Professional Challenging - all about approach

This topic was suggested by someone as something that can often be a challenge for students. How do you challenge something you have seen or experienced that doesn't feel right? In this episode I spoke to two current students about their thoughts, include some views from a vox pop of other students and talk about how you can manage this in real life.

Hopefully you will find this helpful. Please don't forget to reach out if you have a topic that you think I should cover and if you want to take part. This podcast is created for you, so it is only right you should be part of it!

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:02

Hi again, and welcome back to Surviving Social Work Training. I know loads of you were hoping to hear from our guests today, but don't worry, they'll be popping up next month, so make sure you tune in for that. Today we're talking about a topic someone emailed in and please keep sending your ideas as you're in charge of what I cover, really. Um we're going to tackle something loads of students deal with but hardly anyone talks about. How do you professionally challenge something you experience in your team? Especially when you're still figuring things out for yourself and learning the ropes. To kick things off, I caught up with two apprentice students, both at completely different stages in training, placed in different teams and working with different client groups. I wanted to know what they thought about professional challenging and how it makes them feel. Here's what they shared. So in today's podcast, I would like to introduce a couple of students who've agreed to talk to me about what they think when they hear professional challenge. So first of all, I'd like to introduce Hannah. Hanna?

SPEAKER_02 1:08

Um hi, I am Hannah. So I am in my final year of my social work training, and I'm currently on my level two final placement in a post-adoption and kinship team.

SPEAKER_01 1:22

Thank you, Hannah. And Lauren.

SPEAKER_00 1:25

Hi, I'm Lauren. I'm I'm on my level one placement, so I'm in my first year of my masters of social work, and I am in a hospital discharge team.

SPEAKER_01 1:36

Thank you. So if we look at professionally challenging, it's something that comes up quite a lot when you're training about professional challenging, but there doesn't seem to be an awful lot of support, or I don't remember when I was doing my training that there was an awful lot of support from you know the knowledge or the lectures or anything like that about actually what do you do when you're in that position. So if I was to say to you, you're you're in a situation and you're thinking, Oh, I need to professionally challenge, what does that look like to you? And can I start with Hannah?

SPEAKER_02 2:13

Um, I guess it would kind of look like if you're in a situation potentially, I guess I'm thinking more like meetings or conferences and things, and there's a situation where maybe you don't agree with something, or you think something hasn't potentially been explained as kind of in the way that you understand it, or equally, if kind of you're working, you know, there might be a situation where you're working with varying members of a family or a support network, and if you're there particularly advocating for one of them, um kind of making sure that their viewpoints are gotten across as well. Um, and yeah, kind of making sure from my point of view, in that you don't just if there's something that you either don't agree with or you think has been missed out or misinterpreted, that you kind of jump in and explain from your point of view if that makes sense. Um, or like, yeah, if you think somebody has misinterpreted something that you kind of have your turn and say, Oh, well, that's actually not how I understand that, or yeah, if that makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 3:27

No, that makes sense. Lauren?

SPEAKER_00 3:30

Yeah, I um I agree with with what Hannah has said there in terms of jumping in when you feel that something is uh has been misinterpreted or or isn't quite right. And I think it can be difficult as a student to feel confident enough to do that when you're in a room of people who um appear to have more um what's the word I'm looking for? They appear to have more experience, they've been doing their job for longer, for example. Um but I think when you I think there are ways to do that in a in a polite kind of respectful way where it is more of a question of oh, would you mind explaining that just a little bit more because that's not how I've understood it. Or um depending on who is in the room as well, there are times if if family are in the room or um a service user is there, actually, it might not be the most appropriate time to also professionally challenge if somebody is um going into more detail. Sometimes you'll just say, Oh, maybe we can talk about that afterwards in a bit more detail um between the two of us and and just kind of I suppose hash it out a little bit more. Um it's not always the right time, is it, to go fully into that um professional challenge. It doesn't always have to look like having a big uh discussion about it, it can just be actually stopping a line of of questioning or a line of um conversation, I think anyway, not always, I think you get a good feel of it in in the moment as well about what's what's appropriate, but it can be scary.

SPEAKER_01 5:20

That's really good. So coming back to you, Hannah. Um I think when it comes to professional challenging, I would say that it can often come from a place of emotion, particularly if you're in a situation where somebody might be misinterpreting what you're saying or making you feel less than because you're a student, or can be basically you know, using their power or the power that they have in that situation, using that experience to belittle your input, and that can feel really quite difficult. If you were in that kind of situation, how would you feel and how would you approach challenging? Because obviously, like Lauren has said, you know, sometimes it may not be appropriate to challenge there and then, or it may be that actually you've seen something in practice outside of a team meeting, you've been out with uh a social worker, or you've been out with someone who you thought, hang on, that I I don't feel comfortable about that. That feels really uncomfortable to me. Um, how would you then how would that make you feel to have to have that kind of conversation when it's more of that situation where it's one-on-one and outside of a team or a uh meeting situation? And I'll come to you, Hannah.

SPEAKER_02 6:41

Yeah, I do think I agree with completely what Lauren has said. I think it can be really tricky and quite scary to do. I think sometimes that comes more from a place of as a student, sometimes you can feel like you there can't, you know, you can't possibly know as much as kind of anybody else in that situation, or um, that you know, everybody else has definitely got way more experience. So it can sometimes feel like, oh, am I definitely right in this? Like sometimes you can question yourself. Um, but I think you know, I've been very fortunate that the teams I've worked in, I've had a very kind of supportive, like managers, practice educators who have all been really good at kind of you know, when we've had those times to speak about it afterwards, and they've been like, Oh, no, there's no reason you don't know as much, you know, you might not have had as much experience actually when it comes to this particular service user, like you have been the while working with them, or if it's a certain professional network, like you know, you do know kind of everybody's opinions. So I think in that situation, I've been very fortunate that I've always been quite supported around kind of my thoughts of kind of questioning my own decisions or opinions that actually maybe I shouldn't challenge that because if all these qualified people or if a certain qualified person thinks something different, then that must mean I'm wrong because I'm not qualified yet. But I have, yeah, I have always been well supported in that. But I think sometimes it can if you're doing it one-on-one, I think it can very much depend on the relationship you have with that person, to how kind of you feel about that. You know, I've worked with some people that despite the fact, you know, I've known that actually I need to bring something up with them and I need to have a chat with them about something that was said or something that potentially we don't agree on. I think if you've managed to build that relationship with them, actually it's not quite as scary to do because you kind of got that working relationship and potentially you know you'll be able to work through it. Whereas when for whatever reason I haven't been able to build that relationship with somebody, um, you know, there can be many reasons why. I think that's what I personally find more difficult because I'm kind of not as sure of how like kind of what their reaction is going to be. And then I personally find that's when the kind of uh well, you're just a student kind of comes out. I think that that's normally from people, you know, they're getting upset in a situation, and actually you know, it's something to come back with, isn't it? But it's remembering that just because you're a student doesn't necessarily mean you don't know kind of that specific situation.

SPEAKER_01 9:20

So, Lauren, in in terms of the same question to you, really, in sort of in terms of if you were out with someone and it's kind of more one-on-one and it's outside of that team or meeting dynamic, how different does that feel when you have those moments where you might feel less than comfortable around what you're seeing or what you're experiencing?

SPEAKER_00 9:44

Yeah, I think um it can be trickier, as Hannah was saying, it does depend on the relationship that you have with someone. Um, something that I have personally been working on a little bit more as somebody with a brain that works really, really quickly, and I need to make sure that that is in place, uh, engaged before perhaps I sometimes open my mouth. I think that I've taken started to take the time to kind of sit quietly with myself and just sort of reflect on that before maybe going and having a conversation with somebody in the moment to, I suppose, look at something a bit more objectively rather than if it's something that's sort of got maybe uh I've had an emotional response to it. I I try to sit and think, am I responding emotionally myself, or am I, is it actually something that that I need to I need to speak to to the individual about? Um and so I kind of yeah sit and think of all the different reasons, I suppose, why somebody may have responded like that or um their practice may be like that. And then as Hannah said, I've been quite lucky with um sort of the the team that I work in where I can bounce off some of those ideas and sort of be challenged in my own thinking as well. Um but yeah, it is it is difficult. But I am for me, if it is somebody or it is something that I really don't think can not not be challenged, um I will try and dig deep and and get that that confidence because yes, we are students and we're always learning and we've got to be open to um to feedback and things, but we are also people who have got our own experiences, whether that is professional experience from um working with families or or children or adults, or um from personal experience as well, like we do know things um as do our more experienced colleagues as well. And sometimes um I think I've been surprised by how open people are to a new person coming in and having some of those fresh ideas as well, and going, oh, I haven't I hadn't thought about it from that perspective, and just add in a little bit of um a little a different um viewpoint to something because we've we've all come from different areas. But it is, I would say that if you if it is something that really sits with you and and you can't it you can't get it out, like as in you know, you're you're thinking about it sort of an hour, two hours, three hours later, I think it's worth talking to somebody that you trust, like a practice educator or on-site supervisor, just to see if there's um if you're seeing it from a perspective that maybe needs to be challenged, or actually they may go, no, like let's think about how we could approach this, um how we could approach this with that individual. But it unless it's something it I think very significant, it I don't necessarily always think it needs to be right in that moment because sometimes that can the emotion of that moment um means that perhaps your thoughts aren't always in in a line or in a you haven't got your ducks in a row with that, and and you might not get your point across how you would like to.

SPEAKER_01 13:17

I think that's a you've brought it around really, really nicely actually, Lauren, because the next question I was going to say was around how that would feel if your issue is with your practice educator or your on-site supervisor. Obviously, we understand there's a huge power imbalance there when you're a student, and I've been there myself, you know, that you've got this on-site supervisor, you've got this practice educator effectively who's going to be determining whether you pass or fail your placement, essentially. And that's a you know, that can bring about a lot of fear for people that if they've seen something in practice with their on-site supervisor or their practice educator, how do you go about that kind of professional challenge? Because that that in itself can be very, very difficult and very, very emotional. So, Hannah, how do you feel about that?

SPEAKER_02 14:08

Yeah, I think that would be really tricky. I mean, I think I'm quite fortunate that I've not personally been in that situation. I've, you know, I've on my second placement now, but during my first placement, I did go out with my on-site supervisor and never came kind of across the situation where I thought, oh, I don't necessarily agree with that, and vice versa. You know, I was never in a situation where I was, you know, we might have kind of reflected on things of like, oh, next time you do this, you could do that, you could do it a different way, or you could include this, but I was never kind of challenged by them as such, or felt the need to do that the other way. So I think I was quite fortunate in that. But I do think that would be really tricky because obviously, as you said, there is that um thing of this is particularly with a practice educator of like this is the person that's kind of going to decide whether I pass or fail. But I think in a way, it's looking at it, you know, at the end of the day, while they are the ones doing that, they are, as with kind of everybody else on your team, colleagues who are practicing. And, you know, if you would, you know, if you are out with another person in your team and you I think you kind of just have to think of it in a similar way, that although it is more tricky because they have got that kind of decision about whether you pass or failed, you kind of challenging somebody or something isn't going to automatically mean you fail. It's not a you know, it's not a bad thing to challenge somebody if you can kind of go about it in the right way. And actually it might be kind of something that then after it's happened, you with your practice educator onsite supervisor can actually do a reflective piece on that as to why you know they might not have agreed with what you've said or your opinion on it, but actually that's kind of an opportunity to have a discussion about that, about why your opinions are so different, or if they didn't feel you kind of went about it in the right way, what you can learn from that. And I feel probably that has more weight in terms of your placement than the actual situation itself, kind of what comes after that. But it definitely is more difficult. I do find, you know, just from kind of the offset, there's that different kind of relationship with everybody else on your team, and then you're perhaps educator or on-site supervisor because it is a bit like every time I'm with them, like are they kind of assessing what I'm doing, which is kind of the point, so they kind of are. Whereas if you're out with somebody else, there isn't necessarily that weight of it. But I do think it's important in a way to treat it like that because everybody is practicing, everybody's doing a similar kind of job that you can you can learn from everybody. Um, so yeah, I think it's kind of more how you go about it necessarily than actually that not challenging somebody because you think it means you're going to fail your placement, kind of how you deal with that situation during and after.

SPEAKER_01 16:56

No, that's that's really good. And and actually you've kind of preempted what I'm going to be speaking about later in the podcast, Hannah. So thank you for that. So, so Lauren, in terms of yourself, if you were in a position where you actually were feeling quite uncomfortable with something that had happened and you felt that you were going to be in a position that you needed to, or you were feeling that there was a professional challenge sort of brewing around your on-site supervisor or your practice educator, how would that make you feel?

SPEAKER_00 17:29

Um, yeah, it is it it obviously can be tricky like it is with anybody. Um, as Hannah said, I've been very I've also been very fortunate with my with my practice educator, who um is a very reflective person and kind of open to those sort of discussions. Um but I think what's important to remember is that I suppose professional challenge isn't getting somebody into trouble. Like that's not what it is. It's about having that conversation and and that reflection of just, oh, okay, I don't, I don't think that, you think that, why do you think that? Um and and as Hannah was saying, that it does provide that reflective thing. I think sometimes there is maybe a bit of a concern that professional challenges, well, I'm going to tell on someone and get them into trouble, but that isn't what it is. It's about having a really open conversation with uh with colleagues and other professionals just to make sure that you know we haven't left a stone unturned, we haven't missed something, um, and we're not um and we're not missing it because we're avoiding a difficult conversation. I think um I think good practice educators, and I think um many that that uh my other colleagues and things have as well, would be would be open to those kind of discussions and actually would that's why they're practice educators, right? And on-site supervisors, because they they want to try and help um the next the next cohort of social workers and I think that um hopefully they would be, even though the the power dynamic is different, if you go about it the right way, which you should anyway with professional challenge, if you go about it the right way, if you are professional and how you're talking and and you are you've got, you know, getting your point across, I think it might feel like it would be a more difficult conversation, but it might actually in a weird way be an easier one because depending on the relationship you have, because that person you would hope would be a more would be reflective and and and open to that kind of, you know, they almost kind of, yeah, go on, yeah, go on, challenge me and I'll and and we can make this into a bit more of a reflective, a reflective session. Um but I would also say if that isn't, if that is something that's difficult, I think it's really important as a student to create a um relationship with other people in your team as well as other professionals, so that if you do need to have a conversation where actually you really can't talk to your on-site supervisor or your practice educator, you've created that relationship with maybe a team manager or a practice consultant or a senior, another senior in your team. And then that way you've you've got other sounding boards to have that conversation with, if it is something that's perhaps out of the realms of that reflective sort of space and actually you need to talk to somebody. I think it can become far more challenging if the only point of contact that you have created is your practice educator or your on-site supervisor. Um, and it doesn't have to be a senior, it could be an AP or another um another colleague in your team. Um, so yeah, I think that would be it might it could be a really good example, a really good opportunity for reflection and kind of that really gritty challenge because they're open to it. But if it's something more significant, I think making sure that in the early parts of your placement um you create those relationships, you've got a wider network to kind of reach out from and learn. And as Hannah said, they're practicing as well. Like I think one thing they've always said to us, um, they've always said to us is you know, you're never you never know it all, right? So you're always everybody is always practicing um within social work because you you can't know it, it's impossible.

SPEAKER_01 21:48

No, that's that's really good. I mean, you know, what I would say from from the perspective of being a practice educator, um, you know, I'm I'm aware of the power and balance. However, like you were saying, Lauren, I think having a really good relationship with your student is really important because it allows them to feel they can challenge if they, you know, if they feel that you know they need to challenge. And actually, I don't see that as a negative thing if it's managed appropriately, but it needs to be managed appropriately. It can't be managed with disrespect. Um, something that wasn't commented on is the fact that obviously when you're training, you have your academic advisor as well from your university. So I would always say that that's someone else that you can reach out to if you feel uncomfortable. Um, but I mean, honestly, I would say if your practice educator is worth the thought, um, not that I don't want to cast aspersions on any of the practice educators out there, but if people are in it for the right reasons and they want to see the progression of people into social work and for me, the retention of people in social work, which I find is hugely important, um, then I think that any opportunity to kind of look down the route of professional challenging is just an opportunity for learning for the student, and it just means that they can then or you can then together unpick and use different models to kind of understand where you're both coming from and your perspective. And it could be that if you were looking at something like um Warnacott's discrepancy matrix, you know, something like that where you know they may know more than you know on that particular person on that particular subject, but there may be things that they're blind to, and it's kind of identifying, you know, where the strengths are, and actually, actually, at the end of the day, here we're working with people, so really, you know, even if we disagree on the kind of route forward, it's actually about working out what's best for that person, and and so that might be that professionally challenging is us advocating for that person, and we do do that even when we're a practice educator. And you're absolutely right, Lauren. Just because we're a practice educator, we're not a done deal. We're absolutely not a done deal. I learned new stuff every day. I learned how to voice dictate a case note um last week, which was a game changer for me. Um, you know, we we learn things all the time, everybody we're working with is different, you know. You can't box people put people into boxes. I always say labels are for jars, not people. Everyone is different, and we and like you like you were both saying, we both bring to the table different things. I always say that when a student comes into placement, it's very much a case of, and neither of you will be old enough to remember this, but back back in the day, because I'm an old lady, um, in Blue Peter, they used to do something called a bring and buy sale. And what you would do is you would bring items that you were happy to be sold, but you would also be able to buy items while you were there, and it was kind of like a reciprocal charity shop kind of situation, you know, that you were kind of handing stuff in, but you also might be buying some stuff to take away. I always think that when students come into a placement, there's an element of bring and buy, that they bring certain transferable skills, they bring certain sets of um techniques, theories, understanding, knowledge, experience with them, and there's certain things that they need to buy while they're on placement. Professionally challenging, I think, is a skill that maybe you need to buy initially when you come on placement because you maybe don't know exactly the steps of how you go about it on a practical level. Um, and it can be quite difficult to separate that emotion in that moment, especially I appreciate Lauren is also neurodivergent like I am, and often I open my mouth to change feet. It can be quite difficult for me to have my filter firmly in place. So I have to take away that emotional response in a moment and use silence. I find the use of silence is very, very useful to me to just sit, take a moment, take stock, and actually unpick it a little bit. And that's what I'm going to be going into in kind of the second half of this podcast. I'm going to be looking actually how we can go in, how we can unpick that a bit more, how we can respond if we're in the position where we need to professionally challenge, be it somebody we're working with, or be it somebody who isn't your practice educator or on-site supervisor, how you can go about that in a professional way that will likely earn you your brownie points if you put without meaning to you know depreciate you meeting your criteria for the PCF, but you then being able to demonstrate and illustrate and gain evidence for the fact that actually you are somebody who is operating as a professional and you are able to be autonomous in your decision making, and that's something that you're going to need to evidence throughout your training, particularly, Hannah. Obviously, you're coming to the end of your training now, so you know effectively you're going to have your driving licence very soon. I always say that to do your social work training is like getting your driving license, you're legal to drive, but you've still got a lot to learn. And I think, like you were saying, Lauren, we're all learning all the time, nobody knows everything. If anyone ever comes across to you that they do know everything, then they're lying, um, or they're full of their own self-importance, and that's not the kind of people I like to work with, if I'm being completely honest. Um, but anyway, I digress. So I'm gonna bring this to a close now. Thank you both to you, Hannah and Lauren, for joining me for this month's podcast. Um, please don't be too embarrassed when you listen to this. Um, and yeah, just thank you very much. So, my thanks go to Hannah and Lauren for taking part in that interview. And I'd love to hear from you if you'd like to be part of an interview and you'd like to discuss a topic, and if you've got an idea for a topic, please, please just get in touch and let me know. This podcast is all about you, and I know I'm really late this month, I've had some issues with tech, um, but like I say, this is only being created to kind of help you and to make you feel less alone or isolated while you're in your training because it can feel really heavy. So make sure you keep in touch. So, in addition to actually talking to Lauren and talking to Hannah, I grabbed a bunch of comments from students who've messaged me through the podcast. Um, and here's what some of you said about professional challenging. Professional challenge sounds confident when people talk about it, but honestly, it just feels risky. I know I'm supposed to speak up, but it's just scary when you're new. I keep thinking, what if I've got it wrong? I don't want people thinking I'm being awkward. Sometimes it's just safer to keep your head down. It's really hard to challenge someone who knows way more than you do. I don't feel confident enough yet. I've got some experience behind me, but that doesn't make professional challenge easy. I'm conscious of the power differences, even when it's not talked about. It's not fear that stopped me, it's more about how that challenge may land. And that's something I think that is a really, really big thing. Staying silent doesn't sit comfortably with my values. I've realized it's about how you raise things, not just what you say. So there were a lot of similar themes at play there, and as I said, the idea behind this episode came from an email that I received from Corin. To really get to grips with professional challenge, and I thought I thought about what it would be like for a student on placement. Imagine something's happened in your team that just doesn't sit right. Nothing dramatic, but just feels a bit uncomfortable. The real challenge isn't necessarily what happened, but what do you do about it next? Should you speak up? Are you even allowed? And how do you raise it without damaging relationships or being seen as difficult? I know loads of you struggle with these questions, so I want you to know you're definitely not alone. Let's break it down together gently and practically. Professional challenge isn't something you're magically supposed to know, honestly. It's a skill like any skill. You'll need support, guidance, and a bit of practice. Feeling a bit unsure? It's totally normal. First things first, you need to pause, give yourself a breather before you do anything. When something feels off it's tempting to react straight away, or just shove the feeling aside and hope it disappears. Neither option really helps. Instead, take a bit of time to reflect. I know it's that word again, but it's a chance to just kind of think it through properly. Ask yourself what exactly was it what was what exactly made you feel uncomfortable? Was it a comment, a decision that didn't feel person-centered, a lack of inclusion, or maybe the way power was being thrown around? Get specific so you can move from feeling rattled to actually thinking it through and responding like a professional. Because you are a professional. Next, you need to try to separate the impact from the intention. Just because something affected you doesn't mean someone meant harm. In social work we often talk about intentions and outcomes not always matching, and that's true in teens too. If you talk about the impact, instead of blaming anyone, you're more likely to be heard, and it helps to keep things constructive. Once you've had a think about it, decide where you need to raise your concern. Supervision is usually the most safe and supportive place for students to start not to moan, although you can if you want, but to explore together. You might say, There's something I noticed this week that I've been reflecting on, and I'd love to chat about it because I'm not sure how it fits with my values. Using that gentle kind of curious language shows you want to learn not to accuse and opens the door to a proper conversation. It really helps to link what you say to your learning, not just your opinion. You don't need all the answers, and no one expects you to be an expert. It's totally fine to say, I'm still figuring things out, but I wondered how this fits with our duty around dignity. Or I was thinking about how this links with what we're taught about anti-oppressive practice. Bring in the theory you're learning, the values or standards to keep the chat about professional growth and not about personalities. And another handy tip be honest about what you need. Sometimes students will raise concerns, but they don't actually say what they hope to get from that. And that can leave things hanging and may leave you feeling just as uncomfortable. Maybe you need some reassurance, some clarity, or some guidance. Saying what you need makes supervision a more positive and supportive place. Instead of you leaving, still feeling that heaviness. Remember, professional challenge doesn't mean starting a formal process. Often it can be about testing your thinking, double-checking your assumptions and learning how to deal with tricky stuff. You're gonna be dealing with lots of tricky stuff in social work, it's kind of what the cloth is made of. If after supervision your concern still feels big, you can ask others for support, like your academic tutor or another trusted professional. You don't have to do this on your own and you don't have to rush. Most importantly, hear this. You don't need anyone's permission to think critically. You don't have to wait until you're qualified for your values to matter. Learning how to challenge things professionally is part of your training, not something to fear. It's how you do it, not whether you do it that counts. And finally, be kind to yourself. Challenging something even gently can be nerve-wracking. Feeling nervous doesn't mean you're doing it wrong, it means you care, and caring is a massive strength in social work, not a weakness. If you recognise yourself in this, remember finding your professional voice is a journey. No one gets it spot on every time. I still don't. But approaching challenges with care, reflection, and a focus on values is exactly what good social work needs. Now we've talked about raising concerns when something makes you feel uncomfortable in your placement team, but what about when your worry is about your on-site supervisor or your practice educator? Whoa, this can feel much heavier. Not because it's a bigger issue, but could be because the power dynamics are so obvious here. These are the people who assess you, sign things off, give feedback to the uni, and shape your confidence day to day. Even when things are going well, that imbalance is always lurking in the background. For loads of students, this sets off a bit of an internal struggle. You might sense something's not quite right, but then you think this person holds my placement outcome. That can make you want to stay quiet, rationalise things, or just hope you can muddle through until the end. If that sounds familiar, it is normal. Other people have experienced this, though hopefully not many. Let me say this loud and clear. Noticing a power imbalance doesn't mean you're overreacting. You're just picking up on what's happening. Social work is full of power dynamics, and learning how to navigate them safely is a big part of growing professionally. When your concern is about someone who supervises or assesses you, you're not necessarily asking, is this valid? But more, how do I deal with this without making things worse? That's a different sort of question, and again, needs a gentle touch. As before, a good starting point is realizing that not all challenges need tackling head-on or straight away. Sometimes the most professional move is to pause and keep your concern contained for a bit. You could take it to a neutral person first, not to escalate things, but to sense check with someone who can help you work out if it's about your expectations, a communication style, or something more serious. And again, don't forget you don't have to have instant clarity. You might feel pressure to explain exactly what's wrong with evidence and examples straight away. It's fine to say, even to yourself, I know something feels off, but I need time to figure it out. That pause isn't avoiding things, it's reflective practice. Now, power imbalance can change how feedback feels too. A comment from a peer might be easy to shrug off, but from someone in authority, it can really knock your confidence. That doesn't mean the feedback's wrong, but your feelings and how it affects your learning matter. Personally, I prefer written and constructive feedback, which allows me time to go over it and make suggestions of ways I could improve without making me feel like I failed in some way. Imposter syndrome is a thing. If you do decide to speak up after feedback, framing is key. Focus on how your learning is affected. Keep the conversation grounded. You're not accusing anyone of being a bad supervisor, you're just explaining what you need to learn safely and effectively. That's really important, especially with assessments. Now, here's a big one. If your relationship doesn't feel safe enough for a direct chat, you have to go down another route. It's not sneaky, it's making use of the support systems that are there for you. Universities and placement providers expect this, even if students don't always realize you're allowed to stand up for yourself as a learner. You're not asking for special treatment, just for clarity, fairness, and support to meet the standards you're being assessed on. That's absolutely reasonable and it matters for your development. Students sometimes worry that raising concerns about an on-site supervisor or practice educator will make them seem difficult. But if you can handle your concerns thoughtfully and proportionately, they're usually seen as a sign of professional maturity. Staying silent can let issues pile up until they feel overwhelm overwhelming. And this is never healthy. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, things just don't get sorted perfectly. That's tough, especially when you poured a lot of care into your placement. But in those moments, support is vital. No placement is worth damaging your confidence, well-being, or your sense of professional identity. So if you're listening and thinking this feels close to home, just know that navigating these situations isn't about being fearless, it's about being thoughtful, getting the right support, and being kind to yourself. You don't have to carry this alone, you definitely don't have to pretend it doesn't matter. Remember, it's not just about learning how to challenge practice, it's about learning how to look after yourself while you do. When I was thinking about this, emotional intelligence kind of popped into my brain. Again, it's not something people chat about that much. I think it's so important, especially when you're on placement. Chances are you're developing your emotional intelligence even if you don't realise emotional intelligence, as I'm sure you'll know, is all about knowing your own feelings, handling them gently, and tuning into how others are feeling too. You'll spot it everywhere during supervision, in team meetings, on visits, and in those moments after when you think, that really got to me, and I'm not sure why. For students' emotional intelligence usually pops up before confidence does. You might not feel totally sure of your place yet, but you notice the little things, tones, mood shifts, that uneasy feeling or tension that nobody mentions. A big part of emotional intelligence on placement is realizing that your feelings are really useful information. If you're feeling anxious, frustrated, a bit shut down, or just too responsible, it could be telling you that something about what's going on. Maybe it's about risk, power, boundaries, or needs that aren't being met. The trick isn't to never react, but to give yourself a bit of space to work out what your response is trying to say. When you start reflecting on your emotional responses, your practice can really start to flourish. You stop just asking what happened and start wondering how did that make me feel and why. That gentle shift helps you move from ticking off tasks to really understanding the relationships, dynamics, and the impact you can have. This is especially true in direct work. People often show their emotions before sharing any facts, maybe through anxiety, anger, quietness, humour, or complete silence. When you're emotionally tuned in, you're more likely to react with curiosity instead of defensiveness and empathy instead of urgency. It can make all the difference, especially if you're working with people for whom verbal communication is a challenge. If someone is reactive towards you, is this really aimed at you, or are they feeling frustrated and have no other way to communicate their feelings? Emotional intelligence is also brilliant around boundaries. It's really common for students to feel they need to be everything of everyone. If you notice you're feeling too responsible, guilty, or just worn out, that's a sign to pause. These feelings can mean there are blurred boundaries. Unrealistic expectations from who you are working with, or you placing unrealistic expectations on yourself, and you just need a bit more support. Getting wise to this early on keeps you and the people you support safe. Another place that emotional intelligence comes to light is in team settings. Placements bring together all sorts of personalities, pressures, and ways of communicating. Being emotionally aware means you can navigate this without taking everything to heart. Sometimes stepping back and thinking this reaction might not actually be about me is incredibly reassuring, especially when you're still finding your feet. The main thing to remember is that emotional intelligence isn't set in stone. It grows with reflection, supervision, and experience. Supervision is often where this learning takes shape, where you can chat not just about what you did, but also how you felt doing it. Saying how you feel out loud, especially in a professional setting, can feel a bit awkward at first, but it's brilliant for building insight and self awareness. As time goes on, students who tune in to their emotional intelligence. Often become more confident, not because they feel less, but because they know themselves better. They understand what triggers them, what steadies them, and when it's time to step back or ask for help. So if you're on placement and feeling all sorts of things, take it as a sign you're learning. Emotional intelligence isn't about toughening up or being hard, it's about getting to know yourself so you can work safely, ethically, and with real compassion. I would actually say that emotional intelligence can be your superpower in training. Listen to your feelings, set boundaries, and don't be afraid to ask for help. Every emotion teaches you something and getting support makes you stronger. Keep tuning in your build skills that last your whole career. So your takeaway for today is that if you remember nothing else from today's podcast, please remember to tune into your own feelings in any given situation, and no one gets everything right first time or ever. As social workers were always a work in progress. So if it doesn't feel right, say something, use it as a learning experience, and I promise it will only get easier. Be kind to yourselves, and I promise I will be back in a more timely fashion next month. So don't keep surviving, you go out there and thrive.