Student notes: it's all so very meaningful

Published by Professional Social Work magazine, 16 August, 2022

If someone had told me this time a month ago that I’d be in the position I am now – working away as a busy children and families student social worker, with a healthy caseload, refamiliarised with children legislation, child development, practice and policy information that I haven’t even glanced at since those tender first months of my master’s degree and loving every second of it - I’d have questioned whether it were even possible.

Covid 19 left a shortfall of placements and a battle to find spaces in the areas I felt most aligned to – originally forensic and youth offending. I was fast losing hope in securing the right placement but in the end I couldn’t have hoped to have been matched to a more suitable setting.

My placement is both challenging and the perfect fit for my skill set. In it I have been able to utilise my existing skills – interviewing, a fiery interest in young people, experience in people with disabilities and mental health conditions and dual diagnosis, youth offending and women and girls who have been subject to violence. All those issues and more I see here. Not only that but I work with the whole pie: adults, children, young people – even young carers.

It’s been fantastic to not only build on, practice and hone the existing skills and knowledge I already felt I had but also learn new ones: to network and be offered opportunities to shadow in new teams, get training on how to support young women wishing to exit prostitution and how to practice the supportive USA-created Safe and Together Model of tackling domestic abuse. That’s just a snapshot of what I’ve been involved in in a few short weeks.

On top of all this, I’ve met a plethora of inspiring professionals, as well as fellow students from my team and others and have been given the chance to help out and contribute to the organisation’s publicity and promotional materials and plan my own presentation.

I have a highly experienced, super-supportive, yet demanding team of managers including a practice educator with direct experience in some of the specific areas of my dissertation. I could not ask for more understanding for the reasonable adjustments needs I have had to negotiate for my mobility issues.

Earlier this year I wrote article for Professional Social Work about how I have a bipolar diagnosis and have sometimes regretted being honest about it. Fortunately, that is not the case here. Instead, I feel completely relaxed and able to be myself. The office is super friendly, and I genuinely look forward to each morning.

There's never a dull moment, and no opportunity to clock watch – my absolute pet hate in any role. I am never bored. I have hit the ground running with cases which I feel shows the managers faith in me and I have faith in my families who have already taught me so much, not only about social work and how to practice ethically, morally and professionally, but also about parenting and survival in these harsh times.

While many children, indeed their parents and carers, have faced at least one adverse childhood experiences in their lifetimes, they often show great bravery and fight.

One thing is for sure, every child and young person does matter in this organisation. And everything I learn brings more questions and more experiences yet to come.

I have no fear that I will not meet my professional capability framework targets or that my index of evidence will be lacking. In fact, I think I might have ticked them all off already! But that’s all for the future. For now I’m focusing on practice and enjoying getting stuck in. For when push comes to shove, I believe social work is all about the nitty gritty and getting stuck in to practically help families and after almost two years of essays and exams I am in my element doing just that.

Joint working is at the heart of what we do and I have enjoyed leading team meetings and liaising with different professionals to provide the best support for children and their families.

Whether it is statutory or non-statutory tasks, small decisions or major, life impacting judgement calls – and yes I have had a couple - it is all so very meaningful.