“I believe social work is not about working for people, but working with them by honouring their strengths and fostering collaboration.”
1. Could you tell us a little about yourself and what inspired you to study social work at IHM Australia?
I am Shinedeep Kaur, currently in my third year of Bachelor of Social Work. When I first came to Australia, I started my Bachelor of Social Work at the University of Newcastle in New South Wales. After completing my first year, I relocated to Melbourne and continued my second year at IHM. Initially, social work was not my first choice, as it was suggested to me by my uncle who did a Diploma in Community Services.
However, as I progressed through the course, I developed a strong interest in this field. Studying social work deepened my understanding of various issues which are faced by a number of communities around the globe. I became aware of how social work directly addresses the issues which I have always been passionate about, such as violence against women and social inequality in my home country.
2. How has your learning journey shaped yourunderstanding of the role of social workers insupporting communities?
My studies and experiences at IHM have broadened myunderstanding of social work as a person-centred as well ascommunity-centred profession. Social workers not only support individuals who are in crisis, but they also work in advocacy, policy changing and community development to address the factors which are causing these disadvantages. A unit I completed in my previous semester about community development emphasised the importance of empowerment, collaboration and community participation as a key principle when working within communities. This unit also taught me the importance of resources which are already present in the community such as local knowledge. Throughout my studies, I have learnt that listening to the lived experiences of communities are essential to design culturally responsive interventions.
3. Have you had any experiences that made you think deeply about resilience and adaptation in vulnerable groups?
Yes. As I am on placement right now, I got an opportunity to talk to some of the international students about their experiences. They talked about different challenges which they are facing such as homesickness and financial stress. They further talked about how building informal support networks and making peer connections has helped them to adapt to these challenges. This made me realise that resilience is not just an individual quality but something that develops over time through supportive environments. In addition to this, my understanding was further strengthened by my coursework which highlighted the importance of community participation and collective action to adapt to the change more effectively.
4. What does “community resilience” mean, and why is it important today?
For me, community resilience is the collective ability of a community to use available resources to prepare for, respond to, withstand and recover from a crisis such as a natural disaster. It involves mutual participation and long-term planning. Community resilience is crucial in today’s world of climate change and increasing social issues. I read a case study about Mallacoota bushfires of 2019-2020 in my previous semester. It clearly showed the importance of community resilience. After the bushfires, local people came together to organise supplies, provide mutual aid, support each other’s emotional well- being and proposed a community-led recovery framework. This example illustrates that resilience is not just about surviving disasters but building capacity to adapt, recover and thrive.
5. Example from your studies where social work principles were applied to community adaptation
In my coursework, the case of Mallacoota after the bushfires offered a clear example of the application of social work principles to help communities adapt and recover after a disaster. The recovery framework involved the use of local resources such as local knowledge and values, and community engagement. People from the community came forward, listed all the things they need and prioritised them. They made sure that all the resources are distributed equally and promote inclusive decision making. An example of Mallacoota community-led recovery demonstrates how social work values including empowerment, participation and social justice can facilitate community-led adaptation and long-term recovery.
6. Challenges young social workers may face and your approach
Young social workers may face many challenges when working with communities. Communities which have gone through traumatic experiences, building trust with them can be one of the challenges.
For young social workers, earning trust requires patience, activelistening and acknowledging the thoughts and feelings of others.Another challenge is limited resources. Rural communities oftenhave limited resources in terms of services available in the area.Young social workers must learn to be resourceful by networkingacross agencies and using technology creatively. Moreover, theymust learn to use the resources such as local knowledge which isalready present in the community. Finally, there are high chances of aperson getting vicarious trauma by witnessing an incident or hearingabout an incident. I would approach this challenge by practicing self-care, seeking supervision and being able to reflect on my practice toprevent burnout and ensuring compassionate service delivery.
7. Role of students and emerging professionals in building adaptive capacity
Students and emerging professionals bring a new tool, energy and new ideas. Sometimes they also bring new perspective to old problems. For instance, many of us are comfortable using digital technology, which can help communities to access services online and stay connected during a crisis. We are also curious to know why certain things are the way they are. We are not afraid to ask questions about a certain approach and whether there is a better approach. The role of students and emerging professionals are not to replace experience but to add to it. The wisdom of experienced professionals can be combined with the innovative and creative ideas of emerging professionals to create adaptive strategies.
8. Message to peers on resilience and sustainability
My message would be that when working with communities, never assume that you have more knowledge and experience than them. Always talk to people and ask them what they need and never assume their needs. As a social worker, you should always encourage local participation and involve local people in decision- making process. As future social workers, we cannot only focus on short-term interventions, we must think about how our work impacts communities in long-term. In a world facing climate change, global health crises, and social instability, our profession has a critical role to play in shaping a more equitable, adaptable future.