Unit rationale, description and aim

Social workers work in groups and develop and offer group work to clients. This unit focuses on the development of knowledge and skills in working with groups as an essential part of social work practice. It will examine the theoretical models and skills necessary for work with diverse groups in a range of settings and contexts, including group dynamics, psycho–education groups, mutual aid groups, concepts of group care, counselling groups, principles for effective team work and solution focussed group work. The unit will build on the ethical principles underpinning social work practice through examination of a range of ethical issues that regularly confront practitioners in group work practice. The experiential learning will provide students with practice in planning and facilitating groups, as well as critical reflection on group processes and the use of self. The aim of this unit is to provide students with knowledge and skills in group work, a key area of social work intervention, including an understanding of the benefits of group work, knowledge for running groups effectively, and skills in planning and facilitation of groups.

2025 10

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  • Term Mode
  • Semester 2Campus Attendance
  • Term Mode
  • Semester 2Campus Attendance

Prerequisites

SWTP333 Social Work Field Education 1

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.

Demonstrate skills in planning and facilitating a ...

Learning Outcome 01

Demonstrate skills in planning and facilitating a group program
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC2, GC10, GC12

Critically evaluate the conduct of group programs

Learning Outcome 02

Critically evaluate the conduct of group programs
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC4, GC8

Integrate knowledge of group work theory, processe...

Learning Outcome 03

Integrate knowledge of group work theory, processes and dynamics in the development of an appropriate model of group work in a range of contexts and diverse population groups
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC2, GC3

Integrate knowledge of social work ethics in socia...

Learning Outcome 04

Integrate knowledge of social work ethics in social work practice with groups
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1

Apply social work practice processes and theories ...

Learning Outcome 05

Apply social work practice processes and theories for work with groups
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC2, GC4, GC7

Demonstrate the skills of reflective practice in a...

Learning Outcome 06

Demonstrate the skills of reflective practice in all aspects of social work practice with groups, including a critical understanding of the use of self and social work professional identity
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2

Content

Topics will include:


Social Work Theories with Groups

  • group norm theories
  • use of power
  • leadership and leadership style theories
  • cohesion and conflict theories
  • verbal and non-verbal communication theories
  • theories of the change process


Types of Groups

  • working with diverse groups
  • self-help groups
  • mutual aid groups
  • social work with families
  • task groups
  • educational groups
  • treatment groups with diverse and vulnerable populations
  • groups with involuntary clients


Group Processes

  • purpose and goals of groups
  • group dynamics
  • group rules
  • skills involved in group work
  • forming and leading a group
  • group composition and recruitment
  • open or closed groups
  • co-leadership in groups 
  • gender and group work
  • creativity and group work
  • group care
  • dealing with challenging behaviour in group work
  • ethical issues in group work


Stages of Group Development

Groups in the beginning phase

  • Group characteristics at the initial stage
  • Creating trust: leader and member roles
  • Group process concepts at the initial stage (group norms, group cohesion)
  • Leader issues at the initial stage
  • Techniques for getting started and moving on


Groups in the middle phase

  • Member issues in early–middle, middle–middle and end–middle phase
  • Worker's role: use of self and issues of authority
  • Issues of control, confrontation, cohesion, compromise, catharsis
  • Techniques for dealing with conflict and difficult group members
  • Working with fears and resistance.


Groups in the ending phase

  • Member issues e.g., affection, disillusionment, acceptance
  • Worker's role
  • Working with intense emotions: grieving
  • Reviewing highlights, evaluating effectiveness
  • Exploring separation, projecting the future.
  • How will the group be evaluated?


Models for Group Interventions

  • problem solving approaches
  • decision making approaches
  • strengths perspective
  • working with resistance - motivational interviewing
  • Narrative therapy in groups
  • Solution-focused group work 
  • Group work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Assessment strategy and rationale

This unit takes an authentic assessment approach allowing students to demonstrate their learning and competency in scenarios relevant to social work practice with groups. The first assessment is designed for students to demonstrate their knowledge of group development, in particular the ability to plan a group program and effectively advocate for its value through a written proposal. Advocating for client needs and required service delivery to meet these needs is a key skill for professional practice, achieving professional commitments outlined by the Australian Association of Social Workers to social justice and individual wellbeing, and articulating the value of group work interventions in a professional written format (LO1,3,5).

Assessment 2 will assess the assimilation of group work skills, applied through the facilitation of  a group session in order to demonstrate emerging professional competence in this field of practice (LO1,3,4,5).

Assessment 3 enables students to apply their knowledge of group work by reflecting on group progression, the role of facilitation in group work, ethics in groupwork, and the use of self, inline with their role-play experiences (LO2,4,6). Together these assessments require students to demonstrate competency in the knowledge and skills of effective group work and the integration of theory and practice, to show entry level competency in planning, implementing, and evaluating group work interventions. 

To pass the unit, students must meet the 80% attendance hurdle requirement and demonstrate that they have achieved each learning outcome and obtained a total mark of 50% in the unit as the minimum standard

Overview of assessments

Written assignment: Enables students to present a...

Written assignment: Enables students to present a proposal that advocates for a group program to meet client needs

Weighting

30%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO3, LO4, LO5

Group Facilitation Assignment: Enables students t...

Group Facilitation Assignment: Enables students to facilitate a role-play group session and involves peer and lecturer assessment of skills

Weighting

30%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO3, LO4, LO5

Reflective assignment: Enables students to apply ...

Reflective assignment: Enables students to apply group work theory to practice to reflect on group progression, facilitation and the impact of self

Weighting

40%

Learning Outcomes LO2, LO4, LO6

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

This unit involves 150 hours of learning with prerecorded lectures, and compulsory interactive and role-play workshops. Lectures will provide detailed content about the theory of group work, good facilitation, and how to manage challenges that arise. Workshops will incorporate group work activities, first modelled by the lecturer and then facilitated by students in the second half of the unit. This will ensure students have an opportunity to participate in group work and understand the experience of being a participant in groups, as well as practice their skills in facilitation. The assessments for this unit provide students a work-like opportunity to plan and present a proposal advocating for a group to meet client needs, as well as apply their knowledge to practice by reflecting on group progression and receiving feedback on their facilitation skills. This approach ensures theory and skills for group work are practiced, integrated and applied, preparing students for successful professional practice. 

ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS OF UNIT 

This Unit incorporates professional social work skills based teaching and learning, and therefore has an attendance requirement of a minimum of 80% attendance at weekly skill development practice workshops.

An attendance record for weekly workshops will be kept.

Reasons why attendance is required 

This is to ensure feedback on, and practice, development and assessment of, core social work practice skills. In workshops, you will be interacting with other students and developing skills which you will use in your professional/clinical experience. Students who do not attend are at risk of not developing the required knowledge and essential skills, needed to demonstrate unit learning outcomes.  

Graduate Attributes and the Practice Standards (ASWEAS, 2024)

This Unit has been mapped to the ACU Graduate Capabilities and the Graduate Attributes and the Practice Standards (ASWEAS, 2024) . The following table sets out the broad relationship between the Learning Outcomes, Graduate Attributes and the Graduate Attributes and the Practice Standards (ASWEAS, 2024).

  • Relating to

    Conduct themselves according to the values, principles and guidelines of the AASW

    Code of Ethics 2020

    Relevant learning outcomeLO4

  • Relating to

    Have a clear sense of accountability for their actions and accept responsibility for the

    decisions they make and their professional actions

    Relevant learning outcomeLO4

  • Relating to

    Recognise and take responsibility for what is within their power, control or

    management

    Relevant learning outcomeLO4

  • Relating to

    Can articulate the ethics underpinning their approach to decisions and actions

    Relevant learning outcomeLO4

  • Relating to

    Advocate for human rights and practice in ways that aim to achieve access, equity, participation and legal protection for all

    Relevant learning outcomeLO3

  • Relating to

    Ensure that the rights of the people they work with are promoted, protected, and

    upheld

    Relevant learning outcomeLO3

  • Relating to

    Conduct their approach to practice respectfully and inclusively with regard to culture

    and diversity

    Relevant learning outcomeLO3

  • Relating to

    Apply an intersectional lens in their approach to complexities around culture and

    diversity

    Relevant learning outcomeLO3

  • Relating to

    Respectfully engage with people who have culturally diverse identities

    Relevant learning outcomeLO6

  • Relating to

    Practise within a professional knowledge framework informed by a critical

    understanding of contemporary social work theory and research

    Relevant learning outcomeLO2, LO6

  • Relating to

    Work from a clearly articulated framework for reflective practice

    Relevant learning outcomeLO2, LO6

  • Relating to

    Practise within the limits of their professional scope, knowledge and skills and, where

    necessary, direct people to alternative sources of professional advice

    Relevant learning outcomeLO6

  • Relating to

    Make professional decisions on the basis of a holistic assessment of the needs,

    strengths, goals and preferences of people

    Relevant learning outcomeLO1, LO5

  • Relating to

    Recognise, and use responsibly, the power and authority they have when exercising

    professional judgement affecting people

    Relevant learning outcomeLO1, LO5

  • Relating to

    Critically assess the quality and veracity of all relevant information to support their

    decisions

    Relevant learning outcomeLO1

  • Relating to

    Make decisions aimed primarily at achieving the best possible outcomes for people

    Relevant learning outcomeLO1, LO5

  • Relating to

    Assess the nature and level of risk to people and incorporate that into the overall

    assessment

    Relevant learning outcomeLO1, LO5

  • Relating to

    Make assessments and decide courses of action informed and guided by the lived

    experience, wishes and preferences of service users to the fullest extent possible

    Relevant learning outcomeLO1

Representative texts and references

Representative texts and references

Australian Association of Social Workers (2020). Code of ethics. Canberra: AASW.


Conyne, R. (2013). Group work leadership: An introduction for helpers. London: Sage.


Corey, M., Corey, G., & Corey, C. (2010). Groups: process and practice (8th ed.). USA: Thomas Brooks/Cole.


Doel, M., & Kelly, T. (2013). A-Z of groups and groupwork. London: Palgrave Macmillan.


Dudgeon, P., Milroy, H., Walker, R. (Eds.) (2014) Working Together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait  Islander Mental Health and Wellbeing Principles and Practice. (2nd ed). Commonwealth of Australia


Hartley, P., Dawson, M., & Dawson, M.(2010). Success in groupwork. London: Palgrave Macmillan. 


Lindsay, T. & Orton, S. (2014). Groupwork practice in social work (3rd ed.). Exeter: Learning Matters.


Ochre, G. (2013). Getting our act together: how to harness the power of groups. Melbourne: Groupwork Press.


Zastrow, C. (2015). Social work with groups: a comprehensive worktext (9th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning..

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