SCIE media releases 2006

SCIE gives social work students a new year kick start

24 January 2006

Over 12,000 social work students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will receive a new year starter pack from the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) to help them in their studies, work placements and professional development.

SCIE, the organisation responsible for promoting good practice in social care, is using the packs to introduce students to SCIE and to encourage them to use its free good practice guidance now and throughout their careers.

The packs contain a CD of all of SCIE's resources, notepads, mousemats, pens and other useful resources. All of the materials in the information packs encourage students to register on SCIE's website, with the added incentive of winning a laptop to assist in their studies. By registering, students can keep abreast of SCIE's work throughout their studies and careers.

Universities are supporting the project and are giving out the packs to students as well as promoting SCIE by putting up posters and putting SCIE mousemats in their computer rooms.

Programme leader for social work at Greenwich University, Liz Hunter, said:

"I'm very pleased that SCIE has been able to reach our students. Students are always looking for resources to use for their theory and practice placements and this pack - with all of SCIE's resources on a CD - will be really useful."

SCIE's Director of Research and Reviews and manager of SCIE's social work education theme, Mike Fisher, believes that new structures and new ways of working will mean that SCIE will increasingly become a central source of knowledge in a constantly changing environment.

"It is extremely important that students know that SCIE is here to support them now and throughout their careers. By reaching students, we can provide them with the resources to maintain good practice and continued professional development," said Fisher.

SCIE currently has around 70 publications, with many more due this year, promoting good practice in a variety of areas, including social work education, children's and families' services, adults' services, people management, e-learning, stakeholder participation and using knowledge to support social care.

SCIE also owns and maintains Social Care Online, the UK 's biggest resource on social care information.

SCIE intends to continue to send resources to first year social work students every year.

If you are a university social work department in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and you have not received any packs please call Annie Goss on 020 7089 7117 or email info@scie.org.uk.

If you are a social work student and would like a pack please visit the student area of our website.