The Department of Health requires students on the social work degree to undertake at least 200 days in direct practice learning during their course. Practice learning often raises great anxieties for students, agencies and those who supervise and assess it. This book tackles those anxieties, explaining the ways the experience can deliver a unique learning opportunity for the student. It is ideal for students undertaking or about to undertake practice learning, student supervisors and practice assessors, as well as trainers and policymakers within social care agencies and healthcare professions where practice learning is also undertaken.

Prof. Dr. Jonathan Parker is Professor of Society & Social Welfare at Bournemouth University, Emeritus Professor at University of Stavanger, Norway. He is Visiting Professor at the Tasik Chini Research Centre Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak and Doctoral programme team member at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan. He was one of the founders and director of the Family Assessment and Support Unit, a placement agency attached to the University of Hull, and Head of Department of Social Work. He was Chair of the Association of Teachers in Social Work Education until 2005, Vice Chair of the UK higher education representative body, the Joint University Council for Social Work Education from 2005- 2010, and is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. He has published widely (over 200 scholarly papers and chapters and 37 books): on disadvantage, marginalization, violence, social work and welfare education. He is author of the best-selling book Social Work Practice (SAGE, 2021) and series editor for the highly successful Transforming Social Work Practice series (SAGE).

Values and anti-oppressive practice in practice learning
Integrating theory and developing reflective practice in practice learning
Preparing for practice
Using supervision to enhance practice learning and practice competence
Assessment of practice learning, gathering evidence and demonstrating competence
Developing skills and communicating effectively
Tying it all together