 Roger Cook_150.jpg "Roger Cook (c) Roger Cook")
For this issue’s case study we ask GSCC registrant Roger Cook about his approach to PRTL. Roger is Head of CAMHS Tier 4 Commissioning, West Midlands Specialised Commissioning Team. He has been a practising social worker for 31 years.
How do you approach your PRTL?
Still with a little trepidation, but less than I used to. I do feel that continuing development helps to raise our status as professionals. Not only that, but it is a useful tool for demonstrating my strengths to my employer and negotiating my development. This can really help to define my direction as a social worker. However, the process can be a bit difficult to understand and there could definitely be more information on how to meet the requirements. I think social workers are not always clear about what activities constitute PRTL.
What kind of activities have you undertaken?
I do undertake formal training courses from time to time, but most of my learning comes from attending Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) meetings and events, and service user engagement conferences. At these types of events I have the opportunity to engage and discuss issues with other mental health social workers and service users which helps to inform my practice. It also keeps me up-to-date on the national and policy context of what I do. I would say that learning such as this probably accounts for 80-90 per cent of the training and learning I do.
Is PRTL of benefit to you in your role?
Now that I am working in the NHS I have found that completing PRTL helps to keep me in touch with the core values of social work. Issues such as equal opportunities and the rights of vulnerable groups have always been at the heart of what we do.
Did your employer support you while you completed your PRTL?
My employer has been helpful in making sure that time is protected for training and learning. They are also encouraging and supportive of my attendance at regional and national events where I can meet people doing similar work to me, to share ideas and experiences and find out more about the wider context of the work I do.
The current financial pressures mean that most social workers aren’t considering asking to go on formal training courses. I am probably a lot less inclined to request to go on a course that has a cost implication than I was a few years ago.
How easy or difficult has it been to fit it around your daily work?
It can be hard work, but I try and build learning into my routine as much as possible. Having said that, as you get older it’s also more difficult to fit training and learning around the other demands and responsibilities in life. When you’re a student, it’s part of your natural routine to start studying or revising at nine o’clock in the evening. When you’re working a full day and have a family to look after it can be a lot more challenging. It is important that your employer helps by protecting time for training and learning.
