The Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) is the professional representative body of social workers, and the professional accreditor of social work programs, in Australia. Professional accreditation is vital to maintaining the integrity and accountability of the social work profession, ensuring that social work graduates are equipped with the professional competencies and learning outcomes necessary for entry into professional practice.
The Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work (Qualifying) are AASW-accredited qualifications. Both are entry qualifications into the social work profession and have been determined to meet the Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards (ASWEAS). This document is based on the ASWEAS and has been prepared as a guide for students regarding the essential requirements of these courses.
1. Essential abilities, skills and behaviours
Inherent requirements include the abilities, skills and behaviours needed to participate, progress and graduate from the social work program. These fall into three domains of capacity: personal, interpersonal, and cognitive.
Personal capacities
This domain encompasses personal integrity, self-awareness and self-management.
Social work is a values-based profession with a strong emphasis on personal and professional integrity, expressed through honesty, reliability, empathy and respect for others. Student progression in the course is conditional on the demonstration of professional attitudes and behaviour.
A capacity and willingness to be self-reflective and open to feedback and personal growth.
The capacity for self-management includes taking responsibility for one’s emotions, reactions, and behaviour, recognising how these might impact on others, and taking steps to manage these. It also involves taking responsibility for one’s own wellbeing by engaging in appropriate self-care practices.
Interpersonal capacities
This domain incorporates the capacities for communicating and relating to others.
The ability to clearly communicate verbally, non-verbally, and in writing is fundamental to social work education and practice. This includes the relational skills associated with identifying, interpreting and responding to behavioural cues in ways that are appropriate and sensitive to context.
The capacity to interact appropriately in order to build relationships, establish rapport, and demonstrate engagement.
Cognitive capacities
This domain incorporates the skills of literacy and cognition.
The ability to read and comprehend a range of texts and sources.
The capacity to accurately convey information and construct written text appropriate for the purpose and audience.
The capacity to locate appropriate information and evaluate its relevance for particular purposes.
The capacity to retain, reason and integrate and analyse knowledge in order to build a coherent case or defend an argument.
The ability to problem-solve and apply knowledge in a range of contexts.
Meeting the inherent requirements
Students who do not meet, or anticipate that they might find it difficult to meet, the inherent requirements of the social work program are encouraged to discuss their concerns with the relevant (BSW or MSW) Course Coordinator.
Students can also arrange a confidential appointment with a Disability Advisor to determine whether reasonable adjustments can be made that will enable them to meet these inherent requirements.
Final determination of inherent requirements remains, however, a matter for Flinders academic judgment, in line with the accreditation standards set by the Australian Association of Social Workers.
2. Social work placements
Field education is central to the social work curriculum. Students should be aware that social work placements are a significant undertaking, with 2 x 500-hour placements (totalling 1000 hours) to be undertaken over the course of the degree. Many students will face challenges in terms of their finances, balancing work, family and other commitments, and so on. For example, students are expected to organise and pay for their own travel to/from their placement - and because many placements are in agencies located in the outer suburbs of SA - may have to travel considerable distances.
The Australian Association of Social Workers, as the accrediting body, further requires that:
- students attend placement 4 days/week, within the normal hours and days of the practice setting hosting the placement; and
- all students complete the full 1,000 hours in at least two separate, differently structured, practice settings (i.e. working with different target populations, practice focus and/or modes of intervention).
Please note that students must successful complete both field education topics in order to progress in the social work degree.
All students must undergo screening conducted by the Department of Human Services (DHS) to assess their suitability for work with children, vulnerable people and in the aged care sector. To be eligible for placement, students must provide evidence that they have been cleared by DHS for work in all three contexts. Further information is available from Social work placement requirements and/or the DHS Screening Unit.
Students must also undergo a police check, either a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check or, for students who have been in Australia for less than 12 months, an International Criminal History Check. Students with a criminal record are not prevented from admission to the social work program at Flinders University but should be aware of their duty to disclose this to potential placement providers and, hence, that they may face difficulty in obtaining placements. Students who are concerned about this are encouraged to discuss their situation with the relevant (BSW or MSW) Course Coordinator.
3. Reasonable adjustments
Flinders University is committed to providing an environment in which people with a disability are valued, supported and encouraged, and are able to, as far as practicably possible, participate fully and independently in the life of the University. To this end, and as long as academic standards are maintained and the inherent requirements are met, reasonable adjustments to the usual policy, practice, study environment, teaching method / mode or method of assessment will be made to meet the needs of a person with a disability1.
[1] Please note that while every effort will be made to accommodate student needs, there may be instances in which the required adjustments cannot be assured (for example, in the case of field placements).
Alternatives for Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work
If you are considering the Bachelor of Social Work and anticipate that you might experience challenges in meeting the inherent requirements for social work practice (detailed below), you may wish to consider enrolling in a Bachelor of Arts.
If you are considering the Master of Social Work you may wish to consider completing the Graduate Certificate in Loss, Grief and Trauma Counselling. Note that some core topics in this graduate certificate contain social work knowledge and skills as part of their assessment requirements and the inherent requirements may still apply.
However, it is important to note that these degrees do not provide graduates with the necessary qualification to be eligible for membership with the AASW and practice as a social worker.
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