ASSESSMENT THREE
He wheakoarotake: Self Review
Individual Assessment Pass/Fail
This assessment requires you to demonstrate the application of indigenous, bicultural social and community work professional best practice skills. It is a reflection based upon your previous practicum experience. For this purpose you are required to complete the SWRB self-reflection template.
Reflection is a key skill required by all current and future social and community work practitioners. A key component of reflection is the capacity to identify gaps in one’s own practice. This is used as an ongoing self-improvement tool.
You will be allocated either a pass or fail for the completion of this assessment. There is no formal mark allocated but it is a core requirement of Assessment one and two of this course and must be placed within your e-portfolio. Therefore, you are required to:
- Complete each section as outlined in SWRB Self Reflection template.
- Respond to each of these sections, it must be kept brief (no more than 50 words) and to the point.
- Be relevant to what has been asked of you to provide.
- Refer to SWRB Self Reflection key notes.
- Use APA 6th edition.
You are required to use the template provided and must use APA 6th edition.
Assessment Three – He wheakoarotake: Self Review
Due 30th May2014 – included with e-Portfolio
SELF REFLECTION
KEY NOTES
Reflect on your social work practice against the SWRB’s ten core competence standards, using the attached template. Provide a short narrative that demonstrates and presents evidence to support your competence to practise social work. Refer to the Guide Notes and Examples for guidance.
Where your Self Reflection has identified areas of your practice that could be strengthened through further professional development, provide comment on these areas, for example, what steps you are taking to gain this development.
The example of a completed Self Reflection is provided for guidance only and should not be replicated in your own Self Reflection.
When completing your Self Reflection ensure that you:
State your name and date of birth
Write in the first person
Sign and date each page
Maintain confidentiality by protecting people’s identifying details
Use single-sided A4 paper and 12 point font size
SELF REFLECTION
Name: / LusiRabete-Tatana
Birth Date: / 18/03/1984 / Registration #:
Application #:
Competency 1: Competence to practise social work with Mäori
I have demonstrated this competency by working with multiple Maori families while on practicum, being respectful to one’s culture their home and allowing a safe space to engage with them. One example is working with a young family who were referred to us by the hospital for a suspected Non accidental injury, because of their traumatic experience from medical professionals they had a barrier up and were hesitant to work with us. I referred this case onto a culturally appropriate community agency and we were able to work collaboratively with the family while the investigation was on-going. The report of concern was not substantiated and from the information we had gathered we had no reasons for concern and discharged the case to the community organisation for extra supports.
Competency 2: Competence to practise with different ethnic and cultural groups in Aotearoa New Zealand
An example of how I demonstrated this was in preparation of going out on a home visit to a pacific island family and how physical abuse is common within their culture, seeking cultural advice on how to handle and explain the situation to them of the laws here in NZ. Another example was when we went on a home visit to a hearing impaired couple, both of them were deaf and my colleague was of a different ethnicity with an accent the grandmother had advised me that we were to speak clearly and slowly. I was able to assist my colleague when the couple struggled to understand him.
Competency 3: Competence to promote the principles of human rights and social justice
I have demonstrated this by accurately taking case notes and inputting them into our computer systems and ensuring all loose paper work is filed accordingly. Working with our clients and families rather than against them, supporting their plans and decisions and making recommendations where I see fit, with a young person we worked with he came up with his own plans his hopes and dreams and how he was going to achieve them, we were there to support him in achieving those goals.
Competency 4: Competence to promote social change
I have advocated for my clients, one girl was being physically abused by an aunty who brought her over from the islands, because it is there way of life back home, she believed it was ok to do it here, but to the point of hitting with a fence paling and leaving bruises when talking with the aunty she showed no signs of remorse just kept saying how this was ok, it’s ok back home and the girl is a liar. Because we had no legal status and there wasn’t much family here in NZ the social worker believed that the aunty just needed supports however she wasn’t present at our meeting, I had to advocate on the young person’s behalf that her aunty was not the best place for her, the house where she was currently staying while the investigation was on-going was the best possible placement for her until we could locate more family.
Competency 5: Competence to promote empowerment and liberation of people
I assisted on a case where I didn’t agree that the children had care and protection concerns, I felt it was a volatile situation and there was a lot of allegations however none of it was substantiated, therefore the evidence I believe wasn’t enough to remove the children. After many consults and discussions it became evident to me that there was care and protection concerns however I had not read the history and my knowledge of the full case was limited, it was a learning for me of how important it is to read all the history and not just taking things at face value.
Competency 6: Competence to utilise social work practice approaches
I am able to work with the organisations frameworks and input all the relevant information into the correct screens, while I was on placement I did a lot of the social workers Tuituia assessments this tool requires information to be inputted into the relevant domains. However it is still a work in progress of weaving theories into practice, a lot of the time I would reflect afterwards that I was using Strength based approach or Ata.
Competency 7: Competence to utilise theories of human behaviour and social systems
Doing practicum within a statutory organisation there are frameworks and policies that guide their vision, a lot of their frameworks are built from a ecological system theory, when gathering information we are required to gather all the supports and significant people and resources that support them. The tuituia assessment is a model that incorporates an ecological system, from those who support the child to their parents or significant others. I was able to complete Tuituia assessments while on Practicum.
Competency 8: Competence to promote problem-solving in human relationships
CYFS works from a strength based perspective a lot of our work is around the clients talking about their situations and us finding the right supports for them. A lot of the clients I worked with on practicum were able to identify their needs and required us to support them. The example of our young boy who was having issues at home he was able to write up his own plan and goals and how he would achieve them we were there to support him. When discussing with dad that he wasn’t going to return home dad knew that it was in the best interest for his son.
Competency 9: Competence to use systems of accountability in place for their work
There is a high level of accountability within CYFS you need to be recording when you are going off site and you are required to go out with a colleague for safety. Logging mileage when using the cars, case noting and dating all information you have received. Regular supervision and informal supervision checking in with my supervisor and ensuring that I was maintain safe practice, working with other agencies and recording all meeting minutes and getting them sent out within a certain timeframe for follow up on actions.
Competency 10: Adherence to professional social work ethics
I maintained professionalism at all times and the code of conduct of the SWRB and organisation, followed procedures and protocols didn’t take any short cuts to complete any of my work. Maintained a professional relationship between myself and my supervisor, if I had any concerns I would discuss with her first.