Field education is at the heart of social work education. It's a core component of Australian undergraduate and postgraduate social work courses.
Field placements, part of field education topics, are structured learning experiences where a student is placed in an agency or community working on particular tasks under the supervision of a social worker.
You need a number of compulsory clearances and to undertake compulsory training before being allocated a placement.
You will not be eligible for placement until deemed fully compliant.
Activity | What you need to do |
Form / more information | Submit to |
---|---|---|---|
Fitness for placement declaration | Declare your fitness for placement by reading and acknowledging the Fitness for Placement statement on InPlace. Let the University know if you have an access plan. |
N/A | InPlace |
Student consent for placement | Read and acknowledge the relevant essential conditions around student consent for placement using the applicable form. (Please note: if you are required to undertake multiple placements during your degree, you may be required to read both student consent documents, check with your WIL team if you are unsure.) | Placements undertaken outside Flinders University - Student Consent for Placement Statement (PDF) OR Placements undertaken within Flinders University ONLY - Student Consent for Internal WIL Placement with Flinders University Statement (PDF) |
InPlace |
Intellectual property for placement |
Read the student IP declaration and acknowledge the changes to intellectual property while you are on placement. |
Student Intellectual Property Statement (PDF) | InPlace |
COVID – 19 Vaccination | As of 1st November 2021 it is a requirement that placements in any SA health facility requires a full COVID vaccination status. | Please upload proof of vaccination to InPlace |
InPlace |
Activity | What you need to do |
Form / more information | Submit to |
---|---|---|---|
DHS Working with Children Check | We will initiate this check on your behalf. You will need to check your University email address and complete the process. |
DHS compliance information |
InPlace |
DHS Vulnerable Person Related Screening |
We will initiate this check on your behalf. You will need to check your University email address and complete the process. | DHS compliance information | InPlace |
DHS Aged Care Sector Related Screening | We will initiate this check on your behalf. You will need to check your University email address and complete the process. | DHS compliance information | InPlace |
DHS Disability Services Employment Screening | This screening is no longer provided by the department of Human Services Screening Unit. It has been replaced with the NDIS Worker Check. If you require this clearance for a placement a member of the WIL Placement team will contact you. | Not applicable | InPlace |
Activity | What you need to do |
Form / more information | Submit to |
---|---|---|---|
Police Check | You will need to provide a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC). If you have been in Australia for less than 12 months you will need to provide an International Criminal History Check (ICHC) instead. |
Police Check detailed information | InPlace |
Safe environments - through their eyes training | Arrange to attend a safe environments training session. Upload your documents to InPlace. |
Department for Education safe environments training providers |
InPlace |
Hand hygiene | Undertake the online National Hand Hygiene Initiative (NHHI) module:
Upload the certificate. |
NHHI - Complete learning module | InPlace |
COVID-19 Placement Declaration |
Complete the declaration one week prior to the start of every placement. Print the declaration, read and answer all questions and bring the declaration with you to placement. Upload the declaration form to InPlace. The declaration can be witnessed by any adult. | InPlace | |
COVID-19 Vaccination | It is highly recommended for healthcare students to receive the COVID-19 vaccination now, in Phase 1b of the roll out. Students will require a confirmation from Flinders to receive the vaccination, this will be provided by your College WIL Team. Make an appointment via Vaccine Clinic Finder. Upload completed covid-19 vaccination certificate on InPlace. | COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate (PDF) | InPlace |
Some host organisations also ask for you to complete additional compliance checks. You will be informed if these things are required for your placement.
Activity |
What you need to do |
Form / more information |
Submit to |
---|---|---|---|
Immunisation Compliance Certificate |
See a GP to complete and document the necessary immunisation requirements on the Immunisation Compliance Certificate. |
Immunisation compliance detailed information. |
InPlace |
SA Tuberculosis Services screening for SA Health based placements | Complete the online questionnaire and follow any instructions you receive by email from SA TB Services. Upload your questionnaire results to InPlace. IMPORTANT: Some vaccinations can interfere with the blood test that is used to screen for Tuberculosis. For this reason, you should delay any vaccinations until AFTER you have been cleared by SA TB Services, or until you have received your IGRA test results. |
InPlace |
|
Sunrise EMR and PAS training | Undertake training in FLO (PDF) Date of completion |
InPlace | |
RRHAN-EC training for school-based placements | Register for a plink if you don't already have one, and register for the online bridging course. |
More information and form | InPlace |
Annual influenza vaccination for aged care placements |
Book an annual influenza vaccination from an immunisation provider. | Influenza vaccination certificate (PDF) | InPlace |
SA Health Better Placed Deed Poll |
Read, understand and sign the SA Health Better Placed Deed Poll | Better Placed Deed Poll information and form | InPlace |
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) | Register for a CPR course. | CPR further information | InPlace |
Valid for three years from date of issue
Commonly referred to as a Police Check, a National Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) is a document that lists all criminal convictions recorded against a person in the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) database.
Police Checks (NCCHCs) can be issued by:
An acceptable Police Check (NCCHC) must meet the following requirements:
Students are responsible for the cost of obtaining their Police Check (NCCHC).
Students may also choose to apply for a Police Check (NCCHC) directly through their local police, or through a commercial broker. If a Police Check (NCCHC) is required urgently (eg sooner than 4 – 5 weeks) then it is advisable to apply online through an accredited broker that offers fast turnaround.
Police Check (NCCHC) providers may include:
Please note that Flinders University does not endorse these providers and cannot guarantee their turnaround times.
Valid indefinitely.
The Immunisation Compliance Certificate sets out the immunisation requirements for students and identifies acceptable evidence of immunity for each disease. The Immunisation Compliance Certificate must be completed by an immunisation provider, this can include General Practitioners (GPs) or Registered Nurses (RNs).
Students are responsible for:
Completing the Immunisation Compliance Certificate may require several appointments with an immunisation provider. The schedule of appointments will vary depending upon previous vaccination history and the availability of medical records. A typical appointment schedule may include:
The Immunisation Compliance Certificate must be completed by an immunisation provider in Australia. This can include General Practitioners (GPs) and Registered Nurses (RNs). Students are encouraged to utilise the Flinders University Health, Counselling and Disability service.
No. Immunity to Hepatitis B must be confirmed by blood test. For students undergoing a course of vaccinations, the blood test is to be completed 4-6 weeks after the final (3rd) dose of the vaccine.
If a student is confident of their previous vaccination against Poliomyelitis, the Poliomyelitis Statutory Declaration (PDF) can be completed and will be accepted as evidence of immunity. Students that are unsure of their vaccination history should complete a course of vaccinations.
There are several reasons why a student may not be able to fulfil the immunisation requirements:
Students who cannot be fully vaccinated/immunised for the above reasons will be required to meet with their placement education coordinator to discuss strategies for ensuring the safety of themselves and others while on placement.
Students who refuse to be screened or vaccinated, or who refuse to provide this information to the University, are not considered as having met the immunisation requirements and will be refused a placement on this basis. Vaccination refusal will impact a student’s ability to complete their course; students that refuse vaccination are advised to meet with their course coordinator.
Students are required to obtain an annual flu vaccination, and evidence of this may be required by your placement venue. Due to the seasonal availability of the flu vaccine, students are required to be vaccinated with the current calendar year vaccine, when it is available, usually March/April. Upload evidence on InPlace. Evidence of receiving the influenza vaccination can be recorded on the ‘influenza vaccination certificate’ link here or similar certificate utilised by the immunisation provider.
Valid for one year from date of issue.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training is completed annually. Students are responsible for organising their training through an external provider.
Acceptable training can include:
Acceptable evidence of training can include:
Course providers may include:
Find additional accredited training providers by searching for HLTAID001 courses near your location.
Enrolment in field placement topics (SOAD3102, SOAD9107, SOAD4007 or SOAD9208) is completed manually by the University enrolment team. Please refer to the Social Work Field Education Placement FLO site or your Flinders email account for further information.
If you have any queries, please contact swplacements@flinders.edu.au.
The Flinders University Field Education program operates in accordance with the Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards (ASWEAS) 2012 V1.4 (Revised January 2015), with particular reference to Guideline 1.2: Guidance on Field Education programs.
You are required to complete a total of 1000 hours of field education in order to graduate.
This will be fulfilled by undertaking two separate placements of 500 hours each.
Field placements are non-semester topics and it is imperative that you are available to commence placement, or engage in placement related activities, at least one month before semester begins.
You are required to attend placement four days per week, which takes approximately 18 weeks (4 – 5 months) to complete your 500 hours. Bachelor and masters students have different availability to attend placement due to their study timetable:
Generally placements commence from early February (semester 1) and end of July (semester 2). The start date for each placement will depend on a your availability (eg if you attend non-semester topic intensives) and the agency’s schedule (eg some agencies have set dates for orientation).
Most South Australian students will undertake placements in the metropolitan Adelaide region. This includes the outer areas of Adelaide, such as Gawler, Victor Harbor and Murray Bridge. Some opportunities exist for rural placements. Interstate students mostly undertake their placements in their home state.
In accordance with the ASWEAS requirements, students must undertake field placements in at least two different fields of practice. This means each placement will be undertaken with a different organisation, each having different client groups, different methods of social work practice and under the supervision of a different field educator for each placement. Therefore, students can be placed with government, non-government and private host organisations, which cover a variety of fields of practice (eg homelessness, schools and aged care) and methods of practice (eg working with individuals and groups, community development, social policy, advocacy and research).
The learning that occurs during placement is supervised by qualified social workers who support students to integrate social work theory into practice. This aims to develop the skills, values and knowledge to work effectively in contemporary social work settings. Most students are likely to have one placement with an on-site social work agency field educator and one with an external field educator (external social work supervisor) appointed by the University. If you have an external field educator, you will also have an agency supervisor to oversee your day-to-day activities.
A large proportion of placements are located in the outer northern and south metropolitan areas, reflecting the areas of greatest social need. Consequently, you may be required to travel up to two hours to your placement (one way). Placement matching does take into account where you live.
Confirmed placement matches can be found on InPlace. The placement team will also communicate with students via email and the Social Work Field Education Placements FLO site.
Students will need to become familiar with the University’s placement management system, InPlace. Students have their own page on InPlace, where documents and information can be uploaded and information about placements can be found. View the InPlace User Guide (PDF).
Can I find my own placement?
It is against our policy for students in the Adelaide metropolitan region to organise their own placements (for many reasons, including our agreement with agencies and our responsibility to meet ASWEAS requirements). Students are asked not to contact agencies to find a placement.
Interstate Students: For further information regarding sourcing a placement, please read the Information Sheet: Interstate Student Placements available on the Social Work Field Education Placements FLO site.
How does the placement matching process work and how long does it take?
It is essential that students have the opportunity to participate in a broad range of learning experiences in field education and the placement matching process takes this into account. Commonly, final placement students and those with variations to their placement will be prioritised in the placement allocation process, but this does not necessarily mean that they will be matched first.
While there are some exceptions the placement matching process takes around 12 weeks to complete. Students will receive information about their allocated placements via InPlace.
What factors are considered in matching a student to a placement?
The placement matching process has to take into account multiple factors, including ASWEAS requirements, practical considerations (eg access plans, driver’s licence, where students live, availability of onsite social work supervision) and agency requirements. While student interests are taken into account, there can be no guarantee that a student will be matched to an area of interest. Placement opportunities are entirely dependent on the pool of available placements and the matching of agency and student characteristics.
Agencies may have particular requirements that preclude some students from consideration. Agency requirements include: driver’s licence; minimum and maximum days a student can attend placement; dates for starting and/or completing placement; student’s level of experience; first or final placement students; after hours availability; variations in attendance (eg later start time); student’s communication skills; student’s undergraduate degree (some agencies will only consider MSW students with a related undergraduate degree); student’s interest in field and/or method of practice (eg group work); students ability to speak a particular language (eg Arabic).
If you have considerable prior experience working in human service agencies you may be eligible to apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), effectively crediting you for placement. RPL will only be considered for the first placement in MSW or BSW.
The application process has two stages requiring you meet specific criteria set by the ASWEAS and demonstrate learning from your prior experience in order to be granted RPL.
You can apply for RPL at any time, but due dates are set if you intend to go on placement in the following semester. Stage 1 applications are due the end of week 5 of semester and stage 2 applications are due by the end of week 10 of semester.
If granted RPL the ASWEAS outlines conditions for a student’s final placement following RPL.
The social work program is committed to facilitating the integration of students with disabilities into the University community. Reasonable adjustments can be made for students with disabilities provided those adjustments do not compromise topic requirements and the Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards (ASWEAS).
If students have a disability that may affect their ability to successfully complete a placement, they should contact Disability Services who may be able to prepare an access plan for them.
Students with an existing access plan who have any concerns about their ability to meet placement requirements are advised to have it reviewed the semester before enrolling in a field education topic. Students with an access plan who require accommodations in their placement arrangements should contact swplacements@flinders.edu.au & ensure this information is provided on InPlace.
Clinical badges can only be obtained once you have a student ID card. How to obtain a student ID card.
Able to come to campus:
Unable to come to campus:
You are required to attend an interview with the agency you are matched with prior to the placement being confirmed.
Guidance on interview preparation is in the Placement Interview Guideline module on the Social Work Field Education Placements FLO site.
You will need to take a copy of your compliance documents to the interview.
Agencies may confirm a placement offer at the interview, but this doesn't always happen. If you haven't heard from the interview chairperson one week after your interview, you can contact them to confirm your placement.
If you are unsuccessful at your placement interview, every attempt will be made to match you to an alternative placement agency. The ability to rematch will depend on a number of factors including the reasons for an unsuccessful first placement match, timing in the pre-placement process or semester and availability of placements.
If you have two unsuccessful placement matches, you may be required to un-enrol and undertake your placement later in your study program.
If you have completed the pre-placement requirements but can no longer go on placement please contact us immediately.
You will also need to un-enrol from the topic in the Student System.
Once your placement is confirmed you will be allocated to a field education liaison (FEL). Your FEL will make contact with you within the first two weeks of you starting placement.
If you require an external field educator (social work supervisor) your FEL will provide their contact details.
Email: swplacements@flinders.edu.au
Phone: 8201 5410
Email: swplacements@flinders.edu.au
Education Building front office (level 4)
Sturt Rd, Bedford Park
South Australia 5042
CRICOS Provider: 00114A
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