SOWK615-25W (D) Whole Year 2025 (Distance)

Social Work Principles and Skills

30 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 17 February 2025
End Date: Sunday, 9 November 2025
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 16 March 2025
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 24 August 2025

Description

The Principles and Skills course integrates the principles of social work with the study of practice and technique. A framework for social work practice is introduced, comprising values, ethics, perspectives, and practices. This framework is used as the context for the development of skills in relation to practice in individual, family, group, and community development contexts. Skill development and analysis will take place in a series of labs, where practice is considered in relation to context and diversity. The concept of supervision is introduced and applied in these labs.

The skills course is designed to identify and build the interviewing skills that are generic to any social work field of practice. Throughout the year students will have the opportunity to read about, observe, discuss and demonstrate practice skills within the framework of the social work process.

The practice skills paper prepares students for the two fieldwork placements in the final year of the MSW Applied and is an opportunity for students to develop their interpersonal communication in relation to work with individuals, families and work in the community.

The skills course employs a range of teaching techniques including lecture, role plays, video work, and practice exercises. There will be homework exercises, LEARN postings and readings to complete between block courses.

Please note:  students must achieve a pass in Assessment 3 to pass the course.

Learning Outcomes

  • To demonstrate and evaluate the micro- skills required for work with individuals, families and in the community.  
  • To appraise the role and tasks of social work through case scenarios and observation.
  • To critically analyse and understand ethical dimensions of practice
  • To articulate the integration of social work theory and practice.
  • To critical analyse and demonstrate the cultural dimensions of practice with Māori and Pasifika
  • To identify the knowledge, skills and values for placements in the final year.
    • University Graduate Attributes

      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.

Prerequisites

Subject to approval of the Associate Dean - Academic.

Restrictions

SOWK308; SOWK515

Timetable 2025

Students must attend one activity from each section.

Intensive Block Course C
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Thursday 09:00 - 16:00 Wheki 106 (20/2)
Wheki 102 (20/2)
17 Feb - 23 Feb
Intensive Block Course D
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Friday 09:00 - 12:00 Wheki 105 (21/2)
Wheki 102 (21/2)
17 Feb - 23 Feb
Intensive Block Course F
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Tuesday 09:00 - 16:00 Wheki 451
5 May - 11 May
Intensive Block Course G
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Wednesday 09:00 - 16:00 Undercroft 101
5 May - 11 May
Intensive Block Course J
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Monday 09:00 - 12:00 Wheki 451
21 Jul - 27 Jul
22 Sep - 28 Sep
Intensive Block Course M
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Thursday 09:00 - 16:00 Wheki 451
21 Jul - 27 Jul
Intensive Block Course N
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Friday 09:00 - 16:00 Wheki 451
21 Jul - 27 Jul
Intensive Block Course O
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Friday 12:00 - 17:00 Wheki 451
17 Feb - 23 Feb
Intensive Block Course P
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01-P1 Tuesday 09:00 - 16:00 Wheki 451
22 Sep - 28 Sep
01-P2 Wednesday 09:00 - 16:00 Wheki 451
22 Sep - 28 Sep
Intensive Block Course R
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Friday 09:00 - 16:00 Wheki 451
22 Sep - 28 Sep
Tutorial A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Friday 10:00 - 13:00 Wheki 450 (28/2, 14/3-28/3, 2/5-9/5, 23/5-30/5, 18/7, 1/8-22/8, 12/9-19/9, 10/10-17/10)
Otakaro 122 (3/10)
24 Feb - 2 Mar
10 Mar - 30 Mar
28 Apr - 11 May
19 May - 1 Jun
14 Jul - 20 Jul
28 Jul - 24 Aug
8 Sep - 21 Sep
29 Sep - 19 Oct
Tutorial B
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Monday 16:00 - 18:00 Wheki 451
24 Feb - 30 Mar
28 Apr - 11 May
19 May - 1 Jun
14 Jul - 20 Jul
28 Jul - 24 Aug
8 Sep - 21 Sep
29 Sep - 19 Oct

Timetable Note

Students must attend EVERY activity from each section, block classes are compulsory.

Lecturer

Hannah Verheul-Cane

Contact Person

Raewyn Tudor

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Role Play practice reflections 30% Due weekly during term time
Role Play reflection essay 30 May 2024 35%
20 minute practice simulation 24 Sep 2024 35% Held in Pukemanu Centre

Textbooks / Resources

Maidment, J., Egan, R., Tudor, R. & Nipperess, S. (2022). Practice Skills in Social Work and Welfare.
More than just common sense (4th edition). Routledge.
This book is not currently in the UC library but is available in book stores

It is a requirement that you bring the above text to all skills sessions.
Additional readings for skills sessions will be posted progressively on LEARN throughout the year.

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $2,169.00

* 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.

Limited Entry Course

Maximum enrolment is 40

For further information see School of Health Sciences .

All SOWK615 Occurrences

  • SOWK615-25W (D) Whole Year 2025 (Distance)