Investigate: Before my visit I found out this about the company

Wessex House - SBC Integrated Working - Children, Education and Social Care. Teams - working with other service providers in same building. Statutory provision - building owned by NHS. Working alongside NHS - core located not a joint team. Not accessible to the public, not frontline.

Observe: While at the company I job shadowed an Employee. This is what happened:

• Employee Name: Patti Sanderson
• Job Role: Practise Manager

Not typical day as activities planned, such as marking work for Teesside University, Patti supported a social work student.

Interview: I talked with a member of staff to find out more about their role. This is what I found out:

• Employee Name: Patti Sanderson
• Job Role: Practise Manager
• Pathway from school to their current position:
  Degree in Psychology/Social Care. Working in Youth Offending. Probation Hostel Work. Diploma is Social Work. Mainstrem families. Disability team 1997. Manager for past 4 years.
• Where do they see themselves in the future:
  

Participate: I took part in a work related activity. This is what happened:

• Description of task:
  Assessing social work files at Teesside University.
• Notes:
  

Imagine: From the perspective of a student the advice I would give is:

Be prepared to find things to do and ask lots of questions. do not expect the placement provider to know what you are doing and what is expected from you.

Students should go for a visit beforehand so that they know what to do and where to go. I think it is important that schools have a designated placement officer.

Summarise: The things I have found beneficial from the day(s) in the work environment are:

Useful updates on current legislation and child protection issues.

Looked at current students wortk for Unit 6 to see if this is applicable for a future career in social work.