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Online Session 2 Session 2

Unit Summary

Unit type

PG Coursework Unit

Credit points

12

AQF level

9

Level of learning

Advanced

Unit aim

Examines the organisational context of social work practice. Analyses the relevance of organisational, leadership and management theories for social work. Highlights the constraints organisations place on social work’s professional agenda, as well as the opportunities to promote social justice through organisational practice. Emphasises the potential for social workers to lead organisational change initiatives.

Unit content

1. Social work in organisations
2. Theorising organisations and management
3. Organisational change
4. Organisational communication
5. Teamwork and collaboration
6. Risk and decision making
7. Leadership
8. Supervision
9. Accountability and whistleblowing
10. Client & worker experiences

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 use organisational theories to analyse social work organisations and management
2 explain important organisational issues involved in social work practice, including relationships with management, and the need for effective communication within and across organisations
3 critically reflect on the role social workers can take in leading and facilitating organisational change, particularly in order to promote social justice
4 critically reflect on ethical issues involved in organisational practice and the workers’ and clients’ experience of organisational life.

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

  1. use organisational theories to analyse social work organisations and management
    • GA4:
  2. explain important organisational issues involved in social work practice, including relationships with management, and the need for effective communication within and across organisations
    • GA4:
  3. critically reflect on the role social workers can take in leading and facilitating organisational change, particularly in order to promote social justice
    • GA3:
    • GA4:
  4. critically reflect on ethical issues involved in organisational practice and the workers’ and clients’ experience of organisational life.
    • GA3:

Prescribed texts

  • Hughes, M & Wearing, M, 2017, Organisations and Management in Social Work: Everyday Action for Change, 3rd edn, Sage, London. ISBN: 9781473934528.
Prescribed texts may change in future teaching periods.