Your second
piece of assessment is a 1800 word report (+/- 10%) on your emerging Practice
Framework for social work – how you will go about the complex professional task
of providing social work services to those in need. You are referred to the
first workshop material on practice frameworks and the sort of factors that
shape the ways in which different social workers practice. For example the Domain Theory provides a
number of areas, or domains, that influence the diverse ways that practice is
organized, undertaken and understood across the human services.
The
essential assessment task is to describe, analyse and justify your emerging
professional practice framework, highlighting the key influential factors
shaping your approach to practice and two core theories you will utilise within
a specific nominated practice field and service-delivery organizational
context.
This
assessment piece requires you to do the following:
1. Describe the practice
field (or sub-sector) that you wish to practise social work in and the type of
agency, service and role that you aspire to work as a social worker
2. Identify, describe and
critically analyse your personal and professional capabilities (knowledge and
skills) that you have or that you do not yet have at the required level but are
seeking to develop
3. Critically analyse your
personal fit with core social work values and ethics and examine how these will
shape the ways in which you will approach your practice roles
4. Identify, describe and
critically examine two practice theories, models or approaches that you are
confident will be congruent with your values and beliefs about social work
practice
5. A succinct summary and
conclusion highlighting the key points made
You will be
building upon the work undertaken to complete your PLP but enhancing this by
clearly articulating the linkages between your capabilities and values, the fit
with the social work profession’s approaches, and some specific theories for
practice within an identified practice field. This assessment piece will help
to prepare you for your subsequent professional placement in the following
semester, or later if you are studying part time. In essence, this assessment
piece requires you to articulate your emerging practice framework and
critically analyse the approaches you will undertake in practising social work
by identifying the salient influences that shape your approach to practice.
Report Structure
There are
many ways that the report can be structured and the following is a suggested
outline for how you might approach structuring this piece of assessment, but
this is not the only way that can be taken.
Introduction and area
of practiceThis
should succinctly introduce the report and outline to the reader what areas it
will cover. It should then highlight the area of practice sought in their
career by the student. It might include, for example, the practice field, type
of agency (e.g. NGO) and service delivered (e.g. family support), and the
nature of the social work role and its duties (e.g. case management, community
development).(up to 200 words)
Social work
capabilitiesIn
this part of the report you should succinctly describe your personal and
professional capabilities for social work practice in the practice field
identified earlier. This part should critically analyse the degree of fit with
the student’s current knowledge and skills with the established requirements
for practice in the particular area and to identify areas of strength and those
which require further development. (up to200 words)
Social work values and
ethicsWhen
addressing this area students should focus on their own alignment with the
social work profession’s identified values and ethical principles and highlight
areas of congruence and difference.The emphasis of this section is might these
various influences shape the author’s social work practice.This should be
followed by a critical examination of how the student anticipates advocating
and implementing values such as social justice, human rights and the key
ethical principles of respect and integrity, and the associated ethical
requirements (e.g. confidentiality, informed consent etc). Students might
explore points of tension with their own and the profession’s values, and how
well (or not) their own ideological beliefs fit within those of the profession
(e.g. non-judementalism, support for the marginalized and impoverished groups,
self-determination). (up to400 words).
Selected social work
theories for practiceIn this major section the student must select two theories for practice
(this can include theories such as ecological systems, models such as crisis
intervention, or approaches such as narrative therapy). They must succinctly
describe these theories and highlight how the student proposes to use them in
their selected practice field and human service agency’s services to address
the pertinent issues that service users present with. Hence students need to
justify why the selected theories are valid ones to use in this particular
service context. (up to 900 words)
Summary and conclusionYou should summarise the key points
and arguments made in your report so that the reader is left with a clear
understanding of the essence of your thesis. (up to 100 words)
Reference List
You should
appropriately use references and the APA style guide to support your arguments
in this assessment piece. The references should not be included in the word
limit of 2000 words
E-Portfolio
We recommend
that you place relevant material into your E-Portfolio.The E-Portfolio will
then remain with you and continue to be developed throughout the MSW.You will
need to do the tutorials which can be located at:http://www.studenteportfolio.qut.edu.au
