Online student supervision training in social work a journey in cooperative partnerships

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On-line student supervision training in social
work - a journey in cooperative partnerships

• A project funded by the Australian Learning and
  Teaching Council

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Authors

• Wendy Bowles, Mike Collingridge, Jenny McKinnon
  (Charles Sturt University)
• Bettina Cassano, NSW Dept Community Services
• Carolyn Noble, Victoria University
• Jude Irwin, Sydney University
• Sue Maywald, Flinders University, AASW
• Kylie Agllias, Newcastle University
• Joanna Zubrzycki, Australian Catholic University
• Justine OSullivan University of Western Sydney.

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Aim of this paper

• How can a large, multi-partner project including
  various
• Universities
• Industry partners
• Professional association
• with different interests and perspectives
• facing different issues
• work effectively to achieve its aims?

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Context social work practicum in Australia

• 4 year degree with 2 field education subjects
  each practicum 70 days (490 hours)
• Students are supervised by social workers
• Eligible for membership of professional
  association (AASW)
• Min 2 years experience
• Provide 1.5 hours per FT equivalent week
• Been trained in student supervision
• Co-supervision possible
• Student supervision is part of usual workload (no
  extra pay)
• Universities provide in-kind support in return
• Training in supervision skills, library access,
  seminars

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Student supervision training current situation

• Each university provides its own version
• Some employers also provide supervision training
  that includes student supervision
• Ranges from
• half-day workshops, Full week, Grad certificate,
  diploma no agreed standards
• Mostly face to face in metro centres

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Context Social and human services workers in
inland Australia

• Scarcity of social, human service workers in
  regional, rural and remote Australia
• Recruitment
• Retention (AIHW 2005)
• Professional development also declining in these
  areas (Lonne Cheers 2004, Crago Crago 2002)
• Difficulty for employers, universities to conduct
  training over vast distances
• Vicious cycle
• Lack supervisors lack training - lack
  placements

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Thus project aims

• Develop student supervision training that is
  accessible regardless of location
• Increase pool of trained student supervisors in
  inland Australia also accessible resources
• Increase placement opportunities for students in
  inland Australia
• Develop existing shared wisdom of universities,
  employers, professional body
• Develop national standards in student supervision

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The partnership structure (funding agreement)

• Project team parties who applied for grant
• 6 universities
• Employer
• Professional association
• Reference group
• University reps with experience in large
  partnership projects or key supervision
  experience
• Wider national coverage
• Large national employer
• Independent evaluator
• Mandatory condition of grant

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Project team

• 6 Universities
• Charles Sturt (Inland NSW)
• Sydney (central Sydney NSW)
• University of Western Sydney (outer Sydney NSW
• Newcastle (regional NSW)
• Australian Catholic (multi-state, ACT)
• Victoria University (Victoria)
• Employer
• NSW Department of Community Services
• Professional Association
• Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW)

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Reference group

• Griffith University (Qld) also current AASW
  Vice President (Education)
• RMIT (Victoria) experience in large multi-partner
  project in practicum
• UNSW (Sydney Australia) has postgrad qual in
  student supervision, member of CUFEG
• Centrelink (ACT) Australias largest employer of
  social workers
• CSU rep with experience in 2 large ALTC
  projects
• Evaluator from CSU, different section
• Project team members (3)

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How can such a big partnership work?

• Ownership/governance how to share this?
• Intellectual property how to develop shared
  resources, jointly owned?
• How to keep to spirit of student supervision
  training giving back to the field?
• Organisational space no job description for
  project team members?
• A truly national project how to include all key
  parties?
• Sustainability what happens after 2 years?

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Project management

• CSU Internal working party
• Project definition document - milestones
• Roles and responsibilities clarified
• Structural relationships - diagram
• Glossary of terms
• Decision register
• Risk register

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(No Transcript)
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Governance how to share ownership?

• Management during project project team with CSU
  hosting website
• Management group post project legal agreement
• Project management

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Intellectual property potential barrier

• Creative commons license
• Instead of individual intellectual property
• CSU has right to online materials
• Members use the materials in face to face
  educational settings
• Legal agreements set this out

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Spirit of giving back to the field vs making a
profit

• 2 subjects
• 1 free
• training,
• professional development points,
• accreditation to supervise students
• 1 cost recovery
• Low cost, postgraduate subject
• Reflective assessment, more interactive
• Credit arrangements between partners
• No cost to employers

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Organisational space for the project?

• Consultation with DVCs (Academic and
  Administrative)
• Internal working party inside CSU
• Consultation re structural possibilities
• Letter of appreciation from DVC (Academic) to
  partner organisations flow on effects

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Can this be a national project?

• Early consultation instead of promotion after the
  event
• National consulting group
• Universities from each state
• Key employers
• Key senior practitioners
• National workshop?

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Sustainability?

• Ongoing issue
• Is cost-recovery possible?
• Will the legal agreements work?
• Update, maintenance and marking post 2009?

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Key lessons

• Cooperation not as difficult as expected
• Importance of full support from senior management
• Importance of careful project management
  strategies clarity of expectations, language,
  process
• Unexpected level of national interest

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Copy of slides, contact Wendy
Bowleswbowles_at_csu.edu.au
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Thank you

• Questions?