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Location Domestic International
Gold Coast Session 1 Session 1
Online Session 1,  3 Session 1,  3

Unit Summary

Unit type

PG Coursework Unit

Credit points

12

AQF level

9

Level of learning

Introductory

Former School/College

Former School of Arts and Social Sciences

Co-requisites

WEL91004 - Social Work Direct Practice I

Unit aim

Introduces students to the profession of social work, and outlines the core knowledge and values required of practising social workers in Australia. The profession is understood within the context of contemporary social welfare arrangements and labour market. The unit seeks to critically examine social work theories and models, as well as different ways of transferring knowledge into practice.

Unit content

  1. The social work profession
  2. The self and social work 
  3. Social work ethics
  4. The welfare state 
  5. The labour market context
  6. Disadvantage and inequality
  7. Social justice, need and empowerment
  8. Knowledge, reflective practice and evidence-based practice
  9. Social work practice theories
  10. Cross-cultural work
  11. Indigenous issues and cross-cultural work
  12. Conclusion

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

GA1: , GA2: , GA3: , GA4: , GA5: , GA6: , GA7:
On completion of this unit, students should be able to: GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 discuss the core knowledge and values of the social work profession
2 explain how social workers respond to ethical issues and dilemmas
3 critically evaluate different social work theories and models
4 explain how evidence-based and reflective practice models can be used to inform social work practice.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. discuss the core knowledge and values of the social work profession
    • GA3:
  2. explain how social workers respond to ethical issues and dilemmas
    • GA3:
  3. critically evaluate different social work theories and models
    • GA4:
  4. explain how evidence-based and reflective practice models can be used to inform social work practice.
    • GA4:

Prescribed texts

  • O'Connor, I, Wilson, J, Setterlund, D & Hughes, M, 2008, Social Work and Human Service Practice, 5, Pearson, Frenchs Forest.

  • O'Connor, I, Wilson, J, Setterlund, D & Hughes, M, 2008, Social Work and Human Service Practice, 5th edn, Pearson, Frenchs Forest.
Prescribed texts may change in future teaching periods.