| Effective Term: | 2026/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Education, Arts & Community |
| Unit Title: | Ethics for Professional Practice |
| Unit ID: | GCSCS6003 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | Nil |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | Nil |
| ASCED: | 090599 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
This unit enables students to develop an advanced understanding of ethical principles, the key theories of ethics, relevant professional codes of ethics, and frameworks for decision-making. Key ethical questions and ethical dilemmas are considered for culturally safe practice with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples’. This includes legal considerations in the context of the FVISS and CISS (information sharing schemes), subpoena process etc. Students will learn to articulate their standpoint, cultivate and deepen reflexivity, and appreciate how personal values, prejudices and biases shape ethical decision making. Working within practice frameworks including the Family Violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management (MARAM) Framework, and intersectional feminist theory, power dynamics between clients and practitioners, and between adults experiencing family violence, children experiencing family violence and persons using family violence will be examined with a focus on working with diverse communities. |
| 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. | Demonstrate an advanced capacity to analyse ethical principles and theories that underpin ethical obligations supporting Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples’ and people from other diverse communities in ways that protect their privacy, self-determination and choices. |
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| K2. | Demonstrate an advanced ethical understanding of colonisation and decolonising practice. |
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| K3. | Analyse how values (personal, professional, political, social, economic) explicitly related to power, privilege, colonisation, and systems of oppression inform how we understand and address our ethical obligations in diverse practice and organisational contexts. |
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| K4. | Demonstrate an awareness, and appreciation, of relevant professional codes of ethics and codes of conduct, and legislation, particularly in relation to monitoring risk and coordination with relevant services and organisations. |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Examine and evaluate competing ethical positions and develop ethical arguments using advanced, independent research skills. |
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| S2. | Apply collective reasoning strategies to generate informed resolutions to complex ethical dilemmas. |
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| S3. | Demonstrate advanced oral and written proficiency in developing, justifying and communicating ethical positions and legal requirements when sharing information within and between services. |
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| S4. | Demonstrate effective skills for relationship building and accountability for people using violence. |
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| S5. | Demonstrate the application of legislation, policy and ethical requirements in relation to confidentiality including safe storage, and access to information and the limits of confidentiality. |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Use self-reflexive thinking to articulate your standpoint and demonstrate its application in ethical professional practice. |
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| A2. | Apply ethical principles and theories to analyse and resolve ethical dilemmas including those related to risk, safety and misidentification. |
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| A3. | Demonstrate and evaluate how personal biases and professional judgments influence professional practice. |
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| A4. | Uphold principles of self-determination and choice in the provision of case management and support services. |
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| Unit Content: |
•Ethical principles and ethical dilemmas when working with adults experiencing family violence, children experiencing family violence and persons using family violence •Ethical considerations and best practice decision-making for sharing information without consent in situations where there is high risk to adults experiencing family violence and/or children experiencing family violence •Theories of ethics (including standpoint theory and intersectional feminist theory) •Professional codes of ethics •Frameworks of human rights •Frameworks for ethical decision-making including ethical use of power in prescribed roles applying the MARAM framework •Cultural safety and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples’ perspectives •Ethics and practice issues (e.g. case noting and engaging with clients online) •Ethical dilemmas when responding to adults experiencing family violence, children experiencing family violence and persons using family violence |
| 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 will demonstrate high-level skills to effectively communicate, interact and work with others both individually and in groups Students will be required to display (in person and/or online) high-level skills in-person and/or online in: • Effective verbal and non-verbal communication via a range of synchronous and asynchronous methods • Active listening for meaning and influencing • High-level empathy for others • Negotiating and demonstrating extended conflict resolution skills • Working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students will demonstrate the ability to apply leadership skills and behaviours Students will be required to display skills in: • Creating, contributing to, and enabling collegial environments • Showing self-awareness and the ability to self-reflect for personal growth • Inspiring and enabling others • Making informed and evidence-based decisions through consultation with others • Displaying initiative and ability to solve problems | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students will demonstrate an ability to work in complex and ambiguous environments, using their imagination to create new ideas Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically on complex problems • Synthesising, evaluating ideas, concepts and information • Proposing alternative perspectives to refine ideas • Challenging conventional thinking to clarify concepts through deep inquiry • Proposing creative solutions in problem solving | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students will demonstrate the ability to work proficiently across a range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks Students will be required to display high-level skills in: • Finding, accessing, collating, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and appropriately and securely sharing complex digital information at a high-level • Receiving and responding to messages in a range of digital media • Using digital tools appropriately to conduct research • Contributing proficiently to digital teams and working groups • Participating in and utilising digital learning opportunities | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 5
Sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students will demonstrate the ability to think ethically and sustainably. Students will be required to display skills in: • The responsible conduct of research • Making informed judgments that consider the impact of devising solutions in multiple global economic environmental and societal contexts • Demonstrating commitment to social responsibility as a professional and a citizen • Generating research solutions which are sustainable,ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable • Extending lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to diverse others • Demonstrate extended actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life. | 1 - Yes |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1, K3, K4, S1, S2, S3, S4, A2, A3, A4 | Participate in collective reasoning on a case study that presents ethical issues and dilemmas in professional roles. | Simulation exercise with group presentation | 30-45% | | 2. | K1, K2, K3, K4, S1, S3, S5, A1, A2, A3 | Articulate personal bias, and incorporate this into research, analysis and resolution of a contested ethical issue related to professional practice in social and community services. | Values clarification, issue analysis and written report | 30-45% | | 3. | K2, S2, S3, A1, A4 | Meaningful engagement and contribution to class discussions and activities. | Participation and contribution | 10-25% |
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