CFINE have had a wide range of student placement opportunities over the years. Including social work students within our SAFE Team and nutrition students working with our Pantries.
These placement opportunities are highly beneficial for students, CFINE and our beneficiaries. Every placement is different offering students a chance to get involved with the wide range of services CFINE provides. Supporting students to develop a unique set of skills and experiences that will help them in their future careers.
One of our most recent placement students Becca joined us for her student placement as part of her MSc Social Work degree. After a successful placement she has become a permanent part of the CFINE team working as a part time SAFE Team Advisor.
Below is a first-hand account from Becca about her student placement experience at CFINE.
Hello, I am Becca, Becky, Bex! I joined CFINE for an 85-day student placement for the first year of my degree in MSc Social Work.
About my time on placement
Time for some truths… at first, I was sceptical about my placement being in a third sector organisation that was “just a foodbank” and questioned how I would develop the skills that they taught us in the classroom, oh how wrong I was!
I managed a caseload of service users, where I carried out assessments and used skills such as active listening and intervention methods like motivational interviewing. I was able to link the psychological and sociological theories I had previously learnt to my work with service users, which helped me understand how these ideas shape my practice.
By looking more closely at the laws and policies that affect this kind of work, I gained a better understanding of how organisations deliver services in line with them, and the difficulties they face because of certain restrictions. I also quickly came to see how important the third sector is – especially in how quickly it can respond and how it often goes above and beyond where statutory services cannot.
I’m very grateful for everything I’ve learnt during my time with the SAFE Team, and I know this knowledge will stay with me throughout my social work career.
Tips for future students?
Know how to make a good cuppa, dive into the debates, jump at the opportunities and have fun! What you put into this experience is what you will get out of it!
After my 85-day placement with the SAFE team, I was asked to stay on as a part time SAFE Team Advisor. I really enjoyed my placement, it was such a valuable learning experience, and I was over the moon to be able to stay on and join the team afterwards.
Being part of the SAFE Team means I get to support people with all kinds of needs, whether that’s helping with benefit applications or building budgeting skills, and no two days are ever the same. I feel so lucky to work with such a brilliant team, and every day I’m learning something new that will help me on my journey toward a career in Social Work.
