The Department of Social Work, Mercy College,Palakkad, organized an insightful and enriching orientation session on Fieldwork practice in Social Work educationon 4th August 2025 at 10:30 AM. The session took place at the college'sE-Learning Lab. The primary objective of the session was to familiarizestudents with the significance, process, and professional expectations offieldwork, which is a core component of social work education.
The session was led by Ms. Shradha M, apostgraduate in Social Work from the prestigious Central University of Gujarat.Ms. Shradha brought her academic expertise and practical experience to theforefront, making the session highly interactive and informative. Herpresentation covered multiple key areas that are essential for a strongfoundation in fieldwork practice. To begin with, Ms. Shradha emphasized the importance of fieldwork in social workeducation. She highlighted that fieldwork provides students with a platform toapply theoretical knowledge in real-life settings, bridging the gap betweenclassroom learning and community-based practice. Fieldwork serves as alaboratory where students can observe, interact, and intervene within varioussocial systems, thereby developing their professional identity and competence.
She then elaborated on the core skills required for effective fieldwork practice, includingcommunication, observation, documentation, critical thinking, empathy,problem-solving, and time management. Students were encouraged to be activelearners during fieldwork and to engage with clients and communities with asense of responsibility and cultural sensitivity. Thesession also focused on the role of supervision, both at theagency and academic levels. Ms. Shradha pointed out that supervision is acrucial component in the learning process, offering students the necessarysupport, feedback, and guidance. She distinguished between agency supervision,which focuses on agency-specific tasks and responsibilities, and collegesupervision, which connects field experiences with academic learning. Studentswere advised to make the most of their supervision by being open to feedback,actively reflecting on their experiences, and maintaining professionalcommunication.
Another significant aspect discussedduring the session was the ethical considerations in field practice.Ms. Shradha underscored the importance of adhering to professional values suchas confidentiality, informed consent, respect for human dignity, andnon-judgmental attitudes. She explained how ethical dilemmas may arise in thefield and the ways to navigate them while maintaining the integrity of theprofession.
The session concluded with aquestion-and-answer segment where students clarified their doubts and sharedtheir expectations regarding fieldwork. Ms. Shradha responded to each querywith clarity and encouragement, motivating students to approach their fieldworkwith seriousness and commitment. The programcoordinated by Ms. Sreya M, Faculty, Ms. Anjaly P and Ms. Amrutha K, First yearMSW students.
