What began as university placements at AnglicareSA and a chance to develop professionally has grown into successful careers for Chanchal Yadav and Kerryn Dowell.

The pair both completed their placement within AnglicareSA’s award-winning KidsAreFirst parenting orders program and now work as Children’s Workers delivering the Banana Splitz therapeutic program for children with separated parents.

AnglicareSA offers student placements via mutual agreements with universities, registered training organisations, and other educational institutions across a range of fields, including social work, disability support, allied health, and early learning.

Chanchal said the exposure on her placement to different fields of social work within AnglicareSA’s Community Services portfolio helped her not only learn new skills, but also identify her niche as a practitioner.

“My supervisor really encouraged me to spend a day in different programs that AnglicareSA offer, see what the work is like, and experience interactions with clients in different settings,” she said.

“I would sit in one-on-one meetings with workers and also in group sessions. As a student, you don’t have experience working in a professional setting, so placement is your first exposure to that.

“Placement started my journey. Through placement, I realised I have a passion for working with children.”

 

 

Through placement, Chanchal also discovered other opportunities within AnglicareSA to further develop her social work skills and knowledge in a professional setting.

She became a volunteer for Star Bear, supporting children and families experiencing grief and loss, and a casual mentor in our Mentor Program, which matches community mentors with a young person in care to support them in developing life skills and achieving specific goals.

“I was grateful that I could still stay connected within AnglicareSA as a casual employee and volunteer,” Chanchal said.

“The flexibility was great too while I continued to study – I could be a mentor for a few hours every fortnight, and volunteer for the Star Bear camps a couple of times a year.”

Kerryn said her placement gave her a firsthand experience of the organisation’s people, culture, and purpose, encouraging her to pursue a paid position with the team when one became available.

“I really loved the placement and the work that was done in the team, so I told my coordinator that if anything came up, I’d be keen to be part of the team,” Kerryn said.

“A role opened, and I was encouraged to apply for it.

“It was easy to transition into employment because I already knew the work, the people, and the dynamic from placement.”

Chanchal said she loved her time at AnglicareSA on placement, and credited the team for growing her confidence.

“The team was amazing, and having in-house supervision helped me reflect on my growth and build confidence,” she said.

“Confidence was instilled in me, and I had a positive environment at placement. Everyone was supportive of my journey and wanted to help in any way, whether that was more exposure to a specific area of practice or reflection.”

For Kerryn, who is relatively new to the field and is still completing her social work degree, learning from her colleagues, including Chanchal, on placement and now through employment had been inspiring.

“The team has been really supportive, and I am learning from people like Chanchal with so much knowledge and experience,“ she said.

“AnglicareSA is a great organisation to get started with.”