First cohorts’ experiences on placements

The first cohort of students have now successfully completed their period of practice learning.

Their projects offered them exciting learning opportunities, provided the referring agencies with a resource to explore important practice issues and contributed to workforce development, allowing as one student described an experience “ to get in at the planning and commissioning level rather than just service delivery”.

• One student helped the adult learning disability service with the restructuring of their community café. It is now open for extended hours, its menu has been enhanced, and its continued development is routinely monitored as part of the modernising day care agenda.
• Another student assisted the Luton Teaching Primary Care Trust with their Advanced Practitioner Project. Her role was to work on the interface between the PCT and Luton Borough Council’s Housing and Community Living Department. The professional teams now have a clearer understanding of each other’s roles, and lines of communication between the teams have been improved.
• A third student evaluated whether a social work post in the Domestic Violence Unit at Luton Police Station would assist the services provided and a fourth has been involved in consultation work with the community about the development of the local children centre giving her a “greater insight into what goes on in the community “.