“My confidence has skyrocketed”

For the past 25 years, DHI has offered placements to students as part of our long-standing partnerships with local universities.

Ashter Walker and Erika Suvendrarajah are second-year Social Work and Applied Social Sciences students at the University of Bath. As part of their course, they’re currently completing placements with Reach, DHI’s housing advice service, and at Burlington House, DHI’s supported housing project. We asked them to share their experiences.

What does a typical day look like for you at DHI?

Ash: I split my time between Burlington House, DHI’s dry house where residents are supported in their recovery from drug and alcohol misuse, and Reach. At Burlington House, I’m a key worker for one client and I also run a mindfulness group for four residents – it’s a great opportunity for them to come together and take part in a group activity. At Reach, I manage a caseload of 13 clients. On Wednesdays, I’m based at the one-stop shop in Bath and North East Somerset Council’s offices.

Erika: I also have a caseload of 13 clients with Reach. When I’m not in the office, I advise clients at the one-stop shop and Rose Cottage in Twerton.

What skills have you developed during your time at DHI?

Ash: I was a youth worker before, so working with adults was new to me. When I was younger, my family was homeless. My mum was a key worker, and we were put in a house that was unliveable. We had to stay with my grandparents – there were six of us in a house with three dogs. Being there has made me more empathetic – I know that it can feel so hopeless when you’re in that situation.

Erika: I didn’t know anything about housing when I started my placement. My parents claimed Universal Credit, but that’s all I knew about the system. I’ve learnt so much about housing since being here – it’s just generally useful information because housing underpins everything.

Ash: I’ve built up my networking skills. At the Annual Event, I was able to talk to colleagues from DHI’s youth advice service Connect YP and find out about their work. It’s great being in a professional environment – I’ve been able to build on skills such as public speaking. I did a talk about Reach at DHI’s Annual Event, which will count towards the leadership element of the framework we’re assessed on.

Erika: My confidence has skyrocketed since I’ve been here. I used to get nervous talking to new people. But when you have to do it every day as part of your job, it becomes less scary – you realise everyone’s just a person, just like you. Building those skills has helped me in my personal life and at uni too.

What has been the most rewarding part of your placement?

Erika: This has been my first ever experience of work, so it’s been a very new environment for me. But I’ve loved being part of a team. They’re all lovely – Donna, the team leader, has always let us know that she’s there for us if we need anything. She’s got a degree in social work, so she’s been in the position we’re in now.

Ash: We know we lucked out with this placement. One of the girls in the rugby team I play for did this placement last year and she said to me: “You’re going to love it.” It’s got a good reputation with the students at the uni.

Erika: We’ve also become friends. We didn’t really talk in first year at uni, so it’s great that we’ve been able to get to know each other.

What challenges have you faced, and how did you overcome them?

Ash: I’ve got ADHD, so I knew that I’d find being in an office difficult. That’s why it’s been so good to have a varied placement, where I’m also working at drop-ins and at Burlington House. I can also forget things when I’m doing an assessment, but I’m overcoming this by making lists that I can check – it’s about learning the methods that work for me. I’m also dyslexic, but DHI have been brilliant at putting support measures in place, for example, getting green paper and downloading adaptive software.

Erika: I had imposter syndrome at the start as I didn’t think I knew enough about housing to be advising people – but now I’m surprising myself with how much I’ve learnt.

How has this experience influenced your future career goals?

Erika: I’ve always wanted to go into adult care and this has just cemented that. Social work is a good platform to help others. I had support from a social worker when I was young that wasn’t as good as it could have been. I wish people had helped me. It’s like the saying: be the change you want to see in the world.

Ash: I love social work, but I’m also a rugby player, so I’m currently considering doing a master’s in sports ethics after my degree. Social work gives you a solid foundation though, and I’d like to combine youth work and rugby in the future.

Would you recommend a placement at DHI to other students?

Erika: Definitely. The team are really helpful – they want us to succeed. If I ever ask to do shadowing or come along to meetings, they’re always welcoming.

Ash: Yes, drug and alcohol treatment placements are like gold dust, so I feel lucky to have done the placement at Burlington House. Service users deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and DHI is a great example of good practice which we can learn from.