SW0626 - Knowledge for Safeguarding Practice

The module will be delivered using a combination of lectures, seminars, group work, self-directed learning - Guidance tutorials will be used to support your academic learning. Lectures and seminars will be delivered by the module team and will focus on key safeguarding concepts and frameworks introduced as the main topics and subject areas of the module. Individual and group work will facilitate your academic learning and there will be specific workshops considering safeguarding from both and adult and child perspectives. The module staff team will provide academic support throughout the course of the module and a formative assessment, where you are required to critically review a journal article and consider the implications for practice, will feed into the summative assessment. The summative assessment consists of a mini-project where you are required to focus a 2000-Word assignment on an area of safeguarding practice of personal interest. You are required to critically analyse the available evidence-base on a chosen topic area of safeguarding practice and assess the implications of this evidence for social work practice. The rationale for the summative task is that it offers you an opportunity to develop knowledge and focus on relevant safeguarding evidence-based literature in preparation for entering the practice learning environment at Level 6.

The module team will provide academic support throughout the course of the module. Teaching and learning strategies provided by the module team will include lecturer and facilitated focused seminar groups to support your knowledge and academic development. You will have access to lecturers at specifically designated times via email and one-to-one meetings. Formative work will include teaching staff and peer group feedback in preparation for the summative assignment. Feedback will identify aspects of your strengths and also aspects of learning where you may require development. The feedback you receive from staff and peers on you review of a journal article for the formative task will be verbal and will support the development of the wider review for the summative task. Contact details for all tutors for this module are available in the module handbook and via the eLP. Guidance tutors will also meet with you regularly to provide both academic and pastoral support where required.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk

Knowledge & Understanding:

• You will develop understanding and an ability to critically appraise knowledge relevant to care, control, support and protection in relation to the social work role

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:

• You will develop a capacity to assess the impact and effects of different knowledge and forms of risk and significant harm and the potential impact of intervention, both on service users and the self as a social worker

• Development of personal skills and abilities will assist you in utilising theories and research evidence in formulating professional judgement

• You will demonstrate an ability to critically evaluate underpinning knowledge for assessment and intervention within the constraints and opportunities of the legal, political and social context

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):

• You will develop your value-base and demonstrate an ethical approach to safeguarding practice by being able to compare and contrast how knowledge of social divisions including culture, class, gender, disability and sexual orientation assist in formulating professional judgement

The module will be assessed by a formative and summative assessment process. The formative task will require you to identify a journal article relevant to safeguarding practice and on a chosen issue prepare a brief summary of its relevance and application in practice.

Through presenting a critical analysis and article review, within a small group setting with peers and service users, module learning outcomes allied to knowledge and understating and professional skills and abilities will be demonstrated.

The summative assignment consists of a mini-project which is a 2000-Word assignment focused on a chosen area of safeguarding practice. The summative task is concerned with a critical analysis of the available evidence-base on a topic and your assessment of the implications of this evidence for social work practice.

The rationale for the summative task is it offers you an opportunity to focus on relevant literature in preparing for entering the practice learning environment. All learning outcomes for the module will be demonstrated within the summative task

SW0417, SW0418, SW0419, SW0420, SW0421, SW0422, SW0514, SW0515, SW0516, SW0517, SW0518

SW0623, SW0624, SW0625, SW0627

The learning opportunities this module provides will equip you to demonstrate evidence against the Knowledge and Skills Frameworks for child and family social work and social work with adults. The knowledge you develop will enable you to achieve best outcomes as a social worker across a range of organisational contexts. Assisting you in developing person-centred and strengths-based practice the aim of the module is to support development of your professional capability at a level at which you may register with the HCPC as a qualified social worker. While supporting your development of knowledge relevant to inform specific safeguarding interventions your value-base will be enhanced as ethical consideration in relation to understanding the impact of professional knowledge, power and decision-making is encouraged. Through your development of skill in critically applying knowledge for safeguarding the learning within the module will also allow you to recognise risk indicators of different forms of harm and abuse experienced by adults and children.