Units / SWM5131
SWM5131 · Social work capstone: Contemporary issues in social work practice
2026 Handbook6 credit pointsLevel 5Social Work
Last checked: 23 Aug 2026 UTCOverview
This unit is the culmination of your academic journey into a growing professional identity at an entry-level. The unit provides an opportunity to reflect on the processes, including an examination of personal and professional values that are involved in becoming a reflexive social work practitioner. You are required to develop your professional practice approach by identifying a case scenario or a social work issue, to integrate and apply a range of social work theories, methods, advanced practice skills and ethical decision-making to formulate your emerging professional practice in written and oral form.
Offerings
| Campus | Teaching period | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Caulfield | First semester (extended) | Activities scheduled as a mix of on-campus and online activities in a block period (BLD-BLK) |
| Caulfield | Trimester 3 | Activities scheduled as a mix of on-campus and online activities in a block period (BLD-BLK) |
| Caulfield | Second semester (extended) | Activities scheduled as a mix of on-campus and online activities in a block period (BLD-BLK) |
Assessment
The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.
| # | Assessment | Type | Weight | Hurdle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Group oral presentation (17 - 20 mins) (Pass/Fail) | Presentation | 0% | Competency |
| 2 | Professional interview simulation (Pass/Fail) | Demonstration | 0% | Competency |
Assessment in this unit includes hurdle assessment tasks. Failure of any hurdle assessment task may result in failure of the unit.
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Requisites
The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.
Learning outcomes
- Integrate and apply a range of social work theories, concepts, and methods for advanced practice skills in social work practice.
- Appraise how cultural constructs, social norms and values impact on working with diverse client groups including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
- Apply ethical decision-making skills to resolve ethical conflicts in social work practice.
- Critically evaluate the implications of social work practice frameworks and social policy when developing interventions.
- Articulate your emerging professional practice framework to support your developing professional identity as a reflexive social work practitioner.
Workload
3 hours of teacher directed study per week, comprising curated learning materials - including directed readings and class preparation, along with guided reflection; 6 hours per week of self-directed study; 30 hours of teacher directed study during a one-week face-to-face block of learning.
| Activity | Duration |
|---|---|
| Tutorials | 15 hours |
| Workshops | 15 hours |
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