An Approach to the Management of the Assessment of Practice Placements

This article addresses some of the issues and problems inherent in the assessment of practice placements, and discusses the efforts of one course to devise a method of managing the assessment process. It begins with an identification and brief discussion of those problems, then moves on to review the development of the method and describe the system as it currently operates. The second part of the article discusses the need for continuing attention to both the design of the system and its implications for the roles of those most involved, with particular emphasis on the role of the tutor. The article concludes by posing some questions raised therein which have relevance for current debates about the future of social work training.