Year Four Social work placement within Te Whatu Ora

This week the SWRB core competencies that were observed I focused on 1, 7 and 8. 1. Competence to practice social work with Māori 7. Competence to apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgements.  8. Competence to promote empowerment of people and communities to enable positive change. Working at the Oranga Tamariki Men's Rehabilitation Centre, I’ve had to balance my social work practice with cultural competency, social justice, and a focus on human rights, particularly when working with Māori men who are often dealing with trauma, incarceration, and rehabilitation. Culturally safe practice I aimed to create a culturally safe space for Māori patients by grounding my work in whanaungatanga by building strong, respectful connections with patients. I observed that collaboration is key to rehabilitation with whanau to develop a support plan ensuring that entire family were involved in their son’s rehabilitation journey. Critical thinking was crucial in asses...

This week the SWRB core competencies that were observed I focused on 4, 5 and 9. 4. Competence to promote the principles of human rights and social economic justice. 5. Competence to engage in practice which promotes social change. 9. Competence to practice within legal and ethical boundaries of the social work profession. In this case, the police were called out because there were concerns about abuse in the whānau. However, the person involved was able to make their own informed decision and told the police they didn’t want any further action taken. Legally, the police couldn’t step in or forcibly remove them because there wasn’t enough evidence to justify it. New Zealand law requires clear evidence of abuse before any coercive action can be taken, and without that, the police couldn’t do anything. This situation really showed the gap between what the team expected and the legal limits of what could actually be done. The SAFA social worker understood the law and respected the individ...

Supervision within Te Whatu Ora comprised both one-on-one and group peer sessions, which was a new experience for me, as each supervisor had their own methods. During my time in supervision with the SAFA coordinator, we discussed the core competencies and how they aligned with my observations during my week in that role. We addressed my learning objectives and any challenges I faced. One area of ambiguity was the operational framework of SAFA and the specific responsibilities associated with the role, as it was newly established in Counties Manukau. This led to differing interpretations among staff regarding how the role should function within the family harm space. Another significant topic was the death of a patient, which we examined during professional supervision. We discussed the circumstances surrounding the event, what could have been done differently, and created a space for open dialogue to reflect on the incident and explore strategies for preventing similar occurrences in t...

Middlemore Hospital have numerous different areas of social work that work as part of a multi-discplinary team that bring together the expertise skills of different professionals to assess, plan and manage joint care. Alongside, Doctors, Nurses, Physiotherapist, Dieticians, Occupational therapist, Pharmacist, Speech language therapist and Psychologist. Medical wards Surgical wards Women's health Maternity Pediatrics Renal medicine Emergency department Cancer psychological support National burns unit Assessment and treatment rehabilitation center Center for youth health Child development community services Community health teams Auckland spinal rehabilitation unit Māori Health Te Kahui Ora Pacifica Health Fanu Ola A social workers role and responsibility is to support whanau with: Supportive counselling - grief and loss, impact of hospitalization, lifestyle changes, adjustment to newly diagnosed status and traumatic births. Care and protection of children Discharge planning Trauma -...

Although the SAFA (Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults) initiative is underpinned by Te Whatu Ora, it operates within the community under the Whangaia o Harakeke (Family Harm) banner. Its primary purpose is to function as a specialist service that collaborates with various stakeholders, presenting both advantages and disadvantages. SAFA was designed as a streamlined process to assess risk, identify needs, and collaborate with Taikura Trust, DAPAR (Disability Adults' Prevention & Response Team), PASAT (Personal & Adult Safeguarding Team), and independent support services to assist whānau with disabilities. Referrals to SAFA typically come from the police, hospitals, and other service users, primarily due to ongoing risks of physical, sexual, or financial abuse towards vulnerable individuals. However, there are challenges regarding how a SAFA coordinator can effectively reduce risks, as there is currently no legislation protecting vulnerable people without substantial evidence of ...

  Middle Hospital implemented  the SWAS (social work alert system) response system is a way to adequately respond to at-risk patients with faster and more efficient quality care that contributes to a positive outcome for the wh ā nau in need. (Todman & Mulitalo-Lauta, 2010). Despite these protocols being in place to protect and identify risks, errors can occur when staff are not adequately trained to recognize alerts on patient’s medical files, leading to potential safety risks. I observed a situation with a vulnerable child who was admitted to the hospital, and an alert on the file indicated a previous non-accidental injury. The social worker could pick up on the missed alert, inform staff and organize a watch (person) to be present with the child. At the same time, further investigation into the current circumstances was completed. It highlighted that further training was required for emergency department staff and rotating junior doctors to ensure that safety protocols ...