{"id":167954,"date":"2024-02-19T14:20:23","date_gmt":"2024-02-19T06:20:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/study\/?page_id=167954"},"modified":"2025-10-27T12:06:27","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T04:06:27","slug":"inherent-requirements-for-social-work-courses","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/study\/applying\/inherent-requirements\/inherent-requirements-for-social-work-courses\/","title":{"rendered":"Inherent requirements for Social Work courses"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>These inherent requirements apply to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/study\/offering\/course-ug-bachelor-of-social-work--b-scwk\/\">Bachelor of Social Work<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/study\/offering\/course-pg-master-of-social-work-qualifying--mg-scwk\/\">Master of Social Work<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n    <mimas-block \n        block-name=\"articles\"\n        role=\"complementary\"\n        aria-label=\"articles content\"\n        data-segment=\"all\"\n        data-bg=\"gray\">\n\n        \n\n                    <div class=\"article\">\n                                                                \n                <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/study\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/02\/Socialwork_1080x1080-150x150.jpg\"\n                     alt=\"Social worker putting an arm around an older lady\"\n                     srcset=\"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/study\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/02\/Socialwork_1080x1080-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/study\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/02\/Socialwork_1080x1080-740x370.jpg 740w, https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/study\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/02\/Socialwork_1080x1080-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/study\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/02\/Socialwork_1080x1080-1000x500.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/study\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/02\/Socialwork_1080x1080.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/study\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/02\/Socialwork_1080x1080.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/study\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/02\/Socialwork_1080x1080-480x240.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/study\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/02\/Socialwork_1080x1080-1080x630.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/study\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/02\/Socialwork_1080x1080-1080x760.jpg 1080w\"\n                     sizes=\"(min-width: 2560px) 2560px, (min-width: 1920px) 1920px, (min-width: 1440px) 1440px, (min-width: 1024px) 1024px, (min-width: 768px) 768px\" loading=\"lazy\">\n\n                <article class=\"article__content\">\n                    \n                                            <h2 class=\"h3\">Why are inherent requirements essential for studying this course?<\/h2>\n                    \n                                            <p><p>The Social Work courses at Â鶹ֱ²¥ are professionally accredited and graduating students will need to meet the requirements of the professional body to register to work in this profession. Students should be familiar with the requirements set out by the following accrediting bodies which may impact their progression throughout their studies and in entering the profession:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n                    \n                                            \n                                                    <ul class=\"article__links\">\n                                                                    \n                                    <li>\n                                        <a\n    href=\"https:\/\/www.aasw.asn.au\/\"\n    class=\"ico-link--arrow button--deep-blue filled\"\n    target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Visit the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) website\">Visit the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) website<\/a>                                    <\/li>\n                                                            <\/ul>\n                                                            <\/article>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/mimas-block>\n\n\n<mimas-block \n        block-name=\"styled-heading\"\n        data-variant=\"\"\n        role=\"complementary\"\n        aria-labelledby=\"Inherent requirement statements\"\n        data-segment=\"all\">\n\n        \n<div class=\"block-heading\"\n     data-segment=\"dom\"\n     data-style=\"\"\n     data-align=\"default\"\n>\n\n                                <h2 class=\"block-heading__title \" id=\"inherent-requirement-statements\">Inherent requirement statements<\/h2>\n            \n                        \n                        \n            \n                    <div class=\"block-heading__buttons\">\n                                    \n                    <a\n    href=\"#modal=guidelines\"\n    class=\"button button--deep-blue filled\"\n    target=\"_top\" aria-label=\"How to read the inherent requirements\">How to read the inherent requirements<\/a>\n                            <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n\n<\/mimas-block>\n\n<mimas-block \n        block-name=\"accordion\"\n        role=\"complementary\"\n        aria-label=\"Accordion content\"\n        data-segment=\"all\">\n\n                \n\n                    <div class=\"accordion\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-title-Ethical-behaviour\">\n            <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion__heading\" aria-controls=\"Ethical-behaviour\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n            <div class=\"title\" id=\"accordion-title-Ethical-behaviour\">Ethical behaviour<\/div>\n            <div class=\"icon\"><\/div>\n        <\/button>\n        <div class=\"accordion__content\" id=\"Ethical-behaviour\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n                    <ol>\n<li>The Social Work profession is governed by the AASW Code of Ethics (Australian Association of Social Workers, 2020), Practice Standards (Australian Association of Social Workers, 2023) or guidelines and policies ensuring Social Workers and student Social Workers are accountable and responsible for professional and ethical behaviour.<\/li>\n<li>Compliance with these codes, guidelines and policies facilitates safe, competent interactions and relationships for students and others with whom they engage.<\/li>\n<li>Examples:\n<ul>\n<li>Complying with academic and non-academic codes of conduct and professional standards, including those relating to academic integrity, informed consent, privacy, and behaviour that respects personal and professional boundaries and acceptable Social Work service quality and competency standards.<\/li>\n<li>Working with others effectively, co-operatively, and in a professional manner in diverse and changing academic and practical experience settings (classrooms and workplace settings).<\/li>\n<li>Having and aspiring to maintain, an academic record with no breaches of the Student Charter.<\/li>\n<li>Practising within the AASW Practice Standards 2023<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n        \n                            \n                    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n                    <div class=\"accordion\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-title-Behavioural-stability\">\n            <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion__heading\" aria-controls=\"Behavioural-stability\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n            <div class=\"title\" id=\"accordion-title-Behavioural-stability\">Behavioural stability<\/div>\n            <div class=\"icon\"><\/div>\n        <\/button>\n        <div class=\"accordion__content\" id=\"Behavioural-stability\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n                    <ol>\n<li>Social work is a profession that deals with people who are experiencing crisis, vulnerability, and challenges. The nature of people\u2019s lives and the complexity of their situations means that events can be unexpected, unpredictable, and emotionally challenging. It is not possible to predict the nature of information that may be disclosed to social workers or the timing of these disclosures.<\/li>\n<li>Students will need to demonstrate skills in managing their emotional responses to distressing and challenging information in coursework, the classroom and in fieldwork (Moesby-Jensen &amp; Nielsen, 2015).<\/li>\n<li>Students will need to demonstrate the ability to make their own decisions about self-disclosure; however, there are many instances in which it may be beneficial for students to inform academic staff or fieldwork supervisors about their personal circumstances.<\/li>\n<li>Examples:\n<ul>\n<li>Demonstrating the ability to work with other people when there are differences of opinion;<\/li>\n<li>Demonstrating respect for other people (service-users, colleagues, and supervisors) and their role in the work team; and,<\/li>\n<li>Demonstrating the ability to accept direction and constructive feedback.<\/li>\n<li>The ability to seek constructive feedback and apply this to improve practice;<\/li>\n<li>The ability to seek assistance and support when necessary.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n        \n                            \n                    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n                    <div class=\"accordion\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-title-Legal\">\n            <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion__heading\" aria-controls=\"Legal\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n            <div class=\"title\" id=\"accordion-title-Legal\">Legal<\/div>\n            <div class=\"icon\"><\/div>\n        <\/button>\n        <div class=\"accordion__content\" id=\"Legal\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n                    <ol>\n<li>Social Work practice is mandated by Australian Law, professional regulations, and Practice Standard to enable safe Social Work practice.<\/li>\n<li>Students must comply with these legislative and regulatory requirements. Students are responsible and accountable for their practice.<\/li>\n<li>Examples:\n<ul>\n<li>Meet the requirements to be eligible for the AASW Australian Association of Social Work;<\/li>\n<li>Complying with child protection and safety, work health and safety, and anti-discrimination legislation and policies;<\/li>\n<li>Meeting any mandatory reporting requirements.<\/li>\n<li>Adhering to immunisation and health screening requirements for the course.<\/li>\n<li>Students must meet current immunisations, clearances and required checks relevant to the site of practice prior to commencing the fieldwork unit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n        \n                            \n                    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n                    <div class=\"accordion\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-title-Communication\">\n            <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion__heading\" aria-controls=\"Communication\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n            <div class=\"title\" id=\"accordion-title-Communication\">Communication<\/div>\n            <div class=\"icon\"><\/div>\n        <\/button>\n        <div class=\"accordion__content\" id=\"Communication\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n                    <p><strong>Verbal communication<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Effective verbal English communication is required for effective learning and safe and effective practice.<\/li>\n<li>Throughout the course, Social Work students need to develop and demonstrate:\n<ul>\n<li>Proficiency in verbal English to allow for comprehensible two-way discussions, at conversational speed, audible speaking volume, and appropriate tone of voice:<\/li>\n<li>Sensitivity to individual and\/or cultural differences;<\/li>\n<li>Ability to understand and respond to verbal communication accurately, appropriately and in a timely manner.<\/li>\n<li>Ability to provide clear instructions in the context of the situation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Examples:\n<ul>\n<li>Building conversational rapport to encourage their trust and cooperation in Social Work practice setting;<\/li>\n<li>Questioning directions and decisions that are unclear;<\/li>\n<li>Presenting information appropriately to the Social Work practice setting.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Non verbal communication<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>This includes the ability to recognise, interpret and respond to non-verbal cues is essential for effective communication, gaining trust and respect as a developing Social Worker.<\/li>\n<li>Throughout the course students will need to develop and demonstrate:\n<ul>\n<li>Sensitivity to individual and\/or cultural differences;<\/li>\n<li>The use of consistent and appropriate facial expressions, eye contact and personal space.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Examples:\n<ul>\n<li>Communicating effectively with people in distress;<\/li>\n<li>Communicating respectfully with people of different gender, sexuality, and age, and from diverse cultural, religious and socio-economic backgrounds; and,<\/li>\n<li>Using appropriate eye contact, gestures, facial expression, and an open body language to build rapport and demonstrate understanding and empathy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Written communication<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Written English proficiency is required to produce cohesive academic arguments and demonstrate academic writing conventions, including paraphrasing.<\/li>\n<li>Students need to develop and demonstrate:\n<ul>\n<li>Construction of coherent written communication appropriate to the circumstances and level for the audience,<\/li>\n<li>Accurate written communication, including record keeping and client notes (vital to provide consistent and accountable social work practice).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Examples:\n<ul>\n<li>Appropriate literacy skills;<\/li>\n<li>Summarising and appropriately referencing a range of literature in written assignments;<\/li>\n<li>Construct written arguments using grammatically correct and meaningful sentence;<\/li>\n<li>Producing accurate, concise, clear, legally compliant records and notes in both handwritten and electronic formats, in a timely manner; and,<\/li>\n<li>Producing accurate, concise, and clear reports from Social Work practical work.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n        \n                            \n                    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n                    <div class=\"accordion\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-title-Cognition\">\n            <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion__heading\" aria-controls=\"Cognition\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n            <div class=\"title\" id=\"accordion-title-Cognition\">Cognition<\/div>\n            <div class=\"icon\"><\/div>\n        <\/button>\n        <div class=\"accordion__content\" id=\"Cognition\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n                    <p><strong>Knowledge and cognitive skills<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>An appropriate level of knowledge and cognitive skills must be demonstrated to provide safe and competent Social Work practice.<\/li>\n<li>The student needs to develop and demonstrate:\n<ul>\n<li>Acquisition, recall and application of knowledge,<\/li>\n<li>Consistent and effective processing of information,<\/li>\n<li>Attention to detail,<\/li>\n<li>Theoretical deliberation (problem solving, critical evaluation and professional decision making),<\/li>\n<li>Life-long learning behaviours,<\/li>\n<li>The ability to locate appropriate and relevant information,<\/li>\n<li>The ability to process information relevant to practice,<\/li>\n<li>The ability to integrate and implement knowledge in practice.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Examples:\n<ul>\n<li>The ability to assess situations and respond to appropriately;<\/li>\n<li>Complete professional practice tasks in a safe and reasonable timeframe.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Literacy (language)<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Competence in reading and comprehension, and attention to detail in English, are required for safe and effective development as a student Social Worker.<\/li>\n<li>The student needs to develop and demonstrate:\n<ul>\n<li>Ability to accurately acquire information and convey appropriate, effective messages;<\/li>\n<li>Ability to read and comprehend a range of literature and information;<\/li>\n<li>Understanding and implementation of academic conventions to construct written text in a scholarly manner;<\/li>\n<li>Ability to acquire, read, decode, interpret, and comprehend information; and,<\/li>\n<li>Accurately convey messages is fundamental to the work.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Examples:\n<ul>\n<li>Reading and comprehending handwriting, online and printed materials;<\/li>\n<li>Reading and interpreting charts, spreadsheets and graphs;<\/li>\n<li>Comprehension of technical documents including risk assessments, standard operating policies, and procedures; and,<\/li>\n<li>Integrating and summarising information accurately in a meaningful manner.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n        \n                            \n                    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n                    <div class=\"accordion\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-title-Reflective-skills\">\n            <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion__heading\" aria-controls=\"Reflective-skills\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n            <div class=\"title\" id=\"accordion-title-Reflective-skills\">Reflective skills<\/div>\n            <div class=\"icon\"><\/div>\n        <\/button>\n        <div class=\"accordion__content\" id=\"Reflective-skills\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n                    <ol>\n<li>Social Work practice requires self-awareness and a capacity for reflection and reflexivity in order to consider the effect of one&#8217;s own issues, actions, values and behaviours and to process learning and professional situations (Watts, 2019).<\/li>\n<li>A social work student therefore needs to demonstrate\n<ul>\n<li>The ability to purposefully reflect on their academic and professional performance,<\/li>\n<li>The awareness of own thinking and the ability to evaluate and adapt to challenges in learning and clinical practice environments.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Examples:\n<ul>\n<li>Seeking feedback and reflect on own performance;<\/li>\n<li>Accepting responsibility for actions;<\/li>\n<li>Awareness of the impact of behaviour and actions on others;<\/li>\n<li>The ability to undertake personal reflection;<\/li>\n<li>The ability to undertake critical reflection;<\/li>\n<li>An openness to consider self;<\/li>\n<li>Demonstrating emotional intelligence;<\/li>\n<li>Managing uncertainties in professional decision making;<\/li>\n<li>Being aware of, and taking responsibility for, own role in inter-personal and team interactions;<\/li>\n<li>Recognising when one\u2019s own thinking differs from another person\u2019s perspective and respond respectfully; and,<\/li>\n<li>Receiving and responding appropriately to constructive feedback, including learning from academic and professional practice setbacks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Sustainable performance<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Social Work requires functional and sustainable performance to complete complex and extended tasks safely and effectively in time-constrained environments.<\/li>\n<li>Through the course students will need to develop and demonstrate:\n<ul>\n<li>Consistent and sustained level of physical energy to complete specific tasks in a timely manner and over time.<\/li>\n<li>Ability to perform repetitive activities with a level of concentration until completion of the task.<\/li>\n<li>Capacity to maintain consistency and quality of performance throughout the designated period of time.<\/li>\n<li>Sufficient physical and mental endurance is required to perform multiple tasks in an assigned period to provide safe and effective care.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Examples:\n<ul>\n<li>Students must be able to complete the fieldwork components of the course.<\/li>\n<li>Fieldwork occurs in two full time blocks of at least 14 weeks (total 1050 hours)<\/li>\n<li>Students are required to work 7.5-hour days whilst on placement.<\/li>\n<li>Students will be required to undertake and complete complex and extended practice tasks appropriately and effectively in a timely manner<\/li>\n<li>Sustain study practices and workplace performance to ensure effective learning and application of that learning<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n        \n                            \n                    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n        \n<\/mimas-block>\n\n<mimas-block \n        block-name=\"button\"\n        \n        data-align=\"left\"\n        role=\"complementary\"\n        aria-label=\"Button block\"\n        data-segment=\"all\">\n\n    \n    \n<div class=\"block-heading hidden\"\n     data-segment=\"dom\"\n     data-style=\"\"\n     data-align=\"default\"\n>\n\n                                <h2 class=\"block-heading__title \" id=\"button-block\">Button block<\/h2>\n            \n                        \n                        \n            \n                <\/div>\n\n                    <a\n    href=\"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/study\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/02\/IR_SocialWork.pdf\"\n    class=\"button  button--black filled\"\n    target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Download the PDF version [PDF 206KB]\">Download the PDF version [PDF 206KB]<\/a>\n    <\/mimas-block>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-sm-font-size\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Attribution<\/strong><br><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-157389\" style=\"width: 100px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/study\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/04\/by-nc-sa.png\" alt=\"Creative Commons logo\"> <br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernsydney.edu.au\/inherent-requirements\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Western Sydney University &#8211; Inherent Requirements<\/a><br>\u00a9 Western Sydney University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial<br>Share Alike 4.0 International licence<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>These inherent requirements apply to the Bachelor of Social Work and the Master of Social [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":190,"featured_media":0,"parent":157003,"menu_order":3,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-167954","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/167954","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/190"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=167954"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/167954\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":179032,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/167954\/revisions\/179032"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/157003"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=167954"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=167954"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}