Final year Social Work (year 4) students from Eastern Institute of technology (EIT) can join the TIPE programme whilst they are doing their final year 60 day placement at either the Social Work Department Hauora Tairāwhiti (Gisborne) or at Wairoa Hospital. Students on placement at Hauora Tairāwhiti will tend to complete the rest of their 60 day placement at Gisborne. If your placement is in Wairoa you will probably spend 5 weeks based at Wairoa and have the rest of your 60 day placement at another provider out of Wairoa. As part of the TIPE programme students spend approximately 3 days a week in the Social Work department supervised by the Gisborne or Wairoa Hospital social workers, approximately one day is spent observing and working with other health professionals, and one day is spent in class/activity time or working on your group community education resource.
Comments from previous Social Work students on TIPE
Why did you choose TIPE?
Joining IPE for me at first was not by choice - I was told about the programme but dismissed the idea as I have a two-year-old daughter, my partner and a home to look after, not to add placement to complete and assessments. It was not until I was given the opportunity to join the Tairāwhiti IPE programme, which meant I could stay in Gisborne, and I took this opportunity with both hands. Becoming a social worker has been a long journey and at times very challenging, but one of the biggest areas of learning has been the power of networking. For me, TIPE was about developing an understanding of what other professions could do to support the whānau I may work with.
