users of all ages (Domain 7). It was identified at the second review that she needed more experience of work with families with young children. She spent time with the local health visitor, researched child development and has now successfully worked with several families with children under five. She has become involved recently with a group which supports teenage mothers and has received positive feedback from the group leader and hopes to co-work with her in the future (Domains 1, 7 and 8). We have very recently had a reorganisation within the department and team changes. Farida has been a positive asset in welcoming new team members, being involved in discussing the changes and making suggestions to improve practice (Domain 8 and 9). Farida has taken her own learning very seriously (Domains 1 and 9). She has identified her learning needs on an ongoing basis and then been able, in discussion with me, to plan how these needs have been met. She has attended all her training courses and used the web to find out about, and keep up to date with, a range of topics. She has attended almost all the NQSW monthly meetings and has said that she has found these useful. I have no hesitation to confirm that at the end of her first year in social work practice, Farida has progressed and met the domains at the appropriate ASYE level.
[Farida Begum] ASYE assessment report template, p.7 of 13 Continue to holistic assessment of each domain Part 2 cont/d: Holistic assessment of each domain Please provide information to support your overall assessment against the nine domains identifying strengths and areas for development/concern. Looking at the individual capability statements may help you with making and articulating your decision. (Please delete or Fail as required.) Domain 1 Professionalism: identify and behave as a professional social worker, committed to professional development Social workers are members of an internationally recognised profession, a title protected in UK law. Social workers demonstrate professional commitment by taking responsibility for their conduct, practice and learning, with support through supervision. As representatives of the social work profession they safeguard its reputation and are accountable to the professional regulator. Farida has used supervision well as evidenced in supervision records. She has prepared well for each session. I have supervised her throughout and developed a good relationship with her. I found she was rather dependent on me initially but this has lessened over the year and she now appropriately seeks guidance. At the second review, I raised that Farida should have more confidence in her decision-making and she has worked hard in this area.she has taken responsibility for her own conduct, practice and learning. Supervision records, reviews, casework, reflective case study Domain 2 Values and ethics: apply social work ethical principles and values to guide professional practice Social workers have an obligation to conduct themselves ethically and to engage in ethical decisionmaking, including through partnership with people who use their services. Social workers are knowledgeable about the value base of their profession, its ethical standards and relevant law. Farida has been able to discuss areas of ethical principles in relation to working with families who may have different lifestyles. She has evidenced in her reflective case study that she is able to critically reflect on issues related to difference and choice. She also recognised within this case study the law related to the decisions made. She will continue to work on this over the next year. Casework, supervision, observations, reflective case study
[Farida Begum] ASYE assessment report template, p.8 of 13 Domain 3 Diversity: recognise diversity and apply anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive principles in practice Social workers understand that diversity characterises and shapes human experience and is critical to the formation of identity. Diversity is multidimensional and includes race, disability, class, economic status, age, sexuality, gender and transgender, faith and belief. Social workers appreciate that, as a consequence of difference, a person s life experience may include oppression, marginalisation and alienation as well as privilege, power and acclaim, and are able to challenge appropriately. Farida has a good appreciation of diversity and difference. She originates from an ethnic minority background and uses this experience well in developing anti-oppressive practice. She is able to challenge areas of discrimination, and this was evidenced in one case when she challenged how school was dealing with a family from a minority ethnic background. She has been able to discuss her own views about sexuality and gender and identify how this may impact on her work. She has been able to identify issues and discuss in supervision. She recognises that this is an area for more exploration in relation to her casework. Case notes, supervision, observations, reflective case study, other professionals feedback Domain 4 Rights, justice and economic wellbeing: advance human rights and promote social justice and economic well-being Social workers recognise the fundamental principles of human rights and equality, and that these are protected in national and international law, conventions and policies. They ensure these principles underpin their practice. Social workers understand the importance of using and contributing to case law and applying these rights in their own practice. They understand the effects of oppression, discrimination and poverty. Farida has good knowledge of the law applying to human rights and equality. She has advised many families on where to seek advice on welfare rights and benefits. Farida is currently looking at issues related to the application of human rights legislation and social work practice, which she will present to the team. Supervision, critical reflective case study, colleagues feedback
[Farida Begum] ASYE assessment report template, p.9 of 13 Domain 5 Knowledge: apply knowledge of social sciences, law and social work practice theory Social workers understand psychological, social, cultural, spiritual and physical influences on people; human development throughout the life span and the legal framework for practice. They apply this knowledge in their work with individuals, families and communities. They know and use theories and methods of social work practice. Farida has a very good knowledge of the law and is able to apply this to her practice. She has worked hard to keep her knowledge updated and to make herself aware of all the relevant local guidance. She has been able to show she understands theories and methods of social work practice and to discuss these in supervision She has made good progress in applying her knowledge from university and developed knowledge and skills over the year. Casework, supervision, reflective case study, review of learning agreement, reviews, feedback from team members Domain 6 Critical reflection and analysis: apply critical reflection and analysis to inform and provide a rationale for professional decision-making Social workers are knowledgeable about and apply the principles of critical thinking and reasoned discernment. They identify, distinguish, evaluate and integrate multiple sources of knowledge and evidence. These include practice evidence, their own practice experience, service user and carer experience together with research-based, organisational, policy and legal knowledge. They use critical thinking augmented by creativity and curiosity. She struggled at first to apply different critical reflection models to her casework but, as her reflective case study demonstrates, this is now embedded in her practice. She will develop this further. She is able to analyse and evaluate information from different sources and this is demonstrated in her assessment reports. She has used online resources to keep up to date with research and is able to discuss this in supervision. Supervision records, casework, reflective case study, observations, feedback from team members
[Farida Begum] ASYE assessment report template, p.10 of 13 Domain 7 Intervention and skills: use judgement and authority to intervene with individuals, families and communities to promote independence, provide support and prevent harm, neglect and abuse Social workers engage with individuals, families, groups and communities, working alongside people to assess and intervene. They enable effective relationships and are effective communicators, using appropriate skills. Using their professional judgement, they employ a range of interventions: promoting independence, providing support and protection, taking preventative action and ensuring safety whilst balancing rights and risks. They understand and take account of differentials in power, and are able to use authority appropriately. They evaluate their own practice and the outcomes for those they work with. Farida has developed her analytical and assessment skills over the year. She is able to assess risk appropriately. She has developed skills in working with families with young children and is now able to work effectively with this service user group. She has dealt with cases involving domestic violence and recognises the risks to young children. She has undertaken s47 assessments. Farida lacked some confidence when she started which impacted on her use of authority within the social worker role, but she is now more confident and uses authority appropriately. She will continue to work on this next year. Supervision notes, case notes, review meetings, feedback from other professionals, observations Domain 8 Contexts and organisations: engage with, inform, and adapt to changing contexts that shape practice. Operate effectively within own organisational frameworks and contribute to the development of services and organisations. Operate effectively within multi-agency and inter-professional partnerships and settings. Social workers are informed about and pro-actively responsive to the challenges and opportunities that come with changing social contexts and constructs. They fulfil this responsibility in accordance with their professional values and ethics, both as individual professionals and as members of the organisation in which they work. They collaborate, inform and are informed by their work with others, inter-professionally and with communities. Farida works well within the team. At first she was very quiet and lacked confidence, but she is now able to contribute to discussions and has dealt well with the recent reorganisation. She understands the role of the agency and has worked hard to understand the roles of the other agencies she has worked with over the year. She recently worked with a complex case with six children where she was able to work with a large number of different professionals and keep focused on the needs of the individual children. She is able to chair meetings to a satisfactory standard and will work on this over the next year to increase her skill and confidence. Feedback from colleagues, supervision notes, reviews, casework
[Farida Begum] ASYE assessment report template, p.11 of 13 Domain 9 Professional leadership: take responsibility for the professional learning and development of others through supervision, mentoring, assessing, research, teaching, leadership and management The social work profession evolves through the contribution of its members in activities such as practice research, supervision, assessment of practice, teaching and management. An individual s contribution will gain influence when undertaken as part of a learning, practice-focused organisation. Learning may be facilitated with a wide range of people including social work colleagues, service users and carers, volunteers, foster carers and other professionals. Farida recently did a presentation to the team after she had attended a course on domestic violence within Asian communities, which was very helpful and showed how she has increased her confidence. She has brought a number of examples of good social work practice and research she has found to our supervision sessions (e.g. on teenage drug use) which she has highlighted to other team members. Last month, Farida was confident enough to attend a parents support group at a local school to talk about the work of the team. She has attended a good range of courses over the year and hopes to start additional PQ courses next year. Supervision sessions, review of learning and development plan, reviews, feedback from team members NQSW: Any comments you wish to make? I think that I have progressed over the year and am now more confident. I do accept that I found it difficult to manage my workload and recording at the beginning but I am now managing better. I feel I can reflect better on my practice and I am now more experienced in my assessments. I agree I have a good relationship with my manager and now can make decisions without asking her about everything. I am happy in the team. Continue to line manager assessment report, if required
[Farida Begum] ASYE assessment report template, p.12 of 13 Line manager assessment report (Not applicable in this example) (Where the line manager has not been primarily responsible for providing reflective supervision or final professional assessment.) Overall assessment Building on interim reviews including the progressive assessment of the NQSW s capability, please provide an overall judgement of professional capability at ASYE. Where there are concerns make reference to the individual capability statements. Performance management Have performance management concerns been indicated and addressed through the interim review process? Support Provide details of how the NQSW has been supported. Indicate if there have been issues in the provision of the level of support and reflective supervision as expected by the employer standards at ASYE with reference to the learning agreement and interim reviews.
[Farida Begum] ASYE assessment report template, p.13 of 13 Information and notes on use of the assessor report template Principles vs Method We have developed principles to help partnerships develop processes that are accurate,valid and robust, when undertaking assessments (see www.skillsforcare.org.uk/asye section 3: support and assessment). These have informed the development of the assessment report template (the method by which you could collect evidence and make a final decision), but all partnerships are free to adapt these forms, or to develop their own if they wish. However, if you do so, please make sure that the principles continue to influence your processes. The principles for holistic assessment and how these apply to ASYE can be found at the web link above. These principles, including the recommendation to provide a breadth of evidence to assure quality, underpin this template. 1a Assessment form The first two pages of the assessment form help the assessor to record the evidence they have gathered over the ASYE programme for each NQSW. It is up to each employer working with partner organisations to decide what evidence is needed to meet the principles for holistic assessment. You may also wish to use this front sheet to provide summary information to TCSW for quality assurance purposes, and it is possible that this report could form the core requirement for ensuring consistency of judgements internally and externally in partnership with other employers and HEIs. 1b When thinking about evidence tools, we would suggest a principle of quality rather than quantity would be a useful guide, but clearly where the NQSW is finding the process more challenging, more evidence may need to be collected to establish whether the NQSW is making progress. 2a Assessing holistically Assessment is intended to be across time as well as across the breadth of the PCF. The focus at the end of the year should be on whether, in the professional view of the assessor, the NQSW has reached the required ASYE level. It isn t necessary to have an individual piece of evidence that someone has met each of the capability statements within the domains. The capability statements should be used diagnostically with the NQSW through the year to help identify areas of strength and areas for development, and provide additional monitoring in situations where there are concerns. This is why the second part of the form starts with an overall assessment of the NQSW s capability against the PCF, before you focus on the domains and the evidence, if needed.