Aim  

The aim of this assessment is to enhance your understanding of human service organisations and the context of social work practice. Importantly, the assessment will require you to consider how social workers can work effectively within organisations and develop strategies to deal with complex practice issues in the context of an agency setting. 

Instructions  

This assessment requires you to analyse a human service organisation and consider the theoretical models about organisational practice that will be presented in the lectures. You will need to make an online forum post in Moodle to demonstrate your organisational analysis.  Your post needs to thoughtfully address the questions and provide a brief outline of the information you have gathered, together with your opinion or viewpoint. 

You need to choose a human service organisation in your local community or an organisation that you are otherwise familiar with. You could conduct your research online, or you might choose to visit the organisation and ask some questions. You could research an organisation where you are interested in a social work placement. 

You are encouraged to read other student contributions to the online forum and respond with your thoughts and ideas, but this is not a requirement.

Your post will also need to be uploaded as a word document in Turnitin for similarity checking and marking.

The rubric for allocation of marks is available on Moodle in the assessment tab. 

The questions that you need to answer will be uploaded into the discussion forum in Moodle in week 1. 

Word Limit  750 words  

You must remain within +/- 10% of the word limit. The word count is considered from the first word of the introduction to the conclusion's last word. It excludes the cover page and reference list. It includes in-text references and direct quotations.  

Penalties will apply for late submissions as per CQUniversity's late submission procedure.  

Literature and references  

In this assessment, use at least 3 academic references (<5 years) to support your analysis. 

You may also use seminal scholarly literature where relevant. Suitable references include peer-reviewed journal articles as well as textbooks and credible websites. When sourcing information, consider the 5 elements of a quality reference: currency, authority, relevance, objectivity, and coverage. 

Grey literature sourced from the internet must be from reputable websites such as from government, university, or peak national bodies: for example, the Australian Association of Social Workers. 

Note, that websites such as Wikipedia are not suitable for this assessment task. Lecture notes are not primary sources of evidence and should not be used as references in this assessment. All resources, other than web pages and grey literature, must be sources from the CQUniversity library.

You should correctly reference any information that you gather from personal interviews or from the organisation’s website.  

Requirements   

Use a cover page for your assignment that includes in the following order: 

•               Student name 

•               Student number 

•               Unit code and name 

•               Assessment type 

•               Due date 

•               In-text word count 

•               Use of Gen AI: Gen AI agent.……..has been used for editing and proofreading this assessment (insert or delete as applicable). 

•    Use a conventional and legible size 12 font, such as Times New Roman or Arial, with 2.0 line spacing and 2.54 cm page margins (standard pre-set margin in Microsoft Word).

•      Include page numbers on the top right side of each page in a header.

•      You may write in the first-person perspective. 

•      Use formal academic, discipline specific, professional and inclusive language. 

•      Use Microsoft Word English (Australia) spelling and grammar checker. 

•      Paraphrase, summarise or quote information acknowledging the original source (referencing) to avoid plagiarism. 

•      Follow academic writing conventions: spell out contractions in full; introduce abbreviations and acronyms; spell out numbers for zero through nine and use numerals for numbers 10 and above. 

•      All work submitted must be your own work. 

•      Start your reference list on a separate page to the body of your assessment. 

•      Use the seventh edition American Psychological Association (APA) referencing style. The CQUniversity Academic Learning Centre has an online APA Referencing Style Guide. 

Resources 

·       You can use unit provided materials and other credible sources (e.g. journal articles, books) to reference your argument. The quality and credibility of your sources are essential. 

·       We recommend you access your discipline-specific library guide: the Social Work and Community Services Guide. 

·       We recommend you use EndNote to manage your citations and reference list. More information on how to use EndNote is available on the CQUniversity Library website. 

·       For information on academic communication, please go to the Academic Learning Centre Moodle site. The Academic Communication section has many helpful resources, including information for students with English as a second language. 

·       Submit a draft before the due date to review your Turnitin Similarity Score before making a final submission. Instructions are available here.  Please remember, the similarity score is only a matching tool, and the score alone does not necessarily indicate or eliminate the presence of plagiarism. 

Academic Integrity 

1.        You must abide by the principles of academic integrity (see Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure). Completion of this assessment with another party or sharing of responses is not permitted at any time. 

2.        The use of any generative artificial intelligence is permitted for the following purposes: 

a.        Gen AI content is used to generate ideas and general structures. 

b.       Gen AI content editing.  

c.        Checking spelling and grammar (for example, Grammarly). 

If you use Gen AI to generate ideas, you are required to reference the Gen AI agent as per APA 7th guidelines. If you are using a Gen AI agent for content editing, please complete the declaration on the title page of your assessment. If Gen AI is not used, please delete this declaration. 

References 

There are no prescribed references for this assessment. 

Marking Criteria

Aim  

The aim of this assessment is for you to explore the connection between organisational practice theories and social work practice. In this assessment you will develop your knowledge and skills about organisational theory and practice and reflect on the theoretical perspectives that influence social work practice in human service organisations.    

Instructions  

You are writing a report about organisational practice theories that influence social work practice in human service organisations.  You should refer to the concepts that are discussed in the course content and references provided.  

Your report should include three sections:

1.        Describe a human service organisation  

·        Briefly describe a human service organisation such as your workplace or a human service organisation that you are familiar with.    

·        Explain the main business of the organisation and your connection to the organisation.  You should refer to the concepts that are discussed in the course content and references provided.  

2.        Organisational analysis

Critically analyse the relationship between what the organisation claims to do (espoused theory) and what actually happens in practice (theory in use).

Your analysis should address:

·        What values, principles and goals does the organisation publicly state? Examine their mission statement, website, annual reports and public documents.

·        How do these stated aims translate into daily practice? Provide specific examples from your observations.

·        What factors create gaps between organisational intentions and actual service delivery? Consider resources, policies, workplace culture and external pressures.

·        How do these gaps impact service users and staff? Share concrete examples while maintaining confidentiality.

·        What solutions could help bridge these gaps? Develop practical recommendations based on your analysis.

3.        Reflection

·        Reflect on whether you think the organisation is accessible for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People. Identify one thing the organisation could do to improve their cross-cultural practice.  

·        Reflect on your positioning with this organisation. Is this an organisation that would be an interesting option for placement and explain your reasons.  

Word Limit  1,500 words  

You must remain within +/-10% of the word limit. The word count is considered from the first word of the introduction to the conclusion's last word. It excludes the cover page and reference list. It includes in-text references and direct quotations.  

Penalties will apply for late submissions as per CQUniversity's late submission procedure.  

Literature and references  

Use at least 10 references to support your discussion in this assessment. You may also use seminal scholarly literature where relevant. Suitable references include peer-reviewed journal articles, textbooks, and credible websites. When sourcing information, consider the five elements of a quality reference: currency, authority, relevance, objectivity, and coverage. 

Grey literature sourced from the internet must be from reputable websites such as government, university, or peak national bodies, such as the Australian Association of Social Workers. 

Note, that websites such as Wikipedia are not suitable for this assessment task. Lecture notes are not primary sources of evidence and should not be used in this assessment. All resources, other than web pages and grey literature, must be sources from the CQUniversity library.

You should correctly reference any information that you gather from personal interviews or from the organisation’s website.  

Requirements  

·      Use a cover page for your assignment that includes in the following order: 

•               Student name 

•               Student number 

•               Unit code and name 

•               Assessment type 

•               Due date 

•               In-text word count 

•               Use of Gen AI: Gen AI agent.……..has been used for editing and proofreading this assessment (insert or delete as applicable). 

•            Use a conventional and legible size 12 font, such as Times New Roman or Arial, with 1.5 line spacing or double line spacing and 2.54cm page margins (standard pre-set margin in Microsoft Word). 

•             Include a title page including details of the unit code and name, unit coordinator, assessment number and word count. 

•             Include page numbers on each page in a footer. 

•             Write in the third-person perspective.  

•             Use formal academic, discipline specific, professional and inclusive language. 

•             Use Microsoft Word English (Australia) spelling and grammar checker. 

·              Paraphrase, summarise or quote information acknowledging the original source (referencing) to avoid plagiarism. 

•             Follow academic writing conventions: spell out contractions in full; introduce abbreviations and acronyms; spell out numbers for zero through nine and use numerals for numbers 10 and above. 

•             All work submitted must be your own work. 

•             Start your reference list on a separate page to the body of your assessment. 

•             Use the seventh edition American Psychological Association (APA) referencing style. The CQUniversity Academic Learning Centre has an online APA Referencing Style Guide. 

Resources 

·        You are encouraged to use unit provided materials and other credible sources (e.g. journal articles, books) to reference your argument. The quality and credibility of your sources are essential. 

·        We recommend you access your discipline-specific library guide: the Social Work and Community Services Guide. 

·        We recommend you use EndNote to manage your citations and reference list. More information on how to use EndNote is available on the CQUniversity Library website. 

·        For information on academic communication, please go to the Academic Learning Centre Moodle site. The Academic Communication section has many helpful resources, including information for students with English as a second language.

·        You may wish to submit a draft to Studiosity. 

·        Submit at least one draft before the due date to review your Turnitin Similarity Score before making a final submission. Instructions are available here. Please remember, the similarity score is only a matching tool, and the score alone does not necessarily indicate or eliminate the presence of plagiarism. 

Academic Integrity 

1.        You must abide by the principles of academic integrity (see Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure). Completion of this assessment with another party or sharing of responses is not permitted at any time. 

2.        The use of any generative artificial intelligence is permitted for the following purposes: 

a.        Gen AI content is used to generate ideas and general structures. 

b.       Gen AI content editing.  

c.        Checking spelling and grammar (for example, Grammarly). 

If you use Gen AI to generate ideas, you are required to reference the Gen AI agent as per APA 7th guidelines. If you are using a Gen AI agent for content editing, please complete the declaration on the title page of your assessment. If Gen AI is not used, please delete this declaration. 

Submission 

Submit your assessment via the unit Moodle site in Microsoft Word format only. 

Late penalties of 5% per day of the available mark may be applied as per the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).  

Contact TASAC if you experience technical issues submitting your assessment: 

Phone toll-free 1300 666 620 or Email tasac@cqu.edu.au  

References 

There are no prescribed references for this assessment. 

Marking Criteria

Aim  

The aim of this assessment is for you to develop your knowledge of social work practice in human service organisations and in private practice in Australia.       

Instructions  

This assessment task requires you to research social work practice in contemporary human service organisations. There are resources available on the AASW website if you a member, but they are not required for this assessment.  You should only use Australian examples and references in this assessment and refer to the Australian social work practice context.    

You should refer to the concepts that are discussed in the course content and references provided.  

You are required to write a report about social work placement in a private practice context. Address the following sections:

1.         Private Practice Social Work in Australia

·        What is a private practice social worker? Search for three private practice social workers in Australian and describe what they do. What services do they offer? Who do they help? Is their service easy to find and contact?

·        How do you become a private practice social worker or Accredited Mental Health Social Worker in Australia?

2.        Practice Settings

·        How does the private practice setting differ from public or non-profit organisations?

·        How do you think referral pathways and client engagement might differ?

·        What unique responsibilities come with operating a private practice

·        Suggest three activities that a social work student could undertake during a social work placement in private practice? 

·        Are there any situations where there are additional challenges for students in the private practice context?

3.         Income and Ethics

·        What can you find out about how private practices charges clients for services? Are there any messages about supporting clients who cannot afford to pay full fees?  

·        What are three income streams that private practice social workers might target? 

·        What ethical challenges in private practice might differ from other settings?   

·        What are your thoughts about whether private practice is accessible to diverse communities?

4.        Cross-cultural practice

·        How do private practice social workers demonstrate cultural safety in their services? Look at the language they use on their websites, the images they display, and their service descriptions. 

·        What barriers might prevent people from culturally diverse backgrounds from accessing private practice services? Think about language, cost, location, and cultural understanding. 

·        Look at the three private practices you researched earlier. What evidence can you find that they work effectively with diverse communities? What could they improve? 

·        Do you notice any differences between how private practices and public services approach cultural safety? Share examples from your research. 

5.        Personal Reflection

·        What attracts you or concerns you about private practice social work?

·        How does private practice align with your career goals? 

·        Are there any skills that you would need to develop to work successfully in private practice?

This written assessment can be presented in different ways and you can choose the presentation style that you prefer. You might like to develop a booklet or written report in a word document. 

Word Limit  2,500 words  

You must remain within 10% of the word limit. The word count is considered from the first word of the introduction to the conclusion's last word. It excludes the cover page and reference list. It includes in-text references and direct quotations.  

Penalties will apply for late submissions as per CQUniversity's late submission procedure.  

Literature and references  

Use at least 10 references (<10 years) to support your discussion in this assessment. You may also use seminal scholarly literature where relevant. Suitable references include peer-reviewed journal articles, textbooks, and credible websites. When sourcing information, consider the five elements of a quality reference: currency, authority, relevance, objectivity, and coverage. Grey literature sourced from the internet must be from reputable websites such as government, university, or peak national bodies, such as the Australian Association of Social Workers.  

Grey literature sourced from the internet must be from reputable websites such as from government, university, or peak national bodies: for example, the Australian Association of Social Workers. 

Note, that websites such as Wikipedia are not suitable for this assessment task. Lecture notes are not primary sources of evidence and should not be used in this assessment. All resources, other than web pages and grey literature, must be sources from the CQUniversity library.

You should correctly reference any information that you gather from personal interviews or from the organisation’s website.  

Requirements  

·       Use a cover page for your assignment that includes in the following order: 

•               Student name 

•               Student number 

•               Unit code and name 

•               Assessment type 

•               Due date 

•               In-text word count 

•               Use of Gen AI: Gen AI agent.……..has been used for editing and proofreading this assessment (insert or delete as applicable). 

·                  Use a conventional and legible size 12 font, such as Times New Roman or Arial, with 1.5 line spacing or double line spacing and 2.54cm page margins (standard pre-set margin in Microsoft Word). 

·                  Include page numbers on each page in a footer. 

·                  Write in the first or third-person perspective.  

·                  Use formal academic, discipline specific, professional and inclusive language. 

·        Use Microsoft Word English (Australia) spelling and grammar checker. 

·        Paraphrase, summarise or quote information acknowledging the original source (referencing) to avoid plagiarism. 

·        Follow academic writing conventions: spell out contractions in full; introduce abbreviations and acronyms; spell out numbers for zero through nine and use numerals for numbers 10 and above. 

·        All work submitted must be your own work. 

·        Start your reference list on a separate page to the body of your assessment. 

·        Use the seventh edition American Psychological Association (APA) referencing style. The CQUniversity Academic Learning Centre has an online APA Referencing Style Guide. 

Resources 

·        You are encouraged to use unit provided materials and other credible sources (e.g. journal articles, books) to reference your argument. The quality and credibility of your sources are essential. 

·        We recommend you access your discipline-specific library guide: the Social Work and Community Services Guide. 

·        We recommend you use EndNote to manage your citations and reference list. More information on how to use EndNote is available on the CQUniversity Library website. 

·        For information on academic communication, please go to the Academic Learning Centre Moodle site. The Academic Communication section has many helpful resources, including information for students with English as a second language.

·        You may wish to submit a draft to Studiosity. 

·        Submit at least one draft before the due date to review your Turnitin Similarity Score before making a final submission. Instructions are available here. Please remember, the similarity score is only a matching tool, and the score alone does not necessarily indicate or eliminate the presence of plagiarism. 

Academic Integrity 

1.        You must abide by the principles of academic integrity (see Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure). Completion of this assessment with another party or sharing of responses is not permitted at any time. 

2.        The use of any generative artificial intelligence is permitted for the following purposes: 

a.        Gen AI content is used to generate ideas and general structures. 

b.       Gen AI content editing.  

c.        Checking spelling and grammar (for example, Grammarly). 

If you use Gen AI to generate ideas, you are required to reference the Gen AI agent as per APA 7th guidelines. If you are using a Gen AI agent for content editing, please complete the declaration on the title page of your assessment. If Gen AI is not used, please delete this declaration. 

Submission 

Submit your assessment via the unit Moodle site in Microsoft Word format only. 

Late penalties of 5% per day of the available mark may be applied as per the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).  

Contact TASAC if you experience technical issues submitting your assessment: 

               Phone toll-free 1300 666 620 or  Email tasac@cqu.edu.au  

References 

There are no prescribed references for this assessment. 

Marking Criteria