Frequently Asked Questions

Practice Learning Funding

Q.  What are the practice learning funding arrangements for 2006/7? 
A. The daily practice learning fee increased from 1 April 2006. All assessed  practice learning days undertaken in Local Authority settings will attract a daily fee of £18, and all assessed practice learning days undertaken in other settings across the Independent sector (eg voluntary and private) will attract a daily fee of £28. The £2 administration fee paid per student per day will continue to be paid to Universities.

Q.  How much has been spent on practice learning in 2005/6?
A.  For the financial year 2005/6 the total practice learning spend was £1.422m;   £250,000 of this has been paid to Universities for administration of practice learning.  In addition around £1m has gone to core fund the 11 Funded Practice teaching Units across Scotland.  Nationally, around two-thirds of practice learning has taken place within Local Authorities and one-third across the Independent (ie voluntary and private sector. Locally this split varies considerably.

Q.  How should the daily practice learning fee be divided where there is an off-site practice teacher? 
A.  This is a matter for discussion and negotiation and should ideally be covered in Service Level Agreements.  Consideration should be given to the various components needed to enable practice learning to take place and the costs and benefits to each.
Please see Guidelines on Funding for Practice Learning: Financial Year: 2004/2005.

 Funding Guidelines

 

PLQ(SS)

Q.  Is the PLQ(SS) just for people supervising social work students?
A.  The PLQ(SS) recognise the roles played by an increasing number of employees across the workforce in supporting the learning of others in the workplace.  Although it will replace the Practice Teaching Award, it has a much wider application than that, acknowledging that all staff are now expected through the Codes of Practice to contribute to the learning of others.  This could include the induction of new staff, supporting staff through training programmes, mentoring, assessing practice on all kinds of courses or having a strategic or management role in training as well as working with students in the role of link supervisor or practice teacher.  The PLQ(SS) will also be relevant to service users and carers who contribute to work based learning and to people in related professions who are involved in the training of social workers.

Q.  Will my Practice Teaching Award still be recognised?
A.  The Practice Teaching Award is still a recognised and valued qualification for prctice teachers.  Those who hold the Practice Teaching Award will still remain as qualified practice teachers in the future.

Q.  Should I complete the Practice Teaching Award?
A.  If you are concerned about whether it is worthwhile completing your portfolio for the Award now when it is coming to an end in December 2007, we would encourage you to do so as qualified practice teachers are still in high demand and a very valuable resource.

 

Standard and Audit

Q.  How do I know if a learning opportunity is good enough?
A.  The standards and audit for practice learning opportunities will help decisions about what is good enough.  The pre-audit will allow the agency and university tutor to check that basic requirements are in place while the mid and final point audits will help ensure that appropriate standards are being met throughout the learning opportunity.

Q.  Who has responsibility for the quality of a learning opportunity?
A.  The university has the ultimate responsibility but can only achieve that in full collaboration with agencies and practice teachers.

 

Return to top