Unit Outline
HGW527
Communication and Assessment Skills in Social Work
Semester 1, 2026
Justin Canty
Social Work Program
Health (Portfolio)
CRICOS Provider Code: 00586B
Unit Coordinator
Justin Canty
Email: Justin.canty@utas.edu.au
 
What is the Unit About?
Unit Description
In Communication and Assessment Skills in Social Work, you will develop and extend culturally responsive, decolonising approaches to professional social work practice skills for working with people. Skills and techniques grounded in relational, strengths-based approaches and social justice principles are applied to interpersonal practices of interviewing and to written communication, including documentation. Building on key themes of deep listening and critical self-awareness, this unit focuses on developing communication and analytic skills for exploring and responding to people’s needs in a variety of settings. 
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
Apply ethical methods of communicating in professional settings that are respectful, collaborative and culturally responsive.
2
Maximise opportunities for inclusive, collaborative, and detailed social work assessments through highly effective interpersonal communication skills within a relational approach.
3
Appraise how social work practices, including writing and documentation, meld analysis with empathy for client contexts.
4
Suggest ways to improve social work interpersonal and documentation practices that can contribute to decolonising social work in local, national and international contexts.
Alterations as a result of student feedback
As always, the teaching team will greatly appreciate your feedback both informally during the delivery of the unit in 2026, and formally through the University of Tasmania’s Unit Survey following your completion of the unit. Improvements have been made to this unit in response to student feedback and formal university course review, including changes to assessment tasks and updates to the learning activities on MyLO and in tutorials.
 
 
Teaching arrangements
ATTENDANCE MODE
TEACHING TYPE
LEARNING ACTIVITY
CONTACT HOURS
FREQUENCY
On Campus
Blended Learning
Online learning activities, including lecture and other self-directed exercises.
1
Weekly
Tutorial
Tutorial/workshop
2
Weekly
Independent Learning
Required reading designated on Reading List.
1
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 or includes online activities, it is expected you will engage in all those activities as indicated in the Unit Outline or MyLO, 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.
 
There is an 80% attendance requirement for tutorials in this unit to ensure you meet accreditation requirements.
 
 
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:
Written assignment
Week 5
20 %
LO1, LO4
Assessment Task 2:
Video recorded interview 30 minutes
Week 9
50 %
LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 3:
Written assignment
Week 12
30 %
LO1, LO2, LO3
 
Assessment details
Assessment Task 1: Written assignment
Task Description:
Written assignment 1500 words.
Task Length:
1500 words
Due Date:
Week 5
Weight:
20 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Critically analyse impacts of prevailing assumptions about communication and their relevance for developing professional social work interpersonal skills in response to provided prompt.
LO1
2
Critically evaluate social work interpersonal skills and suggest improvements to social work practice for decolonising, using the provided prompt for examples.
LO4
3
Communicate your ideas in writing with reference to professional, cultural and academic contexts and standards.
LO1
 
Assessment Task 2: Video recorded interview 30 minutes
Task Description:
Video recorded interview 30 mins

This is a HURDLE Task and must be passed to pass the unit.
Task Length:
30 minutes
Due Date:
Week 9
Weight:
50 %
 
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Demonstrate skillful and balanced use of key components of a social work interview consistent with respectful, collaborative, and culturally responsive practice.
LO1, LO2, LO3
2
Demonstrate highly effective use of culturally responsive and professional social work interpersonal skills throughout the interview.
LO1, LO2
3
Demonstrate skills for maximising engagement with client leading to a collaborative and comprehensive shared understanding of client concerns consistent with a decolonising approach to social work practice.
LO2, LO3
 
Assessment Task 3: Written assignment
Task Description:
Written assignment 2000 words
Task Length:
2000 words
Due Date:
Week 12
Weight:
30 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Critically analyse professional interpersonal skills demonstrated in video-recorded interview, making effective use of relevant literature to support analysis.
LO3
2
Apply critical self-awareness in sophisticated evaluation of demonstrated skills applying relational approach and decolonising social work practice.
LO2
3
Develop plan for skills improvement grounded in critical analysis of skills demonstrated in video-recorded interview.
LO1
4
Demonstrate clear, concise, and empathic documentation skills that provides specific response to client circumstances/situation in video-recorded interview.
LO3
5
Communicate your ideas in writing with reference to professional, cultural and academic contexts and standards.
LO1
 
 
 
How your final result is determined
To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.
Academic progress review
The results for this unit may be included in a review of your academic progress. For information about progress reviews and what they mean for all students, see Academic Progress Review in the Student Portal.
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.
Academic integrity
Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see Important Guidelines & Support.
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
All required readings are available on the unit Reading List. The Reading List has been structured into weekly sections for ease of use. 
You will need regular access to the following text:
Maidment, J., Egan, R., Tudor, R., and Nipperess, S. 2022. Practice skills in social work and welfare: More than just common sense (4th edition). Routledge.

The Library has copies of the ebook for you to access. You are able to download sections as PDF files for offline use. Links to all required reading sections appear in the Reading List.
You may choose to purchase the book if you wish, however this is optional. There are paperback and ebook versions available through Booktopia. 
 
 
Recommended reading materials
Recommended readings are available on the unit Reading List.
 
Other required resources
You will need access to a suitable device to do an audiovisual recording of an interview. Suitable devices could include a digital video camera, a computer with a webcam and microphone, a mobile phone, or a tablet.