Critical Practice in Community Care Social Work (UG) (U03122)

? Credit Points : 10 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : SPS-4-sps

The course seeks to consolidate and extend the students understanding of Community Care Social Work by building on earlier courses and the students' practice learning. It focuses on the policy and research context in which practice, service provision and their development is located. It considers the interrelationship between the various elements and the challenges and dilemmas presented for practitioners. It is designed to consider: the nature of practice and service provision; the issues and trends in practice policy; the nature of multi-disciplinary, inter-professional and inter-agency collaboration; and current research and competing definitions of user need.

Entry Requirements

? This course is not available to visting students.

? Pre-requisites : Name of Course(s) SW1ah Social Work: Making a Difference SW1bh Policy and Legal Frameworks SP1h Social Policy and Society SP1h Politics of the Welfare State SW2h From Research into Practice: Landmarks in Social Work Research SP2h Social and Political Enquiry U03117 Children and Families Social Work: Themes and Issues U03118 Community Care Social Work: Themes and Issues U03119 Social Work and Criminal Justice: Themes and Issues U03134 Social Work and the Law U01525 Learning for Practice 1

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Social Work, (School of Social and Political Studies, Schedule J)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 4th year

? Delivery Period : Not being delivered

? Contact Teaching Time : 4 hour(s) per week for 7 weeks

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

On completion of the course participants will be able to describe and evaluate critically:

1. Theoretical ideas and evidence from international research in designing and putting into practice effective social work service for a wide range of people;
2. Research-based concepts and critical explanations from social work theory and other disciplines contributing to the knowledge base of social work, including their reliability and application;
3. Factors guiding the choice and evaluation of interventions in different circumstances;
4. Legal bases for intervention and the significance of relationships with statutory social services, especially education, housing, health, criminal justice, income maintenance and with other services provided by partner voluntary organisations and support groups;
5. The current range and appropriateness of statutory, voluntary and private agencies providing community-based, day care, residential and other services and the organisational systems within these;
6. The significance of interrelationships with other social services, especially education, housing, health, criminal justice, income maintenance and other services provided by partners;
7. The nature of risks and harm associated with intervention in the lives of vulnerable, dangerous or socially excluded individuals and groups;
8. The characteristics and evidence of the effectiveness of social work practice in a range of community-based and organisational settings including group care;
9. Factors influencing changes in practice within statutory, voluntary and private sector services;
10. The significance of legislative and legal frameworks, service standards, practice guidelines and codes of practice.
11. The nature of legal authority, the application of legislation in practice, statutory responsibility and conflicts between statute, policy and practice.