Legal and Ethical Contexts of Practice

This subject is not offered in 2014.

In addition to the subject contact hours, students are expected to devote approximately 6 hours a week to this subject.

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It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's courses. Students who feel their disability will impact on meeting this requirement are encouraged to discuss this matter with the Course Coordinator and the Disability Liaison Unit.

This subject provides an overview of social work ethics and the Australian and Victorian legal systems. It explores values and principles upon which human services law and social work ethics are based. The subject examines current legal and practice issues which practitioners can expect to encounter in such practice areas as child protection, family law, domestic violence, mental health, guardianship, and working with refugees.

By the end of the subject students should be able to:

• understand the interconnectedness of social work practice and law
• understand the nature of the legal and ethical context of practice and the implications for social work practice.
• understand the notion of rights, their definition and their enforcement
• articulate the interrelationship between access to justice and socio-economic factors, gender, sexual orientation, Aboriginality and ethnicity
• articulate and understand the ethical and legal responsibilities of social workers in their practice generally, and in a range of common practice contexts.

1. A written paper 2,000 words (40%) due mid semester
2. 2 short tests (15% each) due mid semester
3. A written paper 1,500 (30%) due end of semester

Swain, P. (3rd ed.) (2009). In the shadow of the law: The legal context of social work practice. Annandale: Federation Press.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Students who complete this subject should be able to:

• critically analyse texts and practices;
• understand recent developments in social work contexts of practice;
• link theory to practice;
• competently communicate in ways relevant to both academic and practice contexts;
• undertake independent research.