Social work field education in a global world, views from educators
Social Workers in the field are operating under significant stress as workplace ideologies and neo-liberal market principles (Agllias, 2010) place pressure on the human service industry to focus on efficiencies rather than effectiveness (Chiller & Crisp, 2012). Schools of social work are also under pressure which is derived mainly from the need to graduate highly skilled and competent professional social workers within the confines of a neoliberal funding model which dictates that universities do more with less. Of particular concern is the effect on field education placement or practicum, the point where service providers and schools of social work join forces to enhance student learning. The current climate makes it increasingly difficult to source and maintain placements offering quality social work learning environments, particularly for some groups of students. It is therefore necessary to seek new and creative ways of working in partnership with the service providers to secure placement opportunities and enhance the experience for both service provider staff and social work students on placement. Informed by the experiences of field education academic staff from around Australia this presentation offers insight into some of the potential solutions to challenges faced in the current climate, with a focus on rural and remote placements, overseas placements and supporting students from culturally diverse backgrounds. In particular it provides practical strategies and argues for schools of social work and particularly field education staff to work more closely together to share information and guide the development of field education standards and requirements.
Student to Practitioner: A Study of Preparedness for Social Work Practice
Abstract Australian social work graduates face an increasingly complex work environment where the role of the social worker is often overlooked or misunderstood. In order to examine the anticipated and concrete practice reality for social workers, this qualitative study examined the expectations of social work students preparing to enter the workforce (n=29) and the experiences of new social work graduates in the workplace (n=9). Findings suggest that undergraduates have a realistic understanding of the challenges they would encounter in practice, including anticipated value and ethical conflicts, and allied professions' conceptions of the social work role. They did not anticipate the busyness of the workplace or the level of supervision offered.
Experience‐based learning and its relevance to social work practice
Abstract The paper begins with a brief description of the experience-based learning model developed by a group of social work educators at the University of Newcastle, in New South Wales. The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree was introduced in 1991 and its first graduates entered the workforce in 1995. As well as outlining the theoretical underpinnings and core features of the model, the paper reports on a survey of graduates which examined their perceptions of the effectiveness of experience-based learning in preparing them for social work practice. It ends with a brief discussion of the difficulties of staff and students in adapting to this model.