Module 01 – Introduction and overview
Overview
Welcome to the Social Work Field Education Preparation Modules. These modules have been designed to prepare you for your upcoming Field Education course and contain resources to help you successfully complete and get the most out of your placement experience.
The modules need to be completed in the semester prior to your first placement and are a core part of the preparation and allocation process.
By the end of these modules you should have a good understanding of the requirements and processes of Field Education and what you need to consider before and during your placement.
Watch: Module introduction
Watch: Module introductionBy the end of the modules you should be able to:
- Understand the role of the Australian Association of Social Work (AASW) in setting the standards for Field Education
- Identify and understand the roles of the Field Education team and the GUSS WIL administrative team
- Identify the key tasks, processes and expectations required for Social Work Field Education
- Understand the scope of RMIT-linked agencies and placement opportunities
- Explain the characteristics of professionalism
- Identify the key activities and etiquette used by agencies to provide a safe and inclusive workplace
- Identify and communicate the expectations of an agency and a student during Field Education
- Locate and navigate RMIT resources for student field education support
We encourage you to access the Social Work Toolkit resource which can be accessed via the RMIT Library. The Social Work Toolkit helps students develop the knowledge, core skills and confidence to succeed on placement. It contains videos, case studies, book chapters and expert opinion articles.
Completion of the modules is compulsory for the placement allocation process and to commence placement.
There are a range of communication processes that students must become familiar with in order to stay informed. These include Canvas program announcements, scheduled briefing sessions, newsletters and other email communications.
All students who are enrolled in Field Education will be subscribed to the Social Work Field Education Newsletter.
Students will begin to receive newsletters in the semester before they commence placement. For example, if you are enrolled in Field Education for Semester 2, you will begin receiving the newsletter in Semester 1.
Newsletter content will include:
- key dates and timelines
- information about key processes and required tasks
- dates of briefings and 'drop-in' sessions
- agency profiles
- support services
Definitions and context
As a Social Work student, you will often hear your WIL activity referred to as 'Field Education'. Field Education provides you with supervised opportunities to experience professional practice and socialisation in a work setting during a specified period. It provides you with the opportunity for experiential learning, linking and reflecting upon the relationship between theoretical perspectives and field experiences, and an opportunity to develop competence in a range of social work skills.
RMIT's Social Work Field Education is informed by the accreditation standards of the Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards (ASWEAS) in conjunction with RMIT policy and processes. Our three social work programs are fully accredited with the AASW and recognised internationally.
RMIT's Field Education programs have been developed to meet the Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards (ASWEAS) along with our own University policies and procedures.
Many social workers and social work students choose to become a member of the AASW. Membership with the AASW is not compulsory, but as a student in an accredited program, you are eligible for a $55 membership. This gives you access to some free training and events. Join here.
Useful links to provide helpful context for our profession are available here:
RMIT Social Work Field Education has a long history of working in partnership with agencies in the community. In 2018 we launched our book celebrating 45 years of Field Education – read our publication here.
Over the course of your Social Work program at RMIT, you will likely hear or see a number of different terms that reference your WIL experience or the industry. If you come across a term that you are unsure about, please contact your WIL academic staff member.
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Term |
Definitions |
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Canvas |
Canvas is RMIT's Learning Management System (LMS). |
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InPlace |
InPlace is a web-based software system that houses placement records and compliance documentation. It also features an application portal for placement opportunities available in the Nomination Period. |
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Work Integrated Learning (WIL) |
A term used by RMIT to describe workplace learning. |
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Placement |
The individual learning opportunity (or WIL activity) at an agency. |
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Field Education (FE) |
The course within the Social Work program. |
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Agency |
The organisation where placement will be undertaken. May also be referred to as partner or host organisation. |
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Field Educator (Onsite) |
A qualified agency based social worker, with a minimum of 2 years practical experience. They provide social work supervision and have primary responsibility for the student's Field Education. |
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External Field Educator (Offsite) |
A qualified Social Worker, appointed by RMIT, with practice experience of two years or more. They provide student supervision and have primary responsibility for the student's Field Education where no agency based Social Work supervisor is available. |
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Task Supervisor |
A supervisor within the agency, who is not a qualified Social Worker, with two or more years' experience. |
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Field Education Liaison Officer |
An RMIT-appointed qualified Social Worker with at least five years experience. They provide oversight and support for the student and Field Educator. |
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Police Check (PC) |
A statutory criminal history check. |
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Personal Planning Form (PPF) |
A document assisting the Field Education Coordinator in the allocation process. The PPF is for internal purposes only. |
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Working with Children Check (WWCC) |
WWCC is a screening process for assessing or re-assessing people who work with, or care for, children in Victoria. |
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WIL Agreement Form (WAF) |
A formal document, outlining each parties' (student, RMIT and agency) responsibilities and placement details. It is an AASW requirement. |
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Briefings |
Compulsory sessions that provide key information about Field Education. |
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Mid-Placement Review |
The Mid-placement Review assesses a student’s learning to date and refocuses learning for the remainder of the placement. |
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Final Placement Review |
The Final Placement Review confirms that the required level of practice competence has been achieved. |
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Integrative Seminars |
The seminars are a Field Education course requirement and are held during placement to assist students to analyse their practice and critically reflect on their field experience. |
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GUSS WIL |
Team of professional staff, providing administrative support of WIL activities across the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies. |
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Partner Agreement |
An overarching agreement between RMIT and an agency that usually applies to all future placements with an agency (or area within the agency). |
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| Student Undertaking | The student section of the Partner Agreement completed via an online form. | |
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Supervision |
Supervision is an essential learning process for Social Work placements, offering educative and administrative support and critical reflection. This person will support the student's day-to-day activities for placement. |
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Field Education Coordinator Role
Name |
Role |
Contact |
Further Information |
| Margareta Windisch | Academic Field Education Course Coordinator, Bachelor of Social Work Program | margareta.windisch@rmit.edu.au | Field Education |
| Rob Cunningham | Academic Field Education Course Coordinator, Master of Social Work Program | rob.cunningham@rmit.edu.au | Field Education |
| Ronnie Egan | Associate Professor of Field Education | ronnie.egan@rmit.edu.au | Field Education |
| GUSS WIL Unit | Administrative Support | Contact via Student Connect https://rmit.service-now.com/connect/ | General WIL Queries |
| Betty Haralambous |
Social Work Professional Practice Coordinator |
betty.haralambous@rmit.edu.au | Placement Opportunities |
Contacting GUSS WIL via Student Connect
All student enquiries must be entered in the Student Connect Portal, not via email.
To contact GUSS WIL please:
- visit Student Connect
- under 'What can we help you with?', select 'Work and Study Opportunities' from the drop-down menu
- then select 'How can I find out WIL and internships?'
When you submit a Student Connect enquiry, your question is directed to the most appropriate team. You can also type 'Attn: GUSS WIL' if you wish. Please remember that we do not use the GUSS WIL email account for student enquiries.
If you are waiting for an update, please avoid opening a duplicate enquiry. This pushes enquiries further down the queue and may increase wait times. You are of course welcome to add updates to your open enquiry at any time.