Unit of Study SWRK3005 Social Work Practice VII - Social Work in Legal Contexts (2025)

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Unit Snapshot

Unit type

UG Coursework Unit
Credit points

12
Faculty & College

Faculty of Health
Placement

No

Pre-requisites

SWRK2005 - Social Work Placement I WELF3002 - Issues of Protection SWRK3001 - Social Work Practice III - Mental Health

Enrolment information

All students are required to meet participation requirements comprising 42 hours of compulsory attendance at either on-campus tutorials. (GC students) or an on-campus residential (online students)

Unit description

This unit develops students' understanding of the legal contexts of contemporary social work practice in both statutory and non-statutory settings. Students will critically analyse legal issues impacting disadvantaged and vulnerable groups and devise interventions to advance human rights and social justice. They will also learn how to incorporate knowledge of law, ethics, and human rights to exercise professional judgment and decision making. The unit further develops students’ social work practice skills in critical thinking, written and verbal communication, record keeping, decision making, assessment and intervention, and advocacy.

Unit content

Social work and the law: human rights and social justice perspectives
Social work roles, responsibilities, and obligations in the legal context
Social work fields of practice and the law
Social work with diversities: working with marginalization and social exclusion in legal contexts
Applying core social work skills in legal contexts
Social work and social change in legal contexts

Availabilities

Location	Domestic	International
Gold Coast	Term1	Term1
Online	Term1	Term1

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

examine legal contexts of contemporary social work practice in statutory and non-statutory settings

produce documents that comply with social workers’ legal and ethical duties

critically analyse legal issues impacting disadvantaged or vulnerable groups and devise interventions that advance human rights and social justice

incorporate knowledge of law and human rights to exercise professional judgment and ethical decision-making

Teaching and assessment

Teaching method

Tutorial 7 hours (Weekly)

Assessment
Short written response	20%
Presentation	30%
Report	50%
Participation	SR

Teaching method

Residential 7 hours x 6 days (Once during term)

Assessment
Short written response	20%
Presentation	30%
Report	50%
Participation	SR

Prescribed learning resources

Prescribed Texts

Prescribed text information is not currently available.

Prescribed Resources/Equipment

Prescribed resources/equipment information is not currently available.

Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.

Fee information

Domestic

Commonwealth Supported courses
For information regarding Student Contribution Amounts please visit the Student Contribution Amounts.

Fee paying courses
For postgraduate or undergraduate full-fee paying courses please check Domestic Postgraduate Fees OR Domestic Undergraduate Fees.

Find out more for domestic fees