Abstract: Submission #140

Abstract Practicum placements offer learning opportunities to apply knowledge and skills in real-life situations with diverse and vulnerable populations. Effective supervision of internships becomes uniquely demanding when guiding students through field placements characterised by a confluence of challenges such as unethical behaviours, incompetence, or vulnerability, e.g., suicidality. Field instructors must balance adequate support and maintaining professional boundaries to ensure optimal learning, skill development, and ethical practice. Existing literature reviewed to explore the potential strategies for addressing this interplay recommends a supportive and empathetic education and supervisory environment, promoting ethical practice and providing effective self-care strategies. These strategies have not delivered the desired results. The presentation will showcase selected case studies of the experiences of field instructors and lecturers confronted with these challenges. The aim is to start conversations with colleagues on how they address or mitigate the issues. The outcome will aim to inform social work education to build the capacity of the undergraduate social work student to become a professional, ethical, and competent practitioner able to render effective and efficient interventions to service users.