HCS402 Social Work Field Education 2 (16)

This is the second of two field education subjects. Students have the opportunity to demonstrate and/or develop professional practice skills, knowledge, values and their social work identity in a different practice setting and field of practice from their first placement, under the supervision of a qualified social worker. In this subject students are required to demonstrate entry level standards of professional practice according to social work practice standards and the Code of Ethics as well as requirements for field education in Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards.

Availability

Session 1 (30)
Online
Wagga Wagga Campus
Session 2 (60)
Online
Wagga Wagga Campus

Continuing students should consult the SAL for current offering details: HCS402. 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

Not available to students enrolled in SWK424. Available for students undertaking the Bachelor of Social Work only

Prerequisites

( HCS206 and HCS207 and HCS303 ) or ( HCS200 and HCS202 and HCS303 )

Incompatible Subjects

SWK424

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:
  • be able to demonstrate entry level standards of professional practice as outlined in the AASW Social Work Practice Standards, Code of Ethics, as well as requirements for Field Education in Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards;
  • be able to engage with the standards focusing on the intervention and evaluation stages of social work practice;
  • be able to formulate, define and evaluate individual learning objectives and performance measures drawn from the AASW practice standards in consultation with field educators and academics;
  • be able to design and implement professional methods of intervention and evaluation demonstrating practice skills (including integration of theory into practice) and professional judgment;
  • be able to critically reflect on their own practice, values and knowledge of social work and identify strengths and areas for future development;
  • be able to 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;
  • be able to demonstrate and monitor sensitive communication practices (written, oral) that are appropriate to the professional context;
  • be able to identify and apply culturally sensitive practices to their professional placement; and
  • be able to 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 Kolb's learning inventory.

Syllabus

This subject will cover the following topics:
  • Students will undertake a structured, individualised syllabus of experiential learning in an approved real world work site
  • Being supervised by a qualified social worker with a minimum of two years practice
  • Completing the balance of hours required to meet the 1,000 hours of total supervised field education experience
  • 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
  • Utilising principles of adult learning 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 who completed the Placement Strand of the first field education subject choose the alternate focus from their first placement, either a direct or an indirect focus
  • Students who completed the Professional Practice Assessment (PPA) Strand of the first field education subject are required to undertake a placement with a direct focus

Indicative Assessment

The following table summarises the assessment tasks for the online offering of HCS402 in Session 1 2019. Please note this is a guide only. Assessment tasks are regularly updated and can also differ to suit the mode of study (online or on campus).

Item Number
Title
Value %
1
Learning plan
0
2
Mid placement presentation
0
3
Field educators report
0
4
Summary of learning and development
0

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.

The information contained in the CSU Handbook was accurate at the date of publication: October 2020. The University reserves the right to vary the information at any time without notice.

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