A different kind of social work
Highlights
- ACU student Trinity Jones visited Canberra as part of a week-long advocacy placement to address modern slavery and human trafficking.
- Trinity saw how research, advocacy and policy reform can help tackle the systemic causes of exploitation.
- Her experience with ACRATH has influenced the way she wants to offer support through social work.
Eighteen meetings. One week. And a packed schedule inside the halls of Federal Government.
For Master of Social Work (Qualifying) student Trinity Jones, this was a glimpse into a side of social work that is rarely pictured when people think of the profession.
Rather than working directly with clients, Trinity spent some time with the Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans (ACRATH), focusing on advocacy and research.
The experience culminated in a week-long advocacy visit to Canberra, where Trinity helped plan and facilitate meetings with politicians, ministers and government representatives.
It was social work on a much larger scale and it changed the way Trinity sees her future career.
A hunger for justice
Trinity says she has always wanted to address both individual and systemic barriers to people achieving the best possible quality of life.
“I have always had an innate sense of social justice, shaped in part by personal exposure to systems and structures that don’t always adequately support the people who rely on them,” Trinity says.
After studying a Bachelor of Youth Work at ACU, Trinity began working in youth services – which only reinforced her motivation for social justice.
“It was an honour to walk alongside people in their individual journeys, but those experiences also made me increasingly aware of the need for systemic advocacy,” she says.
“I wanted to develop the skills to not only support people navigating these systems, but also to contribute to changing the structures that create or reinforce those barriers in the first place.
And that is where the ACRATH placement came in.
Taking social work to Parliament
One of the biggest highlights of her placement was the opportunity to travel to Canberra for ACRATH’s annual advocacy visit to Federal Parliament.
Over the course of the week, Trinity and the team met with MPs and senators from the country’s major political parties, as well as ministers, assistant ministers and departmental representatives.
They spoke about practical and systemic measures to prevent exploitation and better support people affected by modern slavery and human trafficking.
That included strengthening processes to help frontline workers identify and respond to modern slavery, supporting organisations working in the sector, strengthening Australia’s Modern Slavery Act and improving support for people who have experienced exploitation.
“Being part of these conversations was a valuable opportunity to see how evidence, frontline experience and advocacy can be brought directly into discussions with decision-makers,” she says.
It was also a crash course in advocacy in the real world.
Seeing through a new lens
The placement deepened Trinity’s understanding of modern slavery and human trafficking.
Through ACRATH’s Educating for Change: Modern Slavery in Social and Community Work Settings module, she developed practical knowledge about recognising and responding to indicators of modern slavery in social work settings.
It also prompted her to see things through a different lens.
“Modern slavery can intersect with so many areas of social and community work, so understanding what to recognise, how to respond and where to refer is incredibly important,” she says.
“We all have a role to play in eliminating modern slavery in Australia, so I would urge everyone to engage in this great resource.”
A future in advocacy
The ACRATH experience has given Trinity greater confidence about the kind of practitioner she wants to become.
“My time with ACRATH, and seeing the work they do, has motivated me to pursue roles where I can combine my passion for working directly alongside people with my interest in addressing the broader systems and structures affecting their lives,” she says.
“Before this placement, I saw direct practice and systemic advocacy as more distinct areas of social work. Now I recognise how interconnected they can be and how knowledge gained through direct practice can inform meaningful advocacy and systemic change."
For anyone considering a career in social work, Trinity’s experience offers a glimpse of just how varied the profession can be.
Social workers can support individuals and families, work in communities, conduct research, contribute to advocacy, influence policy and help shape the systems that affect people’s lives.
“Moving forward, I hope to continue developing a practice that allows me to walk alongside individuals while also contributing to meaningful change at a structural level,” she says.
“I entered social work wanting to walk alongside people experiencing systemic barriers – ACRATH showed me that my practice can also involve challenging the systems creating those barriers.”
Published 2026