’There’s nothing sacred about 500 hours’: social work educators’ and practitioners’ perspectives on non-traditional field education placements

Pressure is mounting for changes to social work field education in Australia, and internationally, as serious concerns have been raised about current practicum requirements. The Australian Association of Social Workers' (AASW) accreditation standards mandate the completion of 1,000 h of placement. This 1,000-h model has attracted criticism because the placement experience becomes synonymous with completing hours rather than the depth and quality of learning. In this article, the authors report on qualitative data obtained from an Australia-wide survey. One of the study's aims was to identify social work educators and practitioners' perceptions of a re-imagined social work field education placement model that could enhance student well-being, student learningand the sustainability of placements. The data were analyzed thematically, using reflexive thematic analysis to generate themes and was informed by critical theory. The key themes constructed include: 1) Digital modalities and project work; 2) paid internships; 3) recognition of prior learning (RPL) and a capability framework. The study findings support the view that non-traditional and innovative placement models have an important place within the practice learning landscape and have the potential to support the development of social workers concerned with the promotion of individual and social change.