This World Social Day 2022, we share the words of Clara Fong, final year Master of Social Work student at University of Edinburgh, currently on her final placement, at MCFB.

I have always had an interest in working with people. My undergraduate degree was in sociology. In Hong Kong, where I am from, social work is not commonly discussed, so it was not until around the time when I was doing my bachelor’s degree that I gained a better understanding of this field, and it was this greater understanding that motivated me to train as a social worker.

Supporting refugee children

I was allocated to MCFB for my final placement, my main role being to support the work of the Safe Haven project.  Working within the  Safe Haven project has involved supporting refugee children and families who have been affected by trauma in their home country and in their journey to the UK. I am involved with one-to-one support and therapeutic group support, which supports children to build a sense of security and trust, helping them to settle into school, become part of their new community, and supporting their families to access community groups, clubs, and other services.

MCFB focuses on working with Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities, providing flexible support, tailored to the needs of the individual or family.

A collaborative approach

My work has centred heavily around working with other professionals, such as other third sector practitioners, social workers and health and legal professionals. For example, when supporting a family who was recently moved to Edinburgh, I reached out to counsellors and psychotherapists to help one of the children who was struggling to settle into Scotland and I contacted a local refugee organization to help the family to feel at home in their new community. For another child, I worked with the family's school to assess additional support needs with the school’s educational psychologist, and with a solicitor to provide immigration support for the father of the family.

I feel I have strengthened my sense of cultural awareness and competence and as a student who is from a minority background. This placement opportunity has provided me with a new perspective, working with other ethnic minority groups. Being involved in therapeutic group work and one-to-one work has expanded my social work knowledge – especially in cultural social work, anti-oppressive approach, trauma-informed practice and attachment/developmental theories.

I am grateful to be able to work with the children, building healthy and genuine relationships with them and supporting them in their journey to search for their identity. It is an unforgettable experience seeing children and families making steady progress in healing and settling into their new community using a collaborative support involving MCFB, external professionals, and the families themselves.’

Clara Fong, March 2022.