Vivian Fitzsimmons

I qualified as a social worker in 1999 from Edinburgh University and have worked in both adult care and children and families in Edinburgh and Falkirk.

I completed my practice education qualification in 2001 from Dundee university and subsequently supervised and assessed students from various Universities across the Central belt. I have worked in Learning and development as practice assessor coordinator for over 15 years.

My areas of interest include attachment theory and its relationship with supervision particularly when considering the importance of the relationship and providing a non-critical context.

I am a qualified Social Worker, Practice Educator and Practice Assessor, and I have experience working in Local Authority and Third Sector organisations in Children & Families and Adult Services.

I am interested in how the people in our communities participate authentically with Social Work systems and processes, including how we better understand peoples’ needs and learning styles and how we make our services accessible. I am also very interested in quality assurance, quality control and quality improvement processes, and how we use these in our work with Students and Newly Qualified Social Workers to benefit our communities.

Social Work

What is Social Work?
BASW (2023): “Social workers aim to improve people’s lives by helping with social and interpersonal difficulties, promoting human rights and wellbeing. Social workers protect children and adults with support needs from harm. From helping keep a family under pressure together to supporting someone with mental health problems, social work is a varied, demanding, often emotional and very rewarding career.”

International Federation of Social Work (2014): “Social work is a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people. Principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversities are central to social work.  Underpinned by theories of social work, social sciences, humanities and indigenous knowledges, social work engages people and structures to address life challenges and enhance wellbeing. The above definition may be amplified at national and/or regional levels.”

Becoming a Social Worker
‘Social Worker’ is a protected title and to practice in Scotland you must register with the SSSC and complete an approved social work degree. If you are interested in undertaking your Social Work degree you can find out more about the entry requirements and study routes via the SSSCs website.

Students
We recommend all Students read over the Practice Learning in Falkirk guidance as this gives an overview of the student practice based learning process. Students need to evidence towards the Standards in Social Work Education and Ethical Principles (2026) and their SSSC (2024) Codes of Practice. Students should be supported to start their placements right and there is a Pre-Placement Checklist and Induction Planner to support with this.

All Students in Falkirk and Forth Valley are welcome to attend our Student Learning Hub that meets every month, so please contact us at PracticeLearning@falkirk.gov.uk for invites.

Students need to critically reflect and analyse their practice while on placement in Falkirk. This is to develop best practice to empower the children, young people, adults, carers and communities that we are responsible to. It is essential that we embed anti-discriminatory, anti-oppressive, anti-racist and anti-ableist practice. To support with this we have developed the Critical Reflection Resource Booklet which offers different models for reflective practice.

Some of our Students have produced some information on a day in the life of a Social Work student to give a little bit more insight into how your day might look coming on placement with Falkirk Council.

A Day in the Life of a Social Work Student – CH

A Day in the Life of a Social Work Student – ZG

Link Workers
Our Link Workers are essential, working alongside Practice Educators to provide day-to-day support to facilitate good learning and professional growth. Our Link Workers are a mixture of qualified Social Workers from Social Work teams, and other professionals from wider Social Services teams.

If you would like to become a Link Worker please submit a Note of Interest and we can keep you up to date about training dates.

Practice educators
Our Practice Educators are essential for the planning, co-ordinating, supervising and assessing practice learning. They provide weekly supervisions to Social Work Students and produce assessments on the Student’s progress including whether they achieve a pass or not.

If you would like to become a Practice Educator please submit a Note of Interest and we can keep you up to date about opportunities.

Practice Assessors
The Practice Assessor Role is essential for assessing our Practice Educators as they undertake their professional development award in practice learning (PDAPL) with registered universities. Practice Assessors must have hosted at least three Social Work students and work alongside the Practice Learning Coordinators to ensure quality assurance and control measures.

Occupational Therapy

What is Occupational Therapy?
RCOT: “An occupational therapist helps people of all ages overcome challenges completing everyday tasks or activities – what we call ‘occupations’. That could mean helping you overcome challenges learning at school, going to work, playing sport or simply doing the dishes. Everything is focused on your wellbeing and your ability to participate in activities. It’s also a science-based, health and social care profession that’s regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council.”

Becoming an Occupational Therapist
If you are interested in undertaking your Occupational Therapy degree you can find out more about the entry requirements and study routes via NHS Careers.

Students
We recommend all Students read over the Practice Learning in Falkirk guidance as this gives an overview of the student practice based learning process. Students should be supported to start their placements right and there is a Pre-Placement Checklist and Induction Planner to support with this.

All Students in Falkirk and Forth Valley are welcome to attend our Student Learning Hub that meets every month, so please contact us at PracticeLearning@falkirk.gov.uk for invites.

Students need to critically reflect and analyse their practice while on placement in Falkirk. This is to develop best practice to empower the children, young people, adults, carers and communities that we are responsible to. It is essential that we embed anti-discriminatory, anti-oppressive, anti-racist and anti-ableist practice. To support with this we have developed the Critical Reflection Resource Booklet which offers different models for reflective practice.

Practice educators
Occupational Therapy Practice Educators should complete the Turas Module Being and Becoming a Practice Educator from NHS Education Scotland and should discuss with their Line Manager about how they can be supported to start providing Student Placements.

Gathering Feedback
It is essential for Students to collect feedback from the people in our communities and the professionals they work alongside. If you would like to share some feedback for our Students please feel free to fill in this Form to tell us how they did!

Social Work Students are encouraged to get creative and use their initiative to find out how we can get feedback from the people they are working alongside. Here are some novel ways that Students have collected feedback:

Callendar Park Feedback Form 1

Falkirk Wheel Feedback Form 1

Falkirk Wheel Feedback Form 2

Child Friendly Feedback Form 1

Child Friendly Feedback Form 2

Child Friendly Feedback Form 3

Research Governance
Social Work Students who are required to complete research as part of their Dissertations can reach out to the Practice Learning Coordinators for advice by contacting us at PracticeLearning@falkirk.gov.uk.

Useful Links