Professional Guidance during Placements

Before the placement begins, each student is assigned a placement mentor within the organisation (contact person, placement guide, or key worker). Students should contact their mentor if they encounter any difficulties, have questions regarding attendance, or if the placement activities differ from those agreed upon in the Learning Agreement. The mentor is responsible for introducing the student to the placement setting, explaining the placement activities, or delegating this task to another appropriate staff member. Throughout the placement, the mentor should provide professional guidance, support, and feedback. At the end of the placement, the mentor and the student jointly review the student's performance at the workplace and complete the placement evaluation form.

Supervision

Supervision is a separate course that is closely linked to the Practical Placement course. Supervision serves as a form of professional support and learning, with the aim of fostering students' personal and professional development and strengthening their capacity for self-reflection. Supervision sessions are facilitated by qualified academic staff from the Department of Social Work. The college primarily provides group supervision, most often in the form of structured discussions using methods such as role-play, psychodrama, Balint groups, work with visual aids or symbolic objects. Where necessary, students may also request individual supervision by contacting the course teacher directly. Students have the right to object to their placement in a particular supervision group if there are circumstances that would limit their ability to participate actively, share experiences, or express opinions openly. Responsibility for resolving such situations lies with the Head of the Department of Social Work, Mgr. Markéta Dubnová, PhD. Active participation in supervision sessions is required. Students are expected to bring topics for discussion, such as dilemmas related to the profession and discrepancies between expectations and realities of practice.