Not yet Ready for Direct Practice? How a Collaborative Shadowing Approach Supported Social Work Students to Achieve Positive Outcomes at Readiness for Direct Practice

This article discusses a successful, collaborative shadowing approach for social work students who proved repeatedly unsuccessful at the Readiness for Direct Practice stage, required under the Professional Capabilities Framework. The approach was enabled by the development of Teaching Partnerships which allow for greater dialogue between local authorities and University social work programmes. Although the approach was not developed specifically for international students, the article discusses the challenges for these cohorts, particularly those on post-graduate programmes undertaking Readiness for Direct Practice. The article reflects the different perspectives of the authors, including the University Placement Co-Ordinator, the local authority Professional Practice Lead and crucially, one of the students who benefitted from the approach. Whilst the article cannot definitively evidence the link between the shadowing approach and student success, three students from two cohorts have undertaken the approach, in two years since its inception and all have subsequently passed Readiness for Direct Practice, after prior unsuccessful attempts. The article advocates for wider implementation of the approach in order to build a broader evidence base, as well as enabling students to successfully graduate in their chosen profession.