A week in the life of…Tia

Hello, I am Tia! I am currently a student social worker in my second year of study; I have had the great opportunity to be able to attend the recovery college on my first placement. Here is a glimpse into a week of my life on placement.

Most weeks at my placement start with a Teams meeting with the whole team where we check in with each other, talk about any worries or concerns, and discuss upcoming events or courses. After that, I usually spend time checking emails, working on new courses, or planning notes on my co-facilitation of courses.

I also do Individual Learning Plan appointments with individuals over the phone, as well as attending many shadowing opportunities within different teams on professions of the South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

But this week was a bit different because it focused on finalising the planning of the volunteering celebration event. As part of one of my observations, my colleague (another social work student) and I had the pleasure of working together to plan and present this event to thank all the volunteers for their hard work, this has been an ongoing project since the start of placement however this week involved gaining  final donations and going out into the community to explain what the Recovery College is and how much the volunteers contribute to keeping it running. The volunteer event took place on Thursday, and it was amazing to see how our efforts made the volunteers feel appreciated and valued.

On Friday, I reflected on my week, completed tasks from the student team’s list, and organised forms and paperwork as my placement is coming to an end.

The Recovery College has been a great first placement and I couldn’t recommend it more to anyone else given the opportunity to be able to work with the team! It has given me a different perspective on the various different roles within the social work profession, and I have gained a new passion for supporting those struggling with mental health especially. This placement has been a massive part of my learning Journey and has given me valuable skills and experiences I will take with me in my future roles!

I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to work with such a great team and learn so much during my time here.