View from students on placement at Dads Rock
We have welcomed students to engage with us again this year to enhance our work with fathers, their children and families. We were able to add an astounding three new team members with the support of the University of Edinburgh and Edinburgh Napier! We spoke with them to learn more about how they were adjusting to their new positions and their perspectives on Dads Rock.
Social Work student Eleanor joined the team in October last year, and she had a few words to share about her experience at Dads Rock “My placement at Dads Rock has allowed me an excellent opportunity to work independently on a caseload and helped develop my ability to provide 1:1 support. I have also gained an understanding of the many challenges and barriers Dads in Scotland face as parents. Overall, I have had great support and guidance from the Dads Rock team, and have expanded my knowledge of the importance of the voluntary sector in family support.”
Rebecca is another student social worker who joined the team and she said “Dads Rock has been an important learning curve for me as I have been discovering so much about working with young dads. It has been eye opening for me to see how subtly pro-mums’ society is, from pregnancy through to parenting expectations. This bias starts from social norms and extends to medical support, and I have come to realise how few structures are in place to help fathers and enable them to be the best parents they can. Crucially, men are less likely to ask for help, and I can appreciate how much Dads Rock brings to them, not just in workshops and skills, but also in social networking and meeting other men who they can relate to. Despite this being an unfamiliar target group, I have felt so welcome in the organisation and been given so many opportunities to learn in such a supportive environment. The independence of having a caseload combined with the strong staff network that is always available to talk to has made this placement a safe space to develop my skills. I have enjoyed the experience so far hugely and am looking forward to the final stretch.”
Maryam, our marketing student who joined the team in January told us “This was my first placement and first time working with Dads Rock and they have made adjusting really simple, which allowed me to grow and learn a lot of new things. Every staff member is very friendly, which helps with adjusting more easily. It's also been amazing how Dads Rock has given me many possibilities and training for the future, which will be so useful for my career.”
Service manager Thomas said: “Having students join us on placement has improved our organisation at a fundamental level. It allows us to be a closer team, brings a whole new dynamic, with differing personalities and perspectives. Students have helped us to improve how we work, and I love it when they ask, "Why do we do what we do?" and give us time to consider better and new ways of working. I was nervous about taking on our first student, as I didn't know if we had enough work we could give them, and if we would provide enough learning for them. However, every student brings something new, interesting and it's been really rewarding to be able to show students how charities work. I always encourage organisations to offer placements, there's so much to learn from others, and bringing others into your organisation enriches it!”