Posted: December 3rd, 2022

MSWPG7208 Field Education 2
Assignment 1 Structural Analysis

Field Placement Presentation Report: Churchill Primary School

MSWPG7208 Field Education 2
Assignment 1 Structural Analysis
Using a structural analysis of a relevant social issue addressed by this organisation, identify a potential framework for action and critically evaluate the current model of practice in your agency with respect to your role as a professional social worker (added) .

Word limit 2500 Weighting 40%

Marking guide
1. Identifies and describes the social issue in the agency
a. Links individual issues for service users to the broader social and structural issues
b. Description of the structural and social issues is referenced with research and relevant reports.
5
2. Structural analysis of the social issue
a. Draws upon literature, research, Assessments and government policy 10
3. Identifies and describes a framework for action
a. Logically connected to the structural analysis
a. Linked to relevant social work literature 10

4. Critically evaluates the current model of practice within the agency
b. Addresses potential changes to practice for development of agency services
c. Addresses potential changes needed in social policy and/or funding for the agency to implement this action
d. Critically reflects on upon your professional role as a social worker and the relationship of macro and micro practice
10
5. Academic/professional writing
a. Demonstrates critical analysis
b. Accesses and references relevant research and policy to specific area of practice, as well as generic social work literature
c. Academic style
d. Structure of essay (introduction, body with headings as needed, conclusion, referencing APA)
e. Correct formatting 5

MSWPG7208 Field Education 2
Assignment 2 Theory Practice Integration

Report (2,000 words) Weighting 35%

Marking guide – Report
1. Identifies and describes the specific practice tasks and agency context 5
2. Identifies relevant theory and research and it application
a. Draws upon the literature, research, Assessments and government policy
b. Outlines generic social work theory and also theory and research specific to the field of practice/agency context
c. Demonstrates application to the placement tasks 10
3. Demonstrate analysis of placement task in relation to theory
a. Critically evaluates strengths and limitations
b. Considers effectiveness of alternative approaches at both micro and macro levels
10
4. Critically reflects on their role as a professional social worker in the placement task
a. Identifies key social work roles performed
b. Evaluates current roles and considers possible alternative roles 5
5. Academic/professional writing (report)
a. Demonstrates critical analysis
b. Accesses and references relevant research and policy to specific area of practice
c. Academic style
d. Structure of essay (introduction, body with headings as needed, conclusion, referencing)
e. Correct formatting 5

Field Placement Presentation Report: Churchill Primary School
Introduction
A student’s wellbeing is the sustainable state of mind, attitude, resilience, positive mood and satisfaction with self, and experience quality relationship in learning institutions. Education Department of Australia emphasizes that a student’s wellbeing is a major determinant of a student’s performance in a learning institution. The department emphasizes the need for a school wellbeing team to help students realize their academic goals (CPS, 2020). A student wellbeing team has a responsibility to ensure the wellbeing of all the students, both individuals and groups, irrespective of the challenges that may undermine the achievement of the goals. The goal of the team is to address some of the challenges that students face in the learning institution to promote the positive functioning of students at school.
The Department of Education in Australia categorizes the education framework into five major segments including leadership, inclusion, student voice, partnership, and support.

Leadership is an important component of the education framework that involves the implementation of evident management and control to develop a conducive learning environment. The framework insists that the management in a learning institution should establish a positive environment, promote the safety and wellbeing of students (Kay, 2020). The component involves developing policies and continuous review of the measures to promote quality learning.
Inclusion involves involving all participants in the learning environment to promote a quality learning environment. Some of the crucial stakeholders in the learning environment include students, educators, and leaders (Kay, 2020). The inclusion of the participants will create a friendly and respectful environment. The stakeholders should uphold values and quality relationships among the staff, students, and teachers to help promote a culturally safe environment.
Student voice – student’s voice is an important component that involves the social participation of the students. It helps assure the students that the learning involvement accommodates their emotions, feelings, and experiences (Kay, 2020). Student’s voices should be involved in the decision-making process to support the wellbeing of all learners. Student’s voices create a strength-based approach to create and sustain a safe learning environment.
Partnership – Partnership is an important aspect that plays a crucial role in creating a healthy and safe environment for all learners. Some of the partners in the education sector include carers, community, organizations, peers, and organizations that support the learning environment (Kay, 2020).
Support – Support is an important element that involves the engagement of educators, family, carers, and workers. The support is crucial in creating a positive learning environment. Support is crucial in making advancements with support from the community (Kay, 2020).
Berry Street Educational Model has a crucial role in promoting evidence-approach to trauma issues in the learning environment. It helped me to incorporate an evidence-based approach to trauma (Miller & Berger, 2020). The domains of the education framework is crucial in determining the learning capacity of the students, identify the weak students, and support the pears with diverse need. Some of the important domains include character, engagement, stamina, body, and relationship (Miller & Berger, 2020). The body involves the capacity of a learner in their ability to focus and respond to stress. The relationship involves using relational classroom management to encouraging students. The stamina of a learner involves the capacity to withstand mental and physical stress. Engagement helps students to identify the activities that help students to acquire information (Miller & Berger, 2020). Character is crucial in developing and acquiring values and self-confidence.
Case Study
In the case study of student X aged 7, his maternal grandparents live locally doing share farming. The mother died of cancer when he was 5 years old. The relatives include an aunt who lives in the Peninsula. The grandmother and aunt decided to take care of X after the mother died. There is little information about the father since he left when the son was young. X has signs of trauma such as hitting himself and has the poor capability to manage stress. He is performing poorly academically. The family plans to engage a psychologist to address the trauma the son is experiencing. The psychologist reports that X confesses his cousin was harassing her sexually. One of the interventions is taking X to Churchill Primary School. Another intervention was to attach the grandson to a community hub. The school wellbeing team is coordinating to support the wellbeing of X.
Students who experience abuse and violence at an early age experience mental problems. According to psychodynamic theory, childhood experiences trigger negative behaviors such as creating chaos in learning institutions. Other problems include poor performance and trust issues with their carers and teachers. Mental problems lead to poor concentration in class and poor cooperation with the other students. Other students can express aggression against their peers or teachers. The case study of X shows he is expressing aggression as a result of trauma and suffering from the effects of sexual harassment. I used socio-ecological theory strategies to develop trust with X including a reward policy, engaging the student with sporting activities, music sessions, and appreciating them for their work. The strategies are crucial in developing trust with X and enhancing relationships. Trust is a major factor for the case study since he has been left by the father, suffering the loss of the mother, and harassment from the cousin. Trust is thus a major consideration in the case study.
Family violence and abuse affect the social interaction and academic performance of students. The effects result in poor relationships with peers, guardians, and staff, poor cognitive abilities, low concentration, sleep disturbance, and learning difficulties (Guntrip, 2018). For example, in the case study of X, he finds it difficult to relate with others due to the harassment and loss of his parents. Psychodynamic theory find that children suffering from traumatic experiences, neglect, and abuse have a significant cognitive delay that can undermine their academic performance and abilities to relate with others (Guntrip, 2018). I used psychodynamic theory to understand the effect of background experience on current situation of the client.
Children require a friendly environment at an early age of development. The developmental stage should be free from stress and trauma since they can affect a child causing cognitive delays (Guntrip, 2018). The conditions create fear and hypersensitivity that lead to delays in cognitive abilities and concentration. Stress can lead to sleeping problems due to mental instability. For example, I used the ecological theory to understand that the sexual harassment and loss of the parents could create fear in the child thus leading to poor concentration as a result of wandering thoughts. Children who are exposed to abuse and neglect can experience nightmares (Fonagy, 2018). For example, X may always be thinking about the abuse from the cousin, the neglect from the father, and the loss of the mother. He may conclude that he is not loved and no one cares for him. The effects could lead to poor academic performance as noted in the case study which shows his performance is below the expected level.
Intervention Strategies
The case study requires intervention strategies that can significantly improve the behavior of X. The interventions require application of theories such as attachment theory, ecological theory, psychodynamic, and socio-ecological theory. It is an essential approach to address the developmental issues as a result of the abuse and neglect from the parents and cousin. Some of the interventions include the development of a focus plan and the strategy to understand the needs of the student (Fonagy, 2018). The time in strategy is effective in ensuring other students can participate in other activities with other students and encourage the participation of students and educators. Other strategies include group work which helps a student to interact with others while accomplishing tasks. A reward system is crucial in boosting the confidence and motivation of the learner (Fonagy, 2018). For example, a reward policy is crucial in helping the student to improve their participation in activities and thus boost academic performance. The praise strategy is crucial in helping the student repeat positive behavior and minimizing negative behavior (Fonagy, 2018). Playing football is another lively and engaging activity that helps students to participate in diverse activities. Playing football calls for teamwork among the learners. Music is another strategy that helps them to express their emotions, reflect, and boost their confidence when they sing as individuals or in groups. The diverse strategies are crucial to help a learner to connect with the surrounding and appreciate their environment. Participation in the activities will include teaching the student the risks of harming themselves or others (Leonard, 2011). For example, X cannot manage his stress and thus tends to hit himself. Hitting himself will lead to injuries that can undermine their health. The approach is crucial in helping the learner to adopt other methods of handling their stress. It helps the learners to apologize to others when they wrong others.
Factors Influencing Trauma
Psychodynamic theory was effective in showing that a combination of risks can increase the likelihood of negative outcomes in client X. Other factors that can lead to the negative effects include childhood experiences such as child abuse, physical abuse, and physical abuse. Trauma is prevalent among children from low-income families (Leonard, 2011). Poverty can lead to a lack of essential needs such as food and clothing, which can increase the risk of stress. Some of the risks include poor living standards, attachments, poor parenting styles, and education limitation can expose children to mental problems. Studies indicate that few children can flourish and overcome traumatic experiences and live to fulfill their personal and academic goals (Fleury & Lee, 2006). The majority of the students achieve below-average results which demonstrate the role of using various frameworks to Help the children to overcome the difficulties. Other studies indicate that children need resilience to overcome the challenges that may hinder their performance (Fleury & Lee, 2006). I used the socio-ecological theory to boost trust and care to help the student achieve their goals. I understood that school and family environment has important impacts that can safeguard children from the challenges that can trigger long-term effects of traumatic experience.
The brain comprises three essential parts including the cortex, limbic, and stem. The role of the stem is to regulate the flow of information from the brain to the other parts of the body (Thomason & Marusak, 2017). The stem Helps the body in making voluntary motor functions, sensory analysis, regulate blood pressure, manage flight response, eye movement, hearing, and heart rate. The Limbic system comprises the hippocampus and amygdala. The parts are related to the brain for developing and managing emotions and memory (Thomason & Marusak, 2017). The limbic system is crucial in examining sensory ideas and memory. It helps in managing and emotional experiences and helps people to respond effectively to diverse situations. The cortex has an important role in executing the cognitive and emotional functions. The cerebral cortex is crucial in creating and enhancing memory, sensation, and voluntary actions (Thomason & Marusak, 2017). It is the command center of the brain.
The three important parts of the brain are important in explaining the effect of trauma on children. During brain development that starts before birth, children only develop a quarter of the brain (Thomason & Marusak, 2017). The brain is 80 percent developed by age three and 90 percent by the fifth birthday. The engagement of a child is crucial since it influences the development of the brain. Audiovisual development is crucial in achieving developmental milestones (Thomason & Marusak, 2017). While children start to learn about the environment before birth, they need to experience a positive and supporting environment. A negative environment would affect the development and response to various emotional and psychological issues.
I used the knowledge to address the effects of the condition on the student. Trauma is a significant alarm system that shows the presence of undesirable experiences that affect the brain’s processes and development. The activation of the alarm system is called trauma (Bowlby, 2005). The chemical components in the brain initiate responsive mechanisms that affect the normal functioning of the brain’s neurotransmitters, adrenalin, and the hormone cortisol. The effects trigger the activation of the amygdala while the hippocampus is activated to calm the abnormal functioning of the brain (Bowlby, 2005). The function affects the ability of the limbic system to control emotions. The poor functioning and inability to calm the situation affects the thought process and ability to express or control emotions. Studies show that mindfulness and breathing are some of the strategies that people affected with trauma can use to control the condition (Noble et al., 2008). The client in the case study shows the impact of a negative environment in the development of the brain and the ability to respond to emotional or social experiences. Client X can use diverse strategies such as mindfulness, yoga, and breathing to take control of the brain’s functioning and bring it back to normal.
Theories
The scenario in the case study can be explained using diverse theories such as attachment theory, ecological theory, psychodynamic, and socio-ecological theory. I used ecological theory to evaluate the client’s relationship with the community and the environment (Brunzell et al., 2015). The theory argues that people experience different environments that influence their behavior in varying degrees. The theory is thus important in explaining the relationship between X’s environment and his current traumatic experience.
Attachment theory explains the relationship between humans. It explains the psychological bond among individuals and how the relationship affects behavior towards other people (Brunzell et al., 2015). Disruption in forming a healthy bond among individuals especially during the developmental stage can lead to traumatic experiences. In the case of X, he was neglected by the father, lost his mother, and harassed by the cousin. The formation of weak relationship bonds affects the ability to create social connections with other people in the future.
Psychodynamic theory shows that childhood experiences form the basis for adult personality and relationships. I used the psychodynamic theory to help the student to identify unhealthy patterns in their behavior (Choudhury et al., 2020). The psychodynamic theory shows that significant life events can affect the ability of a person to relate with others in the future. For example, a person may express wishes or fears they are not fully aware of. The theory is essential in gaining insight into the current self.
I used the socio-ecological theory to explain the relationship between social and ecological issues. I understood that the varying behavioral experiences of X can express diverse emotions (Choudhury et al., 2020). The theory comprises the micro which includes family, school, and peers. The mesosystem refers to the interactions between microsystems. I used the theory to communicate with the various stakeholders in the life of the client. For example, communicating with the student and engaging them in physical activities such as playing during break time. The macrosystem involves an overarching culture that affects the development of a child (Choudhury et al., 2020). The theories are important in reaching diverse goals that can help X to recover from the negative effects of the environment. The theories can be effective in understanding the relationship between the background of X and the current state of mind. For example, he demonstrates that some of the negative effects of the background are lack of social connection with other people. If the student has a source of confidence, he can relate effectively with other people. However, a lack of trust due to the poor mental development in an unsafe environment puts X at risk of healthy relationships with other people.

References
Bowlby, J. (2005). A secure base: Clinical applications of attachment theory (Vol. 393). Taylor & Francis.
Brunzell, T., Norrish, J., Ralston, S., Abbott, L., Witter, M., Joyce, T., & Larkin, J. (2015b). Berry Street Model: Curriculum and Classroom Strategies. Melbourne: Berry Street Victoria.
Fleury, J., & Lee, S. M. (2006). The social ecological model and physical activity in African American women. American journal of community psychology, 37(1-2), 129.
Fonagy, P. (2018). Attachment theory and psychoanalysis. Routledge.
Guntrip, H. Y. (2018). Personality structure and human interaction: The developing synthesis of psychodynamic theory. Routledge.
Leonard, J. (2011). Using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory to understand community partnerships: A historical case study of one urban high school. Urban Education, 46(5), 987-1010.
Noble, T., Wyatt, T., McGrath, H., Roffey, S., & Rowling, L. (2008). Scoping study into approaches to student wellbeing.
Petersen, L. (1995). Stop think do. In Behavioral approaches for children and adolescents (pp. 103-111). Springer, Boston, MA.
Hofman, M., Andruszkow, H., Kobbe, P., Poeze, M., & Hildebrand, F. (2020). Incidence of post-traumatic pneumonia in poly-traumatized patients: identifying the role of traumatic brain injury and chest trauma. European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery, 46(1), 11-19.

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