Innovation in Fieldwork Education: Working with Members of the Homeless Population in Glasgow

Abstract

Occupational therapists are increasingly likely to come into contact with clients who have special needs associated with homelessness through acute or community care services. Given the degree of role loss often linked with homelessness, it could also be argued that occupational therapy has a part to play in the development and maintenance of the functional status of the members of this population. Statutory or voluntary sector day shelters might offer a new point of contact for service delivery with homeless people, representing nontraditional sites for occupational therapy services.

The models of fieldwork supervision adopted by the College of Occupational Therapists could allow students to experience new forms of service delivery as undergraduates in novel practice settings. This opportunity could serve an adaptive function as health and social care services meet the demands of the changing political and social environment. This paper describes the perceptions of a student who undertook an elective placement in a day centre for homeless men in Glasgow.

Conclusion

In terms of educational development, this model of placement has since been incorporated into the curriculum at Glasgow Caledonian University. On revalidation of the BSc(Hons)OT degree in 1995, there was a decrease in the number of fieldwork hours in the curriculum structure, from 1200 to 1080 hours, and the elective placement was removed. The programme philosophy, however, embraced the learning opportunities provided by placements, such as the one described in this paper. As such, all second-year students have since been required to undertake a placement in the non-statutory, social care sector. In particular, these placements are seen to offer students a chance to develop a deeper understanding of social care needs and issues, and a chance to explore the occupational therapy process in nontraditional settings and thus to think more widely. In addition, they offer an opportunity for students to take much more responsibility for their learning, within a model of supervision where they get professional input, direction and support while developing their own sense of professional identity and autonomy.