Practice Educator of the Year

Alongside my work with the Learning Culture, I work alongside our Local University, as Practice Educator for student Social Workers. There is something about being a Practice Educator in Social Work, which I find revitalising.

I love supporting anyone, at any stage in their career. But there is something very special about Social Work students and I always learn so much from them. Practice Education is a mutually brilliant relationship.

This year I took on two students.

Working in Child Protection and in Children's Homes, it was a challenge to support one student each year, so being able to spend time with two students at once feels indulgent.

Both students, this year, came to Social Work with previous experience. One student had lived experience of the care system, the other had lived alongside and been an ally of young people in care, as a Residential Care Practitioner

There is always something so humbling and rewarding about working with students with lived experience. I have been in awe of them both!

Both came to develop their practice with such humility, conviction and understanding. Working with such students is always a good reminder that Practice Education, like the rest of my work, owes more to coaching than teaching. Which is probably a good thing, when your students are so outspoken knowledgeable and experienced!

I received the annual invite to the Local Teaching Partnership end of term get together a couple of weeks ago. It is always great to meet the other Practice Educators and bring the student year to a close. I noticed the date was when I was away, so unfortunately dismissed it.

For some reason, I read the invite again this morning and noticed, I had been nominated for Practice Educator of the Year! I'm pretty confident I didn't win, but now massively humbled and slightly embarrassed I didn't get to the award session.

For so many reasons, it means so much getting a nomination from these two amazing young Social Workers. They are so talented and authentic. I've always found praise hard, but I'm going to try and sit with this one and remind myself that I matter.

The last 4 months with these guys has been so humbling and revitalised my hope for the future of Social Work. I'm so hopeful for this new bunch of Social Workers coming in. They have a ready understanding of belonging, mattering and Trauma Responsive Practice.

I wish them well in their careers, touched by their gesture. I'll finish my coffee now and try to reflect on mattering for a few minutes.

Martin