Distance learning gets thumbs up from social work ākonga

Bachelor of Social Work ākonga (learner) Roka-Reni Osborne (Ngāruahine, Taranaki) chose to study with Open Polytechnic because it allowed her to get a qualification while staying within her own rohe (region).

Distance learning meant Roka could stay close to whānau (family) in Taranaki and continue working at her current job as a beauty therapist, while she studied to fulfil her high school dream of becoming a social worker.

“My goal is to work within Taranaki after graduation, so it has been beneficial to complete my placements here and build connections,” Roka says.

“The study outline suited me well, and I have been able to have a good balance of study, work, and whānau (family) commitments.”

Roka would have been less likely to study the Bachelor of Social Work if she had to move away to another city, as her main support network is in Taranaki. 

“This would have made study a lot more difficult, along with the added financial pressure of moving to a new place,” she said.

“It has allowed me to be actively involved in the lives of my young niece and nephew, which is the most important thing for me.”

The social work seed was planted

Roka was first introduced to social work as a career at an employment information session in Taranaki, when she was still at high school. 

But it wasn’t until the COVID-19 restrictions took place in 2020, that she reconsidered studying towards a Bachelor of Social Work, while she continued working as a beauty therapist.

“This career (social work) sounded like it would have suited me well, as it aligned with my goals and passions for working with people to advocate for them and to empower them,” Roka says.

“However, I felt that it was not the right time for me to do that straight after high school, and I went down the path of beauty therapy, which has been an awesome career, that has taught me a lot of valuable life skills.”

“During COVID I had lots of time to think about the future and remembered what I had learnt about social work, I decided I was ready to take on the challenge of studying this degree in order to open doors for me to work with whānau (family) within the health and social services fields. Along the way I have learnt a lot about myself as well, which has been an added benefit.”

The practical side of the Bachelor of Social Work

According to Roka, who is in her fourth and final year of the programme, the Bachelor of Social Work has been very practical, especially the placements, which are undertaken in the last two years of the programme.

Her first placement was with a kaupapa Māori iwi-led health organisation, while her second placement was within a hospital setting in the mental health field. 

“The relationships I have built within these organisations are beneficial for my future practice, and I am hopeful that they will lead to employment opportunities in the future,” Roka says.

“I thoroughly enjoyed both placements and they are places I would love to practice in one day.”

Placements have provided Roka with opportunities to use what she learnt from the programme, within a practice setting, while still being in a learning environment with a lot of support.

“The experience from my placements has set me up very well to prepare for a future in social work,” Roka said.

“I have been able to apply everything I have learnt and done in a real-world environment once on my placements.”

Roka has found the two marae-based workshops as part of her programme, allowed her to practice tikanga (culture) and prepare her mihi (introduction speech). 

“This has been so helpful within placements as I have used mihi to introduce myself often. Along with this it has also helped to build my confidence to do so,” she says.

The Bachelor of Social Work also contains learning material about policy and legal procedures relevant to social work, and how these systems come into play when in a working situation.

This has been beneficial for Roka when on placements where work is often underpinned by legislation.

“My last placement involved working with tangata whaiora (service users) who did not have capacity to make medical decisions for themselves, and the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act had to be applied,” Roka says.

“Since I had just learnt about this legislation during my study I was able to have an understanding of what it was and what it involved, making me feel more confident and prepared.”

“Seeing this applied practically while on placement helped to cement this learning.”

Open Polytechnic highly recommended

Roka highly recommends Open Polytechnic as an option to those looking to study online. 

“As someone who lives semi-rurally it has created an opportunity for me to undertake this study and open doors for new career paths,” Roka says.

Roka has found the Open Polytechnic resources and support “incredible”.

“Open Polytechnic has a lot of support available if you need it, and this helps aid in success for learners,” she says.

“I feel confident that I have been set up with the right foundations to help prepare me to enter the social work profession.”