News
SASW 12th Annual Awards
Practice Teacher of the Year 2018
Eddie McAuley - Winner
Congratulations
Eddie started his working career in the shipyards and it was during this time he developed a lifelong interest in social work and social injustice and became a staunch shop steward for the workers in the yard. Latterly he realised that this passion for supporting others was a calling and laid down his hammer and tools and took up a different set of tools to become a social worker in the late eighties.
Working for North Lanarkshire Council he honed his skills and eventually passed these on to other budding social workers as a practice teacher.
Eddie retired from the council in about 2010 but not from his passion in supporting learning and became an Independent Practice Teacher.
Eddie was registered with the network and eventually came out of retirement to work for us in developing and sourcing innovative practice learning placements, especially in the third sector.
He continued to be a Practice Teacher during his time with the network and his role was to quality assure the growing list of independent practice teachers in the west by providing a range of CPD opportunities which would keep their practice current. He produced and developed a Practice Learning Toolkit for use in voluntary organisations wishing to develop their own learning culture and provide practice learning opportunities for social work students.
He retired again in October 2018 but not before he nurtured significant practice placements in North Lanarkshire secondary schools.
Eddie has been an inspirational figure in our endeavours to invest in practice learning, a guiding, calm, knowledgeable presence in a frequently fraught environment.
Therefore it was a wonderful acknowledgement of Eddie’s lifelong commitment to social work values and the learning of others that he won SASW Practice Teacher of the Year Award 2018.
Sarah McCulloch Nominee
"I was incredibly humbled, honoured and emtional at receiving the nomination"
Sarah McCulloch writes about her career in social work and how it felt to be nominated. Click here to read further.
SASW Student of the Year Award 2018
Calum Glasgow SASW Student of the Year - click here to read article published in BASW Professional Social Work Edition, June 2019
Latest news
Learning Network West's Interactive Conference encompassing AGM
Wednesday 26th June 2019, City Halls, Candleriggs, Glasgow. Click here to download flyer.
Spiritual Beliefs and mental health: a study of Muslim women in Glasgow
UWS-Oxfam Partnership: Collaborative Research Report - This research report explores the nature of Muslim belief in phenomena such as ‘jinn’ (spiritual beings), spirit possession and black magic, and investigates whether such beliefs can have harmful consequences for the mental health of Muslim women. Click here to read research.
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Children & Young People Exposed Prenatally to Alcohol Guidelines
Health Improvement Scotland advise that the first UK guidelines for diagnosing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) has been published by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN). SIGN develops clinical guidelines for Scotland and is part of Healthcare Improvement Scotland.
The guidelines supports the Scottish Government’s national approach to improving outcomes and supporting the well-being of children and young people by offering the right help at the right time from the right people.
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Practice Teaching and Practice Learning in the West of Scotland
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Focus
Focus Editions:
Resources
Assessed Learning Practice Information Pack
Learning Network West has produced an Assessed Learning Practice Information Pack. The purpose of this information pack is to provide you with an insight into the placing of social work student in a voluntary or private organisation (agency). It includes the benefits of taking on a social work student, the expectations that must be met, those involved within the student placement experience, and how the practice learning opportunities will proceed. Click here to download pack.
Autism Spectrum Disorder Awareness
Autism Spectrum Disorder Awareness Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a life-long condition which cannot be cured but it is not a mental illness.
ASD is categorised by difficulties with:
- Social interaction
- Social communication
- Social imagination and understanding
The Autism Resource Centre (ARC) which is run by Glasgow City Council provides Autism awareness training opportunities for Glasgow City Council staff, other agencies, parents, carers and stakeholders.
The ARC has developed and produced an innovative learning experience which provides Autism awareness as seen through the eyes of a young person with Aspergers Syndrome called Aspen.
Aspergers is a condition linked to ASD. The Team at the ARC want to encourage learners to make their acquaintance with Aspen. This course gives the information and knowledge to help you understand the strengths, differences and difficulties of those on the Autism Spectrum. This is an excellent and fun learning opportunity.
Click here to access.