Year
2024Credit points
10Campus offering
Prerequisites
NilTeaching organisation
A variety of learning and teaching strategies for this unit will include lectures, self-directed learning and Canvas online activities.
Unit rationale, description and aim
The purpose and context of social work and human services is important for social work and human services students to understand when becoming committed to the values and ideals of professional practice. This unit introduces students to Australian and International social work and human services. This includes historical and contemporary practice contexts as well as the national and international professional bodies which articulate professional standards and ethical codes of practice. The key ideologies underpinning the provision of welfare in Australia will be presented in the context of the current political climate. This overview includes the history of the relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the welfare state, fields of human service practice, power, equity and social justice and reflexive practice. This unit contributes to understanding the role and value of social work and human services in the community, its values, components and areas of practice and the complex changing context in which students will practice.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
| Learning Outcome Number | Learning Outcome Description | Relevant Graduate Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| LO1 | Demonstrate an understanding of power, equity and social justice as it relates to human service practice. | GC6, GC7 |
| LO2 | Relate the history of the relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the welfare state | GC1, GC5 |
| LO3 | Differentiate the fields of human service and social work practice and organisational settings (government, non-government, profit, not for profit, including faith based organisations). | GC2, GC7 |
| LO4 | Define and explain the purpose and roles of Australian and International human services and social work | GC1, GC2, GC7 |
| LO5 | Demonstrate beginning skills in academic writing and critical thinking and reflexive practice | GC7, GC9, GC11 |
| LO6 | Demonstrate developing skills in oral communication and collaboration appropriate to human services and social work practice | GC4, GC12 |
AASW Practice Standards
This Unit has been mapped to the ACU Graduate Attributes and the ASWEAS Profession-Specific Graduate Attributes. The following table sets out the broad relationship between the Learning Outcomes, Graduate Attributes and the ASWEAS Profession-Specific Graduate Attributes provided in the Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards: https://www.aasw.asn.au/document/item/13565
GA1 - Values and Ethics |
GA2 - Professionalism |
GA3 - Culturally responsive and inclusive practice |
GA4 - Knowledge for practice |
GA5 - Apply knowledge to practice |
GA6 - Communication and interpersonal skills |
ASWEAS Profession-Specific Graduate Attributes
This Unit has been mapped to the ACU Graduate Attributes and the ASWEAS Profession-Specific Graduate Attributes. The following table sets out the broad relationship between the Learning Outcomes, Graduate Attributes and the ASWEAS Profession-Specific Graduate Attributes provided in the Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards: https://www.aasw.asn.au/document/item/13565
| Standard/Attributes/Criteria | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|
1.1 Practice in accordance with the Code of Ethics (2020) 3.1 Work respectfully and inclusively with cultural difference and diversity. 3.2 Respect, strive to understand and promote the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their cultures 4.1 Critically analyses the structure of society with respect to power and disadvantage including the influence of gender, age, ability, sexuality, ethnicity and economic disadvantage. | 1 |
1.1 Practice in accordance with the Code of Ethics (2020) 3.2 Respect, strive to understand and promote the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their cultures | 2 |
4.4 Understand and articulate how and when theories, knowledge bases and knowledge sources inform practice. | 3 |
4.1 Understand higher level systemic influences on people with respect to area of practice | 4 |
1.1 Practice in accordance with the Code of Ethics (2020) 2.1 Represent the social work profession with integrity and professionalism 5.4 Apply critical and reflective thinking to practice | 5 |
6.1 Effectively communicate with a diverse range of peopl | 6 |
Content
Topics will include:
Australian human services and social work profession
Definition of human services and social work
- Code of Ethics
History of Human Services and Social Work including, the history of the relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the Welfare State
Fields of practice and organisation settings of human services and social work
Power, Equity and Social Justice
The role of social work in activism and change
Politics and Social Work
Reflexive Social Work Practice
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit fosters student-centred active learning and accommodates diverse student needs. It includes a combination of self-paced, online learning and real-time classes. Early and additional feedback on learning, and tailored support, are provided to facilitate students’ transition to university.
Teaching and learning strategies for this unit will include lectures, guest lectures, interactive tutorials, simulations, self-directed learning and Canvas online activities. Tutorials support active discussion in understanding unit content and knowledge and simulated learning on professional standards and writing. The combination of strategies aims to support the development of an emerging sense of identity as a student within the human services and social work profession.
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment strategy is to use a variety of approaches that are largely familiar to beginning students while supporting the development of academic literacy, critical thinking and reflection skills required of social work and human service students. The hurdle task ensures that students understand the importance of collaborative learning and teamwork and are able to practice and gain feedback on basic presentation skills in a safe classroom environment. Students will be given a second attempt at this task if unsatisfactory on the first attempt. Assessment one is designed for students to demonstrate their developing understanding of the fields of human service and social work practice and the relevant organisational contexts. It is also designed as an initial assessment of academic writing skills so that appropriate scaffolding and supports can be tailored for subsequent assessment tasks Assessment 2 reflects the priority given in social work and human services to working with vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals, groups and communities and the importance of understanding how the students own social location may impact on their professional practice. It assesses students capacity to think critically about power in variety of contexts as well as assessing the students’ academic writing skills. Assessment 3 focuses on the student demonstrating their developing understanding of the role of social work and human service with a specific focus on activism and change.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
Hurdle task - Group Presentation Requires students demonstrate capacity for collaborative learning and teamwork in gathering information on fields of human service practice. | Pass/Fail | LO6 |
Written assignment: Enables students to demonstrate their developing understanding of the differing fields of human service and social work practice and the associated organisational settings. Enables students to demonstrate developing skills in critical analysis and academic writing. | 30% | LO2, LO3, LO5 |
Written assignment: Enables students to demonstrate their developing understanding of power and equity and its relevance to human service and social work and the students own social location. Enables students to demonstrate their developing skills in critical analysis, academic writing and critical reflection. | 40% | LO1, LO4, LO5 |
Written assignment: Enables students to demonstrate their developing knowledge of the role of human services and social work in activism and change. Enables students to demonstrate their developing skills in critical analysis and academic writing. | 30% | LO3, LO4, LO5 |
Representative texts and references
Australian Association of Social Workers, (2020). Code of ethics. Canberra, ACT: AASW.
Alston, M., McCurdy, S., & McKinnon, J. (2018). Social work : Fields of practice (Third ed.).
Bennett, B., & Green, S., (2019). (Eds). Our Voices: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Work (2nd Edn). South Yarra: Palgrave Macmillan.
Chenoweth, L.& McAuliffe, D. (2017). The road to social work and human service practice. An introductory text (5th ed.). South Melbourne, Victoria: Cengage Learning
Morely, C., Macfarlane, S. & Ablett, P. (2014) Engaging with Social Work. A Critical Introduction. Cambridge University Press, Vic.