Posted: April 9th, 2015

COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE

COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE

Module Aim
This module continues to build upon level four and five learning, preparing the students to work collaboratively as professionally accountable practitioners within complex and evolving environments of health and social care. The students will be expected to demonstrate the application of learning within the practice setting.

By the end of the module students will be able to:
1.    Critically analyse the constituents of complex environments in health and social care.
2.    Critically analyse the significance of competing agendas and motives in maintaining collaborative relationships
3.    Appraise and manage the challenges involved in maintaining a person centred perspective when working with service users and carers in complex environments.
4.    Through critical reflection, synthesise learning to suggest ways in which they may promote and support person centred collaborative practice in the future

Module content
This module will enable the students to summarise and synthesise their learning from the previous two modules. Students will consider the drivers and challenges to effective collaborative team working in complex situations. Theoretical frameworks will be used critically to explore the impact of diverse organisational agendas and professional perspectives upon person centred practice and partnership working. Students will be required to analyse issues including awareness of emerging health and social care agendas and policies, managing diversity, partnership with service users, carers and colleagues. This module will include how the learning from this programme will inform the potential for maintaining collaborative relationships.

Learning and Teaching strategies
Learning will be managed through structured interprofessional learning event weeks at the university. During these event weeks the interprofessional learning is facilitated through strategies like learning groups, peer support and feedback as well as formative assessment. These event weeks are supported by planned activities sometimes whilst in placement through student learning seminars days (SLS). Each SLS seminar group will have approximately 25-28 members from a range of professions and will be facilitated by a member of academic staff. Each SLS will consist of learning activities directly related to the production of the written assessment for the module called the Patchwork Text.

THE PATTERN OR MODEL OF THE COMPLEX WORK ENVIRONMENT
(incorporating elements of Johnson and Scholes 1998)

‘MATERIAL WORLD’

Assessment
The Patchwork Text
The Patchwork Text has its origins in creative writing but has been used quite extensively more recently in social care and health education. We are using it so that you can think and write about the benefits and difficulties associated with collaborative working during the timetabled student learning seminars (SLS) in this module.

You will be asked to produce your ‘patches’ to share with fellow students in the classroom during each SLS. Following this, there will be a learning activity in preparation for the next SLS. This way, your collection of patches will build up gradually over the course of the module, so that only the synthesis remains to be completed after the last SLS.

The Patchwork Text is a 2500 word essay that is composed of 3 pieces of work or patches.  The first 2 are 900 word patches on aspects related to developing practice through collaborative working, each of which is written is a different style. These 2 ‘patches’ are then stitched together in a final synthesis patch (patch 3) of analysis/reflective discussion, which uses theory and/or evidence from research to bring together your assignment and meet the intended learning outcomes.

The Patches
Patches 1 and 2 are 900 words and patch 3 is 700 words. Each is a ‘stand-alone’ piece of work, different from the others and not connected to it directly. The theme of each patch is related to developing practice through collaborative working. The final synthesis ‘patch’ holds the previous 2 together by discussing themes and issues arising from them, and reflecting your own learning about developing collaborative practice throughout the module.

The final piece of work (patch 3) is an individual, reflective and analytical/synthesis piece of work about your engagement with developing practice through collaborative working. There will be preparatory learning activities in each student led seminar to stimulate you into writing your patches.

Patch work text  LEVEL 6

Patch 1. (900 words) (LO 1, 2) Theme: ‘The ‘Culture’ in Complex Organisations’
Write a personal analysis (in the first person) of the culture of the organisation in which you are currently on placement. Make direct reference to TWO from the following six elements from the Cultural Web that make up the pattern or model of work within your placement. Please ensure that you choose ONE from section 1 and ONE from section 2.
SECTION 1
1) Stories; 2) Rituals and Routines; 3) Symbols;
SECTION 2
4) Organizational Structure; 5) Control Systems; and 6) Power Structures.
Reference the Patch
FIRST PERSON

Patch 2. (900 words) (LO 2, 3, 4) Patch 3 Theme: ‘Power and Control within Collaborative Person Centred Practice’

Choose a patient, client or service user who is a member of a socially marginalised or socially excluded group. Writing as that individual patient/client or service user, express the issues/challenges that the individual perceives in relation to power and control (exerted by health and social care professionals) during their episode of care. You should utilise Thompsons PCS model to assist you in expressing these challenges within your patch.

Do not reference the patch.
FIRST PERSON

Patch 3. (700 words) Theme: ‘A Critical Reflection on Ways To Champion Future Interprofessional Collaborative Practice in the face of Organisational Complexity’.

Synthesise, any key themes that YOU have covered in your two previous patches and suggest ways in which you can champion future person centred interprofessional collaborative practice. Use the various theories and research evidence that you have explored in the module within the critical and analytical synthesis.

Please note therefore this is NOT a repeat of previously written patch material, nor is it necessary to introduce new concepts.

Reference the patch
THIRD PERSON