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Field experience of 60 days in social service agencies under the guidance of accredited fieldwork teachers. Teaching and learning methods seek to facilitate an effective framework for initial practice, in accord with the New Zealand Association of Social Workers competency standards.
Students enrolled in SOWK491 must provide attestations as to character and suitability for continuing practice and agree to practice and be bound by the Code of Ethics of the New Zealand Association of Social Workers and the New Zealand Social Workers Registration Board's registration: Fit and Proper Person Policy. Students enrolled in this course whose circumstances change in regard to character or suitability must inform the course co-ordinator immediately. Changes in circumstances, whether notified by the student or others, may result in the student being required to undergo a re-assessment arranged by the Head of Department. Registered social work field educators and individual students on placement are supported by a designated teaching liaison person.
Through their experiences with this course, students will be able to: Identify and understand the purpose, knowledge, and skills of the social work process in working for change, and acknowledging the issues of power, authority, professionalism and teamwork. Develop an effective framework for initial practice, in accordance with the New Zealand Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics and the Social Workers Registration Board Code of Conduct and 10 core competencies. At the conclusion of placements, the student is expected to demonstrate, to a beginning social work practitioner level of competency, the following: 1. Understanding of the social, political, and economic context in which social work is practiced in the placement agency. 2. Understanding of the service the placement agency provides, the role of social workers, and the tasks they perform. 3. Ability to apply the social work process in forming a working relationship with individuals and/or families and/or whanau and/or groups and/or communities and/or iwi. 4. Ability to practice social work in the placement agency according to its systems and protocols, and the social work roles carried out. 5. Awareness of one’s own attitudes and values, social analysis, limitations, and strengths in relation to the specific tasks undertaken on placement and an understanding of the professional orientation of social work, including the code of ethics. 6. Ability to make effective use of the teaching and learning opportunities provided on Placement. 7. Ability to assimilate all the above into one’s development as a social worker.
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:
Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award
Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.
Employable, innovative and enterprising
Students will develop key skills and attributes sought by employers that can be used in a range of applications.
Biculturally competent and confident
Students will be aware of and understand the nature of biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand, and its relevance to their area of study and/or their degree.
Engaged with the community
Students will have observed and understood a culture within a community by reflecting on their own performance and experiences within that community.
Globally aware
Students will comprehend the influence of global conditions on their discipline and will be competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts.
360 points including SOWK301, SOWK303, SOWK304, SOWK308 and SOWK340
SOWK571, SOWK671
SOWK490
SOWK671
Students must attend one activity from each section.
Fiona Clark
There is no set textbook for this course. It is likely that your field educator will have practice specific reading that they will want you to use on placement. The following reading list however, provides references to material that you could refer to when preparing for your placement supervision and completing your case analysis essay for this course. These materials are available through the library. Connolly, M., Harms, L., & Maidment, J. (2017). Social work: Contexts and practice (Fourth Edition.). Oxford University Press. Chenoweth, L., & McAuliffe, D. (2021). The road to social work and human service practice (6th edition.). Cengage Learning Australia. Durie, M. (1998). Whaiora: Maori Health Development (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. Maidment, J., Egan, R., Tudor, R. & Nipperess, S. (Eds) (2022) Practice Skills for Social Work and Welfare. 4th Edition. Routledge.
Domestic fee $3,529.00
International fee $16,425.00
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
Maximum enrolment is 40
For further information see School of Health Sciences .