Fieldwork- 1
Assessment-Two
Learning Portfolio
Learning contract
I am a student enrolled in Bachelor of Applied Social Science (Community Service) doing
placement at Southern Cross Care, Bucklands, where I am doing 5 weeks placement from
the dates 21st November to 25th December ( 200hours). Buckland Southern Cross is one of
the non-profit organizations which have so many branches. Buckland located in North
Plympton with 147 bedrooms, which provides quality care, high care and memory support
services. To maintain people fitness levels they offer a broad range of lifestyle programs
designed to accommodate individual needs and access to their Health and Wellness Centre.
Pastoral care staff are also available to provide counselling and social support to client.
Self‐Directed Learning Contract

Description of the organization
• Southern Cross Care, Bucklands located in North Plympton, which provides high-quality
person-centered care.
• They have well maintained garden, socialize and enjoy the active lifestyle programs.
• They support client to be as healthy as they can be with our Health and Wellness Centre,
which is fitted with a range of specialist exercise and rehabilitation equipment to improve
their strength as well as mental health.
• There are many comfortable areas to relax or socialize with family and friends like library,
chapel, community services, bus trip, social outing and so on.
• Pastoral care staff are also available to provide counselling and social support to client.
• It also supports high care and memory support services that people trust.
During my placement I worked as a lifestyle manager under supervision, who can
communicate with client, about their need and hobbies, and provides facilities as their
needs. If needed as a lifestyle manager I can give counselling to client, support emotionally,
and psychologically.
Objectives for the placement
• To know about the organization policy: – I choose this objective because policies are an
essential part of any organization, which helps everyone to provide a roadmap for day-today operations.
• To increase knowledge about the area of focus of your organization/service/ project:
I choose this objective because a project needs careful planning, effective communication,
and attention to detail.
• Increase knowledge on how the organization help in community sector:- I choose this
objective because it helps to abolish the differences among individuals, develop spirit of
common interest and sacrifice and also participate collectively in community programs.
• Recording and maintain information correctly: – I choose this objective because good
recordkeeping can be my proof that I have made considered decisions and taken
appropriate actions.
• Be accountable and show behavior in professional way and show our nature as a
community service worker: – I choose this objective because a workplace that values
accountability may also foster greater commitment and increased employee happiness.
• Improve in teamwork area/sector: – I choose this objective because working in a team
encourages personal growth, increases job satisfaction, and reduces stress.
• Maintain privacy and confidentiality of client: – I choose this objective because
confidentiality is the right of a person to have personal information kept private, it
will prevent unauthorized persons gaining access to an individual’s confidential records
and permit individuals access to their own records.
• Improve knowledge of working in a team environment: – I choose this objective
because by working in a team, they’re also more likely to contribute positively and help
and support each other.
• To use active listening skills so that individuals, and families understood and respected:
– I choose this objective because by showing empathy for others, I can foster psychological
safety. Being a thoughtful listener, asking questions, seeking clarification, and encouraging
others to share their perspective will reinforce our role as a spouse, friend, colleague, coach,
and mentor.
• To identify strengths, and limitations of individuals, and families: – I choose this objective
because when I spend time reflecting on my strengths and weaknesses, I get to know my
true self better. This helps me to make decisions that better reflect my true self and make
me happy.
• Communication with different background people: – I choose this objective because it
helps me to help build relations and open up my world to new experiences.
Achieving the objectives
During my placement I worked with different groups of people. To achieve the objectives,
first I learnt about the organization policy and procedure, and by showing my nature as a
community service worker. To achieve the objectives I maintained boundaries as a
professional way, and work as a team with other staff. I shared information, through
consultation that will show respect and good attitude to make individuals and
families comfortable and dignified. To achieve the objectives, I built friendly environment
for both individuals and staff, and engaged the people in decision making which is useful
to them. Not only that I demonstrated clear and effective communication skills with people
and use active listener strategies when communicate. I have Spent time with individuals,
and got Feedback from supervisor about how are going, and also helped me to achieved
the objectives. As a community worker I learn how to treat clients with respect, to promote
maximum self-worth and dignity, and to safeguard and promote the capacity for free choice
by the client. From this placement I achieved my objective by building the knowledge, by
doing program management, group work, casework and counselling with individuals and
families, which aim to improve the wellbeing and social functioning of individuals, groups
and communities.
Issues I faced in the achievement of the objectives
• Lack of commitment
• Losing motivation
• Lack of communication
• Lack of qualification
• Lack of time
Dealing with issues during placement
• Lack of commitment:-
I tried to deal all the issues. I dealt this issue by expressing a desire to advance, by showing
confidence, by communicating the workers, and clients, by building listing skill, and by
showing leadership skills.
• Losing motivation
Set Realistic Study Goals is one of the major problems with me. During my whole
placement I tried to achieve my goal in time. By setting short- term goals, I tried to achieve
my goals.
• Lack of communication
As a student, during my placement it was so hard to communicate with client and staff.
Later on I managed to work as a team and abled to spend time with clients.
• Lack of qualification
As this was my first placement, I do not have enough knowledge, which made me hard to
work with people. But later on by asking with staff, I gained more knowledge about the
organization, and its policies.
• Lack of time
I have to finish my placement in five weeks (200hours). Due to lack of time, I was not able
to achieve all my setting objective in time.
From this experiences I learnt when we are doing placement, we have to set goals timely,
and we have to focus on our goals strictly.
Resources available through the placement organization
During my placement I was able to learn how to use person centered software, which is
also called PCS, which helps to record all the activities of client timely. Not only this I
learnt how to check details, and their life story from PCS. I got chance to attend the
meeting, from where I how to discussed the problems, and how to make a goal in time. I
got chance to read website and reading material provided by organization.
Main themes that emerged for me during my placement
From this placement I learnt an opportunity for self-development, develop reflective thinking
skills, reflecting on situations and relating them to theory.
The key things that I learnt during the placement are:-
• Organization skills: – Able to know about policies of organization where I did my
placement.
• Self-reliance:- Able to work effectively, and comfortably
• Interpersonal skills:- Able to communicate with different group of people
• Problem-solving skills: – Able to learnt how to solve problem in time.
• Practical skills: – Able to use my knowledge and education.
• Teamwork:- Able to work in team, by sharing the knowledge, and education
• Self-confidence and self-esteem:- Able to work fearlessness and less anxiety.
• Stress management: – Able to manage stress with the help of staff discussion and help.
• Coping skills:- Able to minimize, and deal with stressful situations
Before going to placement I researched about the organization, and prepared for first day.
I used this placement as an opportunity to make connections with new people and a client.
When doing the placement I treated my practicum like my own job. Knowledge and skills,
which I developed, both personally and professionally in my placement are:-
• Self-confidence:- I developed self-confidence by positive thinking, practice, training,
knowledge and talking to other people.
• Integrity: – I developed the integrity by respecting the staff, client and families.
• Strong work ethic:- Timeliness, and discipline are the main knowledge which I developed
in my placement
• Leadership skills: – I developed my leadership skills by working as team and by sharing
the knowledge.
• Self-motivated:- I developed my self-motivation by building healthy habits that help you
create momentum each day.
• Time management: – I developed my time management skill by managing my time, and
improve my efficiency, be more productive, and deliver better work.
Career options/directions from the placement
One of the main benefits of work placement is experiential learning, which is the fast
track to identifying my strengths and weaknesses. Work placement not only helps me
better understand my strengths, but also my weaknesses. Working in real world
environments can help me identify what skills I may need to brush up on by reflecting on
my experiences.
After this placement I will use my knowledge which I gained from placement
experiences in community sector by providing care and support to my clients, by
allowing them to become more independent in their lives. Placement helps us to measure
progress toward achieving equal employment opportunity as well as help me develop
professionally.
Summary and reflection of supervision experience
As working with lifestyle manager, I got chance to communicate with different behavior
people. I learnt how to deal with them. I learn how to give counselling to them. In my
placement organization cognitive behavior therapy is used to treat anxiety and depression,
but can be useful for other mental and physical health problems. They also use group
therapy, which help to reduce social isolation. I have enjoyed working with my supervisor.
She supported me in all my placement journey and stopped me whenever I was going on a
wrong things. She gave me the liberty to do my work more independently. I and my
supervisor share a good rapport. During my placement my supervisor gave me a good
feedback. For me supervisor feedback is important because it helps break bad habits,
reinforces positive behavior, and enables me to work more effectively toward their goals.
Experience of supervision can expand the skills and knowledge base of group members and
according to needs of client in community.
In future I will utilize the supervisor feedback by self- evaluate my knowledge and skills,
seek and reflect upon feedback from co-workers and client. In future if I got chance to
supervise student, I will guide the student in planning, focusing and developing the study
by encouraging the student to make a realistic written timetable and plan at a very early
stage to ensure that a manageable piece of work is undertaken. I will also help them to do
their paper works. I will encourage them to spend time with client, and try to give them
counselling knowledge. The experience of the placements exposes me to different ways of
working with a wide array of clients, issues, and settings/environments.
After the feedback of supervisor, I was able to, understand the placement organization’s
objectives,
communicates assertively and responsibly, able to offer respectful feedback, establishes
appropriate boundaries in working relationships, able to work well independently,
demonstrate competence in skills promoting a ‘working alliance’ with a client or group of
clients, and demonstrate respect and appreciation for issues of gender, culture, religion,
ethnicity, age status and sexual preference. . During my placement, to achieve the goals I
have discussed and asked questions to supervisor and others staff, I tried to get feedback
from the supervisor and staff, observed the meeting with supervisor. At last placement
performance report has been provided by the supervisor.
Conclusion
The experience gives knowledge about the client and as a community worker how we can
deal with them timely. This report has enabled me to reflect on my experience as a student
where I have gained greater awareness of my own strengths and weaknesses. I have learnt
that confidence needs time to develop, and that everyone is nervous in new situations. My
self-belief has increased as a result of this experience. From this placement I have gained
so many knowledge, like how to deal with individual, how to communicate with them, and
how to maintain good relationship with family and individuals. In future I will utilize all
this knowledge to become a good community worker.