FIELD PREPARATION

“Taking the time to prepare for placement by thinking about what you want and what you

need will help you to negotiate a successful placement and begin it with realistic and positive expectations”.

Cleak & Wilson (2007)

FIELD PLACEMENT PREPARATION

Prepares you to engage in field learning (such as clarifying expectations, constructing learning goals/objectives, integration of knowledge with practice)

Allows students to be involved in a process to identify the most appropriate field placement learning opportunity from a wide range of fields of practice and agencies options

Is a journey to discover your personal and professional framework

CONTEXT OF WORK INTEGRATED LEARNING

& CAREER DEVELOPMENT LEARNING

Work Integrated Learning Is defined as an educational strategy in which

opportunities are created for students to integrate disciplinary knowledge and skills with work, through the application of that knowledge and the use of those skills in real, professional work contexts.

WIL Resources, Chapter 1 Career Development Learning

Relates to learning about the content and process of career development or life/carer management. The content represents learning about self and learning about the world of work. Process learning represents the development of the skills necessary to navigate a successful and satisfying life/career.

(Smith, Brooks, Lichtenber, Mcllveen, Torjul & Tyler, 2009)

CURRENT CONTEXTUndergraduate Student cohort

Bachelor of Human Services Bachelor of Human Services/Bachelor of

Criminology and Criminal Justice Bachelor of Human Services/Masters of

Rehabilitation Counselling Bachelor of Child and Family Studies Bachelor of Child and Family Studies/Bachelor

of Education-Primary Bachelor of Social Work

FIELDS OF PRACTICEChild Protection Community DevelopmentWorking with Seniors DisabilityRehabilitation Counselling Mental HealthFamily Support Community Based

RehabilitationCorrections Employment ServicesWelfare & Community Planning

Family & Child Welfare

Policy Development & research

Community & Social Planning

Youth Work & Youth Justice Working with Indigenous Communities

Working with Culturally Diverse Communities

STUDENT COHORT

Bachelor of Human Services

Bachelor of Human Services/Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice

Bachelor of Human Services/Masters of Rehabilitation Counselling

DOTS MODEL Decision learning – decision making skills

Opportunity awareness – knowing what work opportunities exist and what their requirements are

Self awareness – in terms of interests, abilities values etc

Transition learning – including job-search and self-presentation skills(Watts, 2006, p.10-11)

BROAD OVERVIEW OF COURSE

Administration and legal processes Process to establish placement, and The course content – which covers

The importance of self awareness How to choose a placement – career identity Individual pre-placement interviews with course

convenor Agency interviews/graduate interviews Integration of knowledge and practice Developing your learning plan Evaluating and reflecting on your weekly progress Wellbeing, and Supervision both within the university and in the field

ADMINISTRATION & LEGAL PROCESSES

Students must completeo Self-awareness Assessment Form o Student Preference Formo Deed Poll o Obtain a Blue Cardo Ensure all immunisations required for specific

organisations are completed prior to commencing field placement – example Hep B

o Health & Safety Induction – WIL Placements Training Module online and download certificate

Other Administration FormsService Agreements

PROCESS TO ESTABLISH PLACEMENT

(Dates are identified each semester for completion of this process) Interview with course convenor – organisations identified Preference forms sent to field placement officer –

For a new contact the course convenor undertakes initial contact with the new organisation, a face-to-face visit with the organisation and then the field placement officer continues normal processes.

For an established contact the field placement officer works with course convenor and sends original email to organisations to establish their availability to take a student for field placement. Responsible for administrative duties, legal forms and

database. Maintains contact with students and organisations throughout

the process and keep course convenor informed. Students are emailed the field supervisors contact details and

arrange an interview. Once both the organisation and student send an email of

accepting the placement to the field placement officer, the organisation receives a package and student an acceptance letter.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-AWARENESS

Self awareness is important in learning new skills and processes

To develop relationship skills both within and outside of your organisation

To understand how your attitudes and beliefs can influence your practice

STUDENT SELF-AWARENESS ASSESSMENT FORM

What is your reason for wanting to be a human service worker or social worker? What prompted your interest?

What are some personal qualities that you have, that will make you an effective human services worker or social worker?

What life experiences have you had that will help you to be an effective human services worker or social worker?

What life experiences have you had that might get in the way of you being an effective human services worker or social worker?

 What skills or abilities do you currently have the most confidence in?

How confident are you in your written and spoken communication skills?

How might you respond if someone is aggressive towards you or creates a scene?

STUDENT SELF-AWARENESS ASSESSMENT FORM CONT.

How might you respond if you experienced some form of conflict with your work manager or a person in a position of authority?

How open are you to exploring your own life experiences, strengths and struggles with other people as part of your training?

The capacity to be non-discriminatory and non-judgmental is essential to ethical practice. How have you examined your personal values and prejudices and their potential impact on your practice? Are there people you might have difficulty working with?

Think about the influence of religion or spirituality on your life. How do you think this will influence your practice?

How does your cultural or ethnic background influence your beliefs about race or cultures different from your own?

Do you have any unresolved personal issues or troubles that may affect your performance on practicum? Discuss how these issues could be managed.

STUDENT IN-CLASS ACTIVITY

Personal Goal What skills, knowledge and experience do you

need? Identify the gaps in your skills or knowledge. How and where can you obtain the knowledge

and skills?

Professional Goal What do I bring to my field placement? Where do I wish to work after graduation? What do I need to learn/experience to reach this

goal?

GOAL ACTIVITY Identify a personal or professional goal?

What skills, knowledge and or previous experience do you need to achieve this goal?

How and where can you obtain the knowledge and skills required to achieve this goal?

QUESTIONS Who found this exercise easy or difficult?

Do you feel age and or prior industry experience plays a role in the student’s ability to identify future professional goals? Why!!

How easy and or honest do you feel a student is in identifying the gaps within their current knowledge and skills?

What do you feel holds them back?

WHY IS YOUR WELL BEING IMPORTANT

First and foremost reason is ‘there is only one of

you and you are the most important person to you.’

INTERACTIVE WELL BEING SESSION

Identify the personal challenges they are facing

Understand the nature of those challenges and their implications for their well being, and

Develop some strategies for facing those challenges – using the SPACE framework

S – Social support P - Powerful thoughts A – Autonomy C – confronting stress and E – extending my skills

REACHING A WORK-LIFE BALANCE

Space

WELL BEING ACTIVITY Imagine on Monday you are commencing

a new position in a new place of employment.

What are some of the challenges you may face;

Understand the nature of these challenges and the implications for your well being,

Now develop some strategies for facing these challenges.

FUTURE ASPIRATIONS 3004HSV

Multidisciplinary Team Meetings What are they? Who attends? What is their purpose? Specific client service users/careers.

Mental Illness Disability

Indigenous and Pan Pacific Communities Correct Language Culturally Appropriate forms of Communication

When to speak? Who to address? Interpersonal Skills

REFERENCES Bradley, D., Noonan, P., Nugent, H., & Scales, B. (2008) Review of Higher Education

Final Report. Australia

Cleak, H., & Wilson, J. (2004). Making the Most of Field Placement. Cengage Learning Australia

Coll, R. (2009). The integration of knowledge in work-integrated learning programs. Paper presented at the Third Annual Work-Integrated Learning Symposium, Brisbane, Australia.

Cord, B., Bowrey, G., & Clements, M. (2010). Towards accounting students workplace preparedness: A unique internship approach. In ACEN National Conference Proceedings 2010: Work Integrated Learning Responding to Challenges. Perth: Australia.

Smith, M., Brooks, S., Lichtenberg, A., McIlveen, P., Torjul, P., & Tyler, J. (2009). Career Development Practice: Facilitating Work-integrated Learning in Higher Education. Australian Journal of Career Development, Vol. 18, No. 2, Pp., 60-64.

Patrick, C. J., Peach, D., Pocknee, C., Webb, F., Fletcher, M., & Pretto, G. (2008). The WIL (Work Integrated Learning) report: A National Scoping Study (Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) Final Report). Brisbane; Queensland University of Technology. Retrieved 3rd April 2011, www.altc.edu.au