| CODE | SWP1270 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Community Engagement | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 6 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Social Policy and Social Work | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit offers students the opportunity to complete100 hours of voluntary work with an approved agency during their first academic year. Students must contact an appropriate agency, and inform the course coordinator of their choice of agency by early December of the first semester. While a list of recommended agencies is provided to students, they are strongly encouraged to select agencies in their local area (whenever possible). Community engagement can begin once the course coordinator has given his/her approval. Within one week of starting the placement, students will be required to submit a brief overview of the work they will undertake, which needs to be signed by their community engagement supervisor and countersigned by them. The 100 hours must be completed by the end of June in the second semester, with timesheets and a brief report from the agency supervisor to be submitted at the conclusion of the placement. In exceptional circumstances, the course coordinator may grant permission for the placement to extend until mid-July. Students are expected to reflect on their experiences throughout the placement. To support their reflection, students will attend two/three seminars during the course of the placement, where they will have the opportunity to discuss their experiences, share insights, and receive feedback. They are encouraged to maintain a journal that captures their experiences, interactions with clients, and observations of agency operations. Study-unit Aims: The aims of this study-unit are to: - Provide students with the opportunity to observe a range of social issues and problems faced by people within our society; - Provide students with the opportunity to acquire exposure to client groups; - Give students the opportunity to reflect about client needs as a result of their interaction with client groups; - Present students with the opportunity to explain how agencies/residential establishments operate. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Describe a range of social issues and problems faced by people within our society; - Demonstrate that they have understood the issues and challenges related to the client group they have been exposed to; - Discuss client needs as a result of their interaction with clients; - Demonstrate the ability to explain how agencies/residential establishments operate. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Describe and appraise their interpersonal skills; - Describe and appraise their intrapersonal skills. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Beckett, C. & Horner, N. (2016). Essential theory for social work practice. UK: Sage publications - Berg-Weger, M, & Tyuse S.W. (2023) The Practice of Generalist Social Work. NY: Routledge - Edwards, D, & Parkinson, K. (2023) Applying strengths-based approaches in social work. Bristol: Policy Press - Gray M, Coates J (2015) Changing gears: Shifting to an environmental perspective in social work education. Social Work Education 34(5): 502鈥�512 - - Morris, K. (ed), (2008). Social work and multi-agency working: making a difference. UK: Policy Press - Reamer, F.G. (2024). 6th Ed. Social work values and ethics. New York: Colombia University Press - Thompson, N. (2015). Understanding social work: preparing for practice. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan - McNown Johnson Miriam (2022) Human Behaviour and the Larger Social Environment, UK: Oxford University Press. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Placement | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Damian Spiteri |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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