Perspectives on professional formation. : apprenticeship, pupillage and the assessed year in employment

Perspectives on Professional Formation Apprenticeship, Pupillage and the Assessed Year in Employment Gillian McGaughey

Who am I
Barrister
Family Law specialist
Master
Lecturer at IPLS
Legal Services Commissioner
Council Member NISCC
All of which qualify me to talk about …

Professional Formation
Barristers
Solicitors
Social Workers
Social Care workers

Training Components
Education for practice requires
Academic training
The knowledge
Vocational training
The application
Training which is embedded in practice

IPLS Course
Established 1977
Provides professional training for barristers and solicitors together
One year post graduate course
Organised vocational training

The Bar
One month CAB placement
October to June
Bar Monday programme
Master Shadow
Graduation in June
Call to Bar September
Pupillage – 12 months

Solicitors
In office – September to December
IPLS January – June
Office – July – September
IPLS - October to December
Graduation – June
Admission as solicitor

Review and Reform
Bar Council
Review of pupillage
Code of Conduct
Law Society
Review of Education
Commenced 2007

Social Work Reform

NISCC
Established October 2001
Remit :
Public protection
Raise standards in social care training and practice
Promotes education and training for staff
Registers and regulates the social care workforce
Protection of title

The Reform Package
New degree September 2004
Student registration
Assessed Year in Employment
Unique to Northern Ireland

The AYE
1 st April 2006
All new social work graduates must complete AYE
Applies to all graduates employed in
Health and social care trusts
Criminal justice
Education
Voluntary sector

Purpose of AYE
To promote public trust and confidence in the social work profession

Aims of the scheme
To ensure newly qualified social workers are
Competent to practise as fully accountable social workers
Given the supervision and support required to develop their competence
Able to satisfy employers can perform at level which merits continuing employment as social worker

Transition to practice
AYE graduates are employees not students
Subject to employment practice of employer
NISCC guidance on
Induction
Supervision
Appraisal
Training
Support

What must registrant demonstrate?
Maintenance of competence
In employment situation
In the six key roles specified in
National Occupational Standards for Social Work
NI Framework Specification for the degree in social work

The six key roles
Prepare for and work with individuals, families, carers, groups and communities to assess their needs and circumstances
Plan, carry out, review and evaluate social work practice, with individuals, families, carers, groups, communities and other professionals

Six Key Roles
Support individuals to represent their needs, views and circumstances and to achieve greater independence
Manage risk to individuals, families, carers, groups, communities, self and colleagues
Manage and be accountable, with supervision and support , for their own social work practice within their organisation
Demonstrate and be responsible for professional competence in social work practice

Roles and Tasks
NISCC
Ensure registrants are fit and competent
Meet requirements to maintain registration
Condition on registrant - must complete AYE
Effective for one year- Extension possible
From student to employee

The Registrant
Must demonstrate
Sustained
Continuous
Effective
Competence in the workplace
Fit to practise as fully accountable social worker

Employers
DHSSPS Circular
NISCC Code of Practice for Employers
As a social care employer you must provide training and development opportunities to enable social care workers to strengthen and develop their knowledge and skills

What must employer do?
Allocate work that enables employee to demonstrate competence in the six key roles
Formal induction programme
Managed caseload
Information about standards expected and appraisal
Opportunities to meet identified training and development needs
Supervision support and appraisal from registered social worker
Timely behaviour related feedback on performance

Defining managed caseload
A caseload commensurate with the knowledge, skills and experience of the new social work graduate and in line with the organisation’s policies for staff in the probationary period

Confirming competence
Employer must certify registrant has completed AYE successfully
If not removed from register
Essential to registration
Protection of title
Signed by line manager
The registrant
Endorsed by current employer

From education to practice
All students registered during degree
On graduation registration terminated
Must apply for registration as social workers
Obtain employment in social work agency
Uphold Code of Practice
Give employer their student transcript and personal learning plan
Take responsibility for own professional development

Review of AYE
NISCC
DHSSPS
Random sample of 25% of appraisals
Line managers assessments
Annual report to Chief Social Services Officer
AYE Review February 2008

Context for review
Experience of first cohort of graduates
Major health and social care reform
Review of Public Administration
Reform Implementation Team

Legal Training
Solicitors
Must have apprenticeship to gain admission to IPLS
Must have place at IPLS / GSLE
Master must be acceptable to Law Society
Barristers
Must have place on Bar course at IPLS
Master guaranteed
Master must be acceptable to Bar Council
Non-practising pupillage – 6 months

Why is it necessary?
“ there is no adequate substitute for actual experience, direct contact with the public and positive involvement with real caseloads.”
The Bromley Report

Providing a quality service
“ Training, experience, continuing professional development and access to modern research technology and state of the art facilities provided by the Bar Library system promote and protect the expertise of barristers in striving to offer to the client the best of quality of service.”

Impetus for change
Bar and Law Society reviews
Fitness for purpose
Specialisation
Competition from other providers

Focus of AYE Review
Support for newly qualified practitioner
Supervision and appraisal
Employer confidence in their newest employees

Support for new practitioners
Impact of AYE:
New comprehensive guidance
Policies and procedures
Social work and human resource issues
Flow charts on stages of AYE
Evidence indicators for assessment of competence
Consistency

Feedback from AYE
Positive impacts reported included:
􀂃 Increased frequency of supervision;
􀂃 Training support; and
􀂃 Guidance materials.

Agenda for change
Bar
Rotation among specialist areas
Training for Masters
Mentoring
Solicitors
Training firms
Training programme
4 core areas

Lesson from AYE
the need for consistency of training founded on clearly articulated core standards.
Skill base of Masters:
educate,
supervise,
mentor,
support and
build confidence of the new practitioner.

An effective master
Knows what needs to be taught
Understands how people learn

Managing caseload
Allocate and prioritise cases and associated tasks
Cover the key roles
Broad range of experience
commensurate with the ability and experience of the individual.
Exactly the same considerations apply in respect of the newly qualified legal practitioner.

Supervision and appraisal
Avoid duplication of frameworks
Professional body must give the lead
Regular supervision and appraisal
Feedback
Fortnightly for year

Consistent evidence
The range of evidence reported by Trusts included
supervision records,
case notes,
direct observation,
reports,
evaluations of and reflections on practice
user feedback.
NISCC now working with Trusts to develop guidance to address standardisation of evidence and improve regional consistency.

An effective policy …
‘formalises the need to deem a newly qualified …worker as competent to practise rather than the previous practice of recording deficits and areas for development.’

Employer confidence
A period of consolidation
with clarity about the learning requirements and supports required
is beneficial to both the member of staff
and the Trust.
The only down side is the impact on capacity”

Effect of AYE
Implementation of the AYE policy
is an important element in ensuring strong professional supports for social workers
from point of entry into the workforce
and throughout their careers across all Programmes of Care.

The value of in service training
“ Experience of legal practice is a valuable asset in teaching an individual … vocational skills… This allows them to be familiar with the context of legal practice … with how legal services are delivered, have observed the demonstration of legal skills in practice, see the relevance of the content of specific subjects … and court procedures and make the shift from trainee to practitioner. In addition they are aware of the importance of the professional body as regulator and its role in their career.”

Promoting trust and confidence
ensuring that at the end of the first year in practice newly qualified legal practitioners are competent to practise as fully accountable barristers and solicitors;
ensuring that newly qualified legal practitioners are given the supervision and support required to develop their competence; and
ensuring the professional bodies are satisfied that new legal practitioners are performing at a level which merits continuing registration as a barrister or solicitor.

Acknowledgements
Patricia Higgins
Director of Registration NISCC
Alison Kavanagh
Professional Officer NISCC
Colleen Stirling
Professional Officer NISCC

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Perspectives on professional formation. : apprenticeship, pupillage and the assessed year in employment

by UK Centre for Legal Education on Feb 23, 2010

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Perspectives on professional formation. : apprenticeship, pupillage and the assessed year in employment Presentation Transcript