- Inherent requirements key terms
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- Inherent requirements for Engineering courses
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- Inherent requirements for Interpreting and Translation
- Inherent requirements for Languages
- Inherent requirements for Law
- Inherent requirements for Mathematics
- Inherent requirements for Medicine
- Inherent requirements for Midwifery
- Inherent requirements for Nursing (preregistration) courses
- Inherent requirements for Nursing and Midwifery (postgraduate)
- Inherent requirements for Occupational Therapy
- Inherent requirements for Physiotherapy
- Inherent requirements for Podiatric Medicine
- Inherent requirements for Master of Professional Psychology
- Inherent requirements for Master of Clinical Psychology
- Inherent requirements for Bachelor of Social Work
- Inherent requirements for TESOL
- Inherent requirements for Chinese Medicine Health Care Disciplines
- Inherent requirements for Master of Public Health and Master of Health Science
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Inherent requirements for Bachelor of Social Work
These inherent requirements apply to the following course: Bachelor of Social Work (1666).
Western Sydney University and the School of Social Sciences and Psychology (SSAP) strongly supports the right of all people to pursue a social work course.
Introduction
Inherent requirements
Inherent requirements are the essential components of a course or unit that demonstrate the abilities, knowledge and skills to achieve the core learning outcomes of the course or unit, while preserving the academic integrity of the university's learning, assessment and accreditation processes. The
inherent requirements are the abilities, knowledge and skills needed to complete the course that must be met by all students.
Students with a disability or chronic health condition may be able to have reasonable adjustments made to enable them to meet these requirements.
The School is committed to making reasonable adjustments to teaching and learning, assessment, field placement and other activities to enable students' to participate in their course. Reasonable adjustments must not fundamentally change the nature of the inherent requirement.
Students are required to undertake activities which reflect the Australian social work context which may include mixed gender, religious and culturally diverse environments. For further information, contact your Director of Academic Program.
To support potential and current students' decision making a series of inherent requirement statements has been developed. These statements specify the course requirements of the undergraduate social work courses for student admission and progression. The statements are clustered under eight domains consisting of ethical behaviour, behavioural stability, legal, communication, cognition relational skills, reflective skills and sustainable performance.
How to read the inherent requirement statements
If you are intending to enrol in an undergraduate social work course at the School of Social Sciences and Psychology (SSAP), you should look at these inherent requirement statements and think about whether you may experience challenges in meeting these requirements.
If you think you may experience challenges for any reason including a disability or chronic health condition, you should discuss your concerns with the SSAP staff, such as the Director of Academic Program, Academic Course Advisor or School Disability Coordinator or a Campus Disability Advisor. These staff can work collaboratively with you to determine reasonable adjustments to assist you to meet the inherent requirements. In the case where it is determined that inherent requirements cannot be met with reasonable adjustments, the University staff can provide guidance regarding other study options.
These inherent requirements should be read in conjunction with other course information and Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) publications such as the AASW codes of ethics and the AASW Practice Standards (opens in a new window).
The inherent requirements are made up of the following five components and domains:
- Level 1 - introduction to the inherent requirement
- Level 2 - description of the inherent requirement
- Level 3 - explanation of why this is an inherent requirement of the course
- Level 4 - the nature of any adjustments that may be made to allow you to meet the requirement
- Level 5 - examples of tasks that show you've met the requirement. These are examples only and not a comprehensive list
There are eight domains of inherent requirements in each of the undergraduate social work courses. Some domains have a number of sub-domains.
- Ethical behaviour
- Behavioural stability
- Legal
- Communication
- Cognition
- Relational skills
- Reflective skills
- Sustainable performance
Inherent requirement statements
Ethical behaviour
Inherent requirement statements | |
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1 | Students undertaking social work studies are governed by practice standards and codes of ethics where students are both accountable and responsible for ensuring professional behaviour in all contexts. |
2 | Student demonstrates knowledge of, and engages in ethical behaviour in practice. |
3 | Justification of inherent requirement: » Compliance with the codes, guidelines and policies (opens in a new window) facilitates safe, competent interactions and relationships for students and/or the people with whom they engage. This supports the physical, psychological, emotional
and spiritual wellbeing of all. |
4 | Adjustments must ensure the codes and standards are not compromised or result in unethical behaviour. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor. |
5 | Exemplars: » Demonstrating appropriate behaviour with confidential information in classroom and field placement settings |
Behavioural stability
Inherent requirement statements | |
---|---|
1 | Behavioural stability is required to function and adapt effectively and sensitively in this role. |
2 | Student demonstrates behavioural stability to work constructively in a diverse and changing academic and field placement environment. |
3 | Justification of inherent requirement: » Behavioural stability is required to work individually and in teams in changing and unpredictable environments. Social work students will be exposed to highly complex human situations and will be required to have behavioural stability to manage these events |
4 | Adjustments must support stable, effective and professional behaviour in both academic and field placement settings. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor. |
5 | Exemplars: » Being receptive and responding appropriately to constructive feedback |
Legal
Inherent requirement statements | |
---|---|
1 | Social work is mandated by legislation and professional regulations to enable the delivery of safe and appropriate professional practice. |
2 | Student demonstrates knowledge and compliance with Australian Law, professional regulations and scope of practice. |
3 | Justification of inherent requirement: » Knowledge, understanding, and compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements are necessary prerequisites to field placements in order to reduce the risk of harm to self and others |
4 | Adjustments must be consistent with legislative and regulatory requirements. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor. |
5 | Exemplars: » Complying with relevant child protection and safety legislation and reporting any notifiable concerns to your field placement supervisor |
Communication
This course requires effective, verbal, non-verbal and written communication skills.
VerbalInherent requirement statements | |
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1 | Effective verbal communication, in English, is an essential requirement to provide safe delivery of support. |
2 | Student demonstrates: |
3 | Justification of inherent requirement: » Communicating in a way that displays respect and empathy to others and develops trusting relationships |
4 | Adjustments must address effectiveness, timeliness, clarity and accuracy issues to ensure appropriate support. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor. |
5 | Exemplars: » Participating in tutorial and clinical discussions |
Inherent requirement statements | |
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1 | Effective non-verbal communication is fundamental to social work and needs to be respectful, clear, attentive, empathetic and non-judgmental. |
2 |
Student demonstrates: » The capacity to recognise, interpret and respond appropriately to behavioural cues » Consistent and appropriate awareness of own behaviours » Sensitivity to individual and/or cultural differences |
3 | Justification of inherent requirement: » The ability to observe and understand non-verbal cues assists with building rapport with people and gaining their trust and respect in academic and professional relationships. |
4 | Adjustments must enable the recognition, assessment, initiation of or appropriate response to effective non-verbal communication in a timely and appropriate manner. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor. |
5 | Exemplars: » Recognising and responding appropriately in classroom situations |
Inherent requirement statements | |
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1 | Effective written communication, in English, is a fundamental social work student responsibility with professional and legal ramifications. |
2 | Student demonstrates capacity to construct coherent written communication appropriate to the circumstances. |
3 | Justification of inherent requirement: » Construction of written text based assessment tasks to reflect the required academic standards are necessary to convey knowledge and understanding of relevant subject matter for professional practice standards |
4 | Adjustments must allow the students to meet necessary standards of clarity, accuracy and accessibility to ensure effective recording and transmission of information in both academic and field placement settings. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor. |
5 | Exemplars: » Constructing an essay to academic standards |
Cognition
This course requires knowledge of theory and the skills of cognition and literacy.
Knowledge and cognitive skillsInherent requirement statements | |
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1 | Consistent knowledge and effective cognitive skills must be demonstrated to provide professional and competent social work practice. |
2 |
Student demonstrates: » Capacity to locate appropriate and relevant information » Ability to process information relevant to practice » Ability to integrate and implement knowledge in practice |
3 | Justification of inherent requirement: » Safe and effective social work practice is based on knowledge that must be sourced, understood and applied appropriately |
4 | Adjustments must ensure that a clear demonstration of knowledge and cognitive skills is not compromised or impeded. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor. |
5 | Exemplars: » Ability to conceptualise and use appropriate knowledge in response to academic assessment items |
Inherent requirement statements | |
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1 | Competent literacy skills are essential to provide safe and effective professional support. |
2 |
Student demonstrates: » The ability to acquire information and accurately convey appropriate, effective messages » Ability to read and comprehend a range of literature and information » The capacity to understand and implement academic and practice conventions to construct written text in an appropriate manner for the intended audience |
3 | Justification of inherent requirement: » The ability to acquire information and to accurately convey messages is fundamental to ensure safe and effective assessment, treatment and professional support |
4 | Adjustments must demonstrate a capacity to effectively acquire, comprehend, apply and communicate accurate information. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor. |
5 | Exemplars: » Conveying a spoken message accurately and effectively in a field placement setting |
Relational skills
Inherent requirement statements | |
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1 | Social work practice requires the ability to make and maintain strong relationships with a wide range of individuals, groups and communities. |
2 | Student demonstrates: |
3 | Justification of inherent requirement: » Highly developed relational skills are a cornerstone of effective relationships that permit effective assessment and intervention |
4 | Adjustments must not compromise the student's ability to demonstrate an acceptable level of effective relational skills. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor. |
5 | Exemplars: » Rapidly building rapport with a client in order to engage them in an assessment while on placement |
Reflective skills
Inherent requirement statements | |
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1 | Social work practice requires self-awareness and a capacity for reflectivity in order to consider the effect of one's own issues, actions, values and behaviours on practice. |
2 | Student demonstrates: |
3 | Justification of inherent requirement: » Participation in supervision is a key teaching strategy in social work education which requires well developed understanding of oneself in order to appropriately engage in this activity |
4 | Adjustments must not compromise the student's ability to demonstrate an acceptable minimum level of capacity in this area. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor. |
5 | Exemplars: » Identifying when a practice issue is outside one's scope or expertise or when one's practice may be negatively affected by personal experience and/or reactions. |
Sustainable performance
Inherent requirement statements | |
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1 | Social work practice in the field placement context requires both physical and mental performance at a consistent and sustained level. |
2 |
Student demonstrates: » Consistent and sustained level of physical energy to complete a specific task in a timely manner and over time » The capacity to maintain consistency and quality of performance throughout the designated period of time |
3 | Justification of inherent requirement: » Sufficient physical and mental resilience is an essential requirement needed to perform tasks in an assigned period to provide effective, safe and professional support in the field placement context |
4 | Adjustments must ensure that performance is consistent and sustained over a given period. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor. |
5 | Exemplars: » Participating in tutorials, lectures, skills |
*Developed from: Johnson, A., Allan,T., Phillips,K., Azzopardi,T., Dickson,C., Goldsmith,M & Hengstberger-Sims, C. (2011). Inherent Requirements of Nursing Education (IRONE), Western Sydney University School of Nursing & Midwifery and Student Equity & Disability Services.
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