| Effective Term: | 2027/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Education, Arts & Community |
| Unit Title: | Professional Preparation |
| Unit ID: | BSWUG3009 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | Nil |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | Nil |
| ASCED: | 090501 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
This unit is undertaken concurrently with the first placement unit and supports the integration of theory and practice in alignment with Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) Practice Standards. By linking placement experiences with theoretical frameworks, the unit strengthens students’ readiness for safe, effective, and ethical practice and supports the development of a professional social work identity.
Through integrative seminars and learning activities, the unit emphasises the application of social work values, critical thinking, and professional judgement in complex contexts. As emerging social workers, students will develop and demonstrate their personal and professional capabilities including self-awareness and the ability to use supervision and feedback effectively. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: | |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | | | | | | Intermediate | | | | | | | | Advanced | | | | | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Identify the nature and impact of social work within various practice contexts. |
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| K2. | Demonstrate understanding of the social, political, cultural and legal issues impacting specific populations of service users. |
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| K3. | Distinguish the structural and social inequalities that exist in a particular field of practice, demonstrating a critical understanding of strategies to address these. |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Evaluate interventions using a range of social work theories in relation to the complex needs of individuals, families, and groups. |
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| S2. | Design interventions for diverse areas of practice. |
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| S3. | Appraise a range of theoretical frameworks, considering how these can be applied in intervention strategies for individuals, families, or communities with complex needs. |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Participate actively in skill development workshops, simulation activities and other exercises to integrate and demonstrate professional social work knowledge and skills. |
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| Other outcomes: |
| Unit Content: |
Topics may include: · Introduction to professional social work practice and expectations during placement. · Integration of theory and practice in alignment with AASW Practice Standards. · Development of professional identity, including values, ethics, and positioning in practice. · Application of social work theories and frameworks to real-world placement experiences. · Analysis of practice contexts, including social, political, cultural, and legal influences. · Understanding and responding to structural inequalities and complex client needs. · Development of critical reflection skills, including self-awareness and reflexivity. · Ethical decision-making and application of the AASW Code of Ethics in practice. · Design and evaluation of practice interventions across individual, family, and community contexts. · Participation in skills development workshops and simulation activities to build practice capability. |
| Graduate Attributes: |
| Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FEDTASKS (Transferable Attributes Skills and Knowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are be embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and Co-operative Learning opportunities. One or more FEDTASK, transferable Attributes, Skills or Knowledge must be evident in the specified learning outcomes and assessment for each FedUni Unit, and all must be directly assessed in each Course.
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| FED TASK and descriptor | Development and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit | | Level | FEDTASK 1
Interpersonal | Students at this level will demonstrate an advanced ability in a range of contexts to effectively communicate, interact and work with others both individually and in groups. Students will be required to display high level skills in-person and/or online in: • Using and demonstrating a high level of verbal and non-verbal communication • Demonstrating a mastery of listening for meaning and influencing via active listening • Demonstrating and showing empathy for others • High order skills in negotiating and conflict resolution skills\\ • Demonstrating mastery of working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams. | Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery in professional skills and behaviours in leading others. • Creating and sustaining a collegial environment • Demonstrating a high level of self -awareness and the ability to self-reflect and justify decisions • Inspiring and initiating opportunities to lead others • Making informed professional decisions • Demonstrating initiative in new professional situations. | Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students at this level will demonstrate high level skills in working in complexity and ambiguity using the imagination to create new ideas. Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically to generate and consider complex ideas and concepts at an abstract level • Analysing complex and abstract ideas, concepts and information • Communicate alternative perspectives to justify complex ideas • Demonstrate a mastery of challenging conventional thinking to clarify complex concepts • Forming creative solutions in problem solving to new situations for further learning. | Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students at this level will demonstrate the ability to work competently across a wide range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks. Students will be required to display skills in: • Mastering, exploring, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and sharing digital information professionally • Collating, managing complex data, accessing and using digital data securely • Receiving and responding professionally to messages in a range of professional digital media • Contributing competently and professionally to digital teams and working groups • Participating at a high level in digital learning opportunities. | Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines | FEDTASK 5
sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery of considering and assessing the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting professional ethical and sustainable decisions. Students will be required to display skills in: • Demonstrate informed judgment making that considers the impact of devising complex solutions in ambiguous global economic environmental and societal contexts • Professionally committing to the promulgation of social responsibility • Demonstrate the ability to evaluate ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable challenges and generating and articulating responses • Communicating lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to the diverse professional others • Generating, leading and implementing required actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life | Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | Professional Standards |
| 1. |
K1, K2, K3, S1, A1 |
Identify a policy or program within the placement setting and evaluate its relevance to practice, demonstrating contemporary knowledge and contextual awareness. |
Policy or Program Evaluation |
40-60% |
1.1.e; 1.1.j; 1.2.b; 2.1.c; 2.1.h; 2.1.i; 3.2.g |
| 2. |
K1, K2, S1, S2, S3 |
Analyse a case identified within the practice setting using multiple theories to critically compare approaches and justify decisions. |
Case Study Analysis |
40-60% |
1.1.e; 1.1.d; 1.1.j; 1.2.b; 1.2.e; 2.1.h; 2.1.i; 3.2.c; 3.2.g |
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