Enhancing the Social Work Field Practicum Experience through the Practice Development Forum (PDF) at the United Arab Emirates University

2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 430-442
Author(s):  
Prospera Tedam ◽  
Hughlett Powell ◽  
Shamma Juma Hamad Alfalasi ◽  
Enas Almarqab
2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-56
Author(s):  
Prospera Tedam

The impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on social work practice placements around the world and in the United Arab Emirates is of concern to students, social work educators and service users. In this practice note, I focus on the impact of the interruption to social work practice learning for students at  the United Arab Emirates University and reflect on the introduction of 'social distancing', a health and safety strategy aimed at reducing the likelihood of the spread of the coronavirus. I propose ways in which students in school placements can continue to develop their social work knowledge and skills ‘from a distance’ and while physically absent from their practice learning settings


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 31-46
Author(s):  
TAGHREED MAHMOUD Abu Sarhan ◽  
Prospera Tedam

Assessing Social Work Students On Practicum at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU): Challenges and Implications. Dr. Taghreed M. Abu Sarhan¹ (Director of Field Education)Dr Prospera TedamSocial Wellbeing Dept. UAEUContact: [email protected] Social Work program at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) is the first and the only program-training students for Masters in Social Work (MSW) in the United Arab Emirates. MSW students are required to undertake 500 hours of practice in the field MSW while Bachelor in Social Work (BSW) students are required to complete 400 hours of practicum.This paper outlines both BSW and MSW practicum courses and examines the assessment tools and methods that contribute to their readiness for practice upon qualifying.  The authors explore the framework in practicum settings in the UAE and critically reflect on the challenges of the current assessment methods in preparing professional social workers for practice upon graduation. The absence of service user contribution in the assessment process is considered a major disadvantage to the holistic development of social workers in the UAE and will be examined.  Significantly, the two authors who are both female address the issue of gender within the context of assessment due to gender segregation in field practicum linked to the cultural and religious requirements in the UAE.  The paper concludes with a number of recommendations to improve the assessment of social work students at both BSW and MSW levels at the United Arab Emirates University.Keywords: Social Work, Practicum, UAEU, Assessment methods, BSW and MSW. 


2016 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 260-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther OW Chow ◽  
Chau-Kiu Cheung ◽  
Gloria Hongyee Chan

As social work is an international profession, it is necessary to establish the validity of assessment of the field practicum of students for the purpose of professional accreditation. This study calibrates an indigenous assessment tool, the Social Work Practicum Assessment (SWPA), developed in Hong Kong with a competency-based evaluation (CBE) tool popularized in North America, using data collected from 171 social work final-year undergraduates. The results demonstrate convergence between the SWPA and CBE when rated by field instructors and were greater when the student-assessed CBE was higher. Alternatively, the student-assessed CBE displayed greater convergence with the instructor-rated CBE when the indigenous assessment was higher. The positive results imply the generalizability of the assessments across places.


2009 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 72-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle L. Pehrson ◽  
Patrick T. Panos ◽  
Krista L. Larson ◽  
Shirley E. Cox

1998 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 188-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen French Gilson ◽  
John C. Bricout ◽  
Frank R. Baskind

Social work literature, research, and practice on disabilities has lagged behind other topical areas dealing with oppressed groups. The social work literature remains “expert focused” and generally fragmented into discussions of specific disabilities or subpopulations. A viable general model that deals with the personal experience of disability is not available. This exploratory study presents a social work literature search and analysis as well as interviews with six individuals with disabilities about their experiences with social workers. Individuals with disabilities assert that they were treated as though they had categorically fewer aspirations, abilities, and perhaps even fundamental rights than did nondisabled people. This study provides a base for follow-up research on models of consumer-focused social work practice in the area of disability.


Author(s):  
Mpumelelo Ncube

Supervision practice in social work is understood as the mainstay of the profession. However, various studies have pointed to the inadequacies of supervision to facilitate quality service provision. Previous studies have reflected a general misalignment between the approach to supervision practice and the approach to social work practice as one inadequacy leading to the failure of supervision practice. Although there are numerous supervision models in the profession, some of which are aligned with certain practice approaches, none is directly identifiable with the social development approach, which should be at the core of social work orientation in South Africa. Thus, this article provides a process model of supervision in social work that aims to establish a dialectical relationship between supervision and the social development practice approach. The study was underpinned by Thomas’ research and design process, which was used to design and develop a social work supervision model mirroring a social development approach. The paper concludes with recommendations related to the use of the developed model.


Author(s):  
Joseph John Hobbs

This paper examines how the architectural, social, and cultural heritage of the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf countries may contribute to better development of this region’s lived environment. Modern urbanism has largely neglected heritage in architectural design and in social and private spaces, creating inauthentic places that foster a hunger for belongingness in the UAE’s built environment. The paper reviews recent urban developments in the UAE and the Gulf Region, and identifies elements of local heritage that can be incorporated into contemporary planning and design. It proposes that adapting vernacular architectural heritage to the modern built environment should not be the principal goal for heritage-informed design. Instead we may examine the social processes underlying the traditional lived environment, and aim for social sustainability based on the lifeways and preferences of local peoples, especially in kinship and Islamic values. Among the most promising precedents for modern social sustainability are social and spatial features at the scale of the neighborhood in traditional Islamic settlements. Interviews with local Emiratis will also recommend elements of traditional knowledge to modern settings. 


Author(s):  
Iván Cisternas Villacura

  RESUMEN El presente artículo es una reflexión sobre la práctica del trabajo social en el rol de perito social forense dentro del sistema de administración de justicia, donde su labor se funda en mediar entre la realidad del periciado –sujeto del que se debe dar cuenta en una investigación judicial– y quien requiere de los antecedentes necesarios para que el “Juez” dicte sentencia, lo que habitualmente genera un “conflicto de interpretaciones”. En tal sentido, es relevante discutir las dificultades que deben enfrentar las y los trabajadores sociales, en cuanto a la comprensión de una realidad cada vez más compleja, y al conflicto que se genera entre las interpretaciones de los mundos de vida de las personas y los requerimientos del sistema judicial chileno. Palabras clave: Pericia judicial social forense - Trabajo Social Pericial - Conflicto de interpretaciones. A compreensão dos conflitos de interpretação na prática do perito social forense RESUMO O presente artigo é uma reflexão sobe a prática do trabalho social no rol de perito social forense dentro do sistema de administração de justiça; onde seu labor funda-se em mediar entre a realidade do periciado – pessoa de quem se deve dar conta numa investigação judicial – e quem precisa dos antecedentes necessários para que o “Juiz” determine sentencia o que habitualmente, gera um “conflito de interpretações”. Neste sentido, é relevante discutir as dificuldades que devem enfrentar as e os trabalhadores sociais, em quanto á compreensão de uma realidade cada vez mais complexa, e ao conflito que se gera entre as interpretações dos mundos de vida das pessoas e aos requerimentos do sistema judicial chileno. Palavras chave: Pericia judicial social forense - Trabalho Socia Pericial - Conflito das interpretações. Understanding the conflicts of interpretation in the social forensic expert practice ABSTRACT This article is a reflection on social work practice in the social role forensic expert plays in the legal system, where their job is based on mediating between ‘periciado’ – individual who is being charged during a trial at the court and requires the necessary case background for the ‘Judge’ to deliver judgment, which usually generates a “conflict of interpretations”. In this view, it is relevant to discuss the difficulties faced by social workers, in terms of understanding an increasingly complex reality, and the conflict that emerges among the interpretations of the life of people and Chilean legal system requirements. Keywords: Forensic Social Legal Expertise - Forensic Social Work – Conflict of interpretations


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