Welcome to the Social Work page of the Health and Social Care Degree Apprenticeship Employer and Work-based Mentor website. We aim to make this page a useful reference point for work-based mentors, so please let us know if there is information you would like us to add.
Contacts
Apprentice Coaches
Your Apprenticeship Coach meets with you and your mentor for your Apprenticeship Progress Review (APR) meeting every 10-12 weeks. At the APR meeting, your coach will help to set targets and identify OTJT opportunities, with you and your mentor, to support your development. At the APR you will review the course training plan and your development of the knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs). It is also an opportunity to discuss your academic progress and discuss the support in place at work to help you to meet your academic targets and complete assignments.
These meetings are also an opportunity to identify and discuss any other support needs. Your coach will be able to signpost you to other services at the university, such as HallamHelp, the Library Skills Centre, and the course team.
Wherever possible include your Coach in communications with the course team so they can continue supporting you. Your Coach will ensure the Apprenticeship Course Leader is kept up to date on your progress.
Some of the areas your coach can help with:
· MAYTAS
· Processing a break in study
· Referrals to Sheffield College where Functional Skills qualifications are outstanding.
· Identifying OTJT
· Signposting to other services within SHU for example, the Library Skills Centre, Hallam Help etc.
The Coaches are;
Euan Brown - Euan.Brown@shu.ac.uk
Lisa Norman - L.Norman@shu.ac.uk
Helen Rimington - H.Rimmington@shu.ac.uk
Public Sector Employer Partnerships Manager
Alison Money (Local Authorities) - a.money@shu.ac.uk
Marie Hollingworth (Health) - m.l.hollingworth@shu.ac.uk
Next Mentor Training
Wednesday 22nd October 3:30pm.
Induction Dates 2025
The new cohort of students will be having their induction on campus on the 15th and 16th of September. This will be followed by two days of teaching, also on campus, on the 17th and 18th of September.
Link to Course Handbook
The handbook for the course can be found using the link below
Course News - September 2025
The new cohort of students will be having their induction on campus on the 15th and 16th of September. Students will meet at 9:30 on 15/9 in the café in Heart of the Campus. A detailed breakdown of the induction schedule has been e-mailed to students and can be found using the link below
Teaching starts on the 17th and 18th of September on campus for the Personal and Professional Development module. This cohort will have Thursday as their university day.
The L5 students are completing their midway reviews and looking to finish their first placement towards the end of October. They return to university for teaching on the Working with People over their Life Course module on the 5/11.
The L6 students will be handing in their Professional Leadership presentations on the 18/9 and return to teaching on the 24/9.
Placement News and Dates
The L6 students will be starting their final placement on 3/11/25 and ending around 1/5/26. Recall days are; 10/12/25, 4/2/26 and 22/4/26.
It is expected that students have formal supervision on a weekly basis whilst on placement and that a minimum of three direct observations are completed for each apprentice placement. Further information about social work placements can be found using the link below;
Student Assignment Queries
Students can raise assignment issues initially with any member of the module teaching team, or the module leader. Every module will have an assignment brief, and many module leaders provide additional guidance to students on the Blackboard site such as assignment structures, and examples of previous student’s work.
Students can also approach their Academic Adviser for advice. All students are allocated an academic adviser, and the details of this are on the Organisational site on Blackboard. Academic Advisers might not be familiar with the assignment details for a particular module, so they may only be able to give general guidance.
PebblePad Update
After consulting with employer partners, a decision has been made that from May 2025 all Sheffield Hallam University social work students, including apprentices, will complete placement documentation using PebblePad. If there are any difficulties using PebblePad Practice Educators, Work Based Supervisors and apprentices can contact the Pebble Help Team at SHU and details can be found via the following link:
https://sites.google.com/my.shu.ac.uk/pebblehelp/home
If queries are not able to be answered via information on the website the team can be contacted directly at PebbleHelp@shu.ac.uk
Staff Changes
Over the summer, Eva Miskolczi finished her secondment and left the team. All her Academic Adviser students and dissertation students have been re-allocated and students are in the process of being notified who their new contacts are. Terrianne George’s secondment will also be ending on 30/9 and her students will also be re-allocated. We will be joined by a new permanent member of staff, Susan Hodkin, on the 22/10 and Bridget Otter will be returning from maternity leave on the 17/11/25.