Department of Social & Policy Sciences, Unit Catalogue 2007/08 |
SP30132 Developing professional competence 2: principles of practice |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Honours |
| Semester: 1 |
| Assessment: ES100 |
| Requisites: |
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This unit is for students on the BSc SWASS programmes only.
Aims: To address the place of ethics in social work theory and practice.
Learning Outcomes: Students will be able to demonstrate that they have learnt: * to respond to ethical issues in social work practice raised in their prior learning; * to develop thinking in identifying and clarifying values and principles for social work generally and students individually; * to explore some of the ethical dilemmas and confusions raised in everyday social work practice; * to understand authority within complex frameworks of accountability and ethical and legal boundaries; * build upon their skills of critical analysis; * to apply sociological knowledge and understanding of ethics to the analysis of complex practice issues; * how to develop sensitivity to the values and interests of others; * how to act, with others, to increase social justice by understanding the ethical underpinning of anti-racism and anti-discrimination; * to understand the arguments that support working in partnership with service users and carers; * to understand the conceptual links between codes defining ethical practice, the regulation of professional conduct and the management of potential conflicts generated by the codes held by different professional groups; * the value of advocacy; * what are effective decision making meetings; * how to use supervision effectively; * to understand the power and function of recording; * value the voice of the service user. Skills: Students will develop the skills to: * Think through ethical dilemmas when they arise in practice and develop processes to resolve them; * Advocate on behalf of service users and carers; * Undertake recording according to agency guidelines and data protection; * Use supervision effectively; * Promote the voice of the service user and carer. Content: General consideration of ethics and their place in social work; identification of ethical issues and dilemmas from students' experience - e.g. values and conflicts of interest; authority and accountability in social work; cultural relativism and values; values and the maintenance of purpose and morale; role of user and carer participation; role and value of advocacy; role of recording and legal framework governing data protection; how to use supervision effectively; decision making and effective meetings, the importance of consumerism and the voice of the service user. |