What do you think you gained /will take away from your placement at MCFB?
Although I have worked in a culturally diverse environment before, my placement at MCFB has provided me with a very distinctive and vital learning experience for my social work practice. During my placement, I was involved with the Football Project and Dr. Bell’s Asian Women’s Group. The Football Project allowed me the opportunity to work with children ages 5-8 years old, both in a group and a one-to-one capacity. Co-facilitating this group contributed to essential skills I have used towards building relationships and communicating with children. The Asian Women’s Group incorporated working with adults, and provided me with the experience of understanding language barriers and culture, and how to respectfully work with these aspects. The knowledge I had obtained from the group work, as well as the families I worked with allowed me to connect theory to my practice. My Practice Teacher and the staff at MCFB also provided a lot of helpful tips and resources that have allowed me to use my practice in both different and creative ways. This placement also pushed me to actively get to know resources not only within the agency, but within the community to help my service users.
What do you think you were able to contribute to the work of MCFB?
I felt that my work and effort at MCFB showed through the positive relationships I was building through both my group work and the families I worked with. I helped with family and individual support that dealt with practical issues which helped better integrate them into other parts of the community, as well as understand better how various processes work (e.g., finances, what’s needed for certain appointments, etc.). I also helped families and individuals that needed help with personal issues and would offer them emotional support and assistance in dealing with conflict and crisis. The positive relationships not only allowed trust to build within my relationship with the individuals using the service, but also created trust in the organization, allowing them to feel safe continuing to seek help and services from MCFB.
What will be your lasting impression/memory of MCFB?
It is refreshing to see an organization so dedicated to working with BME and Scottish families. I have felt that MCFB works very hard towards the integration of children and families into the system, while also working very hard towards advocating idea of inclusion for families with different cultures and backgrounds in the Scottish community. I enjoyed observing the positive relationships and outcomes formed from children and families who already had access to the service and visibly witnessing how MCFB had impacted their lives.
I will never forget how much help and support were provided by both my Practice Teacher and the staff. The working environment at MCFB caters heavily to the learning experience of placement students so that they are not only equipped with a firm knowledge base and practice skills, but also provides them with the preparation needed for a second placement. Everyone in the organization wants to see their students succeed, and push them to actively learn, step outside of their comfort zone, and nourish their skills and strengths.
