On completion of this module students should be able to: -
To build on experiences gained in counselling social work in year one and their first placement
To practice across a range of placement settings in the second semester.
Demonstrate a working knowledge of social work approaches–and appraise how context, commissioning, different forms of communication and interventions are key to successful work in ‘relationship based social work’, and working as a professional in different settings and with different client groups.
Demonstrate how they can work with diversity in a reflexive, anti-oppressive and social justice positioning. –
Demonstrate a proficiency in interviewing social work clients, integrating theory and practice and using core social work counselling skills, especially different types of questions
Demonstrate a working knowledge of remote working with service users

Develop competency in relation to the following Coru standards :
Graduates will:
Domain: 1. Professional Autonomy and Accountability
1. Be able to practise safely and effectively within the legal, ethical and practice boundaries of the profession
2. Be able to identify the limits of their practice and know when to seek advice and additional expertise or refer to another professional
3. Be able to act in the best interest of service users at all times with due regard to their will and preference
4. Be aware of current guidelines and legislation relating to candour and disclosure
5. Respect and uphold the rights, dignity and autonomy of every service user including their role in the diagnostic, therapeutic and social care process
6. Be able to exercise a professional duty of care
7. Understand the importance of maintaining accurate up to date documentation
8. Understand what is required of them by the Registration Board and be familiar with the provisions of the current Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics for the profession issued by the Registration Board
9. Recognise the importance of practising in a non-discriminatory, culturally sensitive way and acknowledge and respect the differences in beliefs and cultural practices of individuals or groups
10. Understand the role of policies and systems to protect the health, safety, welfare, equality and dignity of service users, staff and volunteers
11. Understand and respect the confidentiality of service users and use information only for the purpose for which it was given
12. Understand the limits of confidentiality in the context of a variety of team settings
13. Understand and be able to apply the limits of the concept of confidentiality particularly in relation to child protection, vulnerable adults and elder abuse
14. Be aware of current data protection, freedom of information and other legislation relevant to the profession and be able to access new and emerging legislation
16. Be able to gain informed consent to carry out assessments or provide treatment/interventions and document evidence that consent has been obtained
17. Be aware of current legislation and guidelines related to informed consent, for individuals with lack of capacity
18. Recognise personal responsibility and professional accountability for one’s actions and be able to justify professional decisions made
19. Be able to take responsibility for managing one’s own workload
20. Understand the principles of professional decision-making and be able to make informed decisions within the context of competing demands including those relating to ethical conflicts and available resources
21. Be aware of and be able to take responsibility for managing one’s own health and wellbeing
Domain: 2. Communication, Collaborative Practice and Teamworking
1. Be able to communicate diagnosis/assessment and/or treatment/management options in a way that can be understood by the service user including non-voluntary service users
2. Be able to modify and adapt communication methods and styles, including verbal and nonverbal methods to suit the individual service users considering issues of language, culture, beliefs and health and/or social care needs
3. Recognise service users as active participants in their health and social care and be able to support service users in communicating their health and/or social care needs, choices and concerns
4. Understand the need to empower service users to manage their well-being where possible and recognise the need to provide advice to the service user on self-treatment, where appropriate
5. Be able to recognise when the services of a professional translator are required
9. Be able to express professional, informed and considered opinions to service users, health professionals and others e.g. carers, relatives in varied practice settings and contexts and within the boundaries of confidentiality
10. Understand and be able to recognise the impact and importance of effective leadership and management on practice
11. Understand and be able to discuss the importance of effective conflict management
12. Understand the need to work in partnership with service users, their relatives/carers, guardians and other professionals in planning and evaluating goals, treatments and interventions and be aware of the concepts of power and authority in relationships with service users
13. Understand the need to build and sustain professional relationships as both an independent practitioner and collaboratively as a member of a team
14. Understand the role and impact of effective interdisciplinary team working in meeting service user needs and be able to effectively contribute to decision-making within a team setting
15. Understand the role of relationships with professional colleagues and other workers in service delivery and the need to create professional relationships based on mutual respect and trust
Domain: 3. Safety and Quality
1. Be able to gather all appropriate background information relevant to the service user’s health and social care needs
2. Be able to justify the selection of and implement appropriate assessment techniques and be able to undertake and record a thorough, sensitive and detailed assessment
3. Be able to determine the appropriate tests/assessments required and undertake/arrange these tests
4. Be able to analyse and critically evaluate the information collected in the assessment process


5. Be able to demonstrate sound logical reasoning and problem solving skills to determine appropriate problem lists, action plans and goals
6. Be able to demonstrate an evidence-informed approach to professional decision-making, adapting practice to the needs of the service user and draw on appropriate knowledge and skills in order to make professional judgments
7. Be able to prioritise and maintain the safety of both service users and those involved in their care
8. Be able to evaluate intervention plans using appropriate tools and recognised performance/ outcome measures along with service user responses to the interventions. Revise the plans as necessary and where appropriate, in conjunction with the service user
9. Understand the need to monitor, evaluate and/or audit the quality of practice and be able to critically evaluate one’s own practice against evidence-based standards and implement improvements based on the findings of these audits and reviews
10. Be able to recognise important risk factors and implement risk management strategies; be able to make reasoned decisions and/or provide guidance to others to initiate, continue, modify or cease interventions, techniques or courses of action and record decisions and concerns
11. Understand the principles of quality assurance and quality improvement
13. Be able to have knowledge of critical engagement with relevant and current health and safety legislation and guidelines
14. Be able to establish safe environments for practice which minimises risks to service users, those treating them and others
Domain: 4. Professional Development
1. Be able to engage in and take responsibility for professional development
2. Understand the need to demonstrate evidence of ongoing continuing professional development and education, be aware of professional regulation requirements and understand the benefits of continuing professional development to professional practice
3. Be able to evaluate and reflect critically on own professional practice to identify learning and development needs; be able to select appropriate learning activities to achieve professional development goals and be able to integrate new knowledge and skills into professional practice
4. Understand and recognise the impact of personal values and life experience on professional practice and be able to take responsibility and manage this impact appropriately
5. Understand the importance of and be able to seek professional development, supervision, feedback and peer review opportunities in order to continuously improve practice
5. Professional Knowledge and Skills
1. Know, understand and apply the key concepts of the domains of knowledge which are relevant to the profession for individuals, groups and communities
2. Demonstrate a critical understanding of social work theory, methods and skills, social policy and social research, including consideration in a global context
3. Have a critical understanding of sociology, psychology, human growth and development, health, law, economics and political science
4. Critically understand the importance of effective supervisory frameworks and be able to actively participate in same.
5. Critically understand and be able to apply principles of social justice in one’s work including being able to appropriately challenge negative discrimination and unjust policies and practices.
6. Demonstrate a critical understanding of cultural competence; and work towards social inclusion
7. Critically understand and apply a human rights based approach
8. Critically understand the legislative basis of actions within a service
9. Demonstrate an awareness and critical understanding of how social work practice is influenced by regulations, national guidelines and standards, findings of inquiries, investigations, associated reports; issues and trends in public and policy development; and be able to access new and emerging information which affects social work practice
10. Critically understand the role and purpose of relationship based practice, including the importance of planning the withdrawal of services
11. Be able to maintain professional boundaries with service users within a variety of social work settings and be able to identify and manage any associated challenges
12. Critically understand and apply the principles of partnership, participation and power sharing within the social work context.
13. Be able to evaluate the effect of their own characteristics, values and practice on interactions with service users and be able to critically reflect on this to improve practice
14. Critically understand the concepts and frameworks that underpin a range of individual counselling theory and skills; theory and practice of working with children and families; community work theory and practice and group work theory and practice
15. Recognise the role of advocacy in promoting the needs and interests of service users; be able to advocate on the behalf of service users
16. Critically understand the capacity of system-level change to improve outcomes, access to care, and delivery of services, particularly for marginalised groups
17. Recognise that service users have the right to self-determination including to take risks
18. Be able to conduct risk management planning with service users to maximise their own safety, safety of others and societal safety across the lifespan in a variety of contexts
19. Critically understand the role of ethics in the use of digital and social media including maintaining confidentiality and professionalism
21. Know and critically understand the principles, ethics and applications of scientific enquiry, including the evaluation of treatment/intervention efficacy, the research process and evidence-informed practice

22. Demonstrate skills in evidence-informed practice, including translation of theory, concepts and methods to professional practice
23. Demonstrate safe and effective implementation of practical, technical and clinical skills
24. Be able to identify and critically understand the impact of organisational, governmental, community and societal structures, systems and culture on health and social care
25. Demonstrate ability to participate in clinical, academic or practice-based research
27. Be able to communicate in English at a standard equivalent to C1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Not applicable to this module.

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

In class /peer feedback on student prepared work and presentations will be incorporated as part of the learning process throughout the module. Feedback will be given post assessment on the case analysis.