Reference no: EM133174854 , Length: 8000 words

MSWPG7108 Social Work Practice with Groups and Communities - Federation University Australia

Field Education: Portfolio Assessment

Introduction

The field education portfolio consists of a structured set of activities that guide the student in developing a portfolio that gives evidence of their learning in line with the course learning outcomes and the AASW 9 learning areas at the level of a graduating social worker. Students will complete activities week by week as drafts which they present to the field educator in supervision before they submit the work to their field liaison for formal marking. Some activities may the focus of a task in supervision or a placement project. These activities will require the student to apply the theory to practice and demonstrate their practice skills, knowledge and attributes. The process of dialogue, reflection and feedback with their field educator are key elements of the learning process. These activities then get written up in their final portfolio for a summative assessment.

Purpose:
For Field Education 2 students the purpose of this portfolio is to demonstrate advanced integration of practice with theory, and research from throughout their MSW(Q) program Firstly, students will be expected to describe and apply theories and approaches to practice, as per Field Education 1. Secondly, building on this theoretical understanding to practice, students will be expected to critically analyze and evaluate practice approaches in their practice setting. This critical analysis will enable students to explore and develop alternative practice approaches as they apply social work theories that may go beyond the scope or limits of the specific agency approach or model. Students will engage in critical reflection to demonstrate personal and professional growth. Student are encouraged to draw on reading from the courses they have completed with the focus of integrating theory to their work in placement.

Also, in the field education setting students are expected to be demonstrating skills managing situations with high risk needs and ambiguity that deal with complex multi-faceted problems. This will demonstrate their development of core social worker attributes such as strategic thinking, reflective self, curiosity, problem solving, critical analysis, self-awareness, communication skills, values of justice and respect, as well as empathy for people, especially for the oppressed and vulnerable parts of society. They will demonstrate knowledge of their developing professional identity, social work values, ethics, roles and responsibilities of social workers and the organizations in which they are employed, applying and integrating a range of skills and knowledge to their placement setting.

Description:
This portfolio assessment is divided into 6 learning activities. Learning activities 1 -3 are to be submitted at the student's mid placement review for formative feedback. Learning activities 4-6 and the reading summary analysis are to be submitted at the end of placement. Students are expected to bring the reading and activity material as drafts to supervision with their field educator to discuss, reflect and receive verbal feedback to aid in their learning. While each section of the portfolio constitutes a separate learning activity, it is expected that the student will integrate this portfolio as one coherent document encompassing their learning.

Each activity will assist actively link theory to practice. The placement presentation and ethical case study should also interlink with and complement the portfolio as a coherent exposition of student learning. Students should draw upon theories and readings from other courses in the social work program so they can apply and integrate these in their practice.

Each activity has a key question (in the box at the top) followed by guidance to approach the task and trigger questions. These trigger questions are there to guide and assist the answering of the main question or activity. Students do not need to answer any or all parts of the guidance or trigger questions as long as they answer the key question for the activity. Samples of placement work can be attached as appendices to the portfolio as evidence of their field education experience. Appendices may include client reports or notes with identifying information modified to protect the privacy and confidentiality of individuals, groups, and communities in line with professional ethical responsibilities.

All the learning activities in this portfolio link with key sections of learning and assessment plan. They should be integrated with the development of the student's learning goals activities at the beginning of placement. At the beginning of placement student should discuss with their supervisor all the key portfolio activities below and map out the specific focus and/or output needed.

Marking criteria
The marking criteria to determine a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grade will include:

1. Are the responses coherent and do they address the key question or activity on each of the worksheets?
2. Where required, do the responses vigorously explore theories and are they supported with evidence?
3. Are the responses well organised, and do they demonstrates logical sequencing and sentence structure?
4. Are the responses written in a style that is clear and easy to follow?
5. Do the response show critical analysis and evaluation of the practice context?
6. Do the responses demonstrate knowledge of specific social work theories and do they link these to the theories and approaches of other fields, including political, sociological and psychological discourses?
7. Do the responses demonstrate consideration of alternative approaches to practice, including applying micro and macro theories?
8. Do the responses demonstrate an ability to reflect on issues in the agency/placement experience?
9. Do the responses employ appropriate use of academic literature and APA (7) referencing style?

Activity 1 - Critical analysis of policy, funding and legal context of practice

All policies and funding for services are based on a set of assumptions or ideas. Some are explicitly articulated, while others are not. This activity is about drawing out and analysing the assumptions that models or frameworks build into these policy and funding arrangements. You need to identify and then critically analyse these assumptions in the policies and funding arrangements for your placement agency.

For example, some policies and funding arrangements are built on an individual approach to social needs. Others may take a structural/social change approach. Some funding takes a neo-liberal market approach to delivery of services linked to a specific individual, while others will fund the organisation for providing services.

This section is examining what are the strengths of the policy and funding frameworks that relate to the placement agency's program, the limits of each and examining alternatives. Students must go beyond merely describing the policies and funding models, and be able to critically analyse them while comparing and contrasting alternatives. You are encouraged to discuss this task in their field education supervision.

To undertake this task, you should conduct research utilising academic and professional literature to critically analyse social policy and its application to your context of practice.

The following trigger questions will help to guide your critical analysis of the funding and policy context:

• Outline the funding, policy and legal context of the agency/service
• Where does the funding of the agency/program come from?
• What requirement does the funding impose on the agency for service delivery and/or service standards?
• List the key policy document or frameworks specific for the field of practice that the agency/program is delivering (Family Services, NDIS, Emergency Relief, Domestic violence etc) and/or is the key legislation/policy that is relevant to your program
• What model or assumption are built into funding and /or policy framework
• As a result of the policies/funding outline at least three key impacts these has on service delivery?

A critical appraisal of funding and policy contexts

• What are the strength of this model or framework?
• What are the constraints of this model?
• Compare this model with an alternative model (eg macro versus micro, individual versus structural change)

Activity 2 Assessment and intervention skills with complex problems

Length 1200-1500 words

Activity 2 Question
Outline and critically analyse an assessment and intervention plan for a client, group, community context or social need in relation to your placement work

Moving beyond problem solving and a task focused approach with clients, students will be required to demonstrate advanced skills for assessment and intervention for clients or community issues presenting with multi-problem, interacting causes and often high-risk needs. Students working in project or research-based placements need to assess the needs of the project, organizations and stakeholders in relation the social issue being considered. Students need to demonstrate the capacity to collate key information, summarize it in a succinct manner and provide analysis or formulation. An intervention plan may involve the coordination of multiple services or stakeholders.

Assessment constitutes a key stage in social work practice. This can be achieved with individuals, groups, communities, projects or research. In each case, the social worker will assess (i.e. collate) the key information for the presenting needs and the underlying issues of the individual, community or organisation. Using a ‘person in environment' approach in your assessment student will involve and gain information from key participants or stakeholders. After summarising this information, students will analyze it in order to develop an understanding or formulation of the stakeholder needs, including the interaction of different factors and stakeholders/participants.

An assessment completed in placement may be attached as an appendix for the final placement review. For indirect placements, a project brief or plan may also be attached as an appendix.

The following trigger questions offer guidance in development of your outline of your assessment and intervention plan:

Assessment of Needs
• Write out a brief description of a client, community or organizational issue that has multiple needs with multi-causality
• Draw a genogram and or eco map /or in community and research context draw a map of clients, stakeholders and their relationships.
• Draw a mind map of the different issues and their relationships.
• Discuss the inter-relationship of the different issues for the client, community or organizations, highlighting which issue influences others and to what degree.
• In two paragraphs summarize the assessment
Planning and Managing Interventions
• Develop an intervention plan highlighting the sequence of interventions required and the different agencies or stakeholders involved.
• Highlight the key theory and/or research support your use of this intervention
• Highlight how you would develop a person centered plan that involves the client or key community representatives enabling their empowerment and participation.

Activity 3 - Critical analysis of agency models for practice

Outline and critically analyze the agency models for practice contrasting these models with alternative approaches to practice.

The aim of this section is to investigate the agency models and compare different approaches. Some agencies will have clearly outlined their model of practice in a practice document or manual that is referenced with professional literature. Other agencies may not have clearly articulated their model so the student will need to observe practice, interview staff and research the agency's approach to clearly outline the basis of the agency's model practice. Students will need to compare macro/structural and micro/individual approaches to practice. They need to look beyond the agency model to evaluate the agency's practice and consider alternative approaches. This activity is about analysing and critical evaluating the approach by comparing it with other theoretical approaches and models used in other practice settings.
Use the following activities as a guide for the question
1. Identify and describe 2 of the theories/approaches/frameworks your agency uses in practice
2. Outline at least one macro or social change theory and how it might apply to your work in the agency
3. Compare and contrast the agency's approach with a different approach (eg macro versus micro).
4. Evaluate the strength and limits of each approach?
5. If you had the opportunity to change/expand practice what else might you do using an alternative theory/approach to that of the agency?
6. Outline the above in relation to a practice scenario

Activity 4 - Managing professional communication in multi-agency and multi- professional contexts.
Length 1200-1500 words

Outline and analyze the process and dynamics of managing professional communication in a multiagency and multi professional context.

In individual, community and organization contexts effective practice means coordinating and managing stakeholders from different agencies and professional contexts. Many of them will have different priorities or foci depending on their professional background, funding and context. Using systems, ecological and political approaches students need to demonstrate understanding and skills in managing these complex situations as they develop strategies for intervention. The dynamics of interagency and interprofessional process can reflect the stressors of the social political context and/or impacts of the stresses of the work. Social workers often have the role of managing, facilitating and coordinating systems, not just providing direct services. Beginning with good problem solving and task focused approaches a social worker will be able to demonstrate the way they can understand and analyze these complex dynamics for developing and coordinating effective interventions.

These question below are not a requirement, but are there to guide students in the assessment task; a d resource designed to assist students to answering the question..

1. Outline an issue for an individual or client or community that may involve multiple agencies and professionals.
2. Draw an eco map of the key agencies/stakeholder that your placement service interacts with in the provision of services for client or communities.
3. Discuss the different agencies, services, and professionals that may be involved
4. Outline the different foci and priorities that each agency, service or professional may have.
5. Discuss the barriers and enablers for effective inter agency work.
6. What would be the impact of these agencies and professionals did not work effectively?
7. What strategies might you develop to enhance interagency work?

Activity 5 - Applying research to practice

Develop a placement task that demonstrates the use of research to inform practice

The aim of this activity is to demonstrate your ability to use research to inform your practice in your placement.

1. Negotiate with the task supervisor or field educator to establish / identify a topic for your mini research project. This should be an area of practice that would assist the agency in its programs and their development. It could include a small literature review, development of a resource, survey for consumer feedback etc.
2. the student should gain approval. This should be linked into part of the learning and assessment plan goal setting at the beginning of placement.
3. At the beginning of placement, develop a research brief or proposal outline for approval by your field educator before commencing the project including the final resource or document that will be produced for this activity.
4. On completion of your project create a brief summary of the scope and focus of the research, relevant to the practice within the agency (you can use bullet point notes)
a. 5+ relevant academic/professional peer reviewed and published research articles or book chapters (often you need to locate more than this as some articles initially located may not be highly relevant)
b. Internet web site are not acceptable and you are encouraged to use the university library to locate articles and chapters
5. Summarize the implications of the research for informing practice
a. What aspects of current practice are supported by the research?
b. What areas would the research suggest could be done differently or improved?
c. Evaluate the type of evidence in the research and its validity?

Discuss with your field educator the option of writing this activity as a summary and resource pack for the agency that will help their staff and program development.

Activity 6 - Culture, values and professional self in practice

Activity question
Using Fook's Critical Reflection Framework reflect on your values and assumption in a critical issue/incident from placement and they ways your critical reflection has enhanced your practice.

"...the ability to reflect upon practice in an ongoing and systematic way is now regarded as essential to responsible professional practice". (Fook, 2016, pp440) Students are encouraged to engage in this activity in supervision and/or with other students. The final written reflection will summarize the key learning from examining one's own values and culture in practice. This will encompass reflecting on one's own culture, values, class, gender, sexual orientation etc as they influences you as a practitioner. This activity could be the focus of an individual or group supervision session.

Guidelines for the activity
Read chapter 4 and 5 in Fook, J., Gardner, Fiona, (2007). Practising critical reflection a resource handbook. Open University Press. (available via online access in the library)

• Describe a critical incident from placement as per Fook's definition
• Using Fook's Critical Reflection Questions in Chapter 5 write a reflection on your values and assumption in the critical incident.
• Do not judge your values and assumption but become aware of them. How might these differ to those of client or others stakeholder?
• What other belief or preconceptions might allow you to consider other views or the situation
• How has this informed your practice and in what ways have they changed
• How does this align with the professional values as outlined the AASW Code of Ethics (2010)

Note: Need Only first 3 activities