Overview
This unit introduces the complex history and foundations of the social work profession in Australia, emphasising its impact on the purpose, values, theory, identity and practice of social work. You will critically examine the theoretical frameworks and historical trends that have shaped the profession and the competing tensions and power dynamics that influence various social work practice contexts. You will develop a comprehensive understanding of social work values and ethics, focusing on how they are conveyed through professional communication. You will develop interpersonal communication skills essential for building effective and collaborative working relationships across diverse practice contexts, aiming to achieve positive outcomes. The unit emphasises critically evaluating and reflecting on culturally safe and responsive communication strategies and skills when working with First Nation peoples and people from culturally diverse backgrounds. Throughout the unit, you will engage in critical self-reflection to enhance your self-awareness and manage your use of self in interactions with others. Reflective practice will support your professional growth and improve your capacity to work empathetically and ethically in various social work settings.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2025
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
- Analyse the historical development, trends, foundational theories, values and ethics that shape contemporary social work identity, purpose and practice.
- Develop ethical interpersonal communication skills to foster collaborative working relationships and achieve positive outcomes in diverse practice contexts.
- Critically evaluate and use culturally safe and responsive communication strategies when working with First Nation peoples and people from culturally diverse backgrounds.
- Engage in critical self-reflection and accept constructive feedback to improve self-awareness and manage the use of self for ethical and empathetic professional interactions.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 20% | ||||
| 2 - Practical Assessment - 40% | ||||
| 3 - Reflective Practice Assignment - 40% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | ||||
| 2 - Communication | ||||
| 3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | ||||
| 4 - Research | ||||
| 5 - Self-management | ||||
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | ||||
| 7 - Leadership | ||||
| 8 - First Nations Knowledges | ||||
| 9 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Textbooks
Chenoweth, L., & McAuliffe, D. (2017). The Road to Social Work and Human Service Practice with Online Study Too Ls
- 7th edition (2023)
- Authors: Chenoweth, L., & McAuliffe, D.
- Cengage Learning Australia
- ISBN: 9780170470940
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
f.baffour@cqu.edu.au
Week 1
Begin Date: 14 Jul 2025Module/Topic
Introduction to Social Work
Chapter
Chenoweth, L., & McAuliffe, D. (2017). The Road to Social Work and Human Service Practice (7th ed.). Cengage Learning Australia. ISBN: 9780170470940.
Weekly readings from this text, along with additional required readings, are outlined on Moodle and are essential for successful engagement with the unit content and assessment tasks.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 2
Begin Date: 21 Jul 2025Module/Topic
Historical Development Social Work Purpose and Place & Purpose
Chapter
Chenoweth, L., & McAuliffe, D. (2017). The Road to Social Work and Human Service Practice (7th ed.). Cengage Learning Australia. ISBN: 9780170470940.
Weekly readings from this text, along with additional required readings, are outlined on Moodle and are essential for successful engagement with the unit content and assessment tasks.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 3
Begin Date: 28 Jul 2025Module/Topic
Foundational Theories and Knowledge in Social Work
Chapter
Chenoweth, L., & McAuliffe, D. (2017). The Road to Social Work and Human Service Practice (7th ed.). Cengage Learning Australia. ISBN: 9780170470940.
Weekly readings from this text, along with additional required readings, are outlined on Moodle and are essential for successful engagement with the unit content and assessment tasks.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 4
Begin Date: 04 Aug 2025Module/Topic
Social Work Values & Ethics
Chapter
Chenoweth, L., & McAuliffe, D. (2017). The Road to Social Work and Human Service Practice (7th ed.). Cengage Learning Australia. ISBN: 9780170470940.
Weekly readings from this text, along with additional required readings, are outlined on Moodle and are essential for successful engagement with the unit content and assessment tasks.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 5
Begin Date: 11 Aug 2025Module/Topic
Critical Reflection and Critical Reflective Practice
Chapter
Chenoweth, L., & McAuliffe, D. (2017). The Road to Social Work and Human Service Practice (7th ed.). Cengage Learning Australia. ISBN: 9780170470940.
Weekly readings from this text, along with additional required readings, are outlined on Moodle and are essential for successful engagement with the unit content and assessment tasks.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Vacation Week
Begin Date: 18 Aug 2025Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 6
Begin Date: 25 Aug 2025Module/Topic
Interpersonal Communication Skills
Chapter
Chenoweth, L., & McAuliffe, D. (2017). The Road to Social Work and Human Service Practice (7th ed.). Cengage Learning Australia. ISBN: 9780170470940.
Weekly readings from this text, along with additional required readings, are outlined on Moodle and are essential for successful engagement with the unit content and assessment tasks.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 7
Begin Date: 01 Sep 2025Module/Topic
Active Listening Skills: Attending and following
Chapter
Chenoweth, L., & McAuliffe, D. (2017). The Road to Social Work and Human Service Practice (7th ed.). Cengage Learning Australia. ISBN: 9780170470940.
Weekly readings from this text, along with additional required readings, are outlined on Moodle and are essential for successful engagement with the unit content and assessment tasks.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 8
Begin Date: 08 Sep 2025Module/Topic
Active Listening Skills: Reflection Skills
Chapter
Chenoweth, L., & McAuliffe, D. (2017). The Road to Social Work and Human Service Practice (7th ed.). Cengage Learning Australia. ISBN: 9780170470940.
Weekly readings from this text, along with additional required readings, are outlined on Moodle and are essential for successful engagement with the unit content and assessment tasks.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 9
Begin Date: 15 Sep 2025Module/Topic
Culturally Safe and Responsive Communication
Chapter
Chenoweth, L., & McAuliffe, D. (2017). The Road to Social Work and Human Service Practice (7th ed.). Cengage Learning Australia. ISBN: 9780170470940.
Weekly readings from this text, along with additional required readings, are outlined on Moodle and are essential for successful engagement with the unit content and assessment tasks.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 10
Begin Date: 22 Sep 2025Module/Topic
Working collaboratively in Teams and Groups across Diverse Contexts
Chapter
Chenoweth, L., & McAuliffe, D. (2017). The Road to Social Work and Human Service Practice (7th ed.). Cengage Learning Australia. ISBN: 9780170470940.
Weekly readings from this text, along with additional required readings, are outlined on Moodle and are essential for successful engagement with the unit content and assessment tasks.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 11
Begin Date: 29 Sep 2025Module/Topic
Professional communication using information technology
Chapter
Chenoweth, L., & McAuliffe, D. (2017). The Road to Social Work and Human Service Practice (7th ed.). Cengage Learning Australia. ISBN: 9780170470940.
Weekly readings from this text, along with additional required readings, are outlined on Moodle and are essential for successful engagement with the unit content and assessment tasks.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 12
Begin Date: 06 Oct 2025Module/Topic
Integration and Reflection: Developing Ethical Communication Skills & Social Work Identity
Chapter
Chenoweth, L., & McAuliffe, D. (2017). The Road to Social Work and Human Service Practice (7th ed.). Cengage Learning Australia. ISBN: 9780170470940.
Weekly readings from this text, along with additional required readings, are outlined on Moodle and are essential for successful engagement with the unit content and assessment tasks.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Review/Exam Week
Begin Date: 13 Oct 2025Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Exam Week
Begin Date: 20 Oct 2025Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial and Lecture Attendance
Students must attend all scheduled lectures and tutorials as the official timetable outlines. Attendance is critical to this unit, as it supports your learning, professional development, and engagement with culturally responsive social work practice. Tutorials provide structured opportunities to apply theory to practice, engage with assessment preparation, and participate in respectful, critical dialogue.
Non-attendance without an approved reason may impact your ability to meet unit learning outcomes. Please check the timetable in Moodle regularly and notify the teaching team in advance if you cannot attend due to exceptional circumstances.
1 Written Assessment
This task introduces you to foundational concepts shaping the social work profession. You will examine how historical events, key values, and professional ethics influence contemporary practice, particularly in relation to culturally safe and responsive communication.
Structure:
Introduction (approx. 100 words)
Part 1: Historical development of social work in Australia, including key theoretical and values-based foundations (400 words)
Part 2: Application of these foundations to culturally responsive communication practices, including one example involving First Nations or CALD clients (400 words)
Conclusion (approx. 100 words)
Level of GenAI use allowed:
Level 1: You must not use AI at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge.
Week 5 Wednesday (13 Aug 2025) 6:00 pm AEST
Submission Via Moodle - Extensions: Available as per policy The 72-hour grace period applies to this assessment.
Week 7 Friday (5 Sept 2025)
Return Via Moodle
Understanding of social work history, values, and ethics (30%)
Application to culturally responsive communication (30%)
Use of scholarly literature and APA referencing (20%)
Academic structure, writing clarity, and cohesion (20%)
- Analyse the historical development, trends, foundational theories, values and ethics that shape contemporary social work identity, purpose and practice.
- Critically evaluate and use culturally safe and responsive communication strategies when working with First Nation peoples and people from culturally diverse backgrounds.
2 Practical Assessment
This assessment enables you to demonstrate foundational social work communication skills through a simulated helping conversation with a peer. You will assume the role of the social worker, and your peer will play a client presenting with a common psychosocial concern (e.g., housing stress, loneliness, cultural displacement, grief, or study pressures).
You will record a mock helping conversation (role-play) demonstrating core interpersonal skills, including active listening, attending, following, and reflection. Then, you will write a short reflection exploring your communication style, cultural awareness, and use of self.
Instructions – Skills Demonstration:
- Choose or develop a client scenario reflecting a marginalised or culturally diverse context
- Set up a semi-structured helping conversation using appropriate active listening, attending behaviours, and ethical engagement.
- Use open questions, paraphrasing, reflection of feeling/content, and summarising.
- Display professionalism, boundaries, and culturally responsive practice throughout.
- Record your session (Zoom or phone camera is acceptable), ensuring clear audio and video
- Students are required to record their skills demonstration using Zoom or Microsoft Teams. The recording must be uploaded to OneDrive, and a viewable shareable link must be embedded within the written submission.
Further details are available on Moodle.
Instructions – Critical Reflection:
Your written critical reflection should explore:
- Your use of verbal and non-verbal communication techniques
- The influence of your cultural identity and values on the interaction
- Your strengths and areas for growth in culturally safe practice
- How you responded to feedback from your peer or lecturer (if applicable)
- The ethical use of self in the interaction
Level of GenAI use allowed:
Level 1: You must not use AI at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge.
Week 9 Wednesday (17 Sept 2025) 6:00 pm AEST
Submission via Moodle - Extensions: Available as per policy The 72-hour grace period applies to this assessment.
Week 11 Friday (3 Oct 2025)
Return Via Moodle 2 weeks post due date
Part A: Active Listening Skills Demonstration (20%)
- Demonstrates active-listening micro-skills – Attending, following, reflecting, paraphrasing, summarising, and sustaining focus using open prompts (12 marks).
- Practice ethical communication and use of self – Demonstrates empathy, respects autonomy, maintains professional boundaries, and uses language aligned with AASW values (6 marks).
- Communicate with cultural responsiveness – Uses culturally safe and inclusive language, adapts communication style, and acknowledges/mitigates power imbalances (2 marks).
Part B: Critical Reflection (20%)
- Analyse strengths and self-awareness: Identify personal strengths with insight and examples, reflecting on their impact in practice (6 marks).
- Critically evaluate values, assumptions, and culture – Reflects on personal values, assumptions, and cultural positioning in relation to communication and professional ethics (6 marks).
- Integrate feedback and identify development plan – Demonstrates responsiveness to feedback and outlines specific goals and strategies for professional growth (4 marks).
- Communicate in scholarly, evidence-based style – Writes clearly and professionally with correct APA 7 referencing and relevant academic sources (4 marks).
- Develop ethical interpersonal communication skills to foster collaborative working relationships and achieve positive outcomes in diverse practice contexts.
- Critically evaluate and use culturally safe and responsive communication strategies when working with First Nation peoples and people from culturally diverse backgrounds.
- Engage in critical self-reflection and accept constructive feedback to improve self-awareness and manage the use of self for ethical and empathetic professional interactions.
3 Reflective Practice Assignment
This assessment requires you to submit a critically reflective essay that explores your emerging professional identity as a social worker. You will reflect on your personal values, use of self, and communication style in relation to social work’s ethical foundations, cultural responsiveness, and practice theories.
Drawing on your learning across the term, including your skills demonstration, class discussions, and the AASW Code of Ethics, you will examine how your motivations, experiences, and feedback have shaped your developing social work identity. The essay should demonstrate critical insight into your own cultural positioning, commitment to social justice, and plans for ethical and professional growth as you prepare for future practice. Further details about the assessment are provided in Moodle.
Week 12 Wednesday (8 Oct 2025) 6:00 pm AEST
Moodle
Exam Week Monday (20 Oct 2025)
2 weeks post submission
Assessment Criteria
- Motivation and Emerging Identity: Reflects on the original motivation for pursuing social work and the evolution of understanding. Discusses what "becoming a social worker" means with the integration of foundational theories and professional identity development. (7 marks)
- Values and Ethics in Practice: Identifies two core personal values and critically examines alignment with social work professional values. Draws on AASW Code of Ethics to analyse commitment to ethical practice and social justice. (7 marks)
- Communication, Culture, and Use of Self: Reflects on communication style, interpersonal strengths, and areas for development. Considers how cultural identity shapes interactions. Discusses culturally responsive communication from role-play assessment. (10 marks)
- Feedback Integration and Professional Growth: Integrates feedback from skills demonstration and classroom discussions. Articulates how feedback contributed to reflective practice and professional development. (6 marks)
- Future Practice Commitments: Identifies key goals and strategies for enhancing ethical, reflective, and culturally safe practice in future learning and placements. (6 marks)
- Academic Writing and Scholarly Engagement: Demonstrates synthesis and integration of 8–10 scholarly sources, originality, strength and logic of argument, correct spelling and punctuation, with appropriate citation and referencing (APA 7th) within the word limit. (4 marks)
- Analyse the historical development, trends, foundational theories, values and ethics that shape contemporary social work identity, purpose and practice.
- Develop ethical interpersonal communication skills to foster collaborative working relationships and achieve positive outcomes in diverse practice contexts.
- Critically evaluate and use culturally safe and responsive communication strategies when working with First Nation peoples and people from culturally diverse backgrounds.
- Engage in critical self-reflection and accept constructive feedback to improve self-awareness and manage the use of self for ethical and empathetic professional interactions.
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
