Social Work Practice Placements in Aotearoa New Zealand: Agency Managers Perspectives

Abstract

Agency managers are one of the key stakeholders in social work education, particularly in respect of practice placements. Managers play several roles within the placement context, acting as gatekeepers, supporters, mentors, potential employers and sometimes assessors of students. This study sought the perspectives of the managers of 13 social service organisations in New Zealand on practice placements. The findings of the study show that managers have preferences for specific attributes in social work students, including flexibility, humility, confidence and resilience. Challenges with placements are associated with student personal, interpersonal and cognitive capabilities, organisational factors and the tertiary institution. The findings also illustrate that the main benefits and motivations for supporting students are for the professional development of staff, completion of agency work, recruitment and workforce development. The article concludes that it is time for a new focus on understanding and supporting the development and assessment of student personal and interpersonal capabilities as well as skill and knowledge competencies. Furthermore, since managers are directly engaged with social work practice and are ultimately deciding which graduates to employ, greater consideration should be given to how institutions and employers can work together to determine which personal and interpersonal capabilities are relevant and necessary for the workplace.

Keywords::

• Practice Placements
• New Zealand
• Managers
• Social Work Education

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to extend their appreciation to Associate professor Kieran O'Donoghue (Massey University) and Neil Ballantyne (Learning Designs) for their support and feedback on earlier drafts of the article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

^[1] Child Youth and Family is a statutory unit of the Ministry of Social Development. It has legal powers to intervene to protect and support children and young people who have been abused, neglected or have problem behaviour.

^[2] Iwi/Māori social service providers include organisations that are run by iwi (Māori tribes) or Māori (the indigenous peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand) and usually specialise in culturally based intervention and support strategies.

^[3] Pasifika is a generic term for Pacific peoples from Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. Some social service agencies in New Zealand are specifically focused on working with Pasifika people, either New Zealand-born or immigrants.

^[4] Kaupapa is a Māori word meaning ‘purpose’ or ‘topic’.

^[5] ANZASW is the Aotearoa New Zealand Social Workers Association, which is the professional body for social workers in New Zealand.