FIELDWORK PLACEMENT

ASSESSMENT

DIPLOMA OF COMMUNITY SERVICES

 Student name:
Student number:
Fieldwork Placement

STUDENT’S LEARNING AGREEMENT

(Appendix 4 in the Student Placement Handbook)

MANDATORY FOR FIELDWORK PLACEMENTS

Learning goals will vary for each student depending upon their individual placement. Learning goals are
helpful as they provide direction to what you will learn and achieve during your placement. For learning
goals to be meaningful, you should ask yourself “What do I want to learn from this fieldwork
experience?”

Learning Goals: What you hope to achieve on both personal and professional levels from the Fieldwork
Placement
Learning Tasks: The tasks/activities you will undertake to achieve these goals
Method of Assessment: How each ‘Learning Goal’ and ‘Learning Task’ will be monitored and assessed

Think about your learning goals and write these down, even before going to your interview. Refer to the
following sample learning goals to give you ideas or to use as relevant to your learning needs:
 Collaborate effectively with other staff/team members and/or external agencies
 Demonstrate capacity to manage situations involving anxiety, conflict, and challenging behavior
 Demonstrate ability to access informal and formal supervision and act on feedback received
from supervisors/other staff members
 Demonstrate ability to negotiate and clarify placement tasks and roles
 Demonstrate ability to prioritize tasks and manage workload effectively
 Develop and implement self-care strategies
 Develop good work habits and appropriate workplace behavior
 Develop understanding of legal and ethical frameworks in practice
 Enhance self-awareness and ability for self-reflection
 Explore desired career path and areas of practice
 Gain greater sensitivity and awareness in working with people from culturally and linguistically
diverse (CALD) backgrounds
 Identify personal strengths and areas for improvement
 Improve case notes and/or report writing skills
 Improve communication (both verbal and non-verbal) and/or interpersonal skills
 Learn about the specific issues and needs of the agency’s client groups
 Learn to be more proactive and assertive on placement
 Strengthen groupwork understanding and skills
 TIP: You may also refer to the Agency Supervisor’s Assessment Report (Appendix 7) for other
suitable learning goals.

Stott’s College Diploma of Community Services 2

 Student name:
Student number:
Fieldwork Placement

In the

STUDENT’S REFLECTIVE JOURNAL

(Appendix 6 in the Student Placement Handbook)

MANDATORY FOR FIELDWORK PLACEMENTS.

While on Fieldwork Placement, students are to write in a journal on a regular basis. Students should
make time at the end of each shift to reflect on their workplace experiences.

The purpose of the journal is to help you critically review and reflect upon your personal beliefs and
attitudes, your workplace experiences, and the concepts that are presented in the Diploma of
Community Services. Guide questions are provided for each journal entry, which will help you explore
various areas of your learning progress.

While writing, you should attempt to understand your perceptions and explore the actions of others.
Note your thoughts and feelings. What did you learn? What did you do well? What did you learn from
others? What would you do differently? What do you need to work on?

For 1st placements, complete Journal Entries 1 to 5 only.

For 2nd placements, complete Journal Entries 1 to 7.

Complete one journal entry approximately every 5 placement days.

Stott’s College Diploma of Community Services 3

 Student name:
Student number:
Fieldwork Placement

Journal Entry 1 (minimum of 250 words)

Reflect on how you integrated your classroom learning into your Fieldwork Placement.
For example:

Give an example of when you applied specific skills and knowledge in completing your placement tasks,
especially in working with clients.
How did it challenge you? How did it motivate you to develop further as a community worker?

Stott’s College Diploma of Community Services 4

 Student name:
Student number:
Fieldwork Placement

Journal Entry 2 (minimum of 250 words)

Reflect on an important event or incident that you observed or were involved in during your Fieldwork
Placement. For example:

What was the event? How did it challenge you?

Describe how this event impacted on your personal values and beliefs.

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 Student name:
Student number:
Fieldwork Placement

Journal Entry 3 (minimum of 250 words)

Reflect on the interaction and support you have received from your supervisor/s and other agency staff
throughout your Fieldwork Placement. For example:

How do you respond to feedback? To conflict?

What have you learned about your communication skills and style?
What has been most challenging about working with other people?

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 Student name:
Student number:
Fieldwork Placement

Journal Entry 4 (minimum of 250 words)

Reflect on what you have learned about being a community services worker through your Fieldwork
Placement. For example:

For you, what are the personal and professional challenges of this profession? What are the joys?
What have you identified to be your strengths? What are your areas for improvement?

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 Student name:
Student number:
Fieldwork Placement

Journal Entry 5 (minimum of 250 words) – must be completed towards the end of placement and
discussed with your Liaison Officer.

Refer to your answer to question 8 in the Agency Analysis Report.

Reflect on the impact of your agency’s work and/or the services provided to clients, in relation to their
identified social and cultural issues. Your response will be discussed with your Liaison Officer.

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 Student name:
Student number:
Fieldwork Placement

Journal Entry 6 for 2nd Placement Only (minimum of 250 words)

Reflect on your professional development, including the progress you have made in your attitude and
professional skills since your 1st placement.

What has contributed to your professional development?

What steps are you taking (or plan to take) towards moving forward in your area of interest in the
community welfare industry?

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 Student name:
Student number:
Fieldwork Placement

Journal Entry 7 for 2nd Placement Only (250 words)

As a community worker, it is important for you to understand the value of self-care and self-reflection.

What do you believe self-care to be?

Provide at least 2 self-care strategies that you have applied in this placement. How have you found them
useful on both a personal and professional level?

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