HSW202 - Placement Readiness: Preparing for Supervised Social Work Practice
Unit details
| Year | 2027 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes | Trimester 2: Waterfront (Geelong), Warrnambool, Online, Community Based Delivery (CBD)* |
| Credit point(s) | 1 |
| EFTSL value | 0.125 |
| Unit chair | Trimester 2: Pauline Pearce |
| Cohort rule | This unit is only available to students enrolled in H330 Bachelor of Social Work. |
| Prerequisite | HSW101 |
| Corequisite | HSW111 and HSW118 |
| Incompatible with | Nil |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment | 1 x 2 hour lecture per week supported by weekly online independent and collaborative learning activities. |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment | Online students only: Online independent and collaborative learning activities will support learning across the trimester. NIKERI-CBD students only: Online independent and collaborative learning activities including online practical experiences (workshops). |
| In-person attendance requirements | Campus students: On-campus students at Waterfront and Warrnambool campuses are required to attend a minimum of 9 out of the 11 scheduled weekly lectures. Online students: Online students are required to attend a 3-day intensive held in Week 7 of the trimester at Geelong Waterfront campus. View Bachelor of Social Work attendance requirements. NIKERI-CBD students: there are compulsory intensives for all students at the National Indigenous Knowledges, Education, Research and Innovation (NIKERI) Institute, Geelong-Waurn Ponds Campus. These intensives are arranged by year-level. Please contact the NIKERI Social Work Course Team for more information on 1800 063 383. |
| Typical study commitment | Students will on average spend 150 hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. |
| Supplementary information | *National Indigenous Knowledges, Education, Research and Innovation (NIKERI) Institute students only. |
Content
Unit HSW202 is designed to prepare Bachelor of Social Work students for their first social work field placement experience as part of units HSW314 and HSW415. The emphasis is on supporting students to begin connecting the theoretical knowledge and practice skills acquired through classroom learning in the other second year units with the complexities of social work practice in contemporary work environments. Additionally, this unit is designed to support students to develop the judgment and self-management skills that will enable them to optimise their professional learning within the contemporary practice context. The unit structure and content aligns coherently with the common learning and assessment areas for placement, as these reflect the Australian Association of Social Work (AASW) practice standards and ethical code for all social work practitioners.
There will be three practice-based assessments for the unit, each designed for students to demonstrate their judgement, emotional and behavioural regulation, and knowledge and skills within simulated workplace scenarios. A pass grade in the unit will be a pre-requisite for entry into the first placement unit for all Bachelor of Social Work students. For most students HSW202 will be a pre-requisite for HSW314. For the small group of students who obtain Recognition of prior learning for HSW314, HSW202 will be a pre-requisite for HSW415/HSW404.
Mandatory student checks
All students are required to submit the following documents onto the InPlace system by Friday of Week 4 of the trimester:
- Current Working with Children Check (or equivalent)
- Current NDIS Check
- Completed Vaccinations form
Please note that students will not be able to successfully complete this unit without fulfilling this hurdle requirement by the end of Week 4.
Learning outcomes
| ULO | These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Explain and critically reflect on the core dimensions of professional practice as informed by the relevant AASW practice standards and code of ethics. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO2 | Identify and critically reflect on personal assumptions/biases and how these impact upon professional practice. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO3 | Demonstrate professional judgements and articulate reasoning, drawing on professional knowledge base, relevant practice standards and the ethical code. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO4 | Apply and evaluate strategies in working through complex workplace situations. | GLO2: Communication |
Note – From 2026, Deakin commenced introducing Graduate Attributes (GAs), which define the distinctive characteristics of a Deakin graduate. You may notice some units still refer to Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) during this transition period.
Assessment
| Assessment description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1: Critical Reflection report on Placement Learning Areas | Individual written piece, 2000 words (+/-10%) | 40% |
|
| Assessment 2 (Individual): Online audio-visual case assessment/ intervention | Equivalent to 1000 words | 30% |
|
| Assessment 3 (Individual): Online audio-visual workplace simulation | Equivalent to 1000 words | 30% |
|
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Hurdle requirements
- All students are required to submit the following documents onto the InPlace system by Friday of Week 4 of the trimester:
- Current Working With Children Check (or equivalent)
- Current NDIS Check
- Completed Vaccinations form
- Please note that students will not be able to successfully complete this unit without fulfilling this hurdle requirement by the end of Week 4.
- On-campus students are required to attend a minimum of 9 out of 11 lectures.
- Online students are required to attend a compulsory 3-day intensive held in Week 7 during trimester at Geelong Waterfront campus. View Bachelor of Social Work attendance requirements.
- NIKERI-CBD students are required to attend compulsory intensives at the NIKERI Institute Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus and should contact the NIKERI Social Work Course Team for more information about intensive attendance requirements.
Learning resource
There is no prescribed text. Unit materials are provided via the unit site. This includes unit topic readings and references to further information.
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
To fully engage with Deakin's learning experiences, students must be able to access and use internet-connected devices as outlined in computing requirements at Deakin.
To support student success at Deakin, we have a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) learning environment that acknowledges that students and educators bring with them the digital tools they regularly use to complete academic tasks. These tools stay with you beyond the classroom, helping you to keep learning, explore ideas more deeply, and connect with knowledge in ways that matter to you.
Students requiring a loan device should visit our Loan Laptop webpage or students requiring longer-term assistance should visit our Student Financial Assistance webpage.
Unit fee information
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
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