SWN004 Communication and Engagement in Professional Contexts

Unit Outline: Semester 1 2026, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

In this unit you will have the opportunity to gain practical and theoretical knowledge and skills for communicating as a critical social worker in the 'real world'. We will focus on client centred, feminist and narrative approaches practice in interpersonal, group and community work related to trauma, bereavement and crisis. You will apply, evaluate and reflect on use of a range of knowledge and skills relevant to effective communication and engagement, including communication across a range of mediums (face to face, phone, text, online). Diverse case studies will be critically analysed using an anti-oppressive/empowerment framework for practice.

There are lecture, workshop and tutorial delivery modes that provide experiential learning in facilitated structured exercises. These opportunities help you to develop practice knowledge and skills and self-awareness so you are expected to actively participate in all learning activities.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Apply a range of critical practice approaches and skills underpinned by core social work theories to respond to trauma, bereavement and crisis in a diverse range of practice contexts.
2. Analyse and critically evaluate the 'differential use-of-self' and how your personal history, values, beliefs, gender, social and cultural perspectives influence your practice responses.
3. Apply proficiency and communicate responses across diverse contexts, including digital contexts, using knowledge and skills for counselling, group and community practices, and use relevant methodologies—including digital technologies—to support effective engagement and intervention.

Content

Learning Approaches

Critical pedagogies are used and will enable you to collaborate in ways that recognise you have entered the course with existing communication skills that may be imported into your future social work practice. Good communication practices are crucial to social work practice, including communication that occurs electronically. Refining your communication skills across mediums is an essential component of your career development and employability.  Critically evaluating the communication practices you need to develop is part of the process, including communicating with peers. The two assessments give you the opportunity to practice these skills. Peer networking opportunities will also be made available through the on-campus, in-person classes, and various student run, educator supported social media groupings.

Diversity: Emphasis is given to you responding respectfully to diversity and practising in gender sensitive and anti-racist ways. Case-studies that reflect diversity will be used, such as those relating to grief and loss, domestic violence, sexual assault, mental health, violence and substance abuse, and will help you develop and understand different ideas, needs, values and viewpoints.

Embedded support for learning: You will be offered support in this unit via access to the Student Support Group, Library liaison officers and a range of online academic resources provided by QUT.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

There is ongoing formative assessment on your participation in role-play exercises and simulations. In these exercises you will provide and receive feedback on the practice approaches you will need to demonstrate in the tutorial based role-plays and final presentation assignment.

Assessment

Overview

There are two assessments for this unit:

In the first assessment, you will perform a role-play simulation that demonstrates your use of practice approaches in social work related to trauma, bereavement or crisis, using anti-oppressive and empowerment approaches. You will be graded on your participation and engagement in the role-play, and demonstration of knowledge, values and practice skills in your role-play.

The second assessment task is a critical evaluation of your role-play simulation where you critically evaluate your practice approach and how you performed in the simulated role-play.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Role-Play

You will be required to undertake a real-time, role-play simulation (either in person or via zoom) where you play the role of a social worker and respond to a service user scenario related to a topic of your choice (e.g., grief and bereavement, assessment, gender, gendered violence, homelessness, mental health or substance use). Adopting an anti-oppressive or empowerment approach, you will respond appropriately and ethically to the group/issue identified in the scenario and identify a practice strategy to redress the issue. More details are provided on Canvas unit homepage and in class tutorials.

This assessment task is authentic as it mirrors social work core knowledge, values and skills for communication and engagement applied in professional practice contexts on a daily basis.

The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is prohibited in this assessment.  

Assessment: Critical Evaluation

This task requires you to critically evaluate your role-play performance and provide a written critique of your practice approach demonstrating knowledge of theories, approaches and skills used, or that might have been used in the role-play. You will evaluate how well you performed in the simulation and consider how you applied anti-oppressive and empowerment approaches.

In addition, detail reflexive insights about your experience of this process, e.g. evaluating the 'differential use-of-self' and how your personal history, values, beliefs, gender, social and cultural perspectives influence your practice responses related to trauma, bereavement and crisis. You will outline how these insights would support your emerging critically oriented social work practice.

This assessment task is authentic as it mirrors social work core knowledge, values and skills for communication and engagement applied in professional practice contexts on a daily basis.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.

The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Resource Materials

Prescribed text(s)

Brown, C & Macdonald, J. (2020). Critical Clinical Social Work: Counterstorying for social justice. Canadian Scholars Press.

Reference book(s)

Australian Association of Social Workers (2010). Code of Ethics. Available online at https://www.aasw.asn.au/practitioner-resources/code-of-ethics. 

Other

An additional reading list will be provided in Library resources in unit LMS.

Risk Assessment Statement

Students are advised that some content and experiences may be distressing. Appropriate measures will be in place for debriefing and additional support where required.

Course Learning Outcomes

SW81 Master of Social Work - Qualifying

1. Critically evaluate and apply critical social work theories, knowledge and skills that reflect the professional standards of the discipline and identify with the values and ethics that guide professional practice, including the recognition of diversity, human rights and promotion of social equality and justice.
   Relates to: Critical Evaluation
2. Formulate strategies for engaging in critical thinking, decision making, critically reflective and culturally safe practice to create innovative and contextually responsive interventions that work towards emancipatory change.
   Relates to: Role-Play , Critical Evaluation
3. Communicate respectfully and work effectively with diverse groups, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, LGBTINBQ+, refugee, disabled and older populations, their families, carers, interprofessional teams and community leaders, to ensure safe and coordinated support for their interests and rights.
   Relates to: Role-Play , Critical Evaluation
4. Practise professional integrity, and effective written, oral and digital communication to analyse and convey complex information and build productive relationships across diverse stakeholders to promote ethical social work practice.
   Relates to: Role-Play