By Emma Johnson
The first piece of advice I received when I started at Venture Trust was to be friendly, learn everyone’s name, and reach out often and broadly. Throughout the five months that I spent as a student social worker on placement with Venture Trust, this was not only sound advice but seemed to encapsulate the spirit of the organisation. My placement experience was marked by invaluable learning and development, none of which would have been possible without the welcoming and supportive environment the team has created. This spirit permeates every part of Venture Trust’s work, something which is never more apparent than when participants have the opportunity to share in that positivity. The impact of the workplace culture is unmistakable, as is the impact on participants.
In a landscape of undervalued and underfunded social care, leading to a necessary focus on reactionary, crisis-based interventions, Venture Trust seems to have harnessed a unique exploration of meeting people’s needs with a preventative lens despite encountering them in the wake of adversity. The staff’s ability to recognise and support participants’ underlying concerns while adopting a fervent future-focused lens becomes a therapeutic tool in and of itself. Creating an environment that is safe from long-held societal stigmas and giving participants an ability to connect with each other, themselves, and the land in a distinctly non-judgemental way is one of Venture Trust’s greatest strengths.
The supportive nature of staff was unmistakable, and is what enabled me to support participants to the best of my ability. It would be remiss of me not to specifically acknowledge the integral support that came from my Practice Educator, Mark Rae, who showed care, thoughtfulness, and genuine interest in me and my work throughout my placement. He helped expand my view of what ‘support’ looks like, encouraged me to develop professional confidence, and was an astute sounding board for my ideas, thoughts, and questions. The impact of his mentorship on my practice will long outlive this placement.
Lastly, I can’t reflect on my time with Venture Trust without maintaining the participants at the centre. They were each colourful, funny, unique people who, above all else, were seeking connection. Connection with themselves, with others, with their hopes, fears, and their needs and desires for the future. I was continuously touched by how impactful wilderness and residential journeys were for participants, and for many, how important the timing of that support was. Venture Trust is unique in its multi-pronged approach of offering both individual support and a connection to group and community-based support networks.
I had been working with a participant from the time of his referral, through a wilderness journey, and into the final phase of engagement. His confidence had grown tremendously throughout his participation, and at one of our last meetings he was wearing a pair of sunglasses that perfectly matched his newfound posture. As we were saying goodbye, I said “You look like a rockstar!”, and as he walked away, without skipping a beat, he replied, “I am a rockstar.”
If you’re interested in exploring a student placement with Venture Trust, we’d love to hear from you, just drop us an email at info@venturetrust.org.uk
