1. FIELDWORK PLACEMENT (2015-2016)
BRIEFING FOR STUDENTS
November 15, 2014 (9:30am to 12:30pm)

2. Briefing Schedule Time Content Speaker 9:15am – 9:30am Reception
         
Time
Content
Speaker
9:15am – 9:30am
Reception
9:30am – 9:45am
Concentration selection of MSW students
Dr. Edward Chan
9:45am – 11:00am
General Requirements on Fieldwork Placement
Mrs. Eltha Wong
11:00am – 11:15am
Break
11:15am – 12:00pm
Demonstration of PMS
System Company
12:00pm – 12:30pm
Matching Criteria and Process

3. The Importance of Fieldwork
An integral part of social work education with the emphasis on “ Learning through doing”;
Student works in a social work agency under the guidance of fieldwork supervisor as to incorporate theoretical knowledge into social work practice;
Student is expected to experience the real work setting, understand agency culture and requirement, to gain the practice wisdom from supervisor and agency staffs ;
An important process to train up a competent and independent social worker.

4. Fieldwork Objectives Students are given opportunities to:
Demonstrate social work principles, values in actions and attitudes;
Practice theories and models and develop skills;
Enhance self-understanding, maximize potentials and own capacity
Develop own style of work within the bounds of professional practice and development

5. FIELDWORK MODULES BSWFT3 (as at Sep 2014):
SOWK Fieldwork Placement I*
Summer Block Placement
Duration: Jun 1 to Aug 7, 2015 (10 weeks, 40 hours per week, fulfill 400 hours)
* Can apply for Overseas / Mainland placement
SOWK Fieldwork Placement II
Concurrent Placement (local only)
Duration: Sep 22, 2015 to Mar 11, 2016 (25 weeks on every Tues and Weds, fulfill 400 hours)

6. FIELDWORK MODULES MSWFT1 (as at Sep 2014):
SOWK 6225 Field Placement I *
Summer Block Placement
Duration: Jun 1 to Aug 7, 2015 (10 weeks, 45 hours per week, fulfill 450 hours)
* Can apply for Overseas/Mainland Fieldwork placement
SOWK 6231 Field Placement II
Concurrent Placement (local only)
Duration: Sep 22, 2015 to Apr 1, 2016 (28 weeks on every Tues and Weds, fulfill 450 hours)

7. FIELDWORK MODULES MSWPT1 (as at Sep 2014):
SOWK 6225 Field Placement I #
Concurrent Placement (local only)
Duration: Sep 22, 2015 to Apr 1, 2016 (28 weeks, 16 hours flexibly in daytime or evenings, fulfill 450 hours)
SOWK 6231 Field Placement II *#
Duration: Sep 2016 and Apr 2017, exact dates will be announced in 2015
* Can apply for Overseas/Mainland Fieldwork Placement taken in summer block, but needs to apply for deferment of placement to summer
# Can apply for Attachment Placement in own employing agency, but only for social service setting agency

8. FIELDWORK MODULES MSWPT2 (as at Sep 2014):
SOWK 6231 Field Placement II
Concurrent Placement (local only)
Duration: Sep 22, 2015 to Apr 1, 2016 (28 weeks, 16 hours flexibly in daytime or evenings, fulfill 450 hours)
Can apply for Overseas/Mainland placement taken in summer block, but needs to apply for deferment of placement to summer 2015
Can apply for ATTACHMENT PLACEMENT in own employing agency, but only for social service setting agency if not applying in SOWK 6225

9. FIELDWORK MODULES For all part-time students:
Please prepare your own work schedule to match with the placement’s requirement.
You need to free 16 hours per work as to fulfill the placement’s requirement.

10. Overseas/Mainland Fieldwork Placement
Only applies to summer block placement
Since 1998, the SWSA has already sent a total of 300 social work students in various placement settings in different countries and places, such as Australia, Canada, Germany, Singapore, UK, USA, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Sichuan, Taiwan and Japan.
For interested students, please attend the afternoon report back session for details

11. Attachment/On-the-job Placement
Only applies to part-time students, who are now working in social service agency
Students could apply for attachment placement once only
It is strongly recommended that students who undertake attachment placement at the working agency should work in a different unit as to widen the learning opportunities
Students must get approval from agency and submit supporting letters at the time of application

12. Roles and Responsibilities
Responsible to Agency/Clients:
“Student social worker” (實習社工)
Comply with agency policy, admin. procedures, office disciplines and proper documentation
Obtain approval before proceeding
Professional image, behaviours, appearance and dress code
Ensure confidentiality, privacy and code of ethics
Active participation and engagement

13. Roles and Responsibilities
Responsible to Supervisor/HKU
Agreement on learning goals
Responsible, active and reflective learner
Cooperative and mutual support
Paper submission on time
Well prepare for supervision
Open to share and question

14. Workload A) Direct Services Guideline Case only : at least 5
Cases + group/project : 2-3 cases + 1 group +1 programme
Group only : at least 2
Group, project and programme :1 group + 1 project + 1 programme
Community work project : 1-2
* The above is for reference only
* Workload is decided by mutual discussion amongst student, agency and fieldwork supervisor , while final decision rests with the fieldwork supervisor
* Each student should be in charge of at least 1 task

15. Workload B) Written Work
Casework : Intake/Transfer/Termination Summary, Case recording (including process recordings)
Group work : Group proposal, Session plan, Session recording, Final Evaluation Report
Project/Programme : Project/Progrmme Proposal, Ongoing Process record, Evaluation report
Self-reflective Logs
Orientation Report, Learning Contract
Mid-placement and final evaluation report
* Exact workload and requirement will be decided by the respective fieldwork supervisor subject to student’s learning pace, but must fulfill both HKU and Agency requirements

16. Assessment Criteria (Form A10a)
Section One : Professional Requirements (25%)
A failed grade in Section One will lead to a failed grade in the fieldwork placement regardless of student’s performance in other assessment areas.
Section Two : Organizational Requirements (10%)
Section Three : Practice Competence – Integration of Knowledge, Attitude and Skills (55%)
Section Four : Written assignment and Use of Supervision (10%)

17. Choices of Placement Setting (Refer to Hand-out– Choices and Specific Interest)
Community Development Services (CC/ANSP)
Services for the Elderly (CSE/RSE)
Family Services (FSC/CISC)
Medical Social Services (MSS/MSP)
Multicultural Social Work (EMR/MSC)
Rehabilitation Services (RSD/RSR/PRS/CRN)
School Social Work Services (SSW)
Services for Children & Youth (ICYSC/YR/RS)
Overseas/Mainland Fieldwork Placements (IFP)

18. Consideration of Choices
Personal interest/passion
Personal potential/limitation
Learning expectation/opportunities
Career plan
Location (near to work / home / dorm)
Placement setting’s working hours
Personal work schedule

19. Submit Placement Choices
Before submitting the application,
Please read through the information in placement website,
For FT Students, please consult Skill Lab Teacher/ Class Teacher about your suitability
For PT Students, please consult Programme Director/ Class Teacher/setting coordinators about your suitability

20. District Preferences Central, Western & Southern Eastern & Wanchai
Kwun Tong
Wong Tai Sin & Kowloon City
Kwun Tong & Tseung Kwan O
Sham Shui Po
Tsim Sha Tsui & Mongkok
Shatin & Tai Po
North District
Tsing Yi, Kwai Chung & Tsuen Wan
Tuen Mun, Yuen Long & Tin Shui Wai

21. District Preferences
Please choose 2 districts among the 11 districts as your choice
Please consider the district which is more convenient for you to commit placement from dorm/home/work during the placement time. The placement venue will try to be located within the travelling time of one hour.

22. Submit Preference Choices
Make 3 choices of placement setting
Indicate 2 choices of specific interest for each selected setting
Final matching result depends on availability of offers and students’ suitability
through PMS (Placement Management System) on web
Once submitted the choices, no amendment will be allowed

23. System Demonstration Type URL as : http://pms.socialwork.hku.hk
System will be activated on 1 Dec, 2014, please log in on or after this date
Students will receive notification on how to log in the system

24. Email Notification Sample
Dear Students,
Welcome to the SWSA Placement Management System, you can visit to complete your application for the coming summer block and/or concurrent placement in 2015/2016.
Please use your university number and attached password to enter into the PMS. The PMS will be activated between 00: /12/01 to 23: /12/28.
Your password to the PMS is: 55Voo3G2
If you have any enquiries about the PMS, please contact Miss Shirley Yip at , or Mrs. Eltha Wong at ,
HKU SWSA Placement Management System

25. Submission Dead-line
23:59 December 28, 2014

26. Email Confirmation Sample
Dear Students,
PMS has received your application:
Block Placement:
You will not undertake the Block placement this year
Concurrent Placement:
1st Choice : Family Services
Options 1 : Crisis Intervention and Support Services
Options 2 : Integrated Family Service Centre and family related services and projects
2nd Choice : Medical Social Work Services
Options 1 : Medical Social Service Unit (general)
Options 2 : Medical Special Projects
3rd Choice : Services for Children and Youth
Options 1 : Youth at Risk
Options 2 : Residential Services
Concurrent placement District Preference 1: Tsim Sha Tsui and Mongkok
Concurrent placement District Preference 2: Shatin and Tai Po
HKU SWSA Placement Management System

27. Matching process Month Task Dec
Collecting students’ placement preferences
Mid Jan
overseas placement interview
Late Jan –
Early Feb
Sending out summer block placement request letter to respective NGOs/ announcing overseas placement application results
End Feb
Collecting agencies’ feedback on our summer block request
Mar
Matching students’ preferences with agencies’ reply
Early Apr
Announcing matching summer block results to students & Students could amend the concurrent placement choices
Mid- April
Sending out concurrent placement request letter to respective NGOs
End April
Summer Block Placement Orientation Session
May
Collecting agencies’ feedback on our concurrent request
Early June
Commencement of Summer Block Placement
June
Matching students’ concurrent preferences with agencies’ reply
Late July
Announcing matching concurrent results to students
Early Sep
Concurrent Placement Orientation Session
Late Sep
Commencement of Concurrent Placement

28. Criteria for Matching Placement
No. of offers from different agencies
Special requirements stated by agencies (e.g. maturity, year of study, program of study, sex and religion, etc.)
Total number of students in competing for the same placement choice (e.g. Medical Social Work, Family Services, academic results will be used as one of the criteria)

29. Criteria for Matching Placement
Suitability of Students (e.g. physically, psychologically and academically)
Recommendation from teachers
If setting preference does not match with district preference, setting preference will over-ride district preference

30. Good Preparation for Fieldwork Placement
Psychologically and Physically well prepared for the workloads of placement
Better to be equipped relevant values, attitudes, knowledge and skills of your preferred placement settings, strongly advise to match with your elective studies; be prepared to do extra study on the subject at your own time
Good time management
Seek advice from teachers and previous students about the survival tips

31. Central Enquiry Contact Person:
Mrs. Eltha Wong(Director of Field Instruction)
( ) (C0516)
Miss Shirley Yip (Secretary)
( ) (C0534)

32. Thanks!