Law for Social Work Practice

SOWK60664 Law for Social Work Practice 15 Semester 1 Postgraduate Taught Level 7 Gary Norton Unit coordinator 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Masters/Integrated Masters P4 ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 7.5 The course aims to provide a detailed introduction to the range of legislation related to social work practice. It does this with reference to key ethical principles and theories and the professional social work mandates these inform: these include social work values, policy and practice frameworks, organisational and multi-agency requirements, and human rights and equalities provisions. Through the course students will be exploring the different issues and knowledge they will need so as to be able to use the law, including relevant regulations and guidance, as part of good social work practice within professional mandates. Core to the work of the course, students will be developing critical thinking in relation to the law; examination of conflicting imperatives and debates embodiedwithin the law, and critical reflection and analysis in respect of the use of law. These understandings and analyses will be conducted in relation to ethical principles, ethical theories and debates and their implications for social work practice within professional mandates, together with the practice dilemmas these generate for social workers. Critical evaluation and synthesis of relevant research, theory, evidence and argument will also form areas for development in relation to social work law within the ethical and professional context. Students will further develop a critical appreciation of associate professional ethics.<div> Areas of law in social work practice</div><ul> <li> Law for prevention, wellbeing and support in Adult Services</li> <li> Risk, protection and mental capacity law in Adult Services</li> <li> Immigration and Asylum Law</li> <li> Human Rights, Equalities and Children’s Rights law</li> <li> Mental Health law</li> <li> Law and Youth Justice</li> <li> Law for needs and support in Children and Families’ Services</li> <li> Law for significant harm and state intervention in Children and Families’ Services</li> <li> Law for meeting children’s needs for secure attachment and permanency planning in Children & Families Services</li> <li> Anti-Discriminatory and Equalities Law</li></ul> <ul> <li> Enable students to develop critical understanding and the ability to undertake critical analysis in respect of the relationships between law, ethical principles and theories and the professional mandates for social work practice these inform, including social work values, policy and practice frameworks, organisational and multi-agency requirements, and human rights and equalities provisions.</li> <li> Develop students' knowledge, critical understanding and ability to undertake critical analysis in respect of legal principles and relevant statute and case-law, regulations and guidance, in relation to ethics and professional social work mandates.</li> <li> Enable students’ to develop the ability to apply law, through a process of critical understanding, reflection and analysis, to social work problems including those pertaining to state intervention, risk, harm, autonomy, protection, safeguarding, rights, personalisation and wellbeing, in relation to ethical principles and theories, and the professional mandates these inform.</li> <li> Develop students' ability to undertake critical analysis in respect of complex legal judgements and their relationships with legal and ethical principles and theories, and trace implications for the practice of social work law within professional mandates.</li> <li> Develop students’ ability to practice written and verbal communication skills and the use of IT in relation to the practice of social work law within the ethical and professional context.</li></ul> <ul> <li> Demonstrate a critical awareness and the ability to conduct critical analyses of the complex relationships between law, ethical principles and theories and the professional mandates for social work practice theseinform, including social work values, relevant policy and practice frameworks, organisational and multi-agency requirements, and human rights and equalities provisions, together with areas in which these relationships may be contested.</li> <li> Demonstrate a critical understanding of the main ethical principles, theories and debates relating to the practice of social work law within professional mandates, together with a critical appreciation of associate professional ethics. That will include a consideration of ‘confidentiality’ and the issues involved in reconciling it with other social work responsibilities.</li> <li> Gain an awareness of human rights law and its relation to both statute relating to social work with both children and adults and social work practice.</li></ul> <ul> <li> Demonstrate knowledge, critical understanding and the ability to conduct critical analyses in respect of relevant legal principles, statute and case law, regulations and guidance, together with their interrelated roles in governing and informing social work practice in relation to ethics and professional mandates.</li> <li> Consider relationships and tensions between legal statute, social work cods of practice and public opinion and how law and related guidance reflects social policy concerns.</li> <li> Critically consider the relationship between learning on this course unit and others that are taken as part of the MA Social Work.</li></ul> <ul> <li> Apply through a process of critical understanding, reflection and analysis, legal statute and case-law including complex legal judgements, regulations and guidance, to social work problems in relation to ethical principles and theories, and the professional mandates these inform.</li></ul> <ul> <li> Demonstrate the ability to conduct critical analyses of complex problems in the use social work law in relation to ethics and professional mandates, through a critical evaluation and synthesis of relevant research, theory, evidence and argument, and a clear and coherent formulation of conclusions.</li> <li> Demonstrate the ability to practice written and verbal communication and IT skills in relation to the practice of social work law in the ethical and professional context.</li> <li> Develop the potential to use the law in an informed, authoritative and fair way in social work practice.</li></ul> Lectures and seminars. Guided learning and quizzes through Blackboard. 0 Other 15% 2 Written assignment (inc essay) 85% The remaining 15% of the unit will be assessed through multiple choice questions Students will normally have the opportunity to receive feedback on formative work submitted prior to the summative assessment. Other feedback opportunities will also be available in class and online discussion boards. Online feedback is provided in Grademark. Provisional feedback based on internal marking will be made available prior to the Exam Board on the basis that these marks are yet to be ratified at the Exam Board and therefore may be subject to change. A standard feedback mechanism in Grademark is utilised across all postgraduate programmes within the School which provides detailed and constructive feedback on each component and aspect of assessment and identifies areas of strength and those aspects which could be enhanced.Student feedback is obtained through open discussion forums on blackboard, in class discussions, via formal University unit evaluation forms and also qualitative, in house evaluations at the end of the unit.  MA Social Work MA Social Work PGDT Taught Component Mandatory PG Dip Social Work (DipSW) PG Dip Social Work (DipSW) PGDT Taught Component Mandatory PG Dip Applied Health & Soc St PG Dip Applied Health & Soc St PGDT Taught Component Mandatory N <a href="http://www.readinglists.manchester.ac.uk/lists/F2A74EAB-636D-4685-8326-2704F0EC24CC.html">http://www.readinglists.manchester.ac.uk/lists/F2A74EAB-636D-4685-8326-2704F0EC24CC.html</a> Lectures 36 0 114