FIELDWORK BRIEFING 3180

1. FIELDWORK BRIEFING 3180 GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR PLACEMENT

2. Melbourne Fieldwork Fieldwork Coordinator Melbourne placements & Skills Coordinator MarijaDragicStephanie Vrionis Fieldwork Administration: Emma Fudim Monday & Tuesday

3. Rural and Interstate Fieldwork Fieldwork Coordinator Jennifer McConachy Fieldwork Administration Natalie Melder

4. 2. Overview of Monash Fieldwork Education • Fieldwork Objectives – in the field work manual • learn about social work practice under supervision in an agency setting • experiencing the reality of social work and develop appropriate skills • Apply, integrate and translate theory into practice • Gain direct experience of the economic, political & policy constraints on practice and the people served; • To assess the student’s ability to perform as an independent beginning social work practitioner.

5. Timing Duration for Melbourne placements • 70 days full time for on campus students • Start Tuesday 9th June 2009 • Finish Friday 11th September 2009 • This is likely to apply to Melbourne OCL students • Timing and duration for R&I Students • More flexibility, minimum 3 days per week, start anytime after completing pre-requisites. • Need specific planning for placements that continue through new year period.

6. Sick days and public holidays • Students entitled to 3 sick days during placement • Anything above, must be made up at end of placement • Public holidays are counted in the 70 days Placement Hours • According to the organisation’s policies and procedures • eg: 9 – 5 or 8:30 till 5pm with RDO, TIL, Flexi

7. Melbourne students are required to attend Integrative seminars at Monash • 2 days at Uni to meet with other students • Opportunity to reflect on placement experience • Share with other students • Prepare for job hunting • Students not required to go back to placement on that day • Tuesday 7th July 2009 • Tuesday 25th August 2009

8. Responsibility of Students – pre placement • Read the field work guide • Send in • National Police check (and verification form) • Working with children check (and verification form) • Signed pre placement form • Signed consent form

9. Responsibilities of Students on placement • Investigate and facilitate learning opportunities • Familiarise self with agency requirements • Ensure learning agreement, assessment reports, critical incident and case study are completed on time

10. Responsibilities of students on placement • Available and engage in formal supervision • Demonstrate appropriate attitude and be open to learning and feedback • Demonstrate appropriate behaviour in accordance with the AASW Code of Ethics • Accurate Representation • Students must fully inform their clients of their student status at first contact to enable legitimate consent for further contact.

11. Blackboard Please keep an eye out on 3180 Blackboard site • You can use it for discussion groups and to stay in touch with others Use the coffee shop for hints and discussion about field placement

12. Responsibilities of the Supervisor • Student understands agency requirements, eg: working hours, dress, recording, filing, • Enable students to gain an understanding of the agency systems and community • Assist student with learning agreement • Assign appropriate tasks • Regular weekly supervision (formal and informal)

13. Responsibilities of the Supervisor • Keep written record of supervision • Available for liaison meetings • Submit evaluation reports in collaboration with student • Review one piece of formal written work (1,500 word case study) • Recommendation on pass or fail

14. Placements without direct Social Work supervision Melbourne placements • Group supervision with Helen Woods • Frankston campus supervision group with Badal • Fortnightly • Mandatoryat the Frankston campus, fortnightly

15. Placements without direct Social Work supervision Rural and Interstate Placements • You need to find someone • Uni has a data base to help with this • Uni pays $130 per fortnight per full time week – total $910.

16. Liaison Visitor – one mid placement visit Rural and Interstate placements • Liaison visitor may be someone known to student or supervisor • Local AASW eligible social worker • Impartial Melbourne placements • Liaison will probably be the “Skills” tutor (Casual staff employed by Monash Uni or fieldwork)

17. Contact Person at Uni Rural and interstate • R&I co-ordinator Melbourne • University academic staff member • Your contact back to the University • Resolve any serious issues • Intervene at termination of placements

18. Placement Expectations (3rd Year) • Orientation to the agency • Familiarise themselves with functions of the agency and policies and procedures • Network with other agencies in the region • Student gradually becomes functioning member of the agency • Fully involved in operations, although needs assistance in taking on new tasks and link to SW

19. Assessment Requirements • Learning Agreement -student and supervisor- (Appendix F) – DAY 15 • Mid Placement Review - student and supervisor (Appendix H) – DAY 35 • Student required to submit 2 pieces of written work • A case study (1,500 words) Supervisor required to read and comment on this report. *consent and de identify • A critical incident report (1,500 words) Supervisor NOT required to sight or comment. • Final evaluation Report student and supervisor (Appendix L)- WITHIN ONE WEEK OF COMPLETION

20. Department of Social Work Websitehttp://www.med.monash.edu.au/socialwork/ Monash University > Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences > Social Work > Current Students> Undergraduate Studies > Fieldwork> Fieldwork Placement Forms (current students only) • Fieldwork Forms http://www.med.monash.edu.au/socialwork/info/fieldworkdocs.html

21. The Learning Agreement – why does the uni want you to have one? • Guides and times student’s activities • Establishes boundaries and parameters of work – what is possible? • on-going review and evaluation • Clarifies expectations • Used in the liaison visit • Structure the rest of the placement • Address any difficulties

22. The Learning Agreement - why bother? • It makes you think, it begins the link between intellectual understanding (knowledge) and practice (skills, behaviour) • Evaluation of your practice • Begins a work approach of life-long learning • Performance appraisal

23. Learning Agreement – the meaning • Description of Agency • Student’s learning goals • Laws • Policies and Procedures for practice • Professional standards

24. Learning Agreement – goals, tasks, measurement and timelines Can begin anywhere • Goal – broad direction • Task – specific action/s that link the goal to the measurement • Showing achievement • Timeframe

25. The Learning Agreement Professional Identity a) Role of professional social worker Values and Ethics, Value conflict, Accountability b) Orientation to agency Structure, service delivery and wider community context of the agency, admin procedures c) Student as learner Identify strengths, Aware of weaknesses

26. The Learning AgreementProfessional Identity - example Learning Area – Awareness of values Goal – To recognise and understand own values and their ability to impact practice Task for achieving goal – Discuss in supervision; Keep a journal Evidence for goal achievement – Discussion in supervision of own reflections and receiving feedback from supervisor Timeframe- DATE

27. The Learning AgreementUse of self • Interpersonal skills – conflict; confrontation; cooperation; listening, understanding, responding; communication to diverse client/s, problems. Knowledge of self – behaviours, likes, dislikes, approaches to people

28. The Learning AgreementUse of self - Example Learning Area – Engagement Goal – To demonstrate the ability to engage with clients who have a diverse range of presentations Task for achieving goal – Participate in the duty roster Evidence for goal achievement - Lead a practice discussion based on reading and experiences of duty to team/supervisor Timeframe – Week 7 or Date

29. The Learning AgreementApplication of professional skills a) Integration of theory and practice Apply knowledge and skills to practical situations; use of theoretical knowledge to assess situations; conceptualising practice b) Interviewing skills Direct interview towards its goals (planning); focus on specific microskills; recording in and out of interview

30. The Learning AgreementApplication of professional skills, cont… c) Assessment Analyse assessment using theoretical frameworks; assessment within a social and political context d) Planned Intervention Formulate clear objectives and planned interventions, informed by assessment, theory and evidence e) Evaluation Evaluation of services – individual, program

31. The Learning AgreementApplication of professional skills - example Learning Area – Case Management Goal – To facilitate, co ordinate and liaise with other service providers on behalf of client families Tasks – Become familiar with other services through visits and website and other contact; build a network of contacts; attend 3 case planning meetings Evidence – Appropriate referrals made to other organisations (not rejected as inappropriate); case plans includes other services (3 families) Timeframe – one family by mid review, 2 in the second half of placement

32. Supervision Despite the hard work involved, there is great satisfaction in sharing your knowledge to help your students grow & develop in a professional competency. The primary purpose of professional supervision is to facilitate competent, independent practice and not to perpetuate dependency Reference: “Staff Supervision in Social Care” Tony Morrison Pavilion Publishing UK 1997

33. What does the AASW say?AASW AUSTRALIAN SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION AND ACCREDITATION STANDARDS Section 4.3.3 a (ii) • minimum of 1.5 hours supervision (including formal and informal) for each five days of placement. • individually or in group formats. “ the quality of social work supervision is central to the development and maintenance of highest standards of social work practice.”

34. According to Tony Morrison: • Supervision is the workers most essential professional relationship; • Supervision is improved by analysing what we feel, think and do and by trying new things out; • Supervision is one of the most important managerial and teaching activities; • Supervision can be one of the most rewarding tasks in social work.

35. The aims of the Administrative function of supervision are: • Quality of the student’s performance; • Agency policies and procedures; • Student understands their role & responsibility; • Student is clear about boundaries; • Purpose of supervision is clear; • Work is reviewed regularly; • Decisions are clear; • Records are maintained; • Time management; • Student acts as positive member of team; • Understanding functions of other agencies; (TONY MORRISON 1997)

36. The aims of the Educational function of supervision are: • Professional competence; • Application of Theory to Practice (student’s responsibility); • Theory presentation by student • How would your intervention change if you used an alternative approach? • What might be the alternative outcomes for your client? • Critical incidents • Student’s value base; • Learning styles; • Identify development needs to document in final report; • Reflection; • Feedback; • Increase knowledge base; • Self appraisal; (TONY MORRISON 1997)

37. The aims of the Supportive function of supervision are: • Validate student as a learner; • Clarify boundaries; • Safe climate to reflect on impact of practice; • Debriefing; • Explore emotional blocks; • Explore issues of discrimination; • Explore issues of ‘fitting in’ to the agency; • Monitor emotional functioning and health if it affects their placement; • Reflect on colleague relationships. (TONY MORRISON 1997)

38. Supervision, in brief • Have an agenda that has some fixed items (e.g. case review) and some space for learning items (e.g. applying a theory to a case) • Prepare – what do you want to learn, test out, talk through… • This is mandatory – AASW requirement, and a good habit to acquire • It is not a test, it is a learning and support opportunity

39. Final words • Questions • Comments • GOOD LUCK AND ENJOY