Year
2023Credit points
10Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unitPrerequisites
NilTeaching organisation
A variety of learning and teaching strategies for this unit will include lectures, small group discussions, skill development workshops and LEO 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.
On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:
LO1 - Explain social work processes, models and frameworks for practice with individuals from diverse and historically marginalised backgrounds (GA1, GA5, GA8)
LO2 - Demonstrate effective written, verbal and non-verbal interpersonal communication skills with individuals from diverse and historically marginalised backgrounds (GA7, GA9)
LO3 - Demonstrate social work practice skills in engagement, assessment, planning, intervention and review (GA5, GA6, GA7, GA8)
LO4 - Critically reflect on the influence of personal values, professional values and ethics in social work practice with individuals (GA1, GA2, GA3, GA4, GA5)
Graduate attributes
GA1 - demonstrate respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity
GA2 - recognise their responsibility to the common good, the environment and society
GA3 - apply ethical perspectives in informed decision making
GA4 - think critically and reflectively
GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession
GA6 - solve problems in a variety of settings taking local and international perspectives into account
GA7 - work both autonomously and collaboratively
GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information
GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media
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 backgrounds (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 backgrounds (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
the influence of personal values on practice
cultural and diversity issues
critical reflection and reflective practice
self-care
Social Work Practice Skills
Interpersonal communication skills
understanding communication processes
communication skills with individuals from diverse and historically marginalized backgrounds
Client engagement skills
engaging with clients
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 clients
working with clients from culturally diverse backgrounds
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
strengths perspective
solution focused therapy
crisis intervention
task centered approaches
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
professional development and supervision to develop reflective practice
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
Attendance at 100% of lectures and tutorials is expected and an attendance record for lectures and tutorials will be kept. 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 and practice classes.
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 these 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, a Case Study Report and a Roleplay Skills Assessment and Reflection. The Roleplay Skills Assessment and Reflection comprises of 1) a prepared video recording of a roleplay social worker – client interview using set case scenarios, and 2) written reflection by the student of their performance in the professional interview. 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.
Overview of assessments
Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes | Graduate Attributes |
---|---|---|---|
Short Answer Quiz Enables students to demonstrate their knowledge of key concepts in the social work process | 15% | LO1, LO2 | GA1, GA5, GA7, GA8, GA9 |
Case Study Report Enables students to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of a client case study and write a social work case report informed by social work knowledge, ethics and values | 40% | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 | GA1, GA2, GA3, GA4, GA5, GA6, GA7, GA8, GA9 |
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 | GA1, GA2, GA3, GA4, GA5, GA6, GA7, GA8, GA9 |
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.