Results of a national survey, presented to a Senate Roundtable today, of social work students found overwhelming support for paid placements, a focus on learning over number of hours, and flexibility to fit each students’ situation to complete the 1000 hours of fieldwork needed to graduate.
- Long, unpaid placements for the profession of social work forces student to drop out
- Shortage of social workers, especially in regional and rural areas
- Students from disadvantaged background and/or with families to support especially
- Survey results support practical workplace placements be funded at least to
Professor Christine Morley, from QUT School of Public Health and Social Work, will tell the roundtable that the onerous requirement to complete 1000 hours of unpaid work in two 500-hour block placements, was causing student poverty, debt on top of HECS debt, physical and mental health issues and student dropout.
The research was published this month in the British Journal of Social Work.
“Placements impede students’ capacity to do paid work, which means many cannot afford food, rent, healthcare and transport,” Professor Morley said.
“Given that social work students are often drawn from disadvantaged backgrounds, they are more vulnerable to experiencing poverty, which is even more serious with the marked cost of living increases.
“Some are mature-aged students with families to support who are also unable to afford to continue their study.
“These factors put potential students off studying, cause students to drop out, and stop people from completing their degrees.
“This means that people from disadvantaged background are prevented from getting a professional degree, which especially limits diverse cohorts from studying vital progressions such as social work, nursing and teaching, and, indeed, the sustainability of these professions.
“Student attrition is directly linked to workforce shortages, particularly in Australia’s regional and rural areas and a shortage of high-quality placements for future students.”
Professor Morley said the survey was completed by 1191 participants - students (790), social work educators (196) and practitioners (294).
- “Of the proposed strategies the most highly ranked one across all participant cohorts was paid placements, internships, cadetships and/or financial support for students and received such comments as:
“While I understand we are students, we are still being expected to work, manage clients and assist in support roles (many of which are emotionally taxing and complex) so I believe being unpaid for this is unethical.”
- “The second highest ranking strategy was increasing provision for work-based placements. This strategy was endorsed by 90 per cent of students,” Professor Morley said.
“Currently Australian students cannot undertake placement in a pre-existing workplace, even if the role is directly relevant to social work. In fact, students said increased flexibility around work-based placements was both urgent and necessary,” Professor Morley said.
- Placements emphasising learning rather than number of hours were endorsed by 85 per cent of students, 82 per cent of educators, and 81 per cent of practitioners.
- Most educators and practitioners supported placements being further tailored to student needs. Students’ comments included:
“Flexible placement options which allow the student to continue to maintain an income or continue other responsibilities (families etc).”
- Increased flexible work arrangements, including working remotely with increased use of digital options was endorsed by 88 per cent of students, 86 per cent of educators and 75 per cent of practitioners.
- Increased provision for recognition of prior learning (RPL) received 86 per cent endorsement from students. One student who could not gain RPL credit said:
“I am withdrawing from social work as I... have 20-years-experience working in mental health running groups and can’t get any recognition for workplace experience. I’ve worked under supervision from a social worker and they are as frustrated as I am. This is absolute madness.”
“Funding for unpaid work while students are learning, equivalent to the minimum wage, is needed urgently to provide financial assistance to domestic and international students undertaking field placements,” Professor Morley said.
Professor Morley said The Australian Council of Heads of Social Work Education, Students Against Placement Poverty and the Australian Services Union had been collectively lobbying the Australian Government to fund placements appropriately.
The Senate Roundtable today was jointly hosted by these peak bodies and Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi.
Re-envisioning field education in Australian social work to combat placement poverty: Students’, educators’ and practitioners’ perceptions was published in the British Journal of Social Work.
QUT Media contact:
Niki Widdowson, 07 3138 2999 or n.widdowson@qut.edu.au
After hours: 0407 585 901 or media@qut.edu.au.
