Final placement and other ramblings

Once again I’m in the position of impatiently waiting to hear about my next placement.  I know which authority took my application papers and when.   Now I just have to wait for them to contact me when they have found me a suitable practice teacher.
This has led to me reflecting on my last placement and [...]

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Anti-oppressive practice?

Yesterday I went on an unannounced visit to a carer’s home with a recently qualified male worker, to observe the way the checks are done.  Some very real safety concerns emerged, but the carer gave two explanations, which, while not seeming totally plausible in terms of the actual concerns, were certainly partially credible.  The issues [...]

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Hitting the ground running

I posted a while ago about spending some time with the local authority fostering team to gain extra experience and meet the assessment requirements for my placement.  I began last week and from now on, I will spend two and half days in each location.   Fostering was certainly very different from the children’s advocacy [...]

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Reflections after two thirds of placement

Yet again it’s been ages since I last posted- I totally underestimated how difficult this stage of the course is.
I am effectively working full-time- for no salary- and then coming home at night and having to write a reflective log, thinking about what I’ve learned that day.  At weekends I write the essays, or update [...]

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An ethical dilemma

As part of the assessment for the placement part of the social work course, on at least two separate occasions the practice  teacher has to observe the student working directly with service users, and provide a report with feedback about the student’s competence. The date set for my first one is tomorrow.  As I am [...]

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Possible move of team

Since I have been on placement, the agency has received very little work- I have spent a lot of my time in the office doing very little at all.  I have worked briefly with one young person, and am doing some work with another, and that is all.  I am now 27 days through my [...]

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Worrying experience

The agency I am placed with receives information about children placed in external foster placements or out of borough residential units regularly so that we can offer them information about our service.  This may involve sending written information, or a home visit.
Today we had a list of names arrive, so I spent some time this [...]

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Cutting child poverty

Today a  new bill is being published to make working towards ending child poverty a legal requirement on councils, health authorities, government and other bodies.
It may just be me, but this seems totally unworkable, if not impossible…
Poverty as the government defines it is expressed completely in terms of material wealth, ie. parental income.  However, in [...]

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Occupational injury!

I was out visiting a young person at home this evening, when my ankle gave way under me while crossing the road. Luckily the cars stopped for me, as I picked myself up off the floor trying to maintain a resemblance of dignity (although no-one was actually concerned enough to ask if I was okay).
I [...]

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Looking forward

The last few weeks I have been thinking a lot about what area I might like to practice in eventually.
I have chosen the mental health pathway for my course, although technically we graduate with a generic degree preparing us for any area of social work.  For me, adults services have always been my preference.
This placement [...]

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