Week 2 - SAFA Social worker in the Burns Unit

 



Day 6-10 days of placement:

This week, I have been advised by the SAFA coordinator that she would be the burns unit social worker for the week as the permanent staff are on leave and sick. The week started with whanaungatanga between the SAFA social worker and the MDT team. This week, I had the opportunity to observe the SAFA Social worker conduct an assessment with several patients. I did identify that her approach created ahurutanga (a safe space for whanau to express) and whanangatanga. This enabled me as a student to see the core competence two: working with a wide range of ethnicities and being aware and respectful of the patient's values and belief systems. The assessment consisted of gaining consent for a student to be present during the assessment and confidentiality of how information is stored and shared, followed by the psychosocial assessment method. The psychosocial method enables the social worker to capture vital information as stated below:


  • History of the injury
  • Housing
  • Living situation
  • Finance
  • Domestic violence 
  • Emotions, mood
  • Safety/risk 
  • Supports

I conducted several assessments using the psychosocial framework, which proved to be highly valuable. These assessments involved gathering comprehensive information on various aspects such as the patient’s injury history, housing situation, financial status, and emotional well-being. The experience reinforced the importance of a thorough and empathetic approach in social work. By applying the psychosocial framework, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of the clients’ needs and provide more effective support. This practical application of theory to real-world scenarios highlighted the critical role of a detailed and client-centered approach in achieving positive outcomes.

I also had the opportunity to conduct a few assessments that the lead social worker observed, and I used the psychosocial framework to capture all the information. I felt excited yet nervous but using Nga takepu as the foundation of engaging with clients through whanaungatanga and connecting with clients enabled me to gather the correct information successfully. We were also involved in one-to-one supervision. I was unprepared as the method used is clinical, where I was asked about my goals and how I saw the SWRB core competencies within my practice. It opened my eyes to what supervision is about and why it is essential to have the necessary information and be prepared and know what the supervisor and supervisees' roles are. Great experience, and it is only week 2.




Comments

  1. Elias Martis28 November 2024 at 20:17

    Good reflections. Hope you were able to notice the Bio Psycho Social (Taha
    Tinana, Taha Hinengaro & Taha Whanau) framework, as it is not holistic since it has no Taha Wairua (spirituality & culture).

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week 11 - Oranga Tamaki Core competencies

Image
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...
Read more

Week 9 - Supervision within Te Whatu Ora

Image
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...
Read more

Week 10 - SAFA - Safe guarding vulnerable adults from abuse - Core competencies focused on this week

Image
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...
Read more