).
Moreover, the student writes notes in the hostel's logbook
when it is necessary. After interviewing the clients, the student needs
to write the summary recordings.Index: L2 / Residential Services for Psychiatric Disability / People with Special Needs / Mid-placement Self-evaluation / 17480691
Keywords: Knowledge and skills in working with people with mental handicap / integration of classroom learning and fieldwork placement / sex education and people with mental handicap / professional role / personal development
Abstract: The student has made used of the mid-placement evaluation to review her learning objectives, identify areas of learning and improvement, identify areas to work on, review personal strengths/weaknesses and examine her feelings towards the placement. The student's four main learning objectives she reviewed were her acquisition of basic knowledge of the mentally handicapped people, the strengthening of her integration of classroom learning and fieldwork placement, her practice as a professional social worker and her personal development. At mid-placement, she has identified the following significant learning areas: communication skills with the mentally handicapped people, sex education for this client group and obeying rules as a professional social worker. While areas needing improvement include learning to be more active and better preparation for practice sessions.
Comment: It will be useful to see mid-placement evaluation as a review of where the student is at with regards to the expectations or learning objectives set out in the learning contract. In other words, it is reasonable to expect student to meet these learning objectives to varying extent. There may be areas that the student have had more opportunities to develop and others that will be in greater focus in the latter half of placement. In any case, the review of learning at this stage can be looked at as a continuum from little is achieved (or met) to a high degree of achievement. The student and the fieldwork supervisor can then further set the direction and learning focus for the remaining period of placement.
With reference to Section B.3, the student appears to be at this stage of her professional development where she sees obeying agency rules and social work values as an important aspect of being a professional social worker. Although it is important to learn the values, knowledge and skills as a social work practitioner, the challenge is for the student to move beyond being obedient especially at this stage of her professional training. The learning and teaching (for the fieldwork supervisor) processes need to focus on developing the student's bility to explore in depth and engage in critical reflection of practice experience; student's personal values, knowledge and ways of doing; professional values, knowledge and skills; and agency practices. This will help the student to engage in reflective learning and practice that better prepares hr for practicing in a rapidly changing world. (For a useful reference of the reflective process, refer to J. Fook (ed.) 1996 The Reflective Researcher, Sydney: Allen and Unwin, p6-8.)
The student has started the second placement for about one and a half months. The student believes that it is an important experience for her to take up the role of a professional social worker in a practice setting for the mentally handicapped people. The mid-placement evaluation is conducted in the following areas:
The student's expectations of this placement are written on the learning contract. In this report, the student will evaluate if these expectations are met at mid-placement.
Through the library search, the student knows the definition of mentally handicapped people in Hong Kong. Moreover, the student has understood more the common characteristics and the behavioural and emotional problems of the mentally handicapped people. Furthermore, the student has revised the current policies on the clients, such as the Rehabilitation Green People, Rehabilitation White Paper and the CRSDA system.
Apart from library search, the student believes that actual contacts with the mentally handicapped people can help the student to know more about them. Through actual contacts, the student found that every client has his or her own communication pattern (verbally and non-verbally). For example, they will use different gestures to express their messages or needs. The student is still learning the communication skills from the targeted clients.
The student has visited several agencies so as to know more about the existing training and services for the mentally handicapped people. For example, the student has visited a shelter workshop, a hostel and a supportive employment unit for the mentally handicapped people.
Most of the clients cannot communicate verbally well with others and can only speak some simple words. Since the student has only worked in the hostel for a short time, it is quite difficult for the student to understand each client's verbal and non-verbal messages. The worker always needs to guess what messages the clients' try to convey.
Moreover, the student has little experience and ability to handle the conflicts and the fights among the clients. It is believed that the student is not skillful in coping with these situations.
Furthermore, the student puts little emphasis on developing physical caring skills. For example, the student is not actively involved in learning how to help the clients to go to the toilet, feeding and bathing them.
The student believes that observing clients' interaction patterns is very important for a better communication with the clients. Moreover, more direct contacts with them can help the student to understand their messages or needs. Furthermore, the student can consult the staff as they are more experienced in communicating with the clients. The student can observe the skills that the staff uses to deal with the clients' conflicts and fights.
The student needs to learn more about the physical caring skills for working with the mentally handicapped people through observation and participation.
The focuses of the library search are on the theories, models and skills in working with the mentally handicapped people. The review is centred on the Behavioural Modification Approach, Social Learning Approach and System theory in the realm of casework. As the clients have lower intellectual abilities, these approaches are more applicable. The review of group work is focused on the Remedial Model, Behavioural Modification Approach, Preventive and Rehabilitative Approach and System Theory.
The student has reviewed the agency's case files and summary recordings so as to be familiar with the format of casework recording. Moreover, the student has reviewed the agency's group proposals and related group reports.
Through the library search, the student has developed some conceptual knowledge. As the student has not started the sex education group yet, the student can only apply the related knowledge in casework.
The student needs to integrate more classroom learning into the placement. For example, the student needs to apply more social work theories, models and skills.
In the placement,
the student has tried to act as a professional social worker. The student
has tried to obey the Code of Ethics and the rules of the agency. For
example, the student works in shifts ().
Moreover, the student writes notes in the hostel's logbook
when it is necessary. After interviewing the clients, the student needs
to write the summary recordings.
However, the student has violated some of the agency's informal rules at the beginning of the placement. For example, the student tried to chat with the trainees during they were having their training in the Day Activity Centre. Moreover, the student used the agency's computer for some time, as the student didn't now that there is one computer for the hostel and one for the Day Activity Centre.
The student needs to know more about the agency's informal rules by consulting the staff whenever it is necessary.The student needs to find out if she has violated the agency's rules and the Code of Ethics when the student wants to do something.
As the student has no partner in this placement, the student has become more independent when compared with the last placement. The student has sought help from the agency's staff, the fieldwork instructor or classmates when it is necessary.
The student is still quite passive in some occasions. The student is afraid that the staff will be disturbed if the student consults them too often.
It will be advisable for the student to take the initiative to consult the staff. Moreover, the student can consult them when they are not busy.
(B) AREAS THAT THE STUDENT HAS LEARNT AND IMPROVED:
Before this placement, the student has few opportunities to contact the mentally handicapped people. At the beginning of the placement, the student found that it was very difficult to communicate with these clients as most of them could only use some simple words. After contacting the clients, the student discovers that it would be better to communicate with them by using simple words and gestures. Moreover, it is found that clients have their own verbal and non-verbal communication patterns.
In this placement, the student will run a sex education group for the mentally handicapped people. Thus the student has conducted a library search for this topic. This helps the student to know more about the important issues when conducting a sex education program for the mentally handicapped people. For example, it will be better to teach them some appropriate social behaviour. Also, the use of simple words and pictures to convey the ideas is very important.
As mentioned before, the student has learnt the importance of obeying the agency's rules in every situation.Moreover, the student has obeyed one of the social work values: "acceptance" to a great extent. Although a client's attention seeking behaviour is very disturbing, the student still respects him as an individual.
As the student has no partner in this placement, the student has learnt to work independently. The student believes that she was more independent and active than the last placement.
As mentioned before, the student is not always taking the initiative to consult the staff when it is necessary to do so. Thus the student needs to communicate more with the staff.
Before the case interviews with the clients, the student needs to have a better preparation. For example, the student needs to predict and prepare well for the clients' responses. Although the sex education group has not yet started, the student needs to be flexible about the group contents and modifies them according to the members' abilities and responses. Moreover, the student needs to prepare some questions (about sex) that the members may ask in the group. To conclude, it is believed that a better preparation can make the student feel more confident.
As the student has great interest in working in a practice setting that is serving the mentally handicapped people, the student enjoys the placement very much. The student likes to work with the mentally handicapped clients.This may have a positive effect on the student's working intention.
At first, it is very difficult for the student to communicate with the clients. During the placement, the student has more patience to communicate with them. Although a client's disturbing behaviour is very annoying, the student still accepts him as an individual.
(E) THE STUDENT'S WEAKNESSES AS A SOCIAL WORKER:
As mentioned before, the student is quite passive and this may affect the studen's work to a certain extent.
It is believed that the student can only think slowly. It is quite difficult for the student to express the ideas or solutions within a short time.
(F) THE STUDENT'S FEELINGS TOWARDS THE PLACEMENT:
Although most of the clients can only pronounce some simple sounds, the student has observed that they can also communicate well with others. The student believes that it takes times to learn the verbal and non-verbal communication patterns of each client.
The student has observed that the clients are like children. As normal children, they like to play, smile, cry and eat snacks. They also show interest to things and lose their temper easily. Actually, the worker likes to communicate with them very much.
As the clients need lots of attention, the hostel has about 30 staff. The student observed that all staff are very enthusiastic about providing physical and emotional care to the clients. They put emphasis on the development and participation of the clients. Moreover, they have organised some activities to encourage the clients to integrate into society.
The student enjoys the group supervision very much as it allows the student and her classmates to share their work with each other. Through the group discussion, the student has more opportunities to discuss different types of cases. The student thinks that it is a good way for learning. Moreover, the fieldwork instructor has created a warm atmosphere for the students to express her views openly.
Apart from casework, group work and mass program, the agency also provides the opportunities for the student to learn about the basic caring skills for the mentally handicapped people. For example, the student is given opportunity to learn how to feed the clients and take care of a client who uses wheelchair. Moreover, the agency allows the student to choose her work.
Written and revised by: 17480691 (Student)
Instructor: Mary Cheung
Copy Edited by: Phyllis Chee
Commented by: Phyllis Chee
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