THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF

WELFARE AND COMMUNITY WORKERS INC.

THE ASSOCIATION FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE PROFESSIONALS

Vic. Reg. A0036440S      ABN 28 696 828 620

 

REQUIREMENTS FOR FIELD EDUCATION - July 2009

 

The following is a summary of field education requirements and recommendations for Campus Approval with the Australian Institute of Welfare and Community Workers Inc. These requirements also apply to individual graduates of welfare work/ community services courses who apply for membership of AIWCW. Educational goals and other course requirements can be found in the Campus Approval documents. This document is the result of a resolution by the AIWCW National Executive in July 2009.

 

For the purposes of this document the term "college" is to include private provider Registered Training Organisations, TAFE colleges, and universities.

      

       Field education placements hours

1.1     Two separate field education experiences totaling at least 400 hours are required.

1.2          If only two placements are undertaken, neither should be of less than 140 hours duration.

1.3          If more than two placements are undertaken, then none must be less than 75 hours and there must be two placements with a total duration of at least 360 hours, neither of which can be less than 140 hours.

1.4          Field placements must not be concurrent, nor immediately follow each other; there must be an appropriate gap involving classroom instruction in order to allow adequate integration of learning and practical experience.

                

                 Field placement restrictions

1.5.1  Placements as a nursing case aide, child care worker, aged care assistant, clerical assistant, receptionist, or recreational planner/ guide/supervisor will not be acceptable to AIWCW. For example, a placement which involves even a certain minimal amount of planning and supervising recreational and craft activities, of accompanying elderly people on outings, walks, films, shopping, etc., or of merely observing (`shadowing') a supervisor or other workers, will not be considered suitable.

1.5.2  The field education placements restrictions outlined in the joint Work Placement Guidelines developed by VETAB/CSHISC/AIWCW are to be generally adhered to on a national basis. No more than 5% of placement time can be occupied by any combination of: food delivery, cooking, serving, and arrangements; dressing, bathing, massaging; cleaning and domestic duties; entertaining; delivery and transport of items and clients; respite, child, after-school, and holiday care. For companionship and social engagement there may be slightly more time allowed.

1.5.3  Other placements in agencies that have recreational and/or physical activity as a major focus or method of service to clients should be greatly focused upon the psycho-social aspects of client care, including clients' interactions with their social environment, and the issues of ethics and management which arise from this.

1.5.4  No more than 15% of overall time at such a placement should be devoted to participation in the non-vocational activity itself.

1.5.5  Where placements in such agencies involve assessment, research and planning for such non-vocational activities, the involvement of students should generally be restricted to psycho-social contributions to planning, but surveys of client preferences and opinions regarding the non-community services activities are allowable as a small proportion of student time.

1.5.6  The Field Education Placements Discussion Paper (June 2009), available from the AIWCW National Office and website, may be used as an additional guide to these regulations.

 

1.6     If in exceptional circumstances, such as for a remote location, any variation to this restriction is sought, then AIWCW must be consulted beforehand, with a detailed written outline of the proposed placement, and a justification for the variation.

 

          College responsibility for field placements

1.7     The college is responsible for finding suitable placements for all students enrolled. Students cannot be separately charged a fee by the college to find a field placement. If the college has enrolled more students than can be placed in suitable placements within a reasonable distance, then it must make appropriate alternative arrangements at no additional cost to the students so affected. Such arrangements might include another institution supervising placements in a distant location, the transfer of students to another college, or the extension of the duration of the course. In all such cases, if the student faces additional expenditure because of travel, visa extension, living expenses, etc., then the college is to be held responsible, and must suitably compensate the affected students.

1.8     Any arrangements to locate field placements more than 50 km from the college, in a rural town or small provincial centre, for example, must take into account the placements likely to be used or available to other colleges offering the same course, and to negotiate with them if necessary.

1.9     Any arrangements for placements at far distance locations, such as interstate or overseas, must include firm arrangements for oversight by a local suitable college which has AIWCW Approval or about which special submissions to AIWCW are made.

1.10   If multiple overseas or interstate placements are proposed, then staff from the original college should initially visit the secondary college and the proposed agencies. A detailed submission should be supplied to AIWCW, which may contact the other parties involved.

 

          Placement supervision

2.1         Professional supervision oriented to general educational goals will normally be undertaken by a social welfare worker at no less than the rate of one hour of educational supervision for every 40 hours of placement. However, other appropriately qualified and experienced staff may act as supervisors, if the nature of the placement is conducive to this. For example, if the placement is primarily community based, an experienced community worker is acceptable; if clinically based, a clinical psychologist is acceptable, etc.

2.2         A Certificate IV in the community services is the minimum qualification allowable, but then only if supported by at least three years of relevant experience - five years of experience is preferred.

 

2.3         In special circumstances (such as in a day center for the intellectual disabled, or in rural locations), the day-to-day functional supervision may be performed by someone with at least 5 years of relevant experience, and some appropriate qualification, even if qualifications are not in social welfare work or something similar, but only if in addition to educational supervision, professional supervision for at least one hour per week is performed by a suitably qualified and experienced person approved by the educational institution. In such cases, professional supervision totaling 2 hours per week is required. In rare situations where no-one else is available at or near the agency, this can include a staff member from the college, but then final assessment must be undertaken by a separate staff member.

2.4         An agency supervisor must generally be employed at the same time as the student, so that continuous monitoring of performance and professional progress is possible.

 

         Supervision of multiple students

2.5     An agency supervisor normally employed full time cannot supervise any more than 3 students at the same time. Only if their job description (and salary) reflects a Student Supervision role can this be varied.

 

2.5.1 Par. 2.5 restricts an agency supervisor to only three students at any one time. Such a supervisor would  be a full time employee of the agency and would have responsibility for the same duties and agency functions if the students were not attending.

2.5.2 Therefore, the students would be exposed to tasks, projects, and analysis of the agency as it would normally function, and the supervisor would perform the same duties as those performed without students being present, although probably to a lesser extent because of the added workload involved in student supervision.

2.5.3 If such a supervisor is employed part-time, then the number of students supervised must be reduced on an approximate pro rata basis.

2.5.4 Some agencies – usually very large ones – have employed a specialised Student Supervisor; often used to supervise social work students, and often having no other role in the organisation.

2.5.5 They usually oversee the internal placements of students assigned to individual workers who act as day-to-day supervisors, and these must themselves conform to Par. 2.1 – 2.4.

2.5.6 Such specialist Student Supervisors have responsibility to provide additional professional supervision to individual students where necessary, to conduct group supervision of students where appropriate, to provide liaison with visitors from the college, and to oversee the assessment of students on placement at the agency.

2.5.7 The number of students under the overall supervision of such a specialist, but also supervised on a day-to-day basis by other workers, can be quite large – up to 12, or even more, if a submission to AIWCW requests this.

2.5.8 If such a position is well established in a large agency, and has already been used for some time (to supervise social work students in a “Student Unit”, for example), then only basic details need be supplied to AIWCW, giving the name and contact details of the agency and of the specialist Student Supervisor.

2.5.9 Where a new position is to be established, a full submission must be made to AIWCW, including details of all the other workers to be used in the agency, and the nature and timing of regular supervision.

2.5.10 When an agency worker has been designated as a student supervisor as part of their duties, and this is formally recognised in their duty statement and in higher salary variations, then additional students to the usual restriction of three will be allowable, depending upon the proportion of time for supervision which is designated by the agency.

2.4.11 Normally, a 20% time allocation would allow one additional student; 40% would allow two; and 60% would allow three, up to a maximum of six students supervised by the one worker.

2.5.12 Unless the model proposed conforms to the above paragraphs re “Student Supervisor”, wherein additional other workers are also involved, no more than six students can be supervised by the one worker.

2.5.13 This restriction also applies to groups of students who may be undertaking a community work or research project (for example). Up to three students can undertake the project while supervised by the one worker, while that worker is employed in their regular job. But if more students are supervised in such a project, then a designated appropriate time must be formally allocated by the agency to the worker involved. Even then, no more than 6 students can be supervised by the one worker.
       

         Student attendance

3.1     Student attendance is expected at locations usually occupied by agency staff, and weekly days and hours are to be negotiated between the student, the college, and the agency.

3.2     Normally the student will be on duty during the same hours per day as the staff of the agency.

3.3     Placements which involve an overnight stay cannot count the hours when clients are usually asleep, and even if the student is `on call', except for rare crisis situations.

3.4     Placements are generally restricted to no more than eight (8) hours in any 24 hour period. This can be varied occasionally by additions up to 3 hours if such overtime is also part of the duties of paid staff.

3.5     A placement will usually occupy the student for a minimum of two days per week, but this may be less in special circumstances, such as an elongated community development or research-based placement.

 

          Variety of placements

4.1     The two required placements should not be in the same or very similar setting, field of practice, or method; they should vary significantly in at least one of these. The two separate experiences of field education may be within the same large agency, as long as they vary significantly, have two separate reports, and are supervised by different people (perhaps outside the agency).

 

4.2     Formal written agreements must be made between colleges and each individual agency used for field education, and the responsibilities of each of the parties should be included.

 

5.       Visits of observation to agencies organised for groups of students by course staff will not count as field placement days.

 

          Credit for placements

6.1     One placement may be in either the student’s current workplace, or in a previous workplace, and in either case, the experience should be similar to a field education placement, with adequate professional supervision. A report by a supervisor should attest to this.

  6.2      Credit for past field education experience (Recognition of Prior Learning or RPL) can apply to any one placement, but not to more than one, and it can apply to either first or second placement.

  6.3      Applications for RPL should include a full description of duties and educational outcomes, and include a supervisor’s report which pays particular attention to educational aspects (as if it were a field education placement). The applicant’s report should be substantial (generally in excess of 1000 words).

 

6.4.1     In no circumstances can a second previous period of field experience (paid or voluntary) be counted retrospectively.

6.4.2          However, in exceptional circumstances, to avoid unusual hardship to the student, a current workplace may be counted as field experience, after a previous field experience has been credited via RPL. For example, a student might be employed in one of the few social agencies in a country town, other placements might not be available, and the student’s financial situation might preclude leave from the job to engage in a traditional placement. The course leader should be satisfied that the circumstances warrant this exception, which should not be granted lightly. 

6.4.3          In such instances the provisions of Par. 4.1 must be strictly observed, and the educational supervision of any current workplace experience must be independent of any workplace arrangements. This means that any workplace supervisor must not provide the provisions in Par. 2, either within the workplace or privately. A different supervisor must be engaged (at the expense of the applicant if necessary) who is willing to liaise with the course staff regarding placement requirements. A course staff member may act as such a supervisor, if available. The requirements for reporting outlined above should also apply.

 

 6.5       Some educational authorities (TAFE in particular states, e.g.) require independent external assessment of RPL applications (such as by staff at another campus). AIWCW supports this protocol, while recognising that it is not always possible because of resource limitations.

 

7.1           The Field Education Co-ordinator and other field education staff at the educational institution should have at least two years of full time experience (or part time equivalent) as a welfare worker or social worker.

 

          Liaison visits

7.2           For each placement, at least three liaison visits should be made by a suitably experienced staff from the educational institution; each visit to last at least 1.5 hours, and to include the student and field supervisor.

7.3           In addition, supportive and/or monitoring communication (e.g. written, person-to-person, electronic) for a minimum of a half hour per placement is required.

7.4           In special circumstances (such as remote locations), only two visits may be possible.

 

7.5           The purpose of the visits is to discuss the educational progress of the student and to deal with any problems which may have arisen.

 

7.6           If a student’s progress or behaviour is unsatisfactory for any reason, adequate discussion with the student and college staff should precede any action, which can include extension of the placement or a failing grade.

7.7           The educational institution should have an appeal process re this, for use of students; but also for college staff and supervisors, when these substantially disagree.

 

8.       An applicant who has completed a qualification which is generally very satisfactory regarding AIWCW requirements in all other respects, but which has field work deficiency, may be allowed to complete a supplementary professionally supervised field education program, after referral to the Membership Assessment Panel.

           

            Finding placements

  9.1     Students should not be primarily responsible for finding or organising their field education.

9.2           Students may make informal enquiries regarding field education availability if there is some pre-existing contact with the agency via persons not connected in any way with the college, but casual contact by students with agencies (`cold calling’) is not permitted.  

9.3         In any case, the first formal approach to agencies should come from the educational institution.

 

         Student Placement Report

9.4         Students are responsible for producing a substantial written report (of at least 1000 words) on each field education experience after discussion of this with the field supervisor. A student journal or log may be used as a basis, or for examples for this report, but the report must primarily be reflective and analytical, including usually a critique of the agency and of the placement experience.

9.5         The field supervisor may add an additional report if desired, but cannot insist upon changes to the report by the student.

9.6         The agency supervisor, the responsible college field education staff member, and the student must each sign and date the Placement Report and/or summary, showing that they have read it, and that it broadly captures the placement experience.

 

  10.1    The educational institution should provide opportunity for field supervisors to meet as a group with staff, preferably at least once per year, to discuss the program in general, and any associated problems.

 

Further enquiries about this document may be addressed to the

AIWCW National Office

PO Box 42, FLINDERS LANE VIC 8009     Tel: 03 9654 8287     Email:   info@aiwcw.org.au          

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                CRSE.04 Ver Jy09