Unit rationale, description and aim

Social work practice involves the purposeful use of knowledge to enable effective helping in a range of different fields of practice and settings, including with different client groups. The aim of this final year unit is for students to identify different sources of knowledge for effective social work practice, with an emphasis on including client perspectives. In consolidating understanding of the diversity of social work practice, students will articulate their own personal-professional practice framework in readiness for their future social work employment.

2026 10

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  • Term Mode
  • Semester 1Campus Attendance
  • Term Mode
  • Semester 1Campus Attendance
  • Term Mode
  • Semester 1Campus 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.

Identify different sources of best practice knowle...

Learning Outcome 01

Identify different sources of best practice knowledge used in social work, and assess the usefulness of information from these sources for applied social work interventions
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC8, GC9

Locate and evaluate practice evidence in a specifi...

Learning Outcome 02

Locate and evaluate practice evidence in a specific field of practice
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC3, GC7, GC9, GC10

Critically engage with service user and practition...

Learning Outcome 03

Critically engage with service user and practitioner perspectives on the planning and delivery of social work services
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC4, GC6

Analyse current debates and challenges confronting...

Learning Outcome 04

Analyse current debates and challenges confronting social work service delivery and the application of practice evidence in the articulation of a personal-professional practice framework
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC2, GC5, GC7, GC8, GC11, GC12

Evaluate the impact of various cultural and struct...

Learning Outcome 05

Evaluate the impact of various cultural and structural factors on the provision of best practice social work
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC6, GC7, GC8

Content

Topics will include:


Best practice in social work

  • Evidence based practice: history, critical perspectives and application to social work
  • Evidence based practice vs. evidence informed practice
  • Linear vs. developmental models
  • Sources of empirical evidence for ‘what works’: systematic reviews and scoping reviews, quasi-experimental trials, program and service evaluation; client and practitioner engaged research.
  • Theoretical approaches to the use of evidence in social work


Applying skills for researching best practice evidence to a field of practice

  • Developing a best practice question: converting your information need about a practice framework or intervention into an answerable question.
  • Tracking down the best evidence to answer the question
  • Critically appraise evidence for its validity and usefulness in specific practice setting and client group 
  • Knowledge translation: Critical and ethical appraisal with client's strengths, values circumstances.

Fields of Practice that students may choose from to demonstrate best practice research skills include:

  • Health and Ageing
  • Disability
  • Domestic and family violence
  • International social work
  • Working with LGBTQI groups
  • Community justice/ youth justice
  • Rural and remote practice for social workers
  • Practice in the time of crisis and change


Social Work Practice Frameworks and interventions

  • Case management
  • Crisis intervention
  • Family mediation
  • Prevention frameworks
  • Community based interventions
  • Consumer participation
  • Ethical decision making
  • Empowerment and advocacy
  • Trauma informed practice


Developing a personal-professional practice framework

Assessment strategy and rationale

This unit takes an authentic assessment approach that will allow students to consolidate their skills and knowledge for graduate social work practice.

The Hurdle Task is ungraded. Students are required to submit their certificate of completion for an online NDIS interprofessional learning module, external to ACU.

Assessment 1 (Individual assignment) requires students to identify a field of practice of their interest followed by identification of particular practice question, and its significance for effective social work practice. 

Assessment 2 (Annotated bibliography) will assess students’ ability to identify three different practice evidence sources for their chosen topic. 

Assessment 3 (Reflective assignment- individual presentation) requires students to demonstrate their learning about identifying best practice evidence for their chosen field of practice topic, with requirement students critically reflect on the value of client perspectives, self and professional identity through the articulation of your personal-professional practice framework.  

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

Overview of assessments

Ungraded Hurdle - NDIS interprofessional learning...

Ungraded Hurdle - NDIS interprofessional learning module

Attendance at, and completion of, the NDIS interprofessional learning module. Upload of Certificate of Completion required.

Weighting

Pass/Fail

Individual Assignment: Brief assignment task req...

Individual Assignment: Brief assignment task requiring students to identify a field of practice of their interest followed by identification of particular practice question, and its significance for effective social work practice.

Weighting

20%

Learning Outcomes LO2, LO4

Annotated bibliography: Task requiring identific...

Annotated bibliography: Task requiring identification and summary of three different evidence sources for chosen practice intervention topic/ field of practice.

Weighting

40%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO4

Reflective assignment: In-class presentation ena...

Reflective assignment: In-class presentation enables students to synthesise their learning in the unit through the articulation of a personal-professional practice framework in the chosen topic area that incorporates critical reflection on self, client and practitioner perspectives, sources of knowledge and the relevance to best practice and critical reflection on self and professional identity.

Weighting

40%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

This unit involves 150 hours of learning with a combination of face-to-face lectures and interactive skill-building tutorials. Students are encouraged to bring their own device to class to support skill development in sourcing best practice evidence. Interactive tutorials incorporate small group reflective and skills exercises to allow students to link social work knowledge and ethics with their emerging personal-professional practice framework.

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

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

    management

    Relevant learning outcomeLO4

  • Relating to

    Are aware of the diversity among, and differences between, Aboriginal and Torres

    Strait Islander cultures throughout Australia

    Relevant learning outcomeLO5

  • Relating to

    Respect the knowledge and lived experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

    peoples, and privilege their voices

    Relevant learning outcomeLO5

  • Relating to

    Adopt appropriate cultural and communication protocols

    Relevant learning outcomeLO5

  • 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, LO4, LO5

  • Relating to

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

    upheld

    Relevant learning outcomeLO5

  • Relating to

    Support action to enable people to live a life free of abuse, neglect, exploitation and

    violence

    Relevant learning outcomeLO3, LO5

  • Relating to

    Promote public policy initiatives aimed at eliminating structural and systemic

    inequities experienced by people

    Relevant learning outcomeLO4, LO5

  • Relating to

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

    and diversity

    Relevant learning outcomeLO4, LO5

  • Relating to

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

    diversity

    Relevant learning outcomeLO3, LO4

  • Relating to

    Respectfully engage with people who have culturally diverse identities

    Relevant learning outcomeLO3, LO5

  • Relating to

    Adapt and modify their practice on the basis of a critical awareness of how their

    personal values, cultures and beliefs impact on their interactions with people

    Relevant learning outcomeLO4, LO5

  • Relating to

    Articulate and promote the unique scope and contribution of social work to the

    people they serve, including within interdisciplinary settings

    Relevant learning outcomeLO1, LO2, LO3

  • Relating to

    Be active learners, open to new and emerging knowledge, research and evidence

    informing their practice

    Relevant learning outcomeLO1, LO2

Representative texts and references

Representative texts and references

Alston, McCurdy, S., & McKinnon, J. (2018). Social Work: Fields of Practice (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.

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

Australian Association of Social Workers (2023) Practice standards. AASW: North Melbourne.

Chenoweth, & McAuliffe, D. (2022). The Road to Social Work and Human Service Practice (6th ed.). Cengage Learning Australia. 

Connolly, M., Harms, L., & Healy, K. (2017). Social Work: Contexts and Practice (4th ed). Oxford University Press. 

Dunk-West, P. (2018). How to be a Social Worker: A Critical Guide for Students. (2nd ed.). Palgrave.

Fook, J. (2022). Social Work: A critical approach to practice (4rd ed.). Sage. 

Horsell, C. (2025). Utopian Thinking and Social Work. Routledge.

Plath, D. (2017) Engaging Human Services with evidence-informed practice. NASW Press.

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