Key words
A policy- and organizational perspective on Social Work; Social workers‘ role and professional interventions (in social and community services).
Objectives
This training module has two parts to it:
- In part one – which looks at the policy and organization of Social Work.
We focus, in particular, on the current legislation, and on the backgrounds and implications for people affected by that legislation. We also look in depth at how this is applied in practice: in the organization of Welfare Work and Socio-Cultural Work and in the many forms of embedded Social Work. This part focuses primarily on a policy- and organizational perspective.
- In part two, the focus is on Social Work as a form of social and community work (= social practice).
In this part, the views and actions are discussed from the social worker’s viewpoint.
Both parts are, of course, interrelated.
The purpose of this training module is to shape these objectives by fostering and developing the following core skills from the training profile:
Job-specific core skills
-1. Social workers’ vision in all they undertake is based on a broad-based insight into societal reality;
-2. Social workers can systematically shape processes of social and community work (= social practice) in their respective task areas;
-3. Drawing on the singularity of their professional identity, social workers actively participate in the policymaking and expansion of an organization.
General core skills
General ( generic) core skills
-4. Capacity for logical thought and reasoning power;
-5. The acquisition and assimilation of information;
-6. Creativity.
Clear relationships exist with other modules: firstly, with the ‘Social Assistant in Practice: Theoretical and practical building blocks 1 and 2’ training modules and secondly, with the ‘Introduction to the Belgian judicial system (Civil and Social law)’ and ‘Sociology’ modules.
In addition, this training module also establishes a set of systematic principles for the different specializations that ensue from the course.
Topics
Part one: Policy and organization of Social Work
Part I: History of the origins of welfare and social services
Part II: Description of the sectors of Welfare and Socio-Cultural Work
- Belgium: a federal state (budget proposal);
- Decree: General work for the common good (G.W.C.G.);
- Residential G.W.C.G.;
- Youth G.W.C.G.;
- Judicial G.W.C.G.;
- Public centres for Social Welfare (OCMW);
- Primary health care;
- Care of the disabled, vocational education (B.O.) and pupil guidance centre (C.L.B.);
- Care of the elderly;
- Special youth care;
- Decree on Ethnic and Cultural Minorities;
- Social and community work (S.C.W.) / community building;
- Labour;
- International organizations.
Part two: Social Work as a form of social and community work (= social practice)
- Social and community work as a science, concepts and backgrounds;
- History and pivotal points in Welfare Work and social policy;
- Classification of the sphere of activity in social and community work;
- Communication methods in social and community work: social workers‘ role and professional interventions (in social and community services);
- Views on change;
- Paradoxes of Welfare Work.
Prerequisites
Entry-level skills
Exit qualifications in secondary education.
Final Objectives
Exit-level skills
The core skills from the training profile listed in the ‘objectives’ section are fully underpinned by the following exit-level skills of the training module:
At the level of knowledge and comprehension
The students:
- Delineate the main historical milestones in welfare and social services and can define Welfare Work in relation to societal trends and developments;
- Correctly pinpoint the implications of the current legislation (including the Decree: General Work for the Common Good; and the Decree: Ethnic and Cultural Minorities), from the policy angle, both for the organization of Social Work and, in concrete terms, for front-line staff;
- Clearly explain the essential tenets of public health: care of the elderly, general work for the common good, special youth care, care of the disabled, community building, labour, international aid and social assistance;
- Correctly differentiate the basic concepts of social and community work (= social practice) and the basic tenets of the basic methodology of Social Work;
- Assess critically and objectively the classification of Welfare Work, the consequences thereof as well as the various paradoxes that exist in Welfare Work;
- Adopt a critical attitude in topical debates on Welfare Work and/or Socio-Cultural Work.
Materials used
::Click here for additional information::
The learning pack (parts one and two) is obtainable from the coursewear department.
Study costs
The estimated cost price is ca. 6 euros.
Study guidance
Individual consultation (tutoring/monitoring) by appointment;
Group consultation on certain sections.
Contact details: item Lecturer(s).
Teaching Methods
Theory, with an opportunity for dialogue and to put questions: learning discussions.
Assessment
An examination for this training module is scheduled in the exam period at the end of the semester in which you took this course.
A written examination on both course components, consisting mainly of comprehension questions.
The examination is on any part of the entire course content.
The total number of questions is limited to what can be got through comfortably within the allotted time for the exam.
Resits
Provision is made for an analogous written exam.
Lecturer(s)
Lecturers:
Elise Robbrecht (elise.robbrecht@hogent.be)
Inge De Waele (ingrid.dewaele@hogent.be)
Griet Verschelden (griet.verschelden@hogent.be)
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