SWSP4088/4266/7088/7266/7288/7366

“Learning on Placement”

Questions for Discussion

• What was your past experience of placement?

• What was your past experience of supervision?

• What do you want to take with you and what do you need to leave behind?

• What may help you to do this?

Important Documents for Placement….. a reminder

2 important documents needed for placement. Both related to contemporary Social Work practice.

•AASW Code of Ethics (Revised Edition 2010)•AASW Practice Standards

AASW Practice Standards –Key Conceptswww.aasw.asn.au/publications/ethics-and-standards

AASW Practice Standards have been integrated into the Learning Curriculum.

• Knowledge, skills and resources of a social worker• Explanation of social work service• Client involvement• Appropriateness of social work assessment,

intervention and outcomes• Service development• Recording and record keeping

AASW Practice Standards – Key Concepts cont’d

• Report writing• Multi disciplinary work environments• Supervision• Referral/ termination/interruption of service• Advice of right to query service• Evaluation of social work service

– Which of these standards would you like to

focus more on during this placement?

YOU are the focus for this learning process

YOU

Field Educator/Agency/c

lients

University of Qld

Field Tutor

“Stay focused

For

18 – 21 weeks”

Roles and Responsibilities. Student / Field Educator & Field tutor……

• Look at FE Manual page 9 -12 – read section on roles and responsibilities.

• May also be an external FE and a task supervisor involved in your placement.

In small groups discuss the following: What is my role / responsibility as a student on final placement to become “work ready?”

What can I do if my learning needs are not being addressed?

Learning for Reflective Practice

• Two types – reflection in action and reflection on action

• ‘The capacity to reflect in response to new situations without reacting with immediate answers to questions which almost certainly are not fully formulated, requires being able to contain anxiety generated by confusion, uncertainty and unpredictability. Reflective learning is by its nature not prescriptive and inevitably does not follow an ordered sequential pattern. Not only is this a challenge for the student and practitioner, but also for the educator and practice teacher, manager and team leader, who have to contain their own anxiety and that of others.’ - Gould & Taylor (1996)

Develop a THIRD EYE

Examples:• Work Diary• Learning Journal• Process Records

Ref: Ch. 8, Cleak & Wilson, (2007) Making the Most of Field Placement

Learning Styles

• Concrete Experience – Feeling

• Reflective Observations – Watching

• Abstract Conceptualisation – Thinking

• Active Experimentation – Doing

Discuss your preferred learning style and talk about some activities that might assist / challenge your learning style, particularly as this is your final placement.

Making the most of supervision

• To turn doing into learning on placement, you need to reflect critically on what you are doing – supervision is a core way of doing this.

Questions for Discussion

• What expectations do you have of a supervisory relationship in your final placement?

• What previous experiences have you had that might impact on how a supervisory relationship develops and works?

• What do you do if you are feeling under pressure?

• How do you cope with being assessed?

• How do you let people know you don’t approve of what their doing?

• How much will you disclose of yourself in terms of how your life has shaped who you are now?

Making the most of supervision

• While there is a clear power imbalance between student and field educator, you can have a big impact on the effectiveness of your supervision – both planned and ‘on the run’.

• Get involved !!!

Building a Supervision Relationship• It is strongly recommended that the beginning sessions with

your supervisor focus on the previous learning and supervision experiences of both yourself and your supervisor.

• Be prepared to discuss your hopes and goals for this placement and for the supervisory relationship.

• Allow time to discuss similarities and differences between yourself and your supervisor – age, race , gender, educational status, family background, class, spiritual and political beliefs, previous work.

Learning Agreement for Supervision (appendix 1, in FE Manual 2012 – page 68)

• Completing the Learning Agreement is essential

• Works best when completed early in placement

• Excellent tool for establishing clear boundaries and guidelines

• Can be a useful tool to come back to should issues arise

Relationship with your F/ERemember……

Your ability to risk in disclosing, in documenting and in being observed, will depend on the relationship you have with your supervisor. This relationship does not have to be perfect – a good enough relationship can provide a valuable placement.

Curriculum Modules

• Social work in society• Organisational base of practice• Relationships• Analysis/Assessment/Planning• Intervention/Action• Student Learning and Professional

Development

Learning Curriculum

Generally the learning curriculum should reflect the:

• requirements of the training institution and course

• opportunities available in the agency• interests and abilities of the supervisor• interests and abilities of the student• teaching and learning style of the supervisor

and the student

Curriculum format

• Aims or goals – what learning to be achieved?

• Starting points – previous experience• Content – more specific details of what you

plan to achieve• Tasks – how are you going to do it?• When – time frame• How will I know I have achieved my goals?

Important Placement Information • Your course profile outlines what you need to complete whilst

on placement. This is not in addition to the Learning Curriculum tasks in the FE Manual.

• Placement is pass / fail.

• You must complete a Statement of Learning as part of your mid / final evaluation form.

• All placement tasks / activities need to be completed to a satisfactory level in order to pass. We suggest to print out a copy of your evaluation form early in the placement.

• There are examples of Learning Curriculums, a Practice Framework, a Process Report, a time chart and an inventory of skills and techniques in the FE Manual.

Important Issues• Keep boundaries between self, your supervisor, client(s) and other workers

• Remember to check and be clear about confidentiality policy and practice in your agency (check with AASW Code of Ethics and the FE Manual page 62-64)

• Be employable and professional at all times

• Stay out of conflict issues within the agency or organisation

 

• The student’s performance will be recorded as a failing grade if any criterion of any module is rated at an unsatisfactory level. A failing grade will also be awarded if a student behaves in a manner to staff, clients or community members that is assessed as unprofessional or unethical, malicious or dangerous by the field educator and/or the field tutor together with the course co-ordinator, regardless of the quality of their work in other situations. This includes a breach of confidentiality or inappropriately sharing information.

Important Issues cont’d

Make yourself familiar with the following policies / procedures in the FE Manual:

• Workplace Issues (page 57)

• Personal safety (page 60)

• Student illness during placement (page 60)

• Confidentiality (page 62-64)

• Difficulties on placement – there are clear procedures on pages 52-56.

• Remember – contact your field tutor early if there are issues

Thank you

• Wishing you all the best on placement. Remember, enjoy your placement time!

• Field Education Unit staff are Mark Cleaver, Jo Bidgood and Alison Gidley

• Field Tutors: Gillian Blacket, Fiona Bosly, Vanessa Collins and Stephanie Smith