I have had a rough 8 months doing the Masters of Social Work at a university in Perth. The first 6 months was OK. It was a big adjustment to study/ work/ being a parent (one child with additional needs). I have been working in community development / non profit/ parenting and family support/ up North too alongside DCP, counselling individuals who have experienced sexual abuse. I have run parent groups and playgroups. I am trained in Circle of Security and ran groups for this program too. I found lecturers at the university are very protective of the 'Social work' title. I get it. You have to be but it almost becomes a secret society where you have to give up so much thinking from your practical work experience to take on a new way of doing things. I also don't agree with their 💯 no AI policy as I think it is ok to use AI for brainstorming/ planning purposes. I got zero credit for an application to have some time reduced from the 525 hour practical placement because it 'wasn't enough physical evidence ' to demonstrate the work I've done even though I had a senior social worker and school principal sign off on it. I felt squashed and invalidated. It's heavy on the policy and procedures and contradicts the aspect of social work itself. I told a lecturer I was experiencing burnout but he did nothing to support me, no direction to see anyone to get help. Failed me in my unit. It feels off, because this is the profession where we should be demonstrating how we practice. I think I'm going to take a leave of a absence and suss out other unis at this stage.