Helen, a Deakin Social Work graduate with Honours, currently works as a locum social worker with Centrelink. Previously, Helen undertook locum work for Barwon Health.
Helen's first placement was with Anglicare in North-Western Tasmania, a non-government and Christian based organisation. In contrast to the first placement, Helen's second placement was with Centrelink in Geelong, a Commonwealth Government based organisation.
First Placement (Rural)
About the placement
Anglicare is a non-government welfare organisation that delivers State government (policy) mandates through the provision of a vast range of generic human services. The organisation stems from the urban mission and welfare arm of the Sydney Anglican Church - annually assisting 400,000+ people nationwide.
Role
Helen joined a number of teams within Anglicare which enabled a broad overview of the many necessary rural/remote programs offered along the North/West coastlines/inlands of Tasmania. Some of the tasks Helen performed included project work (setting up a network for rural Tasmanian agencies), outreach, counselling, administration, external networking and developing partnerships with other community-based organisations. During the placement Helen was largely based with 'Good Beginnings', which can be loosely described as an early intervention parenting program.
Challenges
Initially Helen experienced some difficulty in the placement, whereby agency goals conflicted with some of the theories and assumptions held at university concerning 'organisational reality'. Through critical reflection (namely the critical incident assignment) and regular supervision, Helen negotiated her role and became a valued member of staff. Helen says "she realised that 'learning' on placement, as with most things, comes from making mistakes."
Highlights
One of the main highlights for Helen was being part of a multidisciplinary team. Networking with a variety of different agencies also allowed a lot of travelling/trips away from the Devonport-based office! This placement was fun and gave Helen a real taste for social work (especially after two years of theory) which encouraged her to finish the degree, as well as reinforce the reasons she wished to pursue social work.
Rewards
The main reward for Helen was seeing positive outcomes, where one socially-isolated client became well linked to relevant supports in the wider community. This individual provided feedback that "it had enhanced her life".
Other intrinsic rewards for Helen included confidence in herself as a practitioner and a clear sense of achievement.
Second Placement (Metropolitan)
About the placement
Centrelink is an Australian Government agency which provides income support to Australian citizens when needed. However, its business goes beyond the economic by employing professionals (psychologists, social workers, disability support officers etc.) to assist with broader societal realities and to raise public awareness. Helen’s second placement was based in Corio (Geelong). She worked with a diverse range of clients who were experiencing issues such as family and domestic violence, financial hardship, discrimination, substance abuse and homelessness.
Role
Helen's main role was as 'crisis intervention worker' which entailed counselling, assessing, referring, advocating, liaising and following-up with Centrelink's customers. The most common issue faced by customers was difficulty accessing secure accommodation. When regard to referring customers on to other supports better placed to meet their circumstances, Helen became aware of specific 'service gaps' in the wider community - particularly a lack of support in relation to older men.
Challenges
One of the main difficulties for Helen was learning how to deal with aggressive clients. Although this was an issue during the start of the placement, practice, reflection and supervision assisted Helen in overcoming this and learning how to avoid 'buying into' customer's frustration (usually system-related).
Highlights
One of Helen’s main highlights was being offered a locum position with Centrelink after her placement was completed. A locum social worker is a contract based worker that temporarily substitutes for another member.
Rewards
Similar to the first placement, Centrelink also helped Helen achieve more confidence as a social worker. She also successfully completed her Honours thesis while undertaking final placement. Another reward was being invited to participate in a week-long induction program at Box Hill, VIC. This was invaluable to Helen in gaining insight into Centrelink's key business and understanding how the organisation operates, which will have long term implications for Helen's future practice.
Advice for future students
"Be open minded, be open to the experience and enjoy the journey"
"Let the placement unfold and it will deliver"
