Professional judgment in social work module (SW51006)

You will be introduced to social work as a regulated profession. You will learn how it works at the interface of legal, policy and professional responsibilities.

You will see that this is a contested space. There are rarely easy answers but regular ethical dilemmas.

You will learn the knowledge and skills to help you understand the complexities of social work practice. This will cover different domains such as children and families, adults and criminal justice.

You will learn how to navigate these effectively and ethically. You will learn to do so while working collaboratively with clients/service users.

What you will learn

In this module, you will:

• learn the knowledge of key legal, policy and practice frameworks in the core domains of social work
• learn to appreciate the ethical frameworks that might guide practice
• learn to appreciate the concept of risk, theoretically and in practice
• learn about the frameworks that guide defensible professional judgment

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• show a working understanding of relevant legislation, policy and professional standards 
• understand ethical and professional frameworks and principles that guide decision-making and professional judgments
• show an ability to conduct a social work assessment in relation to case material. You will be able to reflect and communicate critically on this, verbally and in writing
• show an ability to evaluate the social work role and limits. You will also be able to propose a justifiable course of action
• work effectively with other professionals, recognising different professional roles and priorities

Assignments / assessment

Essay (100%)

Teaching methods / timetable

Class based lectures