Self Reflections

At the begining of the placement my initial emotions were ones of expectancy, fear of the unknown and excitement. I was enthusiastic to engage in this new chapter of my social work journey while at the same time unsure of the agencies expectations and my own abilities. during my placement I have participated in numerous learning opportunities, which have included:

    • Assisted a facilitator in presenting workshops to older people in the community
    • Attended a therapeutic pre-school programme for children under the age of four who have been harmed, which is run by a local organisation for victims and perpetrators of sexual assault.
    • Observed and attempted to complete (for my own practice development not for official records) Ongoing Needs Assessments (ONI) with the HACC coordinator out in the community.
    • Went out to the rural community with the family support outreach worker, observed her counselling numerous clients with diverse problems, including visits to schools, to assist children with their situations. Debriefed with her about the clients and their behaviours.
    • Interagency collaboration working with a social worker from another agency with clients that i was involved in assessing and referred onto another agency.
    • Assisted in the development and facilitation of a six week workshop for teenage girls with behavioural and comprehension difficulties, aimed at developing their understanding of social expectations.
    • Acted as an ambassador for the organisation by representing and promoting its services at a local community expo, planned to raise awareness for child safety.
    • Visited numerous organisations within the community, to gain an understanding of the services that are available to clients in the local area, to experience the organisations that they utilise on a regular basis and also to build on my community network.
    • Spent some time with another agency observing a Mental Health Social Worker (MHSW) in direct practice.
    • Developed an understanding of community organisations and the services they provide.

All of these different elements of practice have important for my learning in a various ways not only have I had the opportunity to experience human service practice at an organisational, community service, community development and rural outreach level, I have been given the opportunity to develop a network of community contacts that will be valuable for my current learning and future practice. These experiences twelve weeks ago I would find extremely daunting, as the placement has progressed and the need for me to be self directed to develop my own learning has increased , so has my confidence and my ability to be assertive. Certainly I have a long way still to go, but I believe through having to promote myself and reflecting on my thoughts, feelings actions and practical experiences, has increased my knowledge, not only of social work, or of organisations, but of myself and how resilient and adaptable I can be. It has also shown me the differences between organisations, between the perceptions of people, and has assisted me in deciding where I want my next placement to be and where I want to practice when I eventually become a social worker.

At the begining of my journey there were times when I felt like retreating into my 'shell', But as I have progressed I have found myself facing tasks assertively, although I still keep my shell close by for self-care.