Training
It’s a fairly busy month in the Mental Health teams with the impeding (3rd November) changes in the Mental Health legislation in England and Wales.
Having attended my ASW (Approved Social Worker) to AMHP (Approved Mental Health Professional) conversion course, a mere 3 months after receiving my warrant, I have somehow (actually, I believe it’s related to the above!) become involved in the training of other members of our service in the changes that are coming in with the new legislation.
k.susuki at flickr
I ran (with a colleague) the first of the training sessions yesterday. It was a lot more positive than I had feared it would be. I was concerned that either there would be some ‘information overload’ or that I had pared too finely the ‘essential information’ needed. Too much reliance on PowerPoint too. That was a genuine worry
It was the first time I’d delivered training, as such. I have given presentations but they have tended to be much shorter – of up to an hour. I spent a couple of years teaching English as a Second Language, mostly overseas and to a wide variety of age groups and levels but again, those sessions were much shorter. At least it had given me a lot of experience with ‘interesting’ activities and the importance of some element of interaction and group work.
But this was training. This was different. This was new.
We had drummed together a few activities related to the subject matter including a quick quiz on current legislation (with one .. um.. deliberate mistake) and a couple of case studies with lots of discussion points.
We have another couple of general sessions to run as well as some more specialised ones on request. I think there’s a little bit of fine-tuning to be done before the next session.. maybe the ‘deliberate’ error was a little too subtle!
We made significant use of the materials provided on the Care Services Improvement Partnership site, which comes highly recommended.
They even have a very handy (and brief) summary of all the changes here.
As for the training, well, it isn’t over yet. I enjoyed it though. I definitely see it as an area that I would like to develop in my own work. My not-so-secret ambition has always been to move towards teaching when I do just get too tired to continue with the front line work. Management of a team doesn’t interest me and I’ve harboured the wish to move into a more pedagogical role for many years. All these experiences are good then in the long term planning.
Posted on October 21, 2008, in mental health, social care, social work, work and tagged approved mental health professional, approved social worker, care services improvement partnership, csip, England, England and Wales, health, mental health act 1983, mental health, mental health act 2007 amendments, mental health legislation, training, uk mental health, work. Bookmark the permalink. 5 Comments.
Is it a case of plus ca change or do you think this legislation will engender real change? I think you are right, team management is an increasingly administrative target led role, training is the more interesting option, nice to have a change of scenery and a day away from the coal face anyway, well done you for getting up on your hind legs and doing it – can be a nerve wracking experience
Have you had any contact with the forthcoming Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards? Have you been put forward to be a Best Interests Assesor? Might be some scope for you in training role…
Caroline, I think a lot of the idea is that the changes encompass current practice – i.e updating some of the legislation to take account for case law. There are some differences with Supervised Discharge where Supervised Community Treatment will replace it but to be honest, we use it very rarely with older people.
TT- I’ve attended some briefings about the DoL safeguards and assessments. Basically the Trust said that first we concentrate on the changes in November and then everything shifts to focusing on the DoL stuff. I am absolutely expected to be a Best Interests Assessor. I was told that from the moment I started the ASW training – especially as I am working in an over 65s team – so I think the next few months are likely to be very busy..
this is my 3rd year of teaching BSW/MSW at our college as an adjunct and I love it. Not sure if I would want to do it full time, but it is great to spend one night a week with enthusiastic, motivated and idealistic agents of change.
I can imagine. I like that idea of one night a week with people who are enthusiastic and motivated! Don’t get me wrong, I have a great team but sometimes we are a bunch of moaning minnies!