The Social Work Toolkit is an online toolkit of resources which will help your students acquire the knowledge, core skills and confidence they need to succeed on their social work course and throughout their placements.
It comprises an extensive range of resources from over 100 different contributors including David Howe, Malcolm Payne, Neil Thompson, and the SCIE, as well as students and service users. It is a vital tool for use in the classroom, on placement and for independent study purposes.
What does The Social Work Toolkit offer my institution? The Social Work Toolkit is made up of a variety of resources to support students through the learning process. These resources are presented in different types of media including audio, video, quizzes and PDF downloads to appeal to a wide range of learning styles. All resources are benchmarked to the Professional Capabilities Framework as well as other National Occupational and Professional Standards. The content is updated throughout the year and is divided into five themes, linked to the modules on a typical Social Work course: Communication Skills- explores effective and professional communication Professionalism in Practice- preparation for the workplace and placements Ethics, Values and Diversity- develops understanding of values, ethics, and the importance of diversity Assessment and Intervention- focuses on planning, assessment and ending involvement appropriately within the social work process Lifecourse Perspectives- considers the relevant factors for working with people at different stages of their lives
Resources within each theme include: Expert opinions: commissioned from academics, social work professionals and service users, these pieces aim to expand knowledge and provide deeper insight into the subject Quick guides: tools, frameworks and summary sheets on a wide range of topics for easy reference Preparation for practice: including student and service user videos, these resources offer invaluable practice tips and professional guidance Case studies: scenarios from a range of perspectives provide thought-provoking discussion points Book chapters: selected chapters from our highly regarded list of published social work textbooks offer more depth on key issues and areas of discussion
Benefits for students • Bookmarks and saved searches allow students to get quick access to favourite resources • The ‘My Toolkit’ area allows students to store reflections and build a portfolio wherever they are • Learning objectives, reflective questions, links to policy and law and further resource suggestions all help students to critically engage with the subject, and build on their knowledge
Benefits for lecturers The Social Work Toolkit will save you preparation time and improve students’ performance by providing instant access to high-quality resources via your VLE, course portal or library pages. Here are a few of the ways you can use the toolkit with your students: • Integrate the learning tools into your teaching to stimulate student interaction and debate in class. Our Lecturer Pathways documents provide advice on how to incorporate it into your teaching • Add hyperlinks to resources on your booklist or via your VLE so you can guide students directly to resources and exercises for both preparation, or consolidation of learning • Bookmark resources to help students prepare for placement, ease anxiety and encourage sharing experiences and reflective learning
‘...the toolkit is an invaluable resource... a godsend to any social worker, particularly students who are starting their first placement...’ – Student, Manchester Metropolitan University
‘Very good resource for self-directed learning; very good for placement preparation modules.’ - Elaine Aspinwall-Roberts, Lecturer/ Senior Lecturer in Social Work, Liverpool John Moores University
Key information at a glance: • Access is available for institutional subscription. Pricing is tiered depending on the number of students and your chosen subscription length • Your Account Manager will discuss the access options with you, and provide marketing support for the rollout and ongoing promotion of The Social Work Toolkit to your students • Detailed reporting is available, allowing you to be confident that your students are making the most of the resource
A free month’s trial is available for your institution - ask your Palgrave contact or email us at digitalsales@palgrave.com to discuss this further.