WELF4001 Contemporary Social Work Practice Assignment

1 About Contemporary Social Work Practice

1.1 An Introduction to this Subject

This subject provides a forum in which students can examine contemporary issues that impact social work practice. The use of technology in social work practice and its implications for clients and practitioners; the exploration of culturally and spiritually sensitive and creative approaches to social work practice; and human rights based practice. Students are encouraged to take a critical best practice approach, identifying the best aspects of social work practice and seeking to replicate it. There is a particular emphasis on applying this approach to child wellbeing and protection, mental health and work with Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islander groups.

1.2 What is Expected of You

Study Load

A student is expected to study an hour per credit point a week. For example a 10 credit point Subject would require 10 hours of study per week. This time includes the time spent within classes during lectures, tutorials or practicals.

Note for Summer Terms: As Summer subjects deliver the same content and classes over a shorter period of time, the subjects are run in a more intensive mode. Regardless of the delivery mode, the study hours for each subject in Summer A will be around 22 hours; in Summer B, around 30 hours.

Attendance

It is strongly recommended that students attend all scheduled learning activities to support their learning.

Online Learning Requirements

Subject materials will be made available on the Subjects vUWS (E-Learning) site (https://vuws.westernsydney. edu.au/). You are expected to consult vUWS at least twice a week, as all Subject announcements will be made via vUWS. Teaching and learning materials will be regularly updated and posted online by the teaching team.

Special Requirements

• Essential Equipment:
• Legislative Prerequisites:

Policies Related to Teaching and Learning

The University has a number of policies that relate to teaching and learning. Important policies affecting students include:

1. Assessment Policy
2. Bullying Prevention Policy and
3. Guidelines
4. Enrolment Policy
5. Examinations Policy
6. Review of Grade Policy
7. Sexual Harassment Prevention Policy
8. Disruption to Studies Policy
9. Student Misconduct Rule
10. Teaching and Learning - Fundamental Code
11. Student Code of Conduct

Academic Integrity and Student Misconduct Rule

Western cares about your success as a student and in your future career. Studying with academic integrity safeguards your professional reputation and your degree. All Western students must:

• be familiar with the policies listed above;
• apply principles of academic integrity;
• act honestly and ethically in producing all academic work and assessment tasks; and
• submit work that is their own and acknowledge any sources used in their work.

Each time you submit an assessment, you will declare that you have completed it individually, unless it is a group assignment. In the case of a group assignment, each group member should be ready to document their individual contribution if needed. You will also declare that no part of your submission has been:

• copied from any other students work or from any other source except where appropriate acknowledgement is made in the assignment;
• submitted by you in another (previous or current) assessment, except where appropriately acknowledged, and with prior permission from the Subject Coordinator;
• made available to others in any form, where individual work is required;
• written/produced for you by any other person.

The Student Misconduct Rule applies to all students of Western Sydney University including Western Sydney University programs taught by other education providers. You must not engage in academic, research or general misconduct as defined in the Rule or you may be subject to sanctions. The University considers submitting falsified documentation in support of requests to redo, resit or extend submissions, including sitting of deferred examinations, as instances of general misconduct.

More information on studying with integrity is available on the Study with Integrity webpage. It is your responsibility to apply these principles to all work you submit to the University.

Avoid using external support sites or other external help

To avoid the risk of your assignment being shared without your knowledge, do not upload your assignment to any external sites for spelling, grammar or plagiarism checks. Your safest option is to use the free services provided by Library Study Smart or Studiosity.

Avoid using any websites that:

• allow sharing of assignments or other material
• reward sharing of material with credits, tokens; or access to additional materials/features/services; provide answers to textbook or assignment/exam questions;
• provide free sample assignments; and/or include order buttons and prices; and/or
• invite you to submit your assignment for plagiarism or grammar or other checks.

Engagement with academic cheating sites will be regarded as misconduct. Academic cheating services often market themselves as support. Engagement with these sites includes:

• Sharing assignments or course material;
• Using online tools provided by these sites to check for plagiarism, grammar or spelling; and/or Purchasing writing services, or obtaining a copy of an assignment.

Uploading your work to these sites may lead to your work being shared with others with or without your knowledge and consent.

The Australian Government monitors current and past students use of academic cheating services, and may report student material found on these sites or other forms of engagement to universities.

Current students with items found on academic cheating sites face sanctions under the Student Misconduct Rule. Outcomes for graduates may include revocation of award. For more information see https://www.westernsydney. edu.au/currentstudents/current_students/student_misconduct_rule.

More advice can be found on the Study with Integrity webpage.

Need help?

If you are having difficulties with understanding or completing an assessment task, contact your Subject Coordinator as soon as possible. Western also has a range of academic support services, including:

• Library Study Smart: book a one-to-one Zoom consultation with a literacy expert. You can discuss how to develop your assignment writing and study skills or seek assistance to understand referencing and citation requirements. Check the Library Study Smart website for how-to study guides and tools.
• Studiosity: Upload your assignment draft to Studiosity within vUWS to receive writing feedback within 24 hours.
• Online workshops, programs and resources: From math and stats help to academic literacy and peer support programs, the University has a range of resources to assist.

Please also remember that there is a range of wellbeing support available - from counseling and disability services to welfare.

1.3 Changes to Subject as a Result of Past Student Feedback

The University values student feedback in order to improve the quality of its educational programs. The feedback provided helps us improve teaching methods and Subjects of study. The survey results inform Subject content and design, learning guides, teaching methods, assessment processes and teaching materials.

You are welcome to provide feedback that is related to the teaching of this Subject. At the end of the semester you will be given the opportunity to complete a Student Feedback on Subject (SFS) questionnaire to assess the Subject. You may also have the opportunity to complete a Student Feedback on Teaching (SFT) questionnaire to provide feedback for individual teaching staff.

As a result of student feedback, the following changes and improvements to this subject have recently been made:

• We have worked, as much as possible, to coordinate tutorial attendance with Field Education2 classes and timetables.
• Changed the weekly 8Am live lectures to pre-recorded presentations which are released each week on vUWS. The timing for submission of assessments has been changed from 9AM Monday mornings to a workday evening. Introduced a small scaffolding assignment (A2) to assist students in preparing for their final assignment (A3). Make more explicit the links between tutorial activities, tasks and reading and each of the assignments. Scheduled assessment consultation sessions

2 Assessment Information

2.1 Subject Learning Outcomes

The table below outlines the learning outcomes for this subject. Upon completion of this subject students will be able to :

Outcome

1.Identify major contemporary issues influencing the ways social workers practice, particularly related to the use of technology and social media

2.Demonstrate understanding of the need to practice in a culturally and spiritually sensitive manner, including in work with Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders

3.Apply critical, reflective and creative skills to make informed decisions in professional and applied contexts

4.Outline ways in which practitioners can work to intervene effectively to assist individual and groups of clients in a variety of contexts

5.Analyze their own social work practice and that of colleagues, to identify and replicate the best aspects

6.Generalize their learning from a specific practice situation to the overall context in which such situations arise

2.2 Approach to Learning

Contemporary Social Work Practice is delivered by means of weekly prerecorded presentations and a weekly two-hour tutorial. This subject is vUWS supported with prerecorded presentations, tutorial power point slides and readings list available to assist students in preparing for their weekly tutorials.Contemporary social Work practice is designed as a fourth-year final semester subject and is typically undertaken concurrently with field education 2.The subject aims to assist students to integrate and bring together their university and field based learning. The subject assists students in further developing skills in articulating the theories, concepts, skills, and values that inform their own social work practices.

2.3 Assessment Summary

The assessment items in this Subject are designed to enable you to demonstrate that you have achieved the Subject learning outcomes. Completion and submission of all assessment items which have been designated as mandatory or compulsory is essential to receive a passing grade.

2.4 Assessment Details

Assignment question and overview

Drawing on your experiences during your field education placement/s, discuss the role of technology and/or social media in achieving social work's values and principles in a) your role as a graduated social worker and b) the people and communities with whom you may work.

In this assignment you need to consider

1. ethical issues that can arise through the use of technology and/or social media in the field of social work
2. the extent to which technology and/or social media can help achieve social justice within the field of social work.
3. Based on your field education experiences how you expect technology will inform your own practice as graduated social workers.
4. Demonstrated understanding of at least 5 to 6 references

Marking Criteria:

See attached marking criteria on vUWS

Resources:

Resources to assist in developing and completing the assignment task

The required and extended reading list; relevant AASW documents (Code of Ethics etc.); Field Education placement experiences; relevant pre-recorded weekly presentations, tutorial discussions and activities.

2.4.2 Proposal for Critical Placement Report

This assignment is designed to assist you in planning and completing your third and final assignment. There are three components to completing this planning assignment which are listed below

1. Provide a short overview of Fergusons Critical Best Practice (CBP) perspective.
2. Provide a short descriptive overview of the good/best/promising practice you intend to focus on in your final assignment.
3. Provide a list of at least five references ( in addition to Ferguson) that you intend to use to help you demonstrate how and why this is an example of good/promising or best practice.This reference list is not included in the word count

Notes

In the first instance it will be helpful to read through the final ( A3) assignment question/s as it provides the context for A2.

Details

Assignments will be marked and returned to students via vUWS My Grades

Please include a footer with the word count excluding the reference list. 10% under and over permitted. Alignment with Learning outcomes - 4 and 5

4. Outline ways in which practitioners can work to intervene effectively to assist individual and groups of clients in a variety of contexts
5. Analyze their own social work practice and that of colleagues, to identify and replicate the best aspects Marking Criteria:

See attached marking criteria on vUWS

Resources:

Resources to assist in developing and completing the assignment task

The required and extended reading list; relevant AASW documents (Code of Ethics etc.); Field Education placement experiences; relevant pre-recorded weekly presentations, tutorial discussions and activities.

2.4.3 Report

Assignment question and overview

Choose a practice experience you have observed or participated in during your social work field education placement/s. Drawing on Fergusons Critical Best Practice (CBP) perspective and supported by relevant theoretical, research and professional literature demonstrate how and why this is a) an example of good/promising or best practice b) a critical reflection on the extent to which this practice could be used when working with culturally diverse people and communities or when working with First Nations peoples and communities.

In this assignment you will need to

1. Introduce the reader to practice you will focus on including a brief introduction to the placement agency.
2. Draw on Fergusons Critical Best Practice (CBP) perspective as a lens to analyze your placement practice
3. Use relevant literature to develop and support your argument as to why this is an example of good/promising or best practice
4. A demonstrated understanding of at least 6 to 8 references

Details

Assignments will be marked and returned to students via vUWS My Grades

Please include a footer with the word count excluding reference list. 10% under and over permitted Learning outcomes 2,3,4,5,6

1. Demonstrate understanding of the need to practice in a culturally sensitive manner, including in work with Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders
2. Apply critical, reflective and creative skills to make informed decisions in professional and applied contexts
3. Outline ways in which practitioners can work to intervene effectively to assist individual and groups of clients in a variety of contexts
4. Analyse their own social work practice and that of colleagues, to identify and replicate the best aspects 6. Generalize their learning from a specific practice situation to the overall context in which such situations arise Marking Criteria: