HCS303 Social Work Field Education 1 (16)

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.
 

Subject Outlines
Current CSU students can view Subject Outlines for recent sessions. Please note that Subject Outlines and assessment tasks are updated each session.

Availability

Session 1 (30)
On Campus
Dubbo Campus
Port Macquarie Campus
Wagga Wagga Campus
Online
Wagga Wagga Campus
Session 2 (60)
On Campus
Dubbo Campus
Port Macquarie Campus
Wagga Wagga Campus
Online
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.

Subject Information

Grading System

SY/US

Duration

Two sessions

School

School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Enrolment Restrictions

Human Services and Social Work students only

Assumed Knowledge

Corequisite of HCS200

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:
  • engage with and enact entry level standards of professional practice according to the AASW Social Work Practice Standards and Code of Ethics as well as requirements for Field Education in Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards. Student also must be able to engage with the standards with a focus on the assessment stages of social work practice. This includes being able to:
  • Formulate individual learning objectives drawn from the AASW practice standards, define, in consultation, appropriate learning strategies and performance measures, and evaluate, in consultation, their performance against these measures;
  • Design and implement professional methods of assessment demonstrating practice skills and professional judgment at entry level professional standard (including integration of theory into practice).
  • Critically reflect on their own practice, values and knowledge of social work and identify strengths and areas for future development with a focus on professional identity;
  • Clarify ethical issues in the placement context and apply ethical professional practice standards according to the AASW Code of Ethics to their own and others' practice; 5. Demonstrate and monitor sensitive communication practices (written, oral) that are appropriate to the professional context.
  • Demonstrate and monitor sensitive communication practices (written, oral) that are appropriate to the professional context.
  • Identify and apply culturally sensitive practices to their professional placement;
  • Engage in the learning experience. This includes; a constructive supervision relationship with their field educator, ability to give and receive constructive feedback, and finally awareness of own learning style based on Kolbs? learning inventory while utilising the principles to develop learning skills.

Syllabus

This 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.

Workplace Learning

This subject contains a 40 to 92 days Compulsory Workplace Learning component.

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.

Contact

Current Students

For any enquiries about subject selection or course structure please contact Student Central or ask@csu.edu.au or phone on 1800 275 278.

Prospective Students

For further information about Charles Sturt University, or this course offering, please contact info.csu on 1800 275 278 (free call within Australia) or enquire online.

The information contained in the 2018 CSU Handbook was accurate at the date of publication: August 2018. The University reserves the right to vary the information at any time without notice.

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