SWB219 Legal and Ethical Dimensions of Social Work and Human Service Practice

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2024, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

Human service and social work professionals engage with people in a wide variety of situations across a range of fields of practice. The legal dimensions of practice range from the nature of legislative provisions to the legal accountabilities of direct practice. Practitioners often work with vulnerable and/or marginalised persons, groups and communities and need to understand the law as both context and as a dynamic resource with which they can engage. Legal and ethical considerations in practice often intersect and are usefully examined in conjunction with each other. An understanding and capacity to respond to ethical dimensions of practice situations is central to professional capability and requires you to develop literacy about key ethical approaches and concepts, and the capability to critically apply social work and human service professional Codes of Ethics.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Identify and critically analyse the legal dimensions of social work and human service practice generally and in respect of particular fields of practice
2. Critically analyse the roles of the human services and social work practitioner within the legislative, judicial and administrative systems
3. Critically analyse the ethical dimensions of human service and social work problems, identify ethical dilemmas
4. Explore response options and demonstrate a capacity to critique the merits and implications of particular options
5. Articulate a reflective approach to the incorporation of ethical and legal considerations into social work and human service practice

Content

Learning Approaches

Learning in this unit will occur via lectures and tutorials. Lectures will combine presentations, collaborative learning activities designed to enhance understanding and skills, and opportunities to pose and discuss questions regarding the implications of lecture content for practitioners. Following the lecture, you will be encouraged to continue engagement in collaborative learning via the Canvas site. Tutorials will be the forums for discussing a small number of detailed case studies designed to equip you to appreciate the complexities of integrating ethical and legal dimensions of practice and effectively undertake assessment item 3.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Formative feedback is built into this unit in the following ways:

• a range of formative exercises will be discussed in class.
• feedback on assessment 1 themed and discussed in class
• generic comments back to the cohort via QUT Canvas
• criteria sheet grading
• feedback from peers
• Written summative feedback will be provided on the reflection (assessment 2) and case study (assessment 3).

Assessment

Overview

Each assessment item is designed to measure your ability to apply the knowledge and skills stated in the unit learning outcomes.

You will undertake three pieces of assessment, one quiz focussed on the integration of law and human services; one tutorial reflection where you do a personal value audit and identify an ethical dilemma used in your final assessment, where you analyse case studies in terms of the legal and ethical considerations. Legal provisions and professional Codes of Ethics are used as core resources. 

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Quiz

Understanding the integration of legal and human service roles within the legislative, judicial and administrative systems and demonstrate your knowledge of how the integration of these, forms the basis of professional ethical frameworks. This will be assessed through short answer questions on case studies.

Assessment: Reflection

You will do a values audit in tutorials and you will use that to reflect upon the values relevant to you as a future practitioner. You will also reflect on tutorial activity whereby an ethical dilemma is identified and the competing demands are explored. This activity will assist in the final assessment piece. This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Assessment: Case Study Analysis

Assuming the role of a professional in practice, you will analyse the ethical dimensions for practice from a case study designed to be hypothetically submitted to your team leader. Cases mirroring real-world practice issues, will be provided in tutorials and lectures and give you an opportunity to develop the skills needed to analyse the ethical dimensions of practice. You will have a choice of three or more case studies to select from. This analysis will draw on relevant ethical approaches, model, principles, Indigenous perspectives, Codes of Ethics, as well as legal considerations. This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

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.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Resource Materials

Prescribed text(s)

Kennedy, R., & Richards, J. (2016). Integrating human service law, ethics and practice (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Recommended text(s)

Bowles, W., Collingridge, M., Curry, S., & Valentine B. (2006). Ethical practice in social work: An applied approach. Allen and Unwin.

Other

The Canvas site will contain a range of relevant resources, including topic specific podcasts. You are to complement these with your own research.

In addition we will be drawing from the current codes of ethics for the AASW and ACWA, the links to which will be provided on Canvas.

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no unusual risk management issues associated with this unit. Students are advised that if any agency field trips are included these will be to inner city Brisbane locations and that they are to make their own travel arrangements to and from these. Students are encouraged to refer any concerns to the Unit Coordinator.

Course Learning Outcomes

SW04 Bachelor of Social Work

1. Critique and apply coherent theoretical, practical and contextually relevant social work knowledge, skills and values, and cultivate a commitment toward meeting diverse clients and community needs. [Knowledge, Practice, Values and Disposition]
   Relates to: Quiz, Case Study Analysis
2. Critically examine tenets of diversity and diverse perspectives in social work, and advocate for a socially just society and the promotion of human dignity that reflect different social, political, cultural and historical circumstances, on the beliefs, values and aspirations of various groups, including Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. [Values and Disposition, Knowledge, Practice]
   Relates to: Case Study Analysis

SW05 Bachelor of Social Work (Honours)

1. Critically evaluate theoretical, practical and contextually relevant social work knowledge, skills and values and, as a change facilitator, meet diverse client and community needs that promote social justice
   Relates to: Quiz, Case Study Analysis
2. Formulate and implement strategies using advanced knowledge and research skills to analyse, consolidate and synthesise social and practice evidence to generate solutions and to inform professional practice and decision-making
   Relates to: Case Study Analysis
3. Construct and implement strategies for practising collaboratively and independently, focused on socially progressive, anti-oppressive, culturally safe and ethical practice, integral to the standards of professional social work practice
   Relates to: Quiz, Case Study Analysis