Unit rationale, description and aim
All social workers can expect to work with children, young people and families, whether they practice directly with clients, or are in advocacy, policy, community development, or research roles.
In this unit, students will be provided with the knowledge and skills to practice competently and ethically as social workers with children, young people and families from diverse backgrounds, in different contexts. The unit revises knowledge of developmental stages and analyses the progress of social work practice with families and children through consideration of a number of theories and models. The unit includes development of advanced knowledge and skills in working directly with children, young people and families including working with families at various points in family and life stages. Emphasis is given to the principles of collaborative practice, strengths based practice, child and family centred practice, and child safety and protection.
This unit will provide students with an essential area of competency, as outlined by the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW), in working with children, young people and families. The aim of this unit is to provide an evidence informed theoretical foundation as well as the development of ethical skills for future social work practice in the area of child and adolescent wellbeing and protection, and for working collaboratively with families.
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.
Examine and discuss issues experienced by children...
Learning Outcome 01
Apply knowledge of social work ethics in practice ...
Learning Outcome 02
Assess and respond effectively to complexities of ...
Learning Outcome 03
Apply understanding of the use of self and use of ...
Learning Outcome 04
Apply a wide range of advanced assessment and inte...
Learning Outcome 05
Content
Topics will include:
Specialised knowledge
- Theories of childhood, development, adolescence and family
- Systems
- Child protection/safety, including knowledge of state based legislation and relevant mandatory reporting requirements
- Family and domestic violence
Practice theories and approaches
- Solution focused approaches
- Child centred practice
- Family centred practice
- Collaborative practice and pro social modelling
- Psychodynamic theory
- Attachment
- Crisis Intervention
- Post-structural approaches (Narrative, Strengths)
- Practice frameworks which are informed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural knowledge and perspectives
Contemporary contexts of practice with children, young people and families
- Culturally diverse context of families
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, children and young people
Ethics
- Social work ethics, social justice and human rights framework in work with families, children and young people
Skill development
- Effective communication skills in conducting assessment and intervention
- Critically reflective use of self
Assessment strategy and rationale
This unit takes an authentic assessment approach enabling students to engage with relevant practice scenarios. The assessments are designed to give students the opportunity to develop their knowledge of social work theories, skills in critical reflection of self and holistic assessment and intervention with children, young people and their families.
Ungraded Hurdle Task (Discussion forum post) requires students to engage with a key reading from the unit regarding social work practice with families and present this information in a coherent and professional manner to their colleagues.
Assessment Task 1 is a quiz. After viewing a recording of a social work session, students will be quizzed on their ability to identify practice theory approaches.
Assessment Task 2 is a written report based on a Practice Analysis.
In Assessment 3, students are to prepare a 20 minute E Presentation in case discussion style. Students will be required to assess client needs and respond with appropriate strategies and case planning. Students are required to demonstrate and apply knowledge of relevant theory to assessing needs and developing an intervention plan for a complex family scenario with children. They are also required to reflect on ethical issues, as well as professional and personal values when responding to the case study, ensuring a thoughtful approach to practice that can manage bias, consider alternative perspectives, and assess and respond to risk.
In order to pass this unit students must demonstrate achievement of every unit learning outcome, pass hurdle tasks, and obtain a minimum mark of 50% in graded units.
Overview of assessments
Hurdle Task - Discussion Board post – Enables stu...
Hurdle Task - Discussion Board post – Enables students to engage with a key reading from the unit and share this in an online discussion forum.
Hurdle Task
Assessment Task 1 Practice Analysis Quiz Critique...
Assessment Task 1
Practice Analysis Quiz Critique of a session - Enables students to further develop their ability to analyse an engagement session, assess client needs and respond with appropriate strategies and case planning.
30%
Assessment Task 2 Written Report based on Practic...
Assessment Task 2
Written Report based on Practice Analysis - Enables students to identify and develop the key social work skills necessary for conducting social work assessments and interventions with families.
30%
Assessment Task 3 E Presentation Students choose ...
Assessment Task 3
E Presentation Students choose one of several case studies, and deliver a non-synchronous oral presentation in the form of a case presentation. Students are required to demonstrate and apply knowledge of relevant theory to assessing needs and developing an intervention plan for a complex family scenario with children
40%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit involves 150 hours of learning. It will be delivered in an online mode using an active learning approach. Students will have access to self-paced learning modules, contemporary literature, multi-media resources and collaborative discussion forums. Real-world examples of practice with children, young people and families will be provided by a range of practitioners. Online discussion forums will facilitate learning by sharing critical reflections with a focus on case-based learning relating to social work with children and families. This flexible and inclusive learning approach will allow students to meet the aim, learning outcomes and graduate attributes of the unit, as well as professional practice standards.
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