Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (12/07/2024 - 15/11/2024)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 6
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Nursing, Midwifery & Social Wk
This course is the first supervised practice experience in a social welfare agency for the MSocWkSt/MSW(Q) students enrolled in the program. The course focuses on the integration of practice experience with earlier course material and the companion courses.
Social Work Placement
Placement is the part of your program where you finally get the opportunity to put what you have been learning into practice!
Before you begin, make sure you carefully read the 2024 Social Work Practice Education Guide. It's been prepared as a "one-stop shop", full of important information about the placement process, learning objectives and assessment tasks. The Assessment section of this course profile will also give you important information - so familiarise yourself with it as well.
Placement is where you develop your professional self. As such, you are expected to be self-motivating, engaged, an independent learner and a problem-solver. In other words, a social worker. Past experience has shown that you'll need to be flexible, active and prepared to prioritise your learning for the 18-weeks of placement. It's a big ask - but, as we have been emphasising, our goal is for you to achieve excellence in practice - and that takes commitment.
Everyone in the Practice Education Team is dedicated to working with you through your placement and giving you every opportunity to develop the skills you'll need to be an excellent social worker.
- In order to successfully complete this placement you must do at least 500 hours. No credit is available for travel time to and from placement, sick-days or public holidays.
Graduate Entry Masters Interprofessional Collaborative Practice Curriculum (GEMS ICPC)
The Graduate Entry Masters Interprofessional Collaborative Practice Curriculum (GEMS ICPC) is an Interprofessional Collaborative Practice module developed by the Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences and embedded in SWSP7155. These modules are separate from the SWSP7155 placement and as such are not coordinated by this course coordinator.
Remember - this is not instead of the placement - it's in addition to the placement.
The module will involve your attendance at a tutorial - please consult your timetable for details.
The three hours for the module can be counted in your placement hours.
Assessment for the module will take place at the tutorial, so you will need to attend.
- You must pass the module in order to pass your placement and SWSP7155.
Course requirements
Assumed background
The prerequisiste for SWSP7155 is SWSP7111, SWP7177 and 2 units (1 course) of core study from the Master of Social Work (Qualifying) course list.
During placement it is expected that students review the content of first semester work in order to facilitate linking academic and practice learning.
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
SWSP7111, SWSP7177 and a further #2 units of core study from the Master of Social Work (Qualifying) course list
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
SWSP3077, SWSP3155, SWSP7077, SWSP7165, SWSP7288, SWSP7366
Restrictions
Restricted to MSW(Q) students
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
This course has a calendar variation because the placement starts before the beginning of semester. For this reason the weeks in this profile use different weeks, where Week 1 is the first week of placement. That is, the weeks in this profile are not UQ semester standard weeks.
Placement
In order to successfully complete this placement you must do at least 500 hours. No credit is available for travel time to and from placement, sick-days or public holidays.
Integration workshops
SWSP7155 has four integration workshops on Fridays (2 and 23 August, 13 September and 4 October)
The Integration Workshops are mandated by the AASW as an essential part of your professional training. As such we consider participation to be a fundamental aspect of all social work programs. They offer you an opportunity to reflect on your field experiences and to interact with highly skilled social workers (as well as your student colleagues) in a supportive environment. The Integration Workshops are where you consolidate your learning.
Your attendance is strongly encouraged.
Students who attend each session may count the two hours of the session towards placement.
For all information regarding placement attendance, see the Social Work Practice Education Guide 2024, pp. 9-18.
Aims and outcomes
SWSP7155 ﾠaims ﾠto ﾠprovide ﾠstudents ﾠwith ﾠthe ﾠopportunity ﾠto:
- Experience ﾠthe challenges of social work practice in a supported, learning-focused context.
- Develop the capacity to integrate theoretical knowledge derived from academic study with practical knowledge from ﾠﾠthe placement experience.
- Develop skills in purposeful, relational and professional communication with service users, colleagues and other stakeholders.
- Develop the capacity to critically reflect on the social work role, its values and strategies, from a practical perspective.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Identify and respond to practice challenges to core social work principles of respect for persons, social justice or professional integrity in the placement context. (Values and ethics)
LO2.
Establish constructive rapport with clients based on respect, accountability and appropriate boundaries. Maintain purpose and clarity in heightened emotional circumstances. (Professionalism)
LO3.
Recognise the complexity of personal, social and cultural identity (avoiding homogenisation of clients experience) and their influence on clients understandings of services, needs and professional roles. (Culturally responsive and inclusive practice)
LO4.
Identify links between individual problems and structural patterns of inequity in terms of the agencys practice field. (Knowledge for practice)
LO5.
Work inclusively and respectfully with client and service users to promote client involvement in decision-making, recognising the need for assessments and interventions to be informed by the lived experience of clients. (Applying knowledge to practice)
LO6.
Communicate role and mandate to clients and other stakeholders clearly and unambiguously, ensuring clients and service users are provided with clear details of the rights and responsibilities of all parties involved in service provision. (Communication and interpersonal skills)
LO7.
Record, manage and safeguard the confidentiality of information according to agency standards of accuracy and scope. (Information recording and sharing)
LO8.
Make proactive use of supervision to identify and account for your emotional and assumptive responses to placement incidents, tensions and challenges. (Professional development and supervision)
LO9.
Recognise and reflect on interprofessional practice skills including role clarification, team functioning, interprofessional communication, and client-centred care.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tutorial/ Problem Set |
GEMS IPCP Curriculum Assessment
|
Pass/Fail |
3 October to 24th October 2024 (depends on group allocation; 2 weeks after last tutorial in each group) |
| Reflection | Practice Reflection 1 | Pass/Fail |
By 1:00 pm Monday week 7 of placement |
| Placement | Mid-point Evaluation | Pass/Fail |
Approximately 8th week of Placement. |
| Reflection | Practice Reflection 2 | Pass/Fail |
By 1:00 pm Monday week 11 of placement |
| Placement, Reflection | Final Placement Evaluation | Pass/Fail |
Must be completed prior to end of Placement |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
GEMS IPCP Curriculum Assessment
- Hurdle
- Team or group-based
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Tutorial/ Problem Set
- Weight
- Pass/Fail
- Due date
3 October to 24th October 2024 (depends on group allocation; 2 weeks after last tutorial in each group)
- Learning outcomes
- L09
Task description
Please refer to the assessment information on Learn.UQ for the assessment due date for your team.
This is a team assessment and all team members are expected to contribute equally to the team’s assessment items. Teams will be assigned during your first tutorial. There are three (3) parts to this assessment:
Part one requires you to complete a worksheet and will draw on the online and face-to-face content from Module 1 of the IPCP curriculum focusing on role-clarification and client-centred care. Length: There is no word limit for the worksheet.
Part two involves creating a 3-minute video which draws upon the online and face-to-face content from Modules 2 and 3 of the IPCP curriculum focusing on interprofessional communication, team functioning and client-centred care.
Length: Video 3 minutes
Part Three involves a written assignment (300 words max) which draws on the online and face-to-face content from Modules 2 and 3 of the IPCP curriculum focusing on how client-centred care can be improved.
Length: The word limit for the written assignment is 300 words combined, including in-text references
Teams will need to submit all three parts of your assessment in the Assessment tab on the IPCP Learn.UQ course site. Additional information regarding submission will be provided on the IPCP Learn.UQ course site.
The IPCP module is a Pass/Fail assessment task. Students who pass the module will receive a course grade based on the remaining assessment in the course.
- For students who engage with the module, participate in the group work and submit a genuine attempt but do not achieve a pass grade for their submitted work, there will be given a second opportunity to pass the module by completing a reflective essay. If this is task is successfully completed, a grade will be awarded based on the remaining assessment in the course.
- Students who do not engage with the module, fail to participate in the group work, or do not submit a genuine attempt, will be given an opportunity to complete a 5,000 word assignment on teamwork. Successful completion of this assignment will enable student to then pass the course with a maximum grade of 4 (if the remaining assessment in the course would result in a grade higher than 4, a maximum grade of 4 will be awarded).
- Students who fail the module who do not complete either the reflective essay nor the teamwork assignment will be awarded a maximum grade of 3 (if the remaining assessment in the course would result in a grade higher than 3, a maximum grade of 3 will be awarded).
Hurdle requirements
Students must pass this assessment to pass the course.Submission guidelines
This assessment requires students to submit an electronic version of their assignment via Blackboard.
The anti-plagiarism software Turnitin is being used at UQ. The electronic version of your assignment will be submitted via Blackboard, using the Turnitin software. Work submitted will be subjected to a plagiarism detection process.
Please refer to ITS help if you experience difficulties in submitting your assessment in Blackboard or using Turnitin.
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Practice Reflection 1
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Reflection
- Weight
- Pass/Fail
- Due date
By 1:00 pm Monday week 7 of placement
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08
Task description
Practice Reflection 1 (1000 words).
See the 2024 Practice Education Guide (sec. 4.3) for detailed information regarding this task.
Submission guidelines
This assessment requires students to submit an electronic version of their assignment via Blackboard.
The anti-plagiarism software Turnitin is being used at UQ. The electronic version of your assignment will be submitted via Blackboard, using the Turnitin software. Work submitted will be subjected to a plagiarism detection process.
Please refer to ITS help if you experience difficulties in submitting your assessment in Blackboard or using Turnitin.
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Contact the Course Coordinator by email if you need to discuss an extension.
Mid-point Evaluation
- Mode
- Oral, Written
- Category
- Placement
- Weight
- Pass/Fail
- Due date
Approximately 8th week of Placement.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08
Task description
At the approximate mid-point of the placement, the supervisor is asked to complete and submit to the University a mid-placement review. This will fall around week 8 of your placement. Note that this is an approximate date only: individual placement circumstances will vary. Dates and times should be negotiated with your Supervisor. This is the student's responsibility.
This provides a basis for identifying the extent of your progress and any specific learning tasks that need to be completed in the remaining portion of the placement to assist you to pass the placement.
The review evaluates your performance against the Learning Curriculum and the course Learning Objectives.
A template to be used in the review is available in Learning Resources on the course Blackboard site.
A PDF of the evaluation report, signed and dated by the Supervisor and co-signed/dated by the Student, must be uploaded to Turnitin by the student.
Submission guidelines
This assessment requires students to submit an electronic version of their assignment via Blackboard.
The anti-plagiarism software Turnitin is being used at UQ. The electronic version of your assignment will be submitted via Blackboard, using the Turnitin software. Work submitted will be subjected to a plagiarism detection process.
Please refer to ITS help if you experience difficulties in submitting your assessment in Blackboard or using Turnitin.
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Date of evaluation should be negotiated with your Supervisor and UQ Liaison.
Practice Reflection 2
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Reflection
- Weight
- Pass/Fail
- Due date
By 1:00 pm Monday week 11 of placement
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08
Task description
Practice Reflection 2 (1000 words).
See the 2024 Practice Education Guide (sec. 4.3) for detailed information regarding this task.
Submission guidelines
This assessment requires students to submit an electronic version of their assignment via Blackboard.
The anti-plagiarism software Turnitin is being used at UQ. The electronic version of your assignment will be submitted via Blackboard, using the Turnitin software. Work submitted will be subjected to a plagiarism detection process.
Please refer to ITS help if you experience difficulties in submitting your assessment in Blackboard or using Turnitin.
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Contact the Course Coordinator by email if you need to discuss an extension.
Final Placement Evaluation
- Mode
- Oral, Written
- Category
- Placement, Reflection
- Weight
- Pass/Fail
- Due date
Must be completed prior to end of Placement
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08
Task description
At a point no later than the final week of the placement, the Supervisor is asked to complete a Final Placement Evaluation, using the template available in Learning Resources on the course Blackboard site. This will fall around week 18 of your placement.
Note that this is an approximate date only: individual placement circumstances will vary. Dates and times should be negotiated with your Supervisor. This is your responsibility.
The review evaluates your performance against the Learning Curriculum and the course Learning Objectives.
The review should be a discussion between Student and Supervisor, in which the student's performance and development across the entirety of the placement are reflected upon and evaluated as either Pass or Fail.
Final placement evaluation should be completed no later than the final week of placement and submitted as above.
A PDF of the evaluation report, signed and dated by the Supervisor and the Student, will be uploaded to Turnitin by the student.
Submission guidelines
This assessment requires students to submit an electronic version of their assignment via Blackboard.
The anti-plagiarism software Turnitin is being used at UQ. The electronic version of your assignment will be submitted via Blackboard, using the Turnitin software. Work submitted will be subjected to a plagiarism detection process.
Please refer to ITS help if you experience difficulties in submitting your assessment in Blackboard or using Turnitin.
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Final evaluation MUST be completed before the placement is completed.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Pass/Fails | Description |
|---|---|
| P |
Course grade description: Students should consult their manual for detailed instructions. There are two evaluation events - the first at mid-placement is designed to provide feedback on progress to date, with the second and final evaluation scored to indicate whether each specific aspect of the module has been achieved at a passing level. To pass this course students must complete the required number of placement hours and must pass in all aspects of each module, as detailed in the final evaluation form. Students are also required to submit via Turnitin, a number of pieces by certain dates, as recorded in the Assessment section of this Course profile. |
| F |
Course grade description: Not withstanding achieving passing rankings as outlined above, a student may fail a placement if their behaviour in an instance is deemed to be unprofessional or unethical, malicious or dangerous by the Field educator and/or Field tutor. In such a circumstance a student may have their placement terminated and they may be assigned a failing grade. Students will fail a placment if they do not complete the hours or do not achieve a pass in each element of each module, as detailed on the final evaluation, and achieve a pass grade in the pieces required to be submitted on Turnitin. |
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is not available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Information in this section relates to applications for an extension to the placement itself, i.e. an extension to enable students to complete the requisite number of hours at their agency.
Information regarding extensions to submissible work related to placement may be found under each assessment item.
- Students must completeﾠ all of the placement assessment requirements and placement hours (including workshops) ﾠto a satisfactory standard and within the required timeframeﾠ to pass the course. Students who do not complete all placement assessment requirements and placement hours ﾠwill receive a failing grade with no option for formal ﾠsupplementary assessment.
- Students requiring a ﾠformal extension to placement within the semesterﾠ due to absences of 4 consecutive days or more (not single days due to illness etc.)ﾠ mustﾠ submit a formal application to the Program Lead, Master of Social Work (Qualifying), with a CC to the their Principal Practice Educator (PPE) in the ﾠPractice Education Team.
- Application must be made using the ﾠApplication for Extension to Field Placementﾠ form available on Blackboard ﾠfor the relevant placement course.
- The application ﾠmust be substantiated with supporting evidence ﾠsuch as a medical certificate or ﾠStatutory Declaration.
- Approval for extension rests with the Program Lead, who will consult with the PPE when making the decision. Approval ﾠwill only be granted in exceptional circumstances, on a case by case basis.
Note also that:
- Students who commence ﾠplacement and are unable to complete ﾠthe semester ﾠare encouraged toﾠ apply to the University to ﾠwithdraw fromﾠ the course ﾠﾠwithout academic penalty. Further information on how to apply to withdraw without academic penalty can be accessed through ﾠonline. Please note that students who withdraw from placement at any stage of the semester ﾠwill need to repeat the entire placement in a future semester. It is not possible to "carry over" completed placement hours or assessment items.
- Students who do not meet the academic field standards required during the latter part of the placement, ﾠbut ﾠare considered by their Field Educator and PPE to be ﾠlikely to reach the required standards for the placement in the same enrolment with more time and remedial intervention, may be permitted a short extension of time to reach the ﾠminimum standard. This is determined by the Program Lead, Master of Social Work (Qualifying) following consultation with the PPE and receipt of a ﾠstatement of ﾠlearningﾠ fromﾠ the student. The extension of time and remedial intervention is expected to take place in the same agency, or another agency, as per the ASWEAS (2023) Accreditation Field Education Guidelines.
- For details in relation to difficulties occurring on placement, please refer to the ﾠ2024 Social Work Practice Education Guide, Chapter 5.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Each student is assigned a UQﾠLiaison - an experienced social worker who will undertake two liaison visits across the course of the placement. During this visit the Liaison will meet with the student and Supervisor individually and together in the first part of placement and again in the second half of placement.
You'll be advised by email when your Liaisonﾠis assigned.
If you have any concerns while on placement which your Supervisor is unable to address, don't hesitate to contact your assigned Liaisonﾠfor advice.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Workshop |
Preplacement Workshop - Zoom Zoom 28/6/2024 at 09:30 |
|
Week 3 (22 Jul - 28 Jul) |
Tutorial |
GEMS Interprofessional Collaborative Practice Module Participants will work in small teams in the tutorial groups with students from Dentistry, Exercise Physiology and Sports Science, Midwifery, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology. There are three modules that consist of on-line preparation and face-to-face in class (or via Zoom) learning activities. You will work in your team to engage in a range of learning activities to develop your knowledge and skills to help prepare you for working in teams when caring for clients.
You will also follow the healthcare journey of a client across the three modules. |
Week 4 (29 Jul - 04 Aug) |
Workshop |
Integration Workshop 1 - Zoom Zoom on 2/8/2024 at 10 am (UQ standard Week 2) A highly interactive session where academic content from the program is contextualised in learning from placement. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08 |
Week 7 (19 Aug - 25 Aug) |
Workshop |
Integration Workshop 2 - Zoom Zoom on 23 August at 10 am (UQ standard Week 5) A highly interactive session where academic content from the program is contextualised in learning from placement. Please be advised that week 7 of this course commences on 19th August to coincide with most students placement allocation. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08 |
Week 10 (09 Sep - 15 Sep) |
Workshop |
Integration Workshop 3 - Zoom Zoom on 13 September at 10 am (UQ standard Week 8). A highly interactive session where academic content from the program is contextualised in learning from placement. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08 |
Week 12 (30 Sep - 06 Oct) |
Workshop |
Integration Workshop 4 - Zoom Zoom on 4/10/2024 at 10 am (UQ standard Week 10). A highly interactive session where academic content from the program is contextualised in learning from placement. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08 |
Additional learning activity information
Your progress on placement is measured against the course Learning Objectives which have been developed to incorporate key elements of the AASW Practice Standards 2023. The trajectory of the placement will be negotiated and developed collaboratively between you, your Supervisor and university Liaison. It is your responsibility to ensure your learning goals are articulated and met.
Over the course of the placement, you will be required to immerse yourself in the daily tasks of the agency, proactively engage in supervision, critically reflect on practice and embrace challenging experiences. Your progress will be critically evaluated by Supervisors and Liaison staff on the basis of direct engagement, observation and discussion.
Like social work practice itself, placement offers a holistic, confronting and rewarding experience. The extent to which you choose to embrace this opportunity typically corresponds with the learning you derive.
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
You'll also need to be aware of the following policies and procedures while completing this course:
- Placement
- Working with Children
- Fitness to Practise
- Immunisation