Practice Learning




				contents STOP PRESS READ ON

				Minister's vote of confidence READ ON

sign up now to receive further issues				Social work students in a residential education setting READ ON

contact us For more information about the Practice Learning Taskforce, please contact Jane Dracup, Taskforce Administrator on 0113 241 1238 or jd.pltaskforce@topssengland.org.uk				Barnardo's practice learning directory READ ON

				Meeting the needs of disabled students READ ON

				Co-ordinators share best practice READ ON

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STOP PRESS				Latest Taskforce developments


		Full Practice Learning Taskforce website now available at www.practicelearning.org.uk Nicola Horn appointed as full-time Change Agent for North West, covering Merseyside, Lancashire and Cumbria. In post 19 December 2003. Midlands Change Agents continue to cover Greater Manchester until December 2004. Practice Learning Taskforce Conference – QEII, Westminster, London on 25 March 2004 – keynote address by Health Minister Stephen Ladyman MP plus information sessions on innovations and good practice. Induction in work-based learning and assessment for new organisations. University of Salford are producing learning materials and workbook - available in February 2004. Training providers wishing to deliver learning need to submit proposals by 23 December 2003. More information at www.practicelearning.org.uk Follow link in Practice Learning section to PracticeTraining for Supervisors and Assessors.

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			Health Minister Stephen Ladyman MP

			Minister's vote
			of confidence

	Keep up the good work – that was the message from the new Health Minister Stephen Ladyman when he met the Taskforce Director recently. Stephen Ladyman took over the social care brief from Jacqui Smith in the Government reshuffle in June, at the same time a Children’s Minister at the Department for Education and Skills was appointed and responsibility for children’s social services was transferred to her. He was quick to reject criticism that the move in some way indicated a downgrading in the profile of social work. In an article in The Guardian in October he said: "There are always some people who will look at the Taj Mahal and see a public convenience. Social work and social care have had a bigger public profile since the last reshuffle.” When he met with Mike Leadbetter, Andrea Rowe, Chief Executive of TopssEngland and Fiona Waddington, Taskforce Manager, in September, Dr Ladyman praised theTaskforce for meeting its first-year objectives. Mike said: “I’m very pleased that the Minister confirmed more money to ensure that there are full-time Change Agents in the North East and North West. He told me that he agreed this funding because of the excellent work the Taskforce had done so far. “ “The extra resources are a vote of confidence in the work we have been undertaking and will ensure that the North East and the North West receive the level of support we have identified they need”. “It’s the best possible tribute to the hard work of Taskforce Manager Fiona Waddington and the team, and I thank them all.” Dr Ladyman also agreed to host a conference in London on the 25 March 2004, focusing on partnership working, co-operation between higher educational institutions and their partners and on sharing new ideas and good practice. It was agreed that among other targets, the Taskforce’s work in the next year will develop even closer ties with the independent, private and voluntary sectors, focus on increasing practice learning opportunities in black and minority ethnic organisations and concentrate on effective involvement of service-users.

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