HCS303 Social Work Field Education 1 (16)
Abstract
This is the first of two field education subjects. Students have the opportunity to develop and / or demonstrate professional practice skills, knowledge, values and their social work identity in a work setting. Students are required to demonstrate the entry level standards of professional practice to meet first placement expectations as specificed by the Australian Association of Social Workers. There are two strands. Generally students undertake the Placement Strand. Depending on eligibility, students can participate in the Professional Practice Assessment Strand.
Placement Strand. Students undertake a structured, individualised period of experiential learning in an approved real world work site, under the supervision of a qualified and experienced social worker.
Professional Practice Assessment Strand. Eligible students undertake a reflective exploration of their existing professional knowledge, skills, practices and values and apply these to a social work framework of professional thinking, doing and being (identity) under the guidance of a social work academic.
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+ Subject Availability Modes and Location
| Session 1 | | Internal | Dubbo Campus | | Internal | Port Macquarie | | Internal | Wagga Wagga Campus | | Distance | Wagga Wagga Campus | Session 2 | | Internal | Dubbo Campus | | Internal | Port Macquarie | | Internal | Wagga Wagga Campus | | Distance | Wagga Wagga Campus |
Continuing students should consult the SAL for current offering details: HCS303
Where differences exist between the Handbook and the SAL, the SAL should be taken as containing the correct subject offering details.
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Subject information| Duration | Grading System | School: |
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| Two sessions | SY/US | School of Humanities and Social Sciences |
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Enrolment restrictions|
Human Services and Social Work students only |
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Learning OutcomesUpon successful completion of this subject, students should:
- engage with and enact the minimum standards of professional practice expected of an entry level social worker, as specified by the professional social work association, the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW), in the assessment stages of an intervention. This includes being able to:
- formulate individual learning objectives drawn from the AASW practice standards and define, in consultation, appropriate learning strategies and performance measures;
- identify and assess their learning styles based on Kolbs' learning inventory and develop and apply flexibility in their approach to social work practice with support;
- critically reflect on their own and others' practice of social work and apply these insights to improve their practice;
- apply learning from research and theory to the placement context and use their experiences of practice to critique research and theoretical understanding;
- identify ethical dimensions of practice and apply appropriate professional values and ethical practice standards according to the AASW Code of Ethics to their own and others' practice in the placement context;
- recognise appropriate and sensitive communication practices (written, oral) and apply them to professional placement;
- identify and apply culturally sensitive practices to their professional placement;
- recognise the need to establish a professional identity
- demonstrate a constructive supervision relationship with their field educator;
- employ basic professional judgement in a range of contexts;
- consider and evaluate constructive feedback and apply appropriately to practice.
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SyllabusThe subject will cover the following topics:
- Students complete either the Placement Strand, or if eligible, the Professional Practice Assessment Strand.
- Placement Strand
- Students undertake a structured, individualised syllabus of experiential learning in an approved real world work site, under the supervision of a qualified and experienced social worker. The individualised syllabus is based on social work practice standards and Code of Ethics as well as requirements for field education in Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards. In addition students are required to apply insights from adult learning theories and theories of professional supervision. Design, implementation and assessment of the learning experience and student performance are undertaken collaboratively by the student, field educator and university staff.
- Students in the placement strand choose between either a direct focus in the syllabus for this subject (interpersonal skills, clinical casework or group work) or an indirect focus (community development, educational group work, policy or research). One field education subject must have a direct focus, and the other an indirect focus.
- Professional Practice Assessment Strand
- Eligible students undertake a reflective exploration of their existing professional knowledge, skills, practices and values and apply these to a social work framework of professional thinking, doing and being (identity) based on the social work practice standards and Codes of Ethics as well as requirements for field education in Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards. In addition students are required to apply insights from adult learning theories and theories of professional supervision.
- Students who fail any of the requirements in the Professional Practice Assessment strand other than the final assessment may transfer to the Placement Strand of the subject and complete those requirements.
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Work Place Learning| This subject contains a Compulsory Workplace Learning component of 40 to 92 days duration.
In this subject WPL is undertaken across 2 sessions for 16 credit points. Students undertake around 500 hours of experiential learning/professional practice under the supervision of an experienced qualified social worker in a real workplace. Learning and assessment is undertaken through a collaborative partnership articulated in an individualised learning plan.
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The information contained in the 2016 CSU Handbook was accurate at the date of publication: 06 September 2016. The University reserves the right to vary the information at any time without notice.
