Assessment Guidance 2026-27 Skills 3 Reflective CPD Portfolio – CRN 63733 Level 6 Social Work Assignment The information provided in this guidance is essential for you to read as it will help you to understand the assessment requirements for each of the modules making up your programme of study. Please make sure you go through this information carefully and ask for clarification if there is anything you do not understand. It is important that you have a clear understanding of what is required of you so that you can do as well as possible in your assessments by using the advice and supports available to you.
Module title
Skills 3
CRN (module number)
63733
Level
6
Core information on what the assessment is for this module
What is the assessment task for this module?
Reflective Portfolio Type of assessment: Portfolio You should…
Complete a reflective portfolio in line with Social Work England’s CPD Framework for each skills day.
You will submit one overall portfolio which includes one CPD entry for each session topic. You will complete a structured reflective piece, demonstrating your learning, professional growth and application to social work practice in relation to each skills day and the training packages delivered. Whereby a session is over two days it is expected that there are two CPD entries, one for each day, as whilst it is the same overall topic these are two separate days and two separate days of learning. One CPD entry of your choice will be a discussion with a peer, in line with SWE CPD requirements. All entries must include referencing in line with the university guidelines. This supports you in preparing for practice placements and future CPD expectations as registered social workers. Examples of CPD entries will be provided to support you. What is the deadline for submitting this assessment?
What is the weighting of this assessment as a percentage of the total module mark?
This assessment is worth 100% of your overall module mark. What is the purpose of this assessment?
This assessment is designed to support your development as a reflective and evidence-informed social work practitioner. Through the completion of CPD entries aligned to Social Work England`s CPD Framework, you will develop critical reflection skills that are essential for effective social work practice, professional development, and lifelong learning.
The assessment provides an opportunity to reflect on the knowledge, values, skills, and professional behaviours developed during the skills days and to demonstrate how this learning can be applied within practice placements and future employment settings. Reflective practice is a core requirement of social work education and professional registration, and the ability to critically evaluate your learning and practice is an essential skill for both placement success and ongoing professional development.
This assessment forms part of your preparation for practice learning opportunities and supports the development of key professional capabilities expected throughout the social work programme. It also introduces you to the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements that you will be expected to meet as a registered social worker with Social Work England.
The skills demonstrated through this assessment, including reflection, self-evaluation, critical analysis, identification of learning needs, and application of learning to practice, are directly transferable to professional social work roles. These skills are routinely used by social workers to evaluate practice, evidence professional development, engage in supervision, and maintain ongoing registration requirements.
Examples of CPD entries will be provided to support you in understanding the expectations of the assessment and the standards required for successful completion.
What are the learning outcomes for this module?
On successful completion of this assessment, you will be able to:
- Analyse current and developing issues in social work practice.
- Reflect on ways in which social workers can continue to practice ethically, creatively and effectively in contemporary settings.
- Reflect on how social workers can manage and promote their own safety, health, wellbeing and emotional resilience in challenging areas of practice.
- Evaluate the use of powers and duties in complex practice scenarios and consider the scope for discretion.
- Analyse the use of theory and intervention in a specialist area of practice.
- Link to the Professional capabilities’ domains.
What are the assessment guidelines?
Assessment Guidelines This assessment requires you to complete a Reflective CPD Portfolio aligned with Social Work England`s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Framework. The portfolio is designed to encourage critical reflection on your learning, professional development, and application of knowledge and skills to social work practice.
What you need to do You should:
Complete one CPD entry for each Skills Day attended. Include reflections on the learning from each training package and skills session. Demonstrate how the learning has contributed to your professional development and preparedness for practice learning opportunities. Clearly identify what you learned, why it is important, and how it will influence your future social work practice. Apply relevant social work values, knowledge, skills, theories, legislation, and professional standards where appropriate. Produce two separate CPD entries for any topic delivered across two Skills Days, as each day represents a distinct learning experience. Include one CPD entry that incorporates discussion and reflection with a peer, in line with Social Work England CPD requirements. Use the reflective structure provided within the module guidance. Write in a professional, reflective, and analytical style, moving beyond description to consider the significance of your learning and its impact on practice. Submit all CPD entries together as one portfolio document. Checklist before submission
Before submitting your portfolio, ensure that you have:
Completed a CPD entry for every Skills Day. Included separate entries for multi-day training sessions. Completed one peer discussion CPD entry. Demonstrated reflection rather than simply describing activities. Identified key learning points from each session. Explained how the learning relates to social work practice. Demonstrated professional development and growth. Used appropriate social work knowledge, values, legislation, and theory where relevant. Proofread your work for clarity, structure, grammar, and referencing requirements. All areas referenced using university guidelines. Submitted all entries within a single portfolio document. How the Portfolio Will Be Marked
Your portfolio will be assessed against the module marking rubric. To achieve higher grades, students should: Demonstrate critical reflection and insightful analysis of their learning experiences. Clearly evidence professional growth and development. Make meaningful links between learning and future social work practice. Integrate relevant theory, legislation, policy, research, and Social Work England professional standards where appropriate. Present a well-structured portfolio that communicates ideas clearly and professionally. Ensure all entries are referenced correctly in line with APA 7th edition. This includes both citations and a reference list. Please refer to the assessment rubric at the end of this document for detailed expectations relating to the marking criteria and learning outcomes. The rubric explains the characteristics of work at each grade band and provides guidance on the standards required to achieve your desired mark. What is the word count/time limit for the assessment(s)?
Your assessment should be no more than 6,000 words. As per the Social Work England guidance on CPD, entries should include – Describe what you have learnt from doing this CPD activity (About 250 to 500 words). Reflect on and describe the positive impact the CPD activity has had (or will have) on your practice and the people you work with (about 250 to 500 words). Describe what you have learnt from discussing the CPD activity you have recorded above with a peer (at least 250 words). You are required to write 9 CPD entries, one for each day of the module (one for the first day of the module is not needed). Only one entry needs to be discussed with a peer. Referencing in line with the university APA 7th edition guidelines which can be found further down the assessment brief and on the module site. All work should be in line with university guidelines including font size 12 and line spacing 1.5 Work above the word limit will not be considered in assessing the grade for the piece of work. How do I reference sources in my work?
To reference the sources you have used in your work you should use the APA 7 referencing scheme
A quick checklist of how to use this is on this site with more detailed information if you need it.
Note: Information on getting to grips with the core academic skills needed in assessment can also be found on this site: Supporting students to develop academic skills.
Can I use generative artificial intelligence (GAI) in this assessment?
This assessment is Category 1; AI tools cannot be used.
For this assessment the use of tools, software, or features of software which use artificial intelligence to generate content such as text, images or data, is not authorised. The work you submit must be entirely your own, representing your own abilities and ideas. Use of AI to generate a response to questions in this assessment, or the assessment brief, is academic misconduct. Reliance upon AI tools will also become problematic for you both in further study and your future career as the knowledge, critical and analytical thinking required for this assessment are essential, foundational skills you are expected to acquire and develop independently.
This is determined win line with university policy: Link to University GAI Policy can be found here download here What is academic integrity and how do I ensure that I follow the University rules on this?
Academic integrity is about being honest about your academic work. This means acknowledging the work of others and giving credit where other people`s ideas have been used, being fair, open and honest about academic work submitted for assessment, including information on research methods and data used. It also means avoiding any means which will give you an unfair advantage over other students completing that or similar assessments.
The university uses similarity detection tools to check the originality of your work.
Get further information on academic integrity and referencing and the Academic Integrity Policy and Academic Misconduct Procedure.
Submitting my assessment
How do I submit my assessment?
Submit your work in the submission area on Blackboard.
As the University marks assessments anonymously where possible, please include your student roll number (not your name) on your assessment.
Do not upload links in the submission area, as we cannot access them and therefore cannot mark your work and therefore you will fail this piece of work. If you have saved files on your University of Salford OneDrive, dragging them into the submission area may attach a link rather than the file itself. Always use the paperclip icon to attach files.
The following link provides more guidance on how to submit online submit the assessment
Who can I contact if I am having difficulties uploading and submitting my assessment
You should contact Digital IT immediately for support. In the event that issues affect the time of your submission, ask DIT to provide a report and send this to your Module Leader. You should also submit an Exceptional Circumstances (EC) request with the report you have obtained (or an academic appeal request if the issue cannot be resolved quickly).
What if I submit my assessment late?
Submissions made after the submission deadline of 16:00 UK time (will be accepted for up to 7 days, but marks will be capped at the pass mark (40% undergraduate).
Work submitted after this period will not be marked.
Assessment FAQs provide more information about late submission. Students affected by exceptional circumstances should follow the University’s Exceptional Circumstances Procedure
Support with my assessment
Who do I contact if I have any questions about my assessment and the feedback I have received?
You can obtain support for this assessment from the module leaders. You will have an assignment session built into the module. Module leaders will also be available for support on days they are on campus during session.
You can find other sources of support here:
Understanding your assessment brief/assessment tips for success
Develop your academic and digital skills
Assessment rules and processes
Support services
Feedback available to me during my module
What feedback is available to me during my module?
Students will have the opportunity to undertake a portfolio task during Skills Day 1. During the session, module leaders will review students` draft reflections and provide verbal formative feedback on the depth of reflection, application to social work practice, alignment with the Social Work England CPD Framework, and areas for further development. Students will be encouraged to use this feedback to improve subsequent portfolio entries prior to final submission.
Additional formative feedback will be provided throughout Skills Days through group discussions, reflection activities, practical exercises, and question-and-answer opportunities with module tutors. This feedback is intended to support students in developing their reflective writing skills, professional reasoning, and understanding of how learning can be applied in practice settings.
What Feedback Can Students Expect?
Students can expect:
Verbal feedback from module leaders during Skills Day activities and portfolio workshops. Feedback on the quality and depth of reflective writing. Guidance on linking learning to professional practice and Social Work England standards. Opportunities to ask questions and seek clarification about assessment expectations. Feedback provided during teaching sessions, allowing students to apply suggestions to future CPD entries before final submission. Peer Feedback and Student Responsibilities
Peer learning is an important component of reflective social work education. Students will be encouraged to discuss their learning with peers and share reflections on skills day activities. One CPD entry will involve discussion with a peer, in line with Social Work England CPD requirements.
Students are expected to:
Engage respectfully in feedback discussions. Share examples of reflective thinking and learning from skills days. Offer constructive feedback to peers on the clarity, relevance, and depth of reflections. Reflect on feedback received from peers and consider how it may inform their professional development. Opportunities for Peer Review
Throughout the module, students will have opportunities to:
Discuss draft ideas for CPD entries with peers. Participate in reflective discussions and small group activities. Review and comment on peers reflections during structured classroom activities. Exchange feedback on how effectively learning has been linked to social work knowledge, values, and practice. These formative activities are designed to support students confidence in reflective writing and prepare them for the successful completion of the summative portfolio assessment.
Where can I find further information and support to help me with my work?
Can I get additional academic skills support to help me with my work?
You can access information about available supportincluding: Academic Skills Support Understanding your assessment guidance/assessment tips for success Develop your academic and digital skills What if I have additional needs?
I have additional needs and I am not sure how I get the support I need?
Our aim is to make assessment as inclusive as possible. However, you may have additional learning support needs. Reasonable adjustments can be made to ensure that students with disabilities have fair and equal access to assessment and equal opportunities to do well. These adjustments can include modifications to teaching methods, assessment arrangements, and physical access to facilities/resources.
Speak to the Disability and Learner Support team about a reasonable adjustment plan (RAP) which is a personalised support plan which provides adjustments for individual support needs.
Where can I find guidance and support on exceptional circumstances (e.g., illness/caring responsibilities etc)?
There may be times when you need to let us know of factors impacting your ability to complete assessments. Information on this can be found at the following links. Please speak to your module lead about this if you think you need guidance on this.
Access information about the Exceptional Circumstances Procedure or speak to Salford SU Advice Centre.
What happens once I have submitted my assessment?
How will my work be marked?
Your assessment will be marked and moderated as described in the Assessment and Feedback Policy. You can find further information in the Assessment FAQs Anonymous marking is to be used in the marking process. What feedback will I receive on how I have done in the assessment?
All students will receive individual summative feedback and a provisional grade within 15 working days of the published submission deadline, unless delays arise due to academic misconduct investigations or other exceptional circumstances. Feedback will be made available through Blackboard.
Summative feedback will be provided against the assessment marking criteria and rubric. Feedback will identify the strengths of the work, areas for further development, and suggestions to support future academic and professional learning. Students are encouraged to review their feedback carefully and use it to inform their ongoing development as reflective practitioners and future registered social workers.
To understand how marks are awarded and what is required to achieve each grade band, students should refer to the summative assessment rubric included at the end of this assessment guidance document. The rubric outlines the expectations for reflective practice, application to social work, critical analysis, and professional development in relation to the module learning outcomes.
If I fail this assessment or am unable to complete it, can I have another chance to submit/complete it?
In-Year Retrieval and Resubmission Information
In-year retrieval is not permitted for this assessment.
If you do not pass this assessment, it is important that you seek feedback from the marker to ensure you fully understand the areas requiring improvement. Module leaders will also provide support to help you prepare for resubmission.
All resubmissions must be submitted through Blackboard by the specified deadline.