A tandem is generally known as a bicycle for two riders, with two sets of pedals and two saddles, one arranged behind the other. The word originates from Latin, meaning at length or finally.
For quality assurance purposes, it is a requirement of practice learning in Social Work, “that students must be taught and assessed by a qualified social worker” (Henderson, 210: 491). However, “many agencies are unable to comply with these requirements and so withdraw from the pool of available placements, thus reducing the quantity” of opportunities. To overcome the challenge, the off-site model of practice learning has been developed. “This model traditionally involves both a work-based supervisor, who may not be a social worker and is not qualified in practice teaching, and an ‘off-site’ practice teacher, who is a qualified social worker” says Henderson (210: 491, emphasis added). Willing agencies, especially small voluntary agencies with human resource or infrastructure constraints; and those with multi-disciplinary teams; which do not have a pool of available on-site social workers, or practice teachers, utilise the ‘off-site’ model. A tandem bicycle may serve a metaphor for the model.
Varied nomenclature (or terminology) leads to confusion. New or different terminology is often as result of changes in roles and practices; but also as result of new concepts introduced, or new perspectives. In the literature on practice teaching and learning in Social Work, a range of terminology exists, indicate Henderson (210: 490). Examples of terminologies used for work-based supervisors include on-site supervisor, link supervisor, work-based assessor, practice teacher, and practice assessor. Furthermore, “different terms [are] used for practice teachers who are not situated in the placement [but] are ‘long-arm’ and ‘off-site’”, such as off-site practice teacher. Henderson (210: 491) conveys that the Kingston “university practice learning handbook defines the role of the work-based supervisor as ‘the student’s main support within the placement—who should be responsible for the day to day supervision and accountable for the student’s practice’. The role of the off-site practice teacher is to ‘plan practice learning with the student to meet the learning outcomes, provide teaching and take overall responsibility for the assessment’. There is an expectation that both parties will liaise regularly and hold three-way meetings at the beginning, middle and end of the placement.” (emphasis added).
Henderson (210: 493) remarks that some literature evidence suggests that work-based supervisors are perceived as the neglected or ‘unsung’ partners in practice learning. “Some supervisors have commented on having less status, recognition, financial reward and power than off-site practice teachers” she says. Some supervisors observe that the power imbalance is perpetuated through communication essentially with the off-site practice teacher, which result in some work-based supervisors disengaging. The Kingston university handbook does provide guidelines about the roles and responsibilities, and specify that the work-based supervisor should be contributing to the final assessment report and give feedback on the student’s performance. However, roles are not entire clear about the writing of the final report of students.
Henderson, K.J. (2010). Work-based Supervisors: The Neglected Partners in Practice Learning. Social Work Education, 29(5), 490-502. Electronically accessible from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02615470903156352
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