Student Placement Blog - Josie
During my placement at Dean & Cauvin Young People’s Trust, I’ve had the opportunity to see first-hand how the organisation supports care-experienced young people through its residential houses, throughcare and aftercare services, community support, tenancy work, young parents’ service, and fostering team. Each part of the Trust plays a crucial role in helping young people move towards independence whilst promoting the young people to feeling supported, respected and encouraged. Seeing how these services connect has shown me just how powerful holistic, person-centred practice can be.
As a student, I’ve been able to shadow key workers, attend reviews, compose support plans and risk assessments, and most importantly spend meaningful time with young people. Whether that’s sharing a meal, talking through their goals, or simply being present, these everyday moments have highlighted how integral relationship-based practice is at Dean & Cauvin.
Keeping The Promise
I have also gained valuable insight into how Dean & Cauvin works in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council and other agencies to uphold the principles of The Promise, ensuring that care-experienced young people are supported and listened to on their journey. Working alongside experienced practitioners has deepened my understanding of trauma-informed practice, safeguarding, and the realities of multi-agency collaboration. Being able to observe how each part of the organisation contributes to a young person’s journey has shown me how vital the Trust is in helping young people move towards independence while still having people who believe in them.
This placement has strengthened both my professional confidence and my belief in the importance of relationship-based trauma-informed care. I’ve learned that being a social worker is about balancing empathy with accountability, and advocacy with listening. My placement with Dean & Cauvin has me inspired by the young people’s resilience and by the dedication of the staff who walk alongside them every day.
