Student Work placement - Reflection PDF

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Summary

Learners are required to keep a reflective journal of their experience of learning and professional development within the course.

Students are to write at least 6 reflective entries of 200 words each from 100 hours of completed student placement.
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Description

#37620 5428 Cluster: CHCCOM003 Develop Workplace Communication Strategies, CHCCCS007 Develop and Implement Service Programs & CHCDEV002 Analyse Impacts of Sociological Factors on Clients in Community Work and Services Assessment 5 Task 1: Reflection and Comment Brief Introduction to what reflective writing is: Reflective writing is looking back on your past experiences (in a role, working environment etc.) and documenting key elements such as what happened, who was involved, where this happened and so on. Reflective writing is an effective way to look at your current strengths and skills as well as identifying weaknesses or looking at ‘how could I have dealt with this better, what could I work on next time etc.’, Also reflective writing is also a great resource for record keeping/keeping thoughts & feelings and jotting small details down. Reflection entry: 17/05/19: Today was my second time coming in to CatholicCare. The plan for today was to go through Orientation. I got in early and went to the Volunteer room I had been in a few weeks before (when I had first been to CatholicCare and dropped off some ID and Documents to finalise my volunteer/student placement) and had bumped in to my TAFE classmates. They had already been coming in for a while and had got used to their surroundings. I said hello for a bit, spoke to Julia and went next door to where the Orientation would be held. I had met Lucy who was an extraordinary woman. She was welcoming, funny, understanding and I really enjoyed the conversations I had with her. We waited for an 1hr/half for other volunteers to show up but It had only been me until another Volunteer Van had shown up, he was also welcoming, engaging and excited to get through the session. We ran through the Orientation but Lucy cut it short as I mentioned that both Van and I had already gone through the slide show with Julia. I got my CatholicCare ID badge and was officially welcomed by Lucy and Julia. Reflection entry: 26/06/19: Today I experienced my first time going out into the field with a Catholic Care worker, named Monica. Before this visit, I had prepared some administrative documents by making copies of the Client Agreement forms – 1 for the client and 1 for Catholic Care to keep. Our trip was to Braeside Hospital in Prairiewood where we signed up a new client to the COMPACKS program. I learnt what the sign-up process involved and what type of questions needed to be asked in order to fill out the Client Agreement forms. My role was to sit, observe, take notes and fill in the small details on both copies of these Agreement forms (such as clients name, address, and what type of assistance he would require; domestic assistance, assistance with shopping etc). An important aspect I learnt was patience and understanding for the client as he currently has Cerebral Palsy, and had trouble expressing his words and communicating. However, he was very cognitive, active and participative in the discussions and answering some questions. I found the client and his wife very kind and I felt it was important for myself, to thank them for allowing me to sit in and observe. Overall this was a great first experience and I look forward to more trips out in the field. Reflection entry: 10/07/19: Today was the first time I got to work unsupervised as my supervisor (Julia Bull) was away. I was feeling a bit nervous

#37620 5428 this morning as I knew I wouldn’t be supervised or have any other support (such as other TAFE class mates) for a couple hours. I did however, feel confident to ask for support from either reception and other staff if needed/felt lost or unsure. I believe I was confident and organized as to what I was going to work on (some administration, other small tasks for workers such as organising paperwork and my own TAFE assessments). I felt proud and positive that I had the ability to use the Organisations software (Carelink) and network (Data Centre) competently. I also experienced using other office technology independently such as the printer/scanner which I was unfamiliar with. Since there were so many copies to scan, I eventually got the hang of it. Lastly, I’m proud that I used my initiative to get started on some work that my Work placement had provided me with and I finished all of it before the time I had set for myself. Reflective Entry: 12/07/19: Today I had experienced what it would feel like to be a part of the bigger office that CatholicCare holds. The volunteer room in which I complete my placement is separate to the rest of CatholicCare, its quite independent and isolating, which I have come to adapt to. I was greeting by Jenny (the receptionist) and Colleen who had informed me that the volunteer room we usually used was going to be utitlised for another group. Colleen had welcomed me and given me my own small desk to temporarily use for the day. The main office space was different and exciting. I met new workers that I hadn’t seen yet, used a different computer to log in to, got to have a better in-depth observation of the resources around me and got to hear a lot of the office nature: laughing, talking on the phone, keyboards typing, phones ringing and small hint of music coming from a radio on a nearby desk. I felt comfortable and a little nervous as I was only a volunteer amongst workers, supervisors and even management. I worked on some TAFE assessments for a bit and had to leave early as I was called into work. Reflective Entry: 29/07/19: Today was my second time going out in the field with a CatholicCare Worker. I went with Monica who had already taken me out a month ago on my first exposure. There were 3 visits to complete today. The first was a home visit with a client who lived with his family. We also met with the client’s care worker who would be present during the discussions. I had to wait outside as only the client himself was home and we did not want to overwhelm him with 3 different people. I understood and happily got the paperwork ready whilst also taking in my surroundings. The second trip was to Braeside Hospital in Prariewood to sign a client up to the COMPACKS program. Her son was present during this meeting and he engaged with both Monica and myself effectively. The last and most intriguing visit was a home visit in Cartwritght. This was my first home visit and it was a positive, inclusive experience. We signed the client up to the SASH program; my job was to take plenty of notes and prepare the paperwork to be signed. The last client was very talkative, friendly and appreciative. To finish the day off I filled in assessment paperwork for the clients which involved typing in client details, SMART Goals and using assessment tools. Reflective Entry: 31/07/19: Today was a great experience in the work office. Because the office as a whole is moving desks/work spaces/offices around, the volunteers now sit outside within the main office with all the other managers and staff. I got to sit next to my Student Placement officer Julia, she assisted with setting up my computer and made me feel really welcome and apart of the team. I got to meet Sam who would be taking over the volunteers. She is a really nice Manager who also made me feel at home. She assigned my tasks for the day which included some administrative tasks. My main responsibilities for the

#37620 5428 day were to create new folders for all the current volunteers and sort out the paperwork using an index template, basically making sure all the paperwork was in order and in the right tabs. I learnt where to find all the stationary needed to complete these tasks and once finished, I had to store the volunteer folders alphabetically in storage. I also got to use the paper shredder to dispose of old paperwork which I enjoyed. I learnt that asking for support is always the right thing to do when feeling unsure about anything, including where to find certain items, where I should store documents, clarifying instructions etc....