Introduction

This chapter discusses practice education generally and considers its relevance and importance to a wide range of professions that involve assessed periods of practice. It focuses specifically on practice education in relation to social work in the UK, considers the history of practice learning as well as detailing the numerous reviews and developments in social work education. The chapter offers a critical exploration of the impact of continuous reform, not least in terms of its impact on practice learning. It then moves on to consider the nature of practice learning and the multifaceted role of the practice educator that makes the task complex. Despite the centrality of practice learning in many professions, however, both the various reviews into social work in particular and the international research across professions in general highlight persistent concerns and complexities associated with practice learning and assessment, and the chapter explores these concerns and challenges. Lastly, the chapter critically considers the ‘failure to fail’ contention that is particularly prevalent in nursing and social work, but also appears in other professions.

The importance of practice learning

Assessed periods of learning in the field are common in social work throughout the world, as well as in many other cognate professions (Hughes and Heycox, 1996; Raymond, 2000; Doel and Shardlow, 2002). Practice placements provide students or trainees the opportunity to put into effect what they have learnt in an academic context (Evans, 1999; Furness and Gilligan, 2004). It is the place where theory and practice interact and synergise. It is also the site where concerns about someone’s competence, capability and suitability for the profession are thoroughly tested (Finch and Poletti, 2013). It is therefore a major site of gatekeeping, to ensure that those who have failed to reach the minimum standards, who are not capable, or even dangerous, do not go on to become qualified practitioners (Lafrance et al, 2004). Practice educators’ ultimate responsibility of course, is to service users or patients, and to prevent possible future harm, by not assessing as competent a student who is not yet ready to qualify.