The University of Hong Kong

Master of Social Work

SOWK6225 Fieldwork Placement I

Overseas Placement Summary Report

Name: Lou Hoi Yan Janice

Placement Agency: Wai Yin Society (Manchester, UK)

Manchester and her Chinese community

Manchester has had rich history since the industrial revolution. One of the world’s earliest

railways, and many great people had stayed in Manchester in their lives. Now she has

become the one of the largest metropolitan hubs in the UK, which consists of a mix of ethnic

groups. Ethnic minorities in UK mainly include Indians, Pakistani, Chinese and African

(Office for National Statistics, 2013). Chinese population takes up 2.7% of the total

population in Manchester, in which most of them live at city centre area and formed a

Chinese living community. Many older Chinese people came to the UK for better living, they

worked hard in the catering business, without mastering English and having much contact

with the local people. However, their second generation raised in the UK were relatively

easier to integrate into the local community.

About Wai Yin Society

Wai Yin Society was founded by a group of Chinese women in 1988. It mainly serves

Chinese clients especially women, but it gradually expands to other ethnic minority groups in

Manchester and North-western England. Now its clients include Pakistani, Indian, African,

and Polish etc, of both sexes. Through continuous development, it now owns three bases in

Manchester, the Swan Street Headquarters, Welcome Centre and Sheung Lok Elderly Centre,

providing a wide function of services, such as advisory, educational, social and health, to

young people, families, older people and people with mental health problems.

Brief Account of Work Assignments

Orientation and rotation among different service units were offered at the beginning of

placement. This period was quite important as I can identify own area of interest for the rest

of the placement period. I participated in various services at all three bases, such as providing

general advice, job-seeking assistance to the deprived communities, as well as assisting the

operation of the centre.

Casework

Clients ranged differently in terms of ethnicity, age, and their respective needs. For clients

with tangible needs, the intervention was more straight-forward in assisting them apply for

benefits and liaise with relevant departments. Others involved clients with chronic illness or

mental health problems. For example, I worked with a young university student suffering

from mental health problems. After a sudden psychotic breakdown, I escorted him to the

hospital and be seen by the mental health team. At last he was hospitalized and discharged

after 2 weeks. I did follow-up work and continued to provide support.

Groupwork

1. Carers’ support group

Chinese community in UK was mainly bonded by family ties. Many of them came to

UK to re-unite with their family members. The group met regularly to provide useful

information and updates to carers, and to discuss various issues, such as stress. As this

was an ongoing group, I was able to involve in the first 2 sessions. Contracting,

knowing each other, and a discussion of carers’ stress and responsibility were

completed.

2. Smartphone group for elderly

This was an educational group which covered various topics. A total of 6 sessions

were conducted. The group met once every week to talk about issues faced in their

daily lives involving technology, socialize with each other and practice using their

smartphones.

Projects / Programmes

1. First Aid training for elderly

Some older people at the centre were also carers of their significant others at home.

Therefore, it was useful for them to learn some basic self-help skills in case of

emergency. I facilitated this programme together with a trainer from British Red

Cross. I was responsible for teaching and interpretation, as well as pre- and post-

programme evaluation, as more than half of the participants could only understand

simple English. A total of 17 older people participated in the programme.

2. Day trip to Bury Market

Day trips were highly favored by service users. It provided an opportunity for older

people to be away from routine life. They enjoyed shopping for fresh food and had

fish and chips in the market.

Other learning opportunities

- Reception, telephone and intake duties

- Supported centre activities

- Provided job-seeking advices to new arrivals

- Agency Visit to Caritas

- Prepared agency response to the EU referendum

Needs Assessment

Needs assessment of clients were mainly done through direct communication. I was able to

meet many different service users at the centre. Many service users were over 55 years old

and cannot communicate in English. The language barrier may lead to other problems in UK

context. For example, unable to handle daily routines, thus reliance on external assistance and

isolation (Huang & Spurgeon, 2007). A decline in physical condition in old age also

contributed to social isolation and mental health issues. Therefore, the intervention goals of

casework were mainly to coordinate resources and reduce isolation.

Wai Yin partners with local universities and organizations in developing and further

improving her services. The preliminary results of a study on Chinese immigrants by

University of Sheffield showed that elderly generally lacked knowledge in technology, and

these people were more vulnerable to isolation. We had a meeting to discuss their needs and

came up with the proposal of the group.

Application of theoretical knowledge, practice model and intervention skills

For casework involving elderly, Wai Yin adopted a person-centred approach. The aim was to

encourage clients to discharge their feelings and so as to inspire their own selves to make

changes. As a student worker, I was able to apply interviewing skills, as well as showing

empathy and encouragement etc. In assessment, systems approach and Erikson’s theory on

psychosocial stages were useful in understanding clients’ needs. In intervention, I was able to

link up local medical resources in one case.

For groupwork, learning theory was generally adopted. The design of group aimed at

introducing more opportunities to members, so that they can have more choices and

confidence on how to be in charge of their lives. Through repeated trials, they were able to

master new skills.

Professional Development

The most rewarding experience of this placement was the opportunity to understand the

welfare system of the placement country, as well as clients’ needs as an ethnic minority in a

local context. I really appreciated the opportunity to be placed in Wai Yin Society in 2016, if

not I would not be able to witness the EU referendum and many other valuable opportunities.

As future social workers, we should have awareness towards macro issues that can affect

clients in long run.

I learnt the importance of positioning myself and setting service boundaries. For example, it

was quite common that clients became more and more reliant after receiving service. After

consulting my colleagues, I understood the rationale behind saying “no” to clients, and I

would think carefully before offering anything. Also, I learnt to be sensitive to both Chinese

and Western cultures. This was important in the mental health sector as different cultures had

different interpretation to mental health issues, and misunderstandings often occurred

(Yeung, 2004).

Personal Learning and reflection

The 10-week placement was really an eye-opening experience. Without a placement partner,

I used to handle stuff and find out solutions to problems independently. I became more eager

to reach out to my colleagues instead of staying in my comfort zone. Sometimes I faced

situations that challenged my own values. This process was tough yet beneficial as it gave me

a chance to reflect on my own preference and strengthen my resilience.

Going for overseas placement can be a double-edged sword. However, the encouragement of

my fieldwork supervisor and colleagues was always useful as I understood that it was normal

to feel struggled. I really appreciated my colleagues for being genuine in advising student

workers. Through day-to-day communication and cultural exchange with them, I was able to

learn from their philosophy as experienced social workers. After all I felt really grateful to

have this experience in my social work journey.

Reference

Huang, S., & Spurgeon, A. (2007). The mental health of Chinese immigrants in Birmingham, UK. Ethnicity & Health, 11(4), 365-387. Yeung, E. Y. W. (2004). Endurance: Improving accessibility to mental health services for Chinese people. Training manual / Resources pack. Liverpool, UK.