Practice Tutors in the School of Health, Wellbeing and Social Care – Social Work WELS_XKXY123 (England)

Change your career, change lives

The Open University is the UK’s largest university, a world leader in flexible part-time education combining a mission to widen access to higher education with research excellence, transforming lives through education.

The role

We are looking to recruit Practice Tutors (PTs), in the area of Social Work, in the School of Health, Wellbeing and Social Care at the Open University.

There will be a requirement for PTs to support learners commencing in 25B (January 2025) on the Social Work Degree Apprenticeship (England), BA (Honours) Social Work (England) Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work (England);

https://www5.open.ac.uk/business/apprenticeships/programmes-england/social-worker-degree-apprenticeship

Q32 | BA (Hons) Social Work (England) | Open University

E85 | Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work | Open University

This position will be part-time with varied allocation of fractional hours which can be negotiated. The role will involve supporting learners across one or more modules as listed, the exact FTE equivalent will be determined according to availability, and module load depending on learner numbers. 

The geographical area of student need is England-wide but we are keen to hear from applicants in London and the southeast, the North and the south/southwest area. There will be a need to offer support to students on placement on a range of modules in our portfolio of professional social work programmes as listed above. Whilst there is no specific requirement to be resident in these areas as most of the student contact will be online, however there will be occasional requirements for face-to-face visits as and when required.

The position is home-based and has no fixed core hours. It is permanent, with a probation period of two years. The annual salary and workload are fixed, but there are significant workload peaks and troughs.  Some evening and weekend work will be required.

The appropriate level of FTE will be discussed at interview, and there is the possibility of increasing the FTE later. The starting full-time salary is £37,999 paid pro rata based on your FTE. 

The Practice Tutor (PT) will provide practice learning support for a specific cohort of learners to progress through all levels of the qualification i.e., for the apprentice learners they will support the same group through from initial induction to successful completion of the final module. The PT will contribute to the quality assurance of practice-based learning environments and work collaboratively with Practice Educators carrying out assessment of practice learning. The PT is the first point of contact for the learners in dealing with any matter related to their practice-based learning across the qualification.  PTs will also have contact with sponsoring employers.

The PT is managed and reports to a Staff Tutor in the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies, who is their first point of contact for dealing with any matter related to practice-based learning.

The role includes:

• Supporting a group of learners through their programme, in conjunction with employer line managers and Practice Educators (PEs).

• Contributing to the induction of Practice Educators (PE) for the two periods of assessed practice learning.

• Participating in an initial meeting with each learner, their line manager and PE to discuss roles and responsibilities, learning goals, assessment, and methods of communication.

• For apprentice learners, leading quarterly progress reviews (with the apprentice and their manager and/or Practice Educator) of each apprentice’s progression towards the qualification learning outcomes, professional competencies and SWDA standard.

• Supporting apprentices to use their Learning Plan to identify and achieve learning aims, and to use the e-Portfolio to provide evidence of their application of learning and progress against the SWDA standards.

• Acting as necessary (in association with other relevant staff) if a learner is at risk of failing/making unsatisfactory progress; agreeing an action plan with the learner and their manager and/or Practice Educator; evaluating the need for additional support and ensuring that it is provided; liaising with the Staff Tutor on progress as required.

• Reporting/providing feedback to module and qualification teams (and others as required) on learners’ practice-based learning experiences and performance on their modules, via specified documents/reports and meeting.

• maintaining accurate and up-to-date records for each learner. These records are managed online.

• contributing to the quality assurance of practice-based learning environments.

The contract date will start in January 2025.

Person specification:

The person specification for this position should be read in conjunction with the generic person specificationfor an Associate Lecturer at The Open University. As well as meeting all the requirements set out in the generic person specification, you should have:

• recognised Social Work qualification and registration with Social Work England.

• previous experience of Practice Tutor role and/or Practice Education.

• recent and relevant experience of delivering or supporting social work education.

• knowledge and experience of current practice in social work settings.

• understanding of the needs of adult learners and how adults learn in practice-based contexts.

• effective negotiation and communication skills.

• demonstrate ability to encourage students to engage with scholarship and independent study (including awareness of resources).

• internet access and effective IT skills.

• an organised and systematic approach to work and ability to work independently and to required timescales.

• experience of supporting students, including at a distance, communicating effectively using

email, text, instant messaging or other electronic means.

• understanding of, and commitment to, equal opportunities policies and practices.

• ability and willingness to travel to designated centres.

• commitment to personal and professional development.

• DBS - children and adults. (Where applicants do not have current DBS they will be required to undergo clearance before module start).

• a teaching qualification and/or practice education qualification.

What you get in return

We have a strong commitment to providing training and development both within and beyond your current role. To ensure they remain up to date with developments in their academic field, Associate Lecturers are allocated 6 days (pro-rata) per annum for AL-led (ie. self-directed) Academic Currency and 1 day, plus 5 days pro rata, per annum for Agreed Academic Currency and Professional Development.

Benefits include a supportive and friendly working environment, 27 days holiday per annum (pro rata) with variable (pro rata) Bank holidays and an attractive pensions proposition.

Tuition Delivery

Practice Tutors carry out much of their role online although some face-to-face contact with students will be necessary.

How to apply

An application form and job-related information are available from the links located below. Any queries regarding the application process please contact AL-Applications on  AL-Recruitment@open.ac.uk, quoting the reference WELS_XKXY123.

Application Form
Generic Person Specification
Terms and Conditions

All candidates will be asked to provide proof of eligibility to work in the UK at interview.

The University is unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role as per the requirement laid out in the UK Visas and Immigration regarding Right to Work in the UK.

To work with us you will need reliable access to the internet.

Successful applicants will be required to undertake a DBS check or equivalent for their nation of residency.

Early closing date notification 
We may close this job advert earlier than the published closing date where a satisfactory number of applications are received. We would therefore encourage early applications. 

Email : AL-Recruitment@open.ac.uk 

An application form and job related information are available from the links located below.  Hard copies and access details for disabled applicants are available from the Recruitment Co-ordinator by email (on the link above), quoting the reference WELS_XKXY123.

The Open University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion which is reflected in our mission to be open to people, places, methods and ideas. We aim to foster a diverse and inclusive environment so that all in our OU community can reach their potential.  We recognise that different people bring different perspectives, ideas, knowledge, and culture, and that this difference brings great strength.  We strive to recruit, retain and develop the careers of a diverse pool of students and staff, and particularly encourage applications from all underrepresented groups. We also aspire to make The Open University a supportive workplace for all through our policies, 

Posting Date :  4 October, 2024 - 12:00