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.

Content

Topics will include: (Topic statement and bullet points).

Knowledge of policy, legislation and service delivery relevant to the ageing and disability fields of practice.

• Legislative frameworks: State and Federal (e.g. new Aged Care Act 2024)
•  Main policy drivers: Economic - funding models (individualized funding vs block funding)
• Concept of the consumer in a marketplace environment with choice and control
• Service delivery models – centralized at Federal level – My Aged Care, NDIS
• Theoretical, evidence based and practice frameworks that have shaped policy and practice – medical models, social disability, needs, competency models, consumer directed care.
• The ACU “Navigating the NDIS” Interdisciplinary Module (5 hours online)

Professional ethics/values - Focus on human rights and social justice

• Voices and the lived experience – from the perspective of people with disability and older people
• Key factors influencing policy and practice –
• Stigma and societal attitudes towards ageing and disability
• Within a lifespan perspective, how needs are perceived, policy developed, and structural responses delivered
• People experiencing marginalisation and vulnerability
• Ethical issues and ethically based decision-making
• Exploitation and abuse – individual, service provision and systemic levels
• Royal Commissions and recommendations, policy changes
• Capacity and consent
• Restriction of liberty and restrictive practices

Professional Skills - Focus on specific approaches relevant to the disability and ageing practice fields, assessment and advocacy/collaborative skills

• Practice approaches – Client-centred and consumer-directed care, trauma informed
• Assessment skills relating to need, capacity, mental health, risk, behavioural analysis and trauma informed
• Social work practice, planning, and negotiating outcomes with individuals and families
• Advocacy skills related to older persons and disability rights
• Capability frameworks in the disability and ageing practice fields – relevance to new graduates
• Personal Practice Framework (PPF) to develop and articulate their PPF specific to these fields of practice

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

An authentic learning and teaching strategy is used in this unit encouraging final year students to draw on their learning experiences from their first field education placement and apply their knowledge to specific fields of practice. In this unit, students will examine different policy and service delivery contexts for working with older people and people with disability and their families. Students will develop assessment skills and how to plan and evaluate their professional actions to promote change and social justice and human rights and address service users’ strengths and needs.

This unit involves 150 hours of learning delivered through a blended learning approach that combines 36 hours of lecture material and online scheduled interactive tutorials involving group discussions, skills-based and critically reflective activities supported by prescribed readings and resources, and independent study. The lectures will outline the key concepts and theoretical perspectives central to the weekly topics related to ageing and disability while the tutorial activities will afford students the opportunity to explore the concepts and related debates more deeply and develop key skills required for competent ethical social work practice. This unit also includes an interprofessional NDIS module of 5 hours of simulated learning and an online tutorial. Active participation in the activities and discussion is an essential part of learning in this unit. Engagement with academic literature will assist students to recognise, assess and respond to weekly topics.

Students are expected to take responsibility for their learning and to participate actively in discussions and the skill-based and critically reflective activities to achieve the learning outcomes. The learning strategies will prepare students to develop the fundamental skills and knowledge for ethical social work practice in the fields of ageing and disability.