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HSSW302 Law for Social Work

Updated: 08 March 2010
Credit Points 6
Offering
Responsible Campus Teaching Period Mode of Study Online Level
Armidale Semester 1 Off Campus D - Comp/internet essential
Armidale Semester 1 On Campus D - Comp/internet essential
Intensive School(s) None
Supervised Exam There is a UNE Supervised Examination held at the end of the teaching period in which you are enrolled.
Pre-requisites candidature in BSW and 24cp
Co-requisites None
Restrictions None
Notes None
Combined Units None
Coordinator(s) Brian Simpson (brian.simpson@une.edu.au)
Unit Description

This unit introduces social work students to the manner in which the legal system impacts on the work of social workers and provides an understanding of areas of law which are central to social work practice. Areas covered will include: introduction to basic concepts and institutions in the Australian legal system; juvenile justice and child protection; family law; social security law; housing and tenancy law; privacy and confidentiality law; equal opportunity and human rights.
Prescribed Material
Mandatory 		Text(s):

Note: Students are expected to purchase prescribed material

In The Shadow of the Law: The Legal Context of Social Work Practice
ISBN: 9781862877184
Swain, P. and Rice, S., Federation Press 3rd ed. 2009
Text refers to: Semester 1 , On and Off Campus
Disclaimer Unit information may be subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.
Assessment
Title Exam Length Weight Mode No. Words
Assignment 1 40% 2000
Assessment Notes
Research essay
Relates to Learning Outcomes (LO) and Graduate Attributes (GA)
LO: 1, 2 and 3 GA: 1, 2 and 7
Open Book Examination 2 hrs 60%
Assessment Notes
Legal scenarios
Relates to Learning Outcomes (LO) and Graduate Attributes (GA)
LO: 1, 2 and 3 GA: 1, 2, 6 and 7

Learning Outcomes (LO) Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:
  1. utilise a practical knowledge of areas of law relevant for social workers in their professional practice, providing a foundation for identifying and pursuing those legal issues in practice;
  2. critically reflect upon policy issues raised by relevant areas of law for social worker;
  3. utilise skills in research, comprehension, reasoning and writing in relation to doctrinal and policy questions relating to law for social workers.

Graduate Attributes (GA)
Attribute Taught Assessed Practised
1 Knowledge of a Discipline
This attribute is embedded in the unit in that knowledge of the applicable and relevant law will be required to both understand how social workers perform their functions professionally and in order to complete the research essay and the final examination. 		True True
2 Communication Skills
Social workers are often in the position of having to convey basic legal information and other matter relevant to legal rights to clients, lawyers and other professionals and bureaucrats. The unit requires written skills to indicate proficiency in understanding basic legal concepts (assessed) as well as in classroom exercises. 		True True
5 Life-Long Learning
 True
6 Problem Solving
Legal problem solving is at the heart of a unit which seeks to connect professional practice in social work with the role of the law. Students will be engaged in classroom problem examples as well as problem solving in the final examination. 		True True
7 Social Responsibility
Social responsibility is an embedded concept in the role of law in social work practice is the importance of ethical behaviour. This will form part of classroom discussion as well as in the formal examination. 		True True
   

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