Year
2024Credit points
10Campus offering
Prerequisites
NilTeaching organisation
A variety of learning and teaching strategies for this unit will include lectures, small group discussions, skill development workshops and Canvas online activities.
Unit rationale, description and aim
Social workers engage and facilitate change with individuals who are experiencing complex issues in their lives, requiring effective and sensitive communication skills. In this unit, students are introduced to the social work process that includes engagement, assessment, planning, intervention and review and to practice theory and frameworks for practice with individuals. Students are also encouraged to develop interpersonal communication skills through experiential learning. Ethical principles and values that underpin social work practice with individuals are explored through examples of ethical issues that confront practitioners. The aim of this unit is to prepare students for social work practice with individuals in a way that is informed by social work values, ethics, knowledge and skills.
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 | Explain social work processes, models and frameworks for practice with individuals from diverse and historically marginalised communities. | GC1, GC2, GC9 |
| LO2 | Demonstrate effective written, verbal and non-verbal interpersonal communication skills with individuals from diverse and historically marginalised communities. | GC3, GC9, GC11, GC12 |
| LO3 | Demonstrate social work practice skills in engagement, assessment, planning, intervention and review | GC1, GC2, GC4, GC7, GC8 |
| LO4 | Critically reflect on the influence of personal values, professional values and ethics in social work practice with individuals | GC6, GC7, GC8 |
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
Values and ethics |
Professionalism |
Culturally responsive and inclusive practice |
Knowledge for Practice |
Applying knowledge to practice |
Communication and Interpersonal skills |
Information recording and sharing |
Professional development and supervision |
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 |
|---|---|
3.1 Work inclusively and respectfully with cultural difference and diversity 4.4 Understand and articulate how and when theories, knowledge bases and knowledge sources inform practice. 5.3 Use a range of specific social work methods and techniques appropriate to area of practice. | LO1. Explain social work processes, models and frameworks with individuals from diverse and historically marginalised communities. (GA1, GA5, GA8) |
6.1 Communicate with a diverse range of people 6.2 Communicate the details and nature of the service offered to people 7.1 Record and manage information appropriately | LO2. Demonstrate effective written, verbal and non-verbal interpersonal communication skills with individuals from diverse and historically marginalised communities. (GA7, GA9) |
5.1 Assess and analyse needs to inform practice 5.3 Use a range of social work methods and techniques appropriate to the area of practice 5.4 Apply critical and reflective thinking to practice | LO3. Demonstrate social work practice skills in engagement, assessment, planning, intervention and review |
1.1 Practice in accordance with the AASW Code of Ethics 2.1 Represent the social work profession with integrity and professionalism 2.2 Behave in a professional manner and be accountable for all actions and decisions 5.4 Apply critical and reflective thinking to practice | LO4. Critically reflect on the influence of personal values, professional values and ethics in social work practice with individuals; (GA1, GA2, GA3, GA4, GA5) |
Content
Topics will include:
Social Work Processes in Working with Individuals
- Anti-oppressive practice
- Cultural and diversity issues
- Critical reflection and reflective practice
- The influence of personal values on practice
- Self-care
Social Work Practice Skills
- Interpersonal communication skills
- Understanding communication processes
- Communication skills with individuals from diverse and historically marginalized communities
Client engagement skills with service users
- Engaging with service users
- Worker qualities that enhance engagement
- Tasks of engagement
- Rapport building
- Empathy and reflection of feeling
- Reflection of content skills
- Active and reflective listening
- Working with involuntary service users
- Working with clients from culturally diverse communities
Social work assessment
- Assessment skills - questioning, summarizing, paraphrasing, gathering and interpreting information.
- Assessment tools
- Genograms
- Ecomaps
- culturagrams
- road maps
- Multi-dimensional assessment
- Biopsychosocial assessment
- Strengths based assessment
- Risk assessment
Intervention planning skills
- Understanding the change process
- Collaborative goal setting
- Planning for endings
- Evaluation and termination
Practice Models
- Task centered approaches
- Crisis intervention
- Strengths perspective
- Solution focused approach
- Critical approaches, empowerment and advocacy
- Cultural responsiveness
Ethical Practice
- Professional values - respect and social justice principles in professional practice with individuals
- Practice competency and professionalism
- Professional boundaries and dual relationships
- Conflicts of interest
- Ethical issues and ethical dilemmas in social work practice
- Information recording and sharing
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit prepares student for direct and face to face communication, relationship building, assessment and report writing with clients in the social work practice setting. The unit encourages student development in self-awareness, written and verbal reflection on practice social work assessment and synthesis and analysis of information. Therefore, teaching and learning strategies for this unit include lectures, small group discussions and skill development workshops, including roleplay and reflection on practice activities. This unit is a pre-requisite to SWTP333 Social Work Field Education 1.
This unit encourages the development of students’ professional identity, and use of self in the professional context, using written and verbal reflection exercises.
This unit is delivered in an attendance mode on campus. This unit is structured in three modules with different learning and teaching activities that are designed specifically in each module to support student learning. Each module builds on the next and is designed to reflect the actual process of working with an individual client or service user in a social work practice context.
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 lectures and the skill development and practice tutorials.
An attendance record for weekly lectures and tutorials will be kept.
Reasons why attendance is required
In tutorials, 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.
Assessment strategy and rationale
A range of assessment procedures will be used to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes consistent with University assessment requirements. These include a Short Answer Quiz, an Interview Plan and a Roleplay Skills Assessment and Reflection. The Roleplay Skills Assessment and Reflection comprises of 1) Part A - a prepared video recording of a roleplay social worker – client interview using set case scenarios, and 2) Part B - a written reflection by the student of their performance in the professional interview. Submission of both Parts A and B are required. The assessment tasks are designed as authentic social work tasks in which students demonstrate the reflective, analytic and practice skills that will be required of them when undertaking field placements.
To pass this unit, you are required to meet the attendance and assessment requirements. You are required to obtain a minimum mark of 50% and pass the Roleplay Skills Assessment. The Roleplay Skills Assessment is a compulsory assessment in this unit which you must pass to pass the unit and to be able to undertake field practicum. Should a student fail the role-play exam they will be offered a second chance to take the role-play exam. This is an opportunity to achieve a Pass (PA) grade for the assessment by demonstrating satisfactory attainment of each learning outcome.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
Short Answer Quiz Enables students to demonstrate their knowledge of key concepts in the social work process | 15% | LO1, LO2 |
Interview Plan Enables students to prepare an initial service user interview informed by social work knowledge, ethics, and values. | 40% | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 |
Roleplay Skills Assessment and Reflection Enables students to demonstrate social work practice skills in undertaking an interview with a client and to reflect critically about their own interview performance. | 45% | LO2, LO3, LO4 |
Representative texts and references
Bolton, G. (2010). Reflective practice: Writing and professional development. London, UK: Sage.
Chenoworth, L & McAuliffe, D (2017). The Road to Social Work and Human Service Practice (5th ed.). Melbourne, Vic. Cengage Learning
Coulshed, V., & Orme, J. (2012). Social work practice (5th ed.). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Dudgeon, P., Milroy, H., Walker, R. (Eds.) (2014) Working Together: Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslander Mental Health and Wellbeing Principles and Practice (2nd ed.). Commonwealth of Australia
Harms, L., (2015). Working with People – Communication Skills for Reflective Practice. (2nd Ed.), South Melbourne: Oxford University Press
Healy, K. (2012). Social work methods and skills. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Ling, H.K., Martin, J., & Ow, R. (2014). Cross-cultural social work local and global. South Yarra, Victoria: Palgrave Macmillan.
Lishman, J. (2015). Handbook for practice learning in social work and social care. Knowledge and theory (3rd ed.). London; Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Maidment, J. & Egan, R. (Eds.). (2016). Practice Skills in Social Work and Welfare: More than just common sense (3rd Ed.). Crows Nest: Allen and Unwin.
Oelofsen, N. (2012). Developing reflective practice. London, UK: Lanten.
O’Hara, A., & Pockett, R. (2011). Skills for Human Service Practice: Working with Individuals, Groups and Communities. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press
Trevithick, P. (2012). Social work skills and knowledge: A practice handbook (3rd ed.). Maidenhead Berkshire, UK: Open University Press/McGraw-Hill.
Walker, S., & Beckett, C. (2011). Social work assessment and intervention (2nd ed.). London, UK: Russell House Publishing.