SOAD9110 Complexities in Work with Children and Families

This topic critically examines the role of social work and others in practice settings that promote the safety, wellbeing and protection of all children in the context of their families and communities. Policy, legislative and service contexts that promote and protect the safety of children and their families are explored. Examination of the Australian Child Protection Framework provides a foundation for understanding child protection systems nationally and internationally. Students are expected to engage current research and theorising to explore the tensions inherent in the way we define childhood, the family and the role of society in the care and protection of children. They are also expected to articulate an ethical and theoretically informed practice framework, while demonstrating how they are developing relevant interviewing, assessment and report writing skills.

This topic aims to:

• Explore the historical and contemporary constructions of childhood, child wellbeing and protection
• Introduce students to a broad range of interventions focussing on children and young people but also relating to birth families, carers and others in inter-professional settings
• Assist students to engage with relevant theories and current research, and from the perspective of diverse practice settings in adult or children's services in government, nongovernment and/or private practice settings
• Provide students with the opportunity to understand the complexities inherent in the state based child protection systems operating in Australia
• Enable students to develop an ethical and theoretically informed framework for understanding child protection systems nationally and internationally
• Develop students' skills in interviewing, assessments and report writing as they relate to work with children and families

1. Demonstrate ability to conduct assessments and formulate interventions with children, families and communities
2. Critically analyse a range of issues and interventions focussing on children and young people but also relating to birth families, carers and others in inter-professional settings
3. Explain and evaluate the parameters of relevant state and federal legislation pertaining to the treatment of children, young people, their birth families and carers in a variety of contexts
4. Apply current research, theories and practice frameworks to interventions with children and their families