Unit Outline
HGW516
Contexts of Social Work Practice
Semester 1, 2024
Kate Vincent
School of Social Sciences
College of Arts, Law and Education
CRICOS Provider Code: 00586B
Unit Coordinator
Kate Vincent
Email: Kate.Vincent@utas.edu.au
 
What is the Unit About?
Unit Description
The unit focuses on key contexts of social work practice in the human services. By developing this understanding, you will gain knowledge of how you can practice effectively and influence these contexts to enhance outcomes for social work clients. Through a critical lens, you will examine ethical decision-making models, policy frameworks, legal and justice models and organisational theory. You will consider their relevance to contemporary human service organisations and for informing social work practice. Importantly, the unit emphasises lived experience and cultural diversity as key considerations for all practice contexts. This includes examining the need to decolonise institutional arrangements and on-the-ground practices using a diverse range of knowledge, including First Nations perspectives. Critical analysis and reflection is consistently used throughout the unit to challenge you to work respectfully with each other and in culturally relevant ways as a part of team projects. At all times, you are expected to demonstrate your commitment to professional standards that are presented in the Australian Association of Social Work (AASW) Practice Standards and the AASW Code of Ethics.
Intended Learning Outcomes
As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.
On completion of this unit, you will be able to:
1.
Appraise relational and self-reflective practices that facilitate respectful access and application of culturally relevant knowledge in social work.
2.
Experiment with creative, ethical and responsible ways of using digital technology to progress the goals of social work in all practice domains and settings
3.
Evaluate the use of ethical decision-making models by engaging in reflective practices that are culturally and professionally relevant.
4.
Recommend reforms to discriminatory social policies, laws, service systems and service delivery methods that are informed by the diverse range of lived experience knowledge.
5.
Suggest ways to resolve experiences of ethical and moral dissonance that occur in organisational, policy and legal settings that are supported by a range of knowledge sources including theoretical, research, professional and culturally relevant knowledge.
Alterations as a result of student feedback
This unit is subject to regular evaluation through the UTAS online student feedback system.
 
 
Teaching arrangements
ATTENDANCE MODE
TEACHING TYPE
LEARNING ACTIVITY
CONTACT HOURS
FREQUENCY
On Campus
Lecture (On Campus)
One hour of online learning activities (including lectures, videos, podcasts and other activities) and one hour of prescribed reading
2
Weekly
Tutorial
Weekly 2-hour face-to-face tutorials
2
Weekly
Attendance / engagement expectations
If your unit is offered On campus, it is expected that you will attend all on-campus and onsite learning activities. This is to support your own learning and the development of a learning community within the unit. If you are unable to attend regularly, please discuss the situation with your course coordinator and/or our UConnect support team.

If your unit is offered Online, it is expected you will engage in all those activities as indicated in the Unit Outline, including any self-directed learning.

If you miss a learning activity for a legitimate reason (e.g., illness, carer responsibilities) teaching staff will attempt to provide alternative activities (e.g., make up readings) where it is possible.
 
Tutorials for this unit start in Week 1. Face-to-face tutorials are held in most weeks in this unit and are of two hours duration.

Your tutorial attendance is recorded. Students attending less than 11 of 13 tutorials (including the agency visit) will be deemed ineligible for assessment in this unit. You are required to contact your unit co-ordinator or tutor to account for any tutorial absence. A medical certificate, statutory declaration and/or other supporting documentation can be required for absences. Please note that even with supporting documentation, a missed tutorial is counted as an absence. You are expected to be punctual and a pattern of lateness will be considered absence. Students are strongly recommended to maintain a record of their tutorial attendance in order to ensure that they meet attendance requirements and continue to be eligible to submit work in the unit.
Students who have not met the attendance requirements in this unit will be notified towards the end of the semester that they are no longer eligible to submit work or be assessed. This necessarily means a fail result (NN). Please note that even where there is cause for extended absence, due to serious illness for instance, students will still be considered ineligible for assessment if they have not attended a sufficient number of tutorials. In some cases (sufficient medical documentation for instance) they may be able to apply to withdraw from the unit without penalty. If you are concerned that you may not be able to attend enough tutorials, please discuss the issue with your unit coordinator.
In this unit your active engagement will be monitored in the following way:
1. You have accessed MyLO for this unit by the end of Week 1; and
2. You have attended sufficient tutorials by the end of Week 3 to be on-track to meet the tutorial attendance requirement specified above.
 
 
How will I be Assessed?
 
For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.
Assessment schedule
ASSESSMENT TASK #
ASSESSMENT TASK NAME
DATE DUE
WEIGHT
LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:
Develop and respond to a social work ethical dilemma
Week 4
30 %
LO1, LO3, LO5
Assessment Task 2:
Written summary of agency visit
Week 8
30 %
LO1, LO4, LO5
Assessment Task 3:
Blog post of social policy analysis
Week 12
40 %
LO1, LO2, LO4, LO5
 
Assessment details
    
Assessment Task 1: Develop and respond to a social work ethical dilemma
Task Description:
Develop and respond to an ethical dilemma using and ethical decision-making model. This is a written task undertaken independently (1200 words).

Task Length:
1200 words
Due Date:
Week 4 (22/Mar/2024)
Weight:
30 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Develop a social work case study which presents an ethical dilemma (20%)
LO1
2
Apply and evaluate knowledge of the inclusive ethical decision-making model to a case study (60%)
LO3, LO5
3
Communicate in accordance with academic and professional standards (20%)
LO1
 
Assessment Task 2: Written summary of agency visit
Task Description:
Written summary of agency visit

Task Length:
1200 words
Due Date:
Week 8 (26/Apr/2024)
Weight:
30 %
 
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Explain the work of the organisation (20%)
LO1, LO5
2
Suggest ways to reform or strengthen key contexts to support positive service user outcomes (20%)
LO5
3
Part B- Individual Written Summary: Analyse how key contexts impact clients and workers in the organisation (20%)
LO1, LO5
4
Detail how lived experience knowledge does, or could better inform the work of the organisation (20%)
LO4, LO5
5
Communicate in writing in accordance with academic and professional standards (20%)
LO1
 
Assessment Task 3: Blog post of social policy analysis
Task Description:
Develop a blog post of a social policy analysis. This is a written task undertaken independently (1500 words).

Task Length:
1500 words
Due Date:
Week 12 (24/May/2024)
Weight:
40 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Use and evaluate a diverse range of knowledge to inform your policy analysis (20%)
LO4, LO5
2
Analyse the social policy using the framework provided (30%)
LO1, LO4, LO5
3
Recommend alternative policy approaches to better align with human rights and social justice (20%)
LO1, LO4, LO5
4
Communicate in accordance with academic and professional standards in the form of a blog post (30%)
LO1, LO2
 
 
 
How your final result is determined
To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes.
To be eligible to pass this unit, you need to:
• Attempt or submit each assessment task
• Achieve an overall minimum mark of 50% in order to pass this unit. You do not need to pass every assessment task to achieve a pass in the unit
• Attend the required number of tutorials
 
Submission of assignments
Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.
 
Requests for extensions
If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.
 
A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.
 
The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.
Late penalties
Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.
 
Review of results and appeals
You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.
 
 
 
Required Resources
Required reading materials
You can access the Reading List for this unit from the link in MyLO, or by going to the Reading Lists page on the University Library website.
The list of weekly readings (book chapters and journal articles) is provided below. Required readings must be completed prior to that week’s tutorial.
 
Week 1         
Required:
Morley, C., Ablett, P., & Macfarlane, S. (2019). The critical potential of social work. In Engaging with social work: A critical introduction (2nd ed., pp. 1-32). Port Melbourne: Cambridge University Press.
Week 2         
Required:
McAuliffe, D., Boddy, J., & Chenoweth, L., (2023). Locating the lighthouse: Values and ethics in practice. The road to social work and human service practice (7th ed., pp. 53-82). South Melbourne: Cengage Learning
Australian Association of Social Workers. (2020). Code of Ethics. Australian Association of Social Workers. Retrieved from http://www.aasw.asn.au/practitioner-resources/code-of-ethics.   
Australian Association of Social Workers. (2016). Mandatory Reporting and Working with Children and Families. Retrieved from https://www.aasw.asn.au/document/item/2355.
Recommended/Optional:
Australian Institute of Family Studies. (2023). Mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect: CFCA Resource Sheet — August 2023. Retrieved from https://aifs.gov.au/resources/resource-sheets/mandatory-reporting-child-abuse-and-neglect
Week 3         
Required:
Gough, J., & Spencer, E. (2019). Ethical social work practice in the technological era. In S.M. Marson, Jr Robert., & R.E. McKinney. (Eds.). The Routledge Handbook of Social Work Ethics and Values (pp. 251 - 256), Taylor & Francis.
Boddy, J., & Dominelli, L. (2017). Social media and social work: The challenges of a new ethical space. Australian Social Work, 70(2), 172-184. 
Week 4         
Required:
Reamer, F.G. (2019). Boundary issues and dual relationships in social work (Eds.). The Routledge Handbook of Social Work Ethics and Values (pp. 157-163), Taylor & Francis.
Green, S. (2018) Aboriginal people and caring within a colonised society. In B. Pease, A. Vreugdenhil & S. Stanford (Eds.). Critical ethics of care in social work: Transforming the politics and practices of caring. (pp. 139-146). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.  
Week 5         
Required:
Ozanne, E., & Rose, D. (2013). The changing context of human service practice. In The organisational context of human service practice (pp. 1-16). South Yarra, Victoria: Palgrave Macmillan.
 Bennett, B., & Zubrzycki, J. (2003). Hearing the stories of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social workers: Challenging and educating the system. Australian Social Work, 56(1), 61–70.
Recommended/Optional:
Okun, T. (1999). White supremacy culture. Retrieved from: https://www.whitesupremacyculture.info/uploads/4/3/5/7/43579015/okun_-_white_sup_culture_2020.pdf.   
Harris, J. (2015) (Against) Neoliberal social work. Critical and Radical Social Work, 2(1), 7–22.
Week 6         
Required:
Thorn, P., Hill, N., Lamblin, M., The, Z., Battersby-Coulter, R., Rice, S., Bendall, S., Gibson, K., Finlay, S., Blandon, R., de Souza, L., West, A., Cooksey, A., Sciglitano, J., Goodrich, S., & Robinson, J. (2020). Developing a Suicide Prevention Social Media Campaign with Young People (The #Chatsafe Project): Co-Design Approach. JMIR Ment Health, 7(5) e18626.
Black, B., Hendry, B., Conley Wright, A., Collings, S. (2023) Co-Design with People with Lived Experience: Designing Resources to Communicate with Children and Young People in Care about their Family Time Contact Visits, The British Journal of Social Work, 53(3) 1352–1367. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcac235
Week 7         
Required:
Humphreys, C., Healey, L., Kirkwood, D., & Nicholson, D. (2018). Children living with domestic violence: A differential response through multi-agency collaboration. Australian Social Work, 71(2), 162-174.
Taylor, K. P., Bessarab, D., Hunter, L. & Thompson, S. C. (2023). Aboriginal-mainstream partnerships: exploring the challenges and enhancers of a collaborative service arrangement for Aboriginal clients with substance use issues, BMC Health Services Research, 13(12) 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-13-12
Week 8         
Required:
Carson, E., & Kerr, L. (2020). Fundamental debates in social policy. In Australian social policy and the human services (3rd ed., pp. 11-38). Melbourne: Cambridge University Press.
Week 9         
Required:
McClelland, A., & Marston, G. (2020). A framework for understanding and action. In A. McClelland, P. Smyth., & Marston, G. (Eds.), Social policy in Australia: Understanding for action (4th ed., pp. 41-74). South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
Week 10       
Required:
O’Connor, D., Thomas, E., White, K., & Morley, C. (2016). The challenges, triumphs and learning from participating in an Australian social work students’ activist group. Critical and Radical Social Work, 4(2), 289-99.
Week 11       
Required:
Swain, P. (2018). Why social work and the law? In S. Rice, A. Day, & L. Briskman (Eds.), Social work in the shadow of the law (5th ed., pp. 2-8). Sydney: The Federation Press.
Nipperess, S., & Williams, C. (2019). The ethical, legal and policy context of critical multicultural practice. In S. Nipperess & C. Williams (Eds.), Critical multicultural practice: New perspectives and practices (pp. 50-65). NSW, Australia: Allen & Unwin.
Week 12       
Required:
Taylor, A., & Frost, A. (2017). Social work and the justice system. In M. Connolly, L. Harms, & J. Maidment (Eds.), Social work contexts and practice (4th ed., pp. 235-249). South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
Week 13       
Required:
Fernando, N., & Ranasinghe, P. (2023). Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Social Work: Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations. Journal of Computational Social Dynamics, 8(9), 13-24. Retrieved from https://vectoral.org/index.php/JCSD/article/view/35.
 
Recommended reading materials
The following texts will be helpful in expanding your learning in this unit (they are available through the UTAS library, so you do not need to purchase them):
  • McAuliffe, D., Boddy, J., & Chenoweth, L., (2023). The road to social work and human service practice (7th ed.). South Melbourne: Cengage Learning
  • Morley, C., Ablett, P., & Macfarlane, S. (2019). Engaging with social work: A critical introduction (2nd ed.). Port Melbourne: Cambridge University Press.
  • Carson, E., & Kerr, L. (2020). Australian social policy and the human services (3rd ed.). Melbourne: Cambridge University Press.
  • Connolly, M., Harms, L., & Maidment, J. (Eds.). (2017). Social work contexts and practice (4th ed.). South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
  • McClelland, A., Smyth, P., & Marston, G (Eds.). (2020). Social policy in Australia: Understanding for action (4th ed.). South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
  • Pease, B., Vreugdenhil, A., & Stanford, S. (Eds.). (2018). Critical ethics of care in social work: Transforming the politics and practices of caring. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.  
  • Rice, S., Day, A., & Briskman, L. (Eds.). (2018). Social work in the shadow of the law (5th ed.). Sydney: The Federation Press.
 
Other required resources