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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Once again, I have had to rethink and challenge my attitudes and beliefs. This time about mental health, provoked by the literature review I was required to write. I eventually chose the concept of ‘recovery’, which proved fascinating- and challenging.
To give a quick synopsis, the recovery movement argues that everyone who experiences any form of [...]
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The mental health pathway for my course is assessed by means of 2 assignments- a literature review, of your own choice but discussed with the tutor to ensure suitability, and an essay about assessment within mental health services, including assessment of risk.
The first gives me a headache- for no other reason than that it is [...]
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Today was day 88 of placement; in 4 more weeks it will be over. Tomorrow I return to university to begin the second year of my MA. The combination of both has put me in a reflective mood.
It seems like only yesterday that I was starting the first year of the course, full of hopes [...]
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A few weeks ago I went down to my mother’s for 10 days. She had recently had a mastectomy, and was having some problems with her recovery, and as my father was going abroad for business, I slipped back into my role of ‘young carer’. Except that the role didn’t seem to fit as well [...]
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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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At a group session, C explained away the superficial cuts on her face and arms as from fighting with another girl. My supervisor (X) merely advised her to avoid such situations. C cornered me after the group, asking for some advocacy work, so I arranged an appointment; X was amazed when I told her- C [...]
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Started placement last week, and hated it. Not due to any reason specifically related to the placement (I think) but more a symptom of how I feel about everything lately. I am struggling. Have been for a while, if I’m honest.
Immediately before this course, I went through a messy divorce. I didn’t know that he’d [...]
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As I’m starting my placement tomorrow, this is a question that has been in my mind recently. What is the difference between a good (social) worker and a bad one? I, and many service users, often joke that we can spot a good social worker from half a mile away. I was interested to read a [...]
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I found this article today on the BBC news website, and it has made me think a lot. Basically, the article discusses the advice given to GPs and consultants a few years ago not to prescribe SSRI antidepressants to young people, due to an increased risk of suicide when taking these drugs. A recent study [...]
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