If you’re a newbie social worker student then you might be wondering what the difference is between statutory placements and non-statutory placements. In this blog, we offer a quick reminder and look at what each means for you as a student.
Statutory placements
Statutory placements are essential for social work students to gain hands-on experience in high-risk decision-making and legal interventions within a designated statutory setting. These placements occur in local authority settings or those delivering statutory functions, focusing on tasks related to Children Act 1989, Care Act 2014, and Mental Capacity Act 2005.
During these placements, students are actively involved in updating case records under supervision, dealing with s17 and s47 cases, and addressing the requirements of relevant legislation. High-risk decision-making encompasses balancing care, control, rights, and risks, requiring knowledge and application of laws related to mental health sections, deprivation of liberty, best interest assessments, child protection planning, and court proceedings.
It’s crucial that students engage in a sufficient number of statutory social work tasks to understand the challenges of high-volume, high-risk work in a statutory environment. While there’s no specific minimum task requirement, the overall context of provided placements will be considered.
Every student must complete at least one statutory placement to adequately prepare for the statutory aspects of social work. All placements should contribute to developing the necessary skills for dealing with statutory responsibilities in the field.
Non-statutory placements
Non-statutory settings are those of a voluntary nature, e.g. charity work, supported living and youth programmes.
If you are only offered a non-statutory placement, don’t panic – you can still make the most of it and come away with invaluable insights into social work. Just make sure you are clear when sorting out your learning agreement and communicate your interest in gaining valuable experience in statutory aspects during your placement.
We hope you found this blog useful – if you are seeking further information we recommend speaking to your work-based supervisor or course leader.
Looking for social work opportunities? Email us your CV and job preferences to [email protected] one of our consultants will be in touch – or call us on 0203 8929 340.
carlette Isaac
If you’re a newbie social worker student then you might be wondering what the difference is between statutory placements and non-statutory placements. In this blog, we offer a quick reminder and look at what each means for you as a student.
Statutory placements
Statutory placements are essential for social work students to gain hands-on experience in high-risk decision-making and legal interventions within a designated statutory setting. These placements occur in local authority settings or those delivering statutory functions, focusing on tasks related to Children Act 1989, Care Act 2014, and Mental Capacity Act 2005.
During these placements, students are actively involved in updating case records under supervision, dealing with s17 and s47 cases, and addressing the requirements of relevant legislation. High-risk decision-making encompasses balancing care, control, rights, and risks, requiring knowledge and application of laws related to mental health sections, deprivation of liberty, best interest assessments, child protection planning, and court proceedings.
It’s crucial that students engage in a sufficient number of statutory social work tasks to understand the challenges of high-volume, high-risk work in a statutory environment. While there’s no specific minimum task requirement, the overall context of provided placements will be considered.
Every student must complete at least one statutory placement to adequately prepare for the statutory aspects of social work. All placements should contribute to developing the necessary skills for dealing with statutory responsibilities in the field.
Non-statutory placements
Non-statutory settings are those of a voluntary nature, e.g. charity work, supported living and youth programmes.
If you are only offered a non-statutory placement, don’t panic – you can still make the most of it and come away with invaluable insights into social work. Just make sure you are clear when sorting out your learning agreement and communicate your interest in gaining valuable experience in statutory aspects during your placement.
We hope you found this blog useful – if you are seeking further information we recommend speaking to your work-based supervisor or course leader.
Looking for social work opportunities? Email us your CV and job preferences to [email protected] one of our consultants will be in touch – or call us on 0203 8929 340.