School: Arts and Humanities

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Legal and Ethical Practice
  • Unit Code

    SWK4110
  • Year

    2021
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    1
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Ms Rebecca Louise BURNS

Description

This unit explores the legal, professional and ethical opportunities and constraints of social work practice. Students will consider the tensions and dilemmas of socio-legal practice through an examination of social work interventions in selected settings in contemporary Australia. This unit will also examine the relationship between the law and ethical practice. Students will critically analyse ethical and legal issues in social work professional practice.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Analyse dynamics of power, access to resources, and the impact of difference in the exercise of professional ethical obligations.
  2. Assess the philosophical and ethical base shaping the formation of the law and how these relate to the ethical principles of the Australian Association of Social Work.
  3. Demonstrate an understanding of negligence, conflicts of interests, limits of own expertise, and confidentiality with respect to social work practice.
  4. Develop original analyses and practice responses to ethical dilemmas in professional practice.
  5. Identify the major Commonwealth and State legal structures and describe their respective jurisdictions.

Unit Content

  1. Codes of Ethics.
  2. Conflicts of interest.
  3. Ethics and power in the professional relationships.
  4. Exploring challenges to ethical choices in practice.
  5. Guidelines for ethical decision-making.
  6. Legal and ethical issues in contemporary fields of practice.
  7. Negligence, issues of confidentiality and informed consent.
  8. Overview of the legal aid system in Australia.

Learning Experience

ON-CAMPUS

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECUs LMS

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 1Not OfferedNot Offered13 x 3 hour seminar

For more information see the Semester Timetable

ONLINE

Students will engage in learning experiences through ECUs LMS as well as additional ECU l

Additional Learning Experience Information

Off campus: Online lectures and activities On campus: Lectures and tutorials

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
ParticipationCollaborative Learning Project40%
ReportCase study60%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
ParticipationCollaborative Learning Project40%
ReportCase Study60%

Core Reading(s)

  • n.d. (2018). S. Rice, A. Day, & L. Briskman (Eds.), Social work in the shadow of the law (Fifth edition.). Annandale, NSW: The Federation Press. Retrieved from https://ecu.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1030992734

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

SWK4110|1|1

School: Arts and Humanities

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Legal and Ethical Practice
  • Unit Code

    SWK4110
  • Year

    2021
  • Enrolment Period

    2
  • Version

    1
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Ms Rebecca Louise BURNS

Description

This unit explores the legal, professional and ethical opportunities and constraints of social work practice. Students will consider the tensions and dilemmas of socio-legal practice through an examination of social work interventions in selected settings in contemporary Australia. This unit will also examine the relationship between the law and ethical practice. Students will critically analyse ethical and legal issues in social work professional practice.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Analyse dynamics of power, access to resources, and the impact of difference in the exercise of professional ethical obligations.
  2. Assess the philosophical and ethical base shaping the formation of the law and how these relate to the ethical principles of the Australian Association of Social Work.
  3. Demonstrate an understanding of negligence, conflicts of interests, limits of own expertise, and confidentiality with respect to social work practice.
  4. Develop original analyses and practice responses to ethical dilemmas in professional practice.
  5. Identify the major Commonwealth and State legal structures and describe their respective jurisdictions.

Unit Content

  1. Codes of Ethics.
  2. Conflicts of interest.
  3. Ethics and power in the professional relationships.
  4. Exploring challenges to ethical choices in practice.
  5. Guidelines for ethical decision-making.
  6. Legal and ethical issues in contemporary fields of practice.
  7. Negligence, issues of confidentiality and informed consent.
  8. Overview of the legal aid system in Australia.

Learning Experience

ON-CAMPUS

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECUs LMS

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 1Not OfferedNot Offered13 x 3 hour seminar

For more information see the Semester Timetable

ONLINE

Students will engage in learning experiences through ECUs LMS as well as additional ECU l

Additional Learning Experience Information

Off campus: Online lectures and activities On campus: Lectures and tutorials

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
ParticipationCollaborative Learning Project40%
ReportCase study60%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
ParticipationCollaborative Learning Project40%
ReportCase Study60%

Core Reading(s)

  • n.d. (2018). S. Rice, A. Day, & L. Briskman (Eds.), Social work in the shadow of the law (Fifth edition.). Annandale, NSW: The Federation Press. Retrieved from https://ecu.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1030992734

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

SWK4110|1|2