Sociology The Role of Professional Values in Community Service Work Essay
Assessment Brief
Program
Bachelor of Applied Social Science
Subject
Introduction to community services
Subject code
WEL101A
Name of assessment
Assessment 3: Research based essay
Length
2000 words
Learning outcomes addressed
by this assessment:
A, B, C, D, E
End of week 11, Sunday 11:55 pm
Submission Date:
•
In this essay you are asked to discuss the role of professional values
in community service work making reference to:
o the main (four) domains of human service
o the concept of social justice
o the social barriers faced by both clients and workers in the
community service sector
o the theoretical approaches underpinning professional
community service work.
Assessment brief summary:
Total marks
40
Weighting
40%
Students are advised that any submissions past the due date incur a 10% penalty per day, calculated from the
total mark e.g. a task marked out of 40 will incur a 4 mark penalty per day.
Students must attempt all tasks in the unit to be eligible to pass the unit
More information can be found in Think Education Assessment Policy document on the Think Education website
(http://www.think.edu.au).
BASS – WEL101A Assessment 3
Page 1
Assessment Description:
With reference to the course material and independently-researched academic resources please
discuss:
•
the role of professional values in community service work
o the main (four) domains of human service
o the concept of social justice
o the social barriers faced by both clients and workers in the community service sector
o the theoretical approaches underpinning professional community service work.
BASS – WEL101A Assessment 3
Page 2
Marking Criteria:
Answering the question and defining the role of professional values
Max. in
Your
category
points
10
Explaining the main (four) domains of human service
10
and the concept of social justice
Outlining the social barriers faced by both clients and workers in the
community service sector and making reference to the theoretical approaches
underpinning professional community service work.
10
Number and choice of appropriate references
4
Word count, readability, and structure
3
In-text references and reference list, accuracy and use of correct referencing
style
Total:
3
40
Comments:
BASS – WEL101A Assessment 3
Page 3
What we want to see:
This essayi will incorporate a formal introduction, main points and conclusion; as this is an essay,
the introduction and conclusion, as well as individual paragraphs addressing different issues should
not be flagged with subheadings, but incorporated in the essay.
The work must be fully referenced with in-text citations and a reference list at the end. We
recommend you work with your Academic Writing Guide to ensure that you reference correctly. You
will find a link to this document on the main page of every unit, under the ‘Assessments’ section.
Correct academic writing and referencing are essential tasks that you need to learn. We
recommend a minimum of ten references.
Referencing: References are assessed for their quality. You should draw on quality academic
sources, such as books, chapters from edited books, journals etc. Your textbook can be used as a
reference, but not the Study Guide and lecture notes. We want to see evidence that you are capable
of conducting your own research. Also, in order to help markers determine students’ understanding
of the work they cite, all in-text references (not just direct quotes) must include the specific page
number/s if shown in the original.
Researching: You can search for peer-reviewed journal articles, which you can find in the online
journal databases and which can be accessed from the library homepage. Reputable news sites
such as The Conversation (https://theconversation.com/au/health), online dictionaries and online
encyclopedias are acceptable as a starting point to gain knowledge about a topic. Government
departments, research institutes such as the National Health and Medical Research Council
(NHMRC), international organisations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and local not
for profit organisations such as the Cancer Council are also good resources.
Formatting: The assessment MUST be submitted electronically in Microsoft Word format. Other
formats may not be readable by markers. Please be aware that any assessments submitted in other
formats will be considered LATE and will lose marks until it is presented in Word.
What we don’t want to see:
Plagiarism: All sources of information need to properly be acknowledged. Please refer to the
plagiarism website on blackboardii. By clicking the ‘Upload this file’ button you acknowledge that
you have read, understood and can confirm that the work you are about to submit complies with
the Flexible and Online plagiarism policy as shown in the JNI Student Handbook. Like other forms
of cheating plagiarism is treated seriously. Plagiarising students will be referred to the Program
Manager.
Word Count: Marks will be deducted for failure to adhere to the word count – as a general rule you
may go over or under by 10% than the stated length.
Late Submissions: Students are advised that any submissions past the due date incur a 10%
penalty per day, calculated from the total mark e.g. a task marked out of 30 will incur 3 marks
penalty per day.
No submission: Students must attempt all tasks to be eligible to pass the unit.
More information can be found in Think Education Assessment Policy document on the Think
Education website.
BASS – WEL101A Assessment 3
Page 4
Resources Available to YOU:
1. Academic writing guide link
https://laureateau.blackboard.com/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_20163_
1&content_id=_2498847_1&mode=reset
2. Writing & referencing: The link to the Learning and Academic Skills Unit
(LASU) is on the left pulldown menu on the blackboard home page:
https://laureateau.blackboard.com/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_20163_
1&content_id=_2498847_1&mode=reset
LASU also provides a series of academic skills tutorials.
3. Researching: A guide to researching is available on the library page
http://library.think.edu.au/research_skills/.
Please contact the online and Pyrmont librarian for Health if you would like further
help or a tutorial on how to do research this way.
By clicking the ‘Upload this file’ button below you acknowledge that you have read
and understood and can confirm that the work you are about to submit complies with
the Flexible and Online plagiarism policy as shown in the JNI Student Handbook.
i
https://laureateau.blackboard.com/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_20163_1&content_id=_2498856_1&mode=reset
ii
https://laureateau.blackboard.com/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_20163_1&content_id=_2498858_1&mode=reset
BASS – WEL101A Assessment 3
Page 5
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
Week 2
Social policy, programs, legal framework
Week 2: Social policy
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
Week 2: Social policy
Week overview
This week‟s topic focuses on social policy, which is an important factor in community
services. Policy is defined in broad terms, while social policy is discussed in closer detail.
The welfare state is revisited, this time as the context for generating social policy, and the
more recent impact of neo-liberalism on social policy is outlined. The difference between
social policy and programs is highlighted. The former is a broad platform of principles on
what, to whom and how services are to be delivered, while the latter refers to specific
initiatives on service delivery.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you should be able to:
Define policy and social policy.
Explain how social policy shapes community services.
Outline the impact which the welfare state, and later the neo-liberal state, had on
social policy.
Explain the difference between social policy and programs.
Prescribed textbook reading
Chapter 6, pp. 163–193 from Chenoweth, L. & McAuliffe, D. (2015). The road to social
work & human service practice (4th ed.). Melbourne: Cengage Learning.
Week 2: Social policy
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
Policy
In broad terms, policy may be defined as a specified and carefully strategised and expressed
way of doing things in respect to something. Organisations and governments formulate
concrete and elaborate policies which help them govern their day-to-day activities and
structure longer term actions to achieve aims according to practical goals and ideological
values. Policy formulated and implemented by governments is referred to as public policy,
whereas policy made by individuals and non-government organisations is called private
policy.
Community workers most always are working within, or need to be aware of, particular
policy frameworks which direct and shape how services are delivered. These would almost
certainly include:
A government‟s social policy which directs the aims and principles of the program in
which the community worker is involved. For example, a community aged care
program would be shaped within the principles of the Living Longer Living Better
policy reforms.
The worker‟s organisation‟s policies. For instance, the processes to be used within the
organisation when conflict arises.
The policies of other organisations and agencies with which the worker interacts as
part of their role. For example, when new clients are to be assessed for entitlement to
access community aged care services, the worker will need to liaise with the Aged
Care Assessment Team, so it is helpful to understand the policies of this agency.
Social policy
Social policy is specifically concerned with the welfare or wellbeing of individuals, families
and communities. The classic definition of social policy (and one which still applies and is
drawn on by contemporary analysts) was provided by T.H Marshall. Marshall stated that
social policy refers to,
…the policy of governments with regard to action having a direct impact on the
welfare of citizens by providing them with services or income. The central core
consists, therefore, of social insurance, public assistance, the health and welfare
services and housing policy (Marshall, 1955, p.7).
Week 2: Social policy
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
Some argue that social policy is part of economic policy because “…all social policies must
be considered within the context of the resources available to realise them” (Pollard, 1992,
pp.19-20). While this is true in a particular sense (for example, social programs need
resources which are generated by a society‟s economic system), care must be taken not to
simplify what is in essence a very complex and constantly changing political process. This
process ensures that social policy is also a mechanism through which notions of entitlement,
equity, fairness, obligations and access to services and resources are constantly debated,
negotiated, legitimated and redefined. Indeed, as Davis, Wanna, Warhurst and Weller (1993,
p.4) point out, policies “…are shaped by the constituent elements of politics, so that policies
represent victories or compromises encapsulated as programs for action by government”.
Indeed, recent writers argue that, although social policy is concerned with the distribution of
resources to identified groups and individuals in society, it nevertheless does this according to
prevalent values and notions of fairness and justice (Jamrozik 2009). That is, social policy is
driven not only by the ideological position of the government in power, but also by prevailing
social values. The values system (also referred to as the „normative context‟) in which
government activities take place is shaped by notions of what is good and bad. Indeed, since
the beginning of the recorded history of government, scholars (such as Aristotle) have
suggested that the fundamental driver of “good” government should be a concern with
providing the “good life” for the citizenry which it governs (Duncan 2005, p.17). It would
then be useful to view social policy as an activity which is very much subject to socially
accepted representations of what might constitute “happiness”, “wellbeing” and, more
generally, what the dichotomy of “good-bad” ought to mean.
Note: In the set text reading for this week (Chenoweth & McAuliffe, 2015, Ch 6), a number
of distinct social policy areas are discussed, such as the health sector, mental health, income,
youth, and so on. The list is not exhaustive; however it provides an indication of some of the
distinctive areas in social policy. These also double as categorise of „fields of practice‟ in the
authors‟ outline of the methods and approaches used by human service workers within these
fields.
Week 2: Social policy
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
Reading 2.1
This reading describes the forms and meanings of social policy, and its scope. It also touches
on the welfare state and its relationship to contemporary social policy in Australia.
Access the following reading via the learning portal.
McClelland, A. (2007). What is social policy? In Social policy in Australia: Understanding
for action (McClelland, A. & Smyth, P. Eds.). Sth Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
pp. 5-20.
Social policy and programs
It is important to distinguish between social policy and programs. Social policy has two broad
dimensions: policy-making and implementation. Policy-making is a political process, in
which stakeholders like political parties, federal and state governments and various interest
groups are involved. It is shaped by the ideologies of the stakeholders, social issues and
availability of resources. As outlined above, in this sense social policy is a position platform
on what a political party or government is doing or planning to do in respect to some defined
social issue, or social needs.
When a policy is put into practice, the stage is termed „implementation‟. At this stage,
governments normally task departments and bureaucrats with developing and delivering
programs of services. Programs can be of any size, and can last a relatively short time or be
more or less permanent. The latter sort of programs is usually large, and regulated by a
legislative framework. For example, all federally-funded aged care programs, like the Home
and Community Car e (HACC) and the Community Aged Care Packages (CACP) programs,
are regulated by the Aged Care Act 1997 (Cth). Community service professionals understand
that social policy impacts directly on how services are funded, and that it often effects
changes on community services.
Activity 2.1
Please refer to the Learning Portal for this activity.
Week 2: Social policy
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
The state and civil society
It would be useful to clarify two important concepts, the state and civil community. In
community work, workers routinely deal with the state, usually by interacting with its
agencies and legal system on behalf of communities and individuals, and the organisations
they work in. They may seek funding, they provide reports or advocate on behalf of clients.
Community workers obviously work with communities, where people live and access
services – this is a sphere of social life which is separated from the state, and is referred to as
civil society. The following paragraphs define these two concepts.
The state is sometimes defined simply as „a nation‟s political institutions and governmental
system‟ (Self 1985: 16). However, in Max Weber‟s famous definition, the state is first of all
„a human community‟ – one which „successfully claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of
physical force within a given territory‟ (cited in Faulks 1999, p. 20). So „the state‟ is a
collection of individuals, some of which are allowed to use force (e.g., police or army
members), while others enjoy other exclusive rights (for example, magistrates can adjudicate
in disputes between individuals or groups, while policy makers and bureaucrats can
„determine‟ which individuals may have access to welfare and social services). We have all
met and interacted with such individuals in the persons of politicians, police, soldiers, judges,
government bureaucrats, and so on.
The civil society is seen as that part of society in which life mainly proceeds independently
from the state – what the Centre for Civil Society at the London School of Economics calls
„…the arena of uncoerced collective action around shared interests, purposes and values‟
(CSS 2004: online). This is a liberal notion of civil society – the original thinking did not
distinguish between the state and civil society. Indeed, the state was viewed to be the same
as civil society (the polity) – and civil society as understood today (separated from the state)
did not exist in the thinking of political philosophers. In the classical city-state (demos) of
Ancient Greece a person was a citizen on the basis that he (women were excluded from
political citizenship rights) shared both in the „administration of justice and in the holding of
office‟ (Aristotle, 1959: 67).
Week 2: Social policy
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
The welfare state
Australia is considered to be a welfare state. This term is generally meant to encompass and
give meaning to those government activities which lead to the making and implementation of
social policy. It can also indicate the attitude which the state (government, governance and
political system) has to how the basic needs of individuals and groups in society ought to be
provided for.
It is timely to pause and consider the concept „welfare‟ as it applies in the context of the
welfare state. Scholars have for some time distinguished between primary welfare and
residual welfare.
Primary welfare refers to the minimum life chances we all get through an efficientlyfunctioning economy and policy system which ensure all citizens have equal access to
education, employment, health care and so on.
Residual welfare refers to where support is provided such as unemployment benefit,
youth allowances child support, and so on. This implicitly implies that “…society‟s
institutional arrangements and access to provisions which are normally available in
society have broken down” (Jamrozik 2009, p.3).
In policy and practice talk, when „welfare‟ is discussed, it usually refers to residual welfare.
The modern Australian welfare state has, as Shaver (2001, p.278) notes, a „peculiar heritage‟,
and was at its strongest for a few decades after the Second World War. It was influenced by
the reformist measures which at the time were implemented in Great Britain – these measures
reflected principles of redistribution laid down in the theories of the influential economists
J.M. Keynes and W.H. Beveridge, who argued for government intervention to ensure more
secure economic outcomes and a fairer distribution of society‟s resources (Jamrozik, 2009).
Previous to this development, Australia (after the federation of 1901) developed a social
policy system which was reformist for its times in that it set out some limited entitlement
„rights‟ for its citizens. For example, the „Harvester judgement‟ of 1904 established the
concept of the minimum wage in Australia which was to be determined by „the normal needs
of the average employee regarded as a human being living in a civilised community‟ (cited in
Bessant et al, 2006, p.89).
Week 2: Social policy
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
Nevertheless, in many respects Australian social policy was still being influenced by the
English Poor Law (of 1834). In this law dependence on welfare was seen largely as a moral
failure on the part of the recipients, who then had to be „managed‟ strictly by „charity‟
workers who distributed „poor relief‟ only to those assessed as the „deserving poor‟ (Bessant
et al, 2006, p.89). This meant that the needs of many in society, such as the unemployed,
Indigenous people, most women, many of the elderly and immigrants, were for some time
„managed‟ through policies which provided for minimal services and incomes – this acted
(some argue that it still acts) as a historical influence on social policy which contradicted and
undermined the idea of entitlement defined by social citizenship.
The notion of social citizenship is employed in modern analyses in its Marshallian sense to
explain membership of society which entails certain social, economic and political rights and
obligations (this is a complex analysis of social membership, but one which is recognised as a
very useful starting point in understanding social policy in a liberal democratic society)
(Jamrozik 2009, p.25). The concept can also explain (at least in part) the ideas underpinning
the social policy reforms undertaken after the Second World War, mainly in the period of the
Chiefly and Curtin Labor governments (1941-1947). In this period some fundamental rights
were established in law through the introduction of a „safety net‟ represented by child
endowment, widows‟ pensions, unemployment, sickness and invalid benefits, and a
pharmaceutical benefits scheme (Bessant et al, 2006, pp.91-92).
In the following three decades (1950s-1970s), various Australian governments (both Labor
and Liberal) introduced a raft of social policies which further underpinned „rights‟ and
„entitlements‟ derived from the notion of social citizenship. Indigenous people‟s right to be
recognised as equal to others in society, women‟s right to equal pay, universal right to aged
pension, universal medical care and free university education are some examples of
entitlement-based (universalist) social policies which were established in this period. The
arrival of a downturn in the national and global economies meant that the following period
(1980s – present) saw a resurgence of some pre-1940s ideas of governance and social policymaking.
Week 2: Social policy
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
References:
Aristotle (1959). Politics: The Athenian Constitution. Warrington, J. (Trans. and Ed.).
London: Heron Books.
Bessant, J., Watts, R., Dalton, T. & Smyth, P. (2006). Talking policy: How social policy is
made. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin.
Centre for Civil Society (2004) What is civil society?
http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/CCS/introduction.htm (accessed 01-03-2014).
Davis, G., Wanna, J., Warhurst, J. and Weller, P. (1993). Public policy in Australia. (2nd
ed.). St. Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin.
Dee, M. (2003). Harsh time at the Ministry of Fear? Australia‟s diminished citizenship of the
working poor. Paper presented to the Social Change in the 21st Century Conference, QUT:
Brisbane.
Faulks, K. (1999). Political Sociology: A Critical Introduction. New York: New York
University Press.
Marshall, T.H. (1955). Social policy. London: Hutchinson University Library.
Jamrozik, A. (2009). Social policy in the post-welfare state: Australian society in the 21st
century (3rd ed.). Pearson Education: Frenchs Forrest NSW.
Self, P. (1985). Political Theories of Modern Government. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen &
Unwin.
Shaver, S. (2001). Australian welfare reform: from citizenship to social engineering.
Australian Journal of Social Issues. 36(4): 277-294.
Weber, M. (1976). Class, status and party. In Society and Politics: Readings in Political
Sociology (Braungart, R.G.,Ed.). Eglewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.
Week 2: Social policy
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
Activity 2.2
Please refer to the Learning Portal for this activity.
Activity 2.3
Please refer to the Learning Portal for this activity.
Activity 2.4
Please refer to the Learning Portal for this activity.
Extension readings and resources
Paper by Mel Gray (2011) „The changing face of social welfare and social work in Australia‟
– includes background information on historical phases of social policy in Australia.
http://periodika.osu.cz/eris/dok/2011-02/changing_welfare_gray.pdf
ABC radio show discussing the Australian welfare state. View transcript or listen to the
audio. http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/rearvision/australia27s-welfarestate/4379252
Paper by Bernadine van Gramberg and Penny Bassett on neo-liberalism and the third sector
in Australia (the third sector refers to that part of civil society which includes nongovernment organisations) http://vuir.vu.edu.au/120/1/wp5_2005_bassett_gramberg.pdf
Cahill (2004) „The radical neo-liberal movement and its impact on Australian politics‟ – learn
more about neo-liberalism here
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/apsa/docs_papers/Aust%2520Pol/cahill.pdf
Now that you have completed this week, visit the learning portal to participate in the latest
discussion forum and to check your progress by completing the self-check questions.
Week 2: Social policy
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
Week 2
Social policy, programs, legal framework
Week 2: Social policy
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
Week 2: Social policy
Week overview
This week‟s topic focuses on social policy, which is an important factor in community
services. Policy is defined in broad terms, while social policy is discussed in closer detail.
The welfare state is revisited, this time as the context for generating social policy, and the
more recent impact of neo-liberalism on social policy is outlined. The difference between
social policy and programs is highlighted. The former is a broad platform of principles on
what, to whom and how services are to be delivered, while the latter refers to specific
initiatives on service delivery.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you should be able to:
Define policy and social policy.
Explain how social policy shapes community services.
Outline the impact which the welfare state, and later the neo-liberal state, had on
social policy.
Explain the difference between social policy and programs.
Prescribed textbook reading
Chapter 6, pp. 163–193 from Chenoweth, L. & McAuliffe, D. (2015). The road to social
work & human service practice (4th ed.). Melbourne: Cengage Learning.
Week 2: Social policy
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
Policy
In broad terms, policy may be defined as a specified and carefully strategised and expressed
way of doing things in respect to something. Organisations and governments formulate
concrete and elaborate policies which help them govern their day-to-day activities and
structure longer term actions to achieve aims according to practical goals and ideological
values. Policy formulated and implemented by governments is referred to as public policy,
whereas policy made by individuals and non-government organisations is called private
policy.
Community workers most always are working within, or need to be aware of, particular
policy frameworks which direct and shape how services are delivered. These would almost
certainly include:
A government‟s social policy which directs the aims and principles of the program in
which the community worker is involved. For example, a community aged care
program would be shaped within the principles of the Living Longer Living Better
policy reforms.
The worker‟s organisation‟s policies. For instance, the processes to be used within the
organisation when conflict arises.
The policies of other organisations and agencies with which the worker interacts as
part of their role. For example, when new clients are to be assessed for entitlement to
access community aged care services, the worker will need to liaise with the Aged
Care Assessment Team, so it is helpful to understand the policies of this agency.
Social policy
Social policy is specifically concerned with the welfare or wellbeing of individuals, families
and communities. The classic definition of social policy (and one which still applies and is
drawn on by contemporary analysts) was provided by T.H Marshall. Marshall stated that
social policy refers to,
…the policy of governments with regard to action having a direct impact on the
welfare of citizens by providing them with services or income. The central core
consists, therefore, of social insurance, public assistance, the health and welfare
services and housing policy (Marshall, 1955, p.7).
Week 2: Social policy
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
Some argue that social policy is part of economic policy because “…all social policies must
be considered within the context of the resources available to realise them” (Pollard, 1992,
pp.19-20). While this is true in a particular sense (for example, social programs need
resources which are generated by a society‟s economic system), care must be taken not to
simplify what is in essence a very complex and constantly changing political process. This
process ensures that social policy is also a mechanism through which notions of entitlement,
equity, fairness, obligations and access to services and resources are constantly debated,
negotiated, legitimated and redefined. Indeed, as Davis, Wanna, Warhurst and Weller (1993,
p.4) point out, policies “…are shaped by the constituent elements of politics, so that policies
represent victories or compromises encapsulated as programs for action by government”.
Indeed, recent writers argue that, although social policy is concerned with the distribution of
resources to identified groups and individuals in society, it nevertheless does this according to
prevalent values and notions of fairness and justice (Jamrozik 2009). That is, social policy is
driven not only by the ideological position of the government in power, but also by prevailing
social values. The values system (also referred to as the „normative context‟) in which
government activities take place is shaped by notions of what is good and bad. Indeed, since
the beginning of the recorded history of government, scholars (such as Aristotle) have
suggested that the fundamental driver of “good” government should be a concern with
providing the “good life” for the citizenry which it governs (Duncan 2005, p.17). It would
then be useful to view social policy as an activity which is very much subject to socially
accepted representations of what might constitute “happiness”, “wellbeing” and, more
generally, what the dichotomy of “good-bad” ought to mean.
Note: In the set text reading for this week (Chenoweth & McAuliffe, 2015, Ch 6), a number
of distinct social policy areas are discussed, such as the health sector, mental health, income,
youth, and so on. The list is not exhaustive; however it provides an indication of some of the
distinctive areas in social policy. These also double as categorise of „fields of practice‟ in the
authors‟ outline of the methods and approaches used by human service workers within these
fields.
Week 2: Social policy
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
Reading 2.1
This reading describes the forms and meanings of social policy, and its scope. It also touches
on the welfare state and its relationship to contemporary social policy in Australia.
Access the following reading via the learning portal.
McClelland, A. (2007). What is social policy? In Social policy in Australia: Understanding
for action (McClelland, A. & Smyth, P. Eds.). Sth Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
pp. 5-20.
Social policy and programs
It is important to distinguish between social policy and programs. Social policy has two broad
dimensions: policy-making and implementation. Policy-making is a political process, in
which stakeholders like political parties, federal and state governments and various interest
groups are involved. It is shaped by the ideologies of the stakeholders, social issues and
availability of resources. As outlined above, in this sense social policy is a position platform
on what a political party or government is doing or planning to do in respect to some defined
social issue, or social needs.
When a policy is put into practice, the stage is termed „implementation‟. At this stage,
governments normally task departments and bureaucrats with developing and delivering
programs of services. Programs can be of any size, and can last a relatively short time or be
more or less permanent. The latter sort of programs is usually large, and regulated by a
legislative framework. For example, all federally-funded aged care programs, like the Home
and Community Car e (HACC) and the Community Aged Care Packages (CACP) programs,
are regulated by the Aged Care Act 1997 (Cth). Community service professionals understand
that social policy impacts directly on how services are funded, and that it often effects
changes on community services.
Activity 2.1
Please refer to the Learning Portal for this activity.
Week 2: Social policy
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
The state and civil society
It would be useful to clarify two important concepts, the state and civil community. In
community work, workers routinely deal with the state, usually by interacting with its
agencies and legal system on behalf of communities and individuals, and the organisations
they work in. They may seek funding, they provide reports or advocate on behalf of clients.
Community workers obviously work with communities, where people live and access
services – this is a sphere of social life which is separated from the state, and is referred to as
civil society. The following paragraphs define these two concepts.
The state is sometimes defined simply as „a nation‟s political institutions and governmental
system‟ (Self 1985: 16). However, in Max Weber‟s famous definition, the state is first of all
„a human community‟ – one which „successfully claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of
physical force within a given territory‟ (cited in Faulks 1999, p. 20). So „the state‟ is a
collection of individuals, some of which are allowed to use force (e.g., police or army
members), while others enjoy other exclusive rights (for example, magistrates can adjudicate
in disputes between individuals or groups, while policy makers and bureaucrats can
„determine‟ which individuals may have access to welfare and social services). We have all
met and interacted with such individuals in the persons of politicians, police, soldiers, judges,
government bureaucrats, and so on.
The civil society is seen as that part of society in which life mainly proceeds independently
from the state – what the Centre for Civil Society at the London School of Economics calls
„…the arena of uncoerced collective action around shared interests, purposes and values‟
(CSS 2004: online). This is a liberal notion of civil society – the original thinking did not
distinguish between the state and civil society. Indeed, the state was viewed to be the same
as civil society (the polity) – and civil society as understood today (separated from the state)
did not exist in the thinking of political philosophers. In the classical city-state (demos) of
Ancient Greece a person was a citizen on the basis that he (women were excluded from
political citizenship rights) shared both in the „administration of justice and in the holding of
office‟ (Aristotle, 1959: 67).
Week 2: Social policy
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
The welfare state
Australia is considered to be a welfare state. This term is generally meant to encompass and
give meaning to those government activities which lead to the making and implementation of
social policy. It can also indicate the attitude which the state (government, governance and
political system) has to how the basic needs of individuals and groups in society ought to be
provided for.
It is timely to pause and consider the concept „welfare‟ as it applies in the context of the
welfare state. Scholars have for some time distinguished between primary welfare and
residual welfare.
Primary welfare refers to the minimum life chances we all get through an efficientlyfunctioning economy and policy system which ensure all citizens have equal access to
education, employment, health care and so on.
Residual welfare refers to where support is provided such as unemployment benefit,
youth allowances child support, and so on. This implicitly implies that “…society‟s
institutional arrangements and access to provisions which are normally available in
society have broken down” (Jamrozik 2009, p.3).
In policy and practice talk, when „welfare‟ is discussed, it usually refers to residual welfare.
The modern Australian welfare state has, as Shaver (2001, p.278) notes, a „peculiar heritage‟,
and was at its strongest for a few decades after the Second World War. It was influenced by
the reformist measures which at the time were implemented in Great Britain – these measures
reflected principles of redistribution laid down in the theories of the influential economists
J.M. Keynes and W.H. Beveridge, who argued for government intervention to ensure more
secure economic outcomes and a fairer distribution of society‟s resources (Jamrozik, 2009).
Previous to this development, Australia (after the federation of 1901) developed a social
policy system which was reformist for its times in that it set out some limited entitlement
„rights‟ for its citizens. For example, the „Harvester judgement‟ of 1904 established the
concept of the minimum wage in Australia which was to be determined by „the normal needs
of the average employee regarded as a human being living in a civilised community‟ (cited in
Bessant et al, 2006, p.89).
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Nevertheless, in many respects Australian social policy was still being influenced by the
English Poor Law (of 1834). In this law dependence on welfare was seen largely as a moral
failure on the part of the recipients, who then had to be „managed‟ strictly by „charity‟
workers who distributed „poor relief‟ only to those assessed as the „deserving poor‟ (Bessant
et al, 2006, p.89). This meant that the needs of many in society, such as the unemployed,
Indigenous people, most women, many of the elderly and immigrants, were for some time
„managed‟ through policies which provided for minimal services and incomes – this acted
(some argue that it still acts) as a historical influence on social policy which contradicted and
undermined the idea of entitlement defined by social citizenship.
The notion of social citizenship is employed in modern analyses in its Marshallian sense to
explain membership of society which entails certain social, economic and political rights and
obligations (this is a complex analysis of social membership, but one which is recognised as a
very useful starting point in understanding social policy in a liberal democratic society)
(Jamrozik 2009, p.25). The concept can also explain (at least in part) the ideas underpinning
the social policy reforms undertaken after the Second World War, mainly in the period of the
Chiefly and Curtin Labor governments (1941-1947). In this period some fundamental rights
were established in law through the introduction of a „safety net‟ represented by child
endowment, widows‟ pensions, unemployment, sickness and invalid benefits, and a
pharmaceutical benefits scheme (Bessant et al, 2006, pp.91-92).
In the following three decades (1950s-1970s), various Australian governments (both Labor
and Liberal) introduced a raft of social policies which further underpinned „rights‟ and
„entitlements‟ derived from the notion of social citizenship. Indigenous people‟s right to be
recognised as equal to others in society, women‟s right to equal pay, universal right to aged
pension, universal medical care and free university education are some examples of
entitlement-based (universalist) social policies which were established in this period. The
arrival of a downturn in the national and global economies meant that the following period
(1980s – present) saw a resurgence of some pre-1940s ideas of governance and social policymaking.
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References:
Aristotle (1959). Politics: The Athenian Constitution. Warrington, J. (Trans. and Ed.).
London: Heron Books.
Bessant, J., Watts, R., Dalton, T. & Smyth, P. (2006). Talking policy: How social policy is
made. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin.
Centre for Civil Society (2004) What is civil society?
http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/CCS/introduction.htm (accessed 01-03-2014).
Davis, G., Wanna, J., Warhurst, J. and Weller, P. (1993). Public policy in Australia. (2nd
ed.). St. Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin.
Dee, M. (2003). Harsh time at the Ministry of Fear? Australia‟s diminished citizenship of the
working poor. Paper presented to the Social Change in the 21st Century Conference, QUT:
Brisbane.
Faulks, K. (1999). Political Sociology: A Critical Introduction. New York: New York
University Press.
Marshall, T.H. (1955). Social policy. London: Hutchinson University Library.
Jamrozik, A. (2009). Social policy in the post-welfare state: Australian society in the 21st
century (3rd ed.). Pearson Education: Frenchs Forrest NSW.
Self, P. (1985). Political Theories of Modern Government. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen &
Unwin.
Shaver, S. (2001). Australian welfare reform: from citizenship to social engineering.
Australian Journal of Social Issues. 36(4): 277-294.
Weber, M. (1976). Class, status and party. In Society and Politics: Readings in Political
Sociology (Braungart, R.G.,Ed.). Eglewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.
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Introduction to community services
Activity 2.2
Please refer to the Learning Portal for this activity.
Activity 2.3
Please refer to the Learning Portal for this activity.
Activity 2.4
Please refer to the Learning Portal for this activity.
Extension readings and resources
Paper by Mel Gray (2011) „The changing face of social welfare and social work in Australia‟
– includes background information on historical phases of social policy in Australia.
http://periodika.osu.cz/eris/dok/2011-02/changing_welfare_gray.pdf
ABC radio show discussing the Australian welfare state. View transcript or listen to the
audio. http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/rearvision/australia27s-welfarestate/4379252
Paper by Bernadine van Gramberg and Penny Bassett on neo-liberalism and the third sector
in Australia (the third sector refers to that part of civil society which includes nongovernment organisations) http://vuir.vu.edu.au/120/1/wp5_2005_bassett_gramberg.pdf
Cahill (2004) „The radical neo-liberal movement and its impact on Australian politics‟ – learn
more about neo-liberalism here
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/apsa/docs_papers/Aust%2520Pol/cahill.pdf
Now that you have completed this week, visit the learning portal to participate in the latest
discussion forum and to check your progress by completing the self-check questions.
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Week 1
The community services sector in Australia: an
outline
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Week 1: The community services sector in Australia: an
outline
Week overview
This module introduces the structure, purpose and nature of the Australian health and
community services (HCS). The module also explores the historical and cultural backdrops to
the community service sector in Australia.
To begin with, this section outlines what community workers do, and the contexts they work
in. Community organisations are discussed, with a brief introduction of types and activities
they undertake. This section clarifies that, for all intents and purposes, ‘community’ and
‘human’ services denote the same thing.
A discussion of the historical and cultural backdrops to the community service sector in
Australia is developed in the second part of this module. Ideas about social citizenship, rights
and entitlements, and welfare are linked to the British liberal tradition, and its transference to
principles and values underpinning early development of social and community services in
Australia are explored. The welfare state and the neo-liberal state are presented within a
discussion of how they shape ideological principles which motivate the funding and delivery
of community services.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this week, you should be able to:
Describe some of the occupations of community service workers.
Define community work.
Explain the interchangeable nature of the terms ‘community’ and ‘human’ service work.
Outline the nature of community service organisations.
Outline the historical milestones which have shaped the development of community
services.
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Prescribed textbook reading
Chapter 1, pp. 1-18 & Chapter 2, pp. 31-55 from Chenoweth, L. & McAuliffe, D. (2012).
The road to social work & human service practice (3rd ed.). Sth Melbourne: Cengage
Learning.
Chapter 1, pp. 1-11 & Chapter 2, pp. 47-52 from McDonald, C., Craik, C., Hawkins, L. &
Williams, J. (2011). Professional practice in human service organisations. Crows Nest: Allen
& Unwin.
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The community worker
This section provides a broad discussion of the health and community services sectors (HCS)
in Australia. While most people understand what is meant by ‘Health services’, there is
sometimes confusion about what ‘Community services’ means. At the outset, it should be
noted that this confusion arises from the various terms used interchangeably with ‘community
services’. These include ‘social’ or ‘welfare services’. In important ways, all these terms
denote the same thing, since they all refer primarily to forms of human services. Regardless
of the label, community workers draw on a common body of knowledge and skills to work
effectively and ethically with individuals, groups and communities. The health and
community services sector and workers are also characterised by similar codes of practice
and ethical frameworks.
It would be useful to begin exploring the concept of community services and the structure
under which they are delivered in Australia by looking at a number of ‘official’ sources
which explain who the community workers are, and what they do.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS 2011: online) states that,
Community service workers not only provide aged care and child care services that
benefit many Australians, they also provide welfare and support services to assist
some of the most vulnerable people in the community. These services often
complement those provided by family members and volunteers.
According to the 2011 Census, there were just under 1.2 million people employed in ‘Health
care and social assistance’. Elsewhere, ABS estimates that in 2011 there were over half a
million workers employed in the community services sector, or around 4.5% of all employed
people. The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations states that in
Australia, about one in eight workers are employed in the ‘Health care and social assistance’
sector (DEEWR 2013, p.13).
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Reading 1.1
Access the following reading on the internet.
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (2011). Australian Social Trends: Community service
workers. ABS catalogue no. 4102.0 Online:
http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features30Sep+2011
This online report by the Australian Bureau of Statistics outlines useful background statistics
about community services work and workers in Australia.
Community workers are human service workers
The official descriptions mentioned above are narrow; they do not include many of the
specialised occupations which may be listed under the broad umbrella of community
services. Community services are best understood not only with reference to job titles
(although these are, of course, useful), but also by what workers actually do in the
community.
Community workers work with individuals, groups and communities to provide them with
community-based services which promote physical and social well-being. As such, they are
first and foremost human service workers.
This definition is generic because of the flexible nature of community work. Another, more
inclusive perspective on community work is provided by the peak professional association,
the Australian Community Workers Association. On its website (ACWA 2014, online), the
Association describes a community worker as a qualified professional who,
… through professional training and field education, has the knowledge, skills and
values to work in a social welfare agency or program intended to promote or restore
the social functioning of individuals, families, social groups or larger communities.
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Take the example of a community nurse who is also referred to as a community worker. He
or she has specialist training (nursing) which is applied in the delivery of specialist services
in the community. Therefore the community nurse is correctly identified as a community
worker. Her/his work differs from that of a nurse working in a large hospital because the
hospital nurse does not require skills to work within the community, as they are employed in
a highly structured and managed workplace where power relationships define how services
are to be delivered (e.g., patienthood – the power relationship between medical professionals
and their clients). On the other hand, a nurse working within the community requires
knowledge and skills for community work. As a specific example, to deliver preventative
programs to parents and children in school communities, a nurse employs knowledge and
skills to engage, empower and facilitate activities with teachers, students and families to
deliver the health prevention program. In this instance, the nurse works with community
stakeholders, rather than with ‘patients’. She or he works within their community, and so
becomes a community worker.
Registration and job titles
In Australia, most human service workers do not need formal state licencing to work as social
workers. Although some workers (e.g., social workers) are sometimes referred to as ‘allied
health’, this does not mean that they are necessarily registered under the Medicare Act, but
there are exceptions. In some agencies, professional titles are not used; e.g., child protection
officer, youth worker, community worker.
Finally, it is important to understand that job titles sometimes do not reflect what a
community worker’s background is. For example, in statutory child protection community
workers work with children ‘at risk’ and their families, foster carers, statutory organisations,
and a host of other stakeholders and agencies in the community. Workers employed in this
occupation come from a broad variety of training backgrounds, including social work, youth
work, nursing, teaching, arts and humanities, and so on. Their professional backgrounds are,
however, not reflected in the job ‘title’ which, depending on the state in which they operate
in, may be ‘child safety officer’, ‘child protection worker’, or similar.
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Reading 1.2
Access the following reading via the learning portal.
Alle-Corliss, L. & Alle-Corliss, R. (2006). Human service agencies: An orientation to
fieldwork (2nd ed.). Belmont, Ca.: Thomas Learning. pp. 1-13
Activity 1.1
Go to the Blackboard page to access Activity 1.1.
The Australian healthcare sector
Australia’s healthcare sector is mixed and quite complex, and it involves a number of
stakeholders, both private and public. An official publication (Australian Institute of Health
and Welfare, 2012 p.16) describes it as follows:
The Australian health system comprises a set of public and private service providers
in multiple settings, supported by a variety of legislative, regulatory and funding
arrangements, with responsibilities distributed across the three levels of government,
non-government organisations and individuals. This web of public and private
providers, settings, participants and supporting mechanisms is nothing short of
complex.
The healthcare sector is characterised by:
A federal public funding and delivery structure, supplemented by private expenditure.
Because Australia has a federal system of government, with three tiers, it means that
the federal, State and local governments are all involved to some extent in the health
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care system. Australia spends approximately ten precent of its annual gross domestic
product on healthcare services.
Australia has universal access to medical care via the Medicare program, which is funded
by both Commonwealth and State governments.
Private medical practitioners have a dominant role in delivering primary care.
There is substantial private funding injected into the system fee-for-service for those who
can afford it and through private health insurance which is subsidised by the
Commonwealth government.
The Australian healthcare system incorporates services for the elderly (officially labelled
‘aged care’).
Organisations and community work
Although a few community workers are self-employed as sole consultants or working in
partnerships, the vast majority of community work is undertaken within the context of
organisations. As McDonald, Craik, Hawkins & Williams (2011, p.2) state, “Unlike many
other forms of work, such as that done by builders, plumbers or electricians, human service
work is nearly always undertaken in organisational contexts”. The organisation may be a nonprofit organisation, such as a community association, a government agency or, more rarely, a
for-profit organisation. It is impossible to understand the structure, purpose and nature of the
Australian health and community services without reference to the organisational matrix
within which community and health services are delivered.
Once again, generally the health sector is better understood than the community services
sector. It is easier to make sense of tangible ‘bricks and mortar’ settings, such as hospitals or
nursing homes, than to understand often complex networks of organisations and human
services workers delivering community services.
At the same time, it is important to recognise that institutionalised medical services, such as
the state hospital systems, are also stakeholders in community services. Hospitals, nursing
and care homes and psychiatric facilities tend to be linked in with community services, and
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normally employ their own community workers in a range of community services – such as
aftercare, rehabilitation services and in-home elderly care. Hospitals (and other institutionbased agencies) are viewed here as organisations which have a stake in community services,
and which are normally engaged in delivering both institution-based and community services.
McDonald et al (2011, p.2) point out that “… the organisational context itself shape how
workers undertake their work, and ultimately the impact of their work on disadvantaged and
troubled service users who are often heavily dependent on the organisation to which they
have come for help”. It is therefore important to explore the nature of community services
organisations more closely. While it is useful to understand the legal status of an organisation
(for instance, a non-profit status as defined by government statutes), scrutinising an
organisation from a sociological perspective (how and why it is organised in a specific way)
would provide a more holistic picture of what a community organisation can be. McDonald et
al (2011, pp.4-7) provide a three-dimension model which may be employed for this purpose.
In one sense, they view a community organisation in terms of its purpose, technology and
auspice.
A community (human) services organisation may be classified according to its purpose McDonald et al (2011, p.5) focus on whether the organisation is intent in changing the
lives of service users, or to support them. In other words, whether the organisation is
involved in “people-processing, people-sustaining and people-changing”.
Technology refers to a metaphor for the kind of services delivered by the organisation.
For instance, it may be involved in solely counselling services for youth considered
‘at risk’.
Organisations are also motivated by who they represent, and the values they hold and/or
the nature of their legal status. McDonald et al (2011, p.6) refer to this as ‘auspice’,
by which they mean the mandate under which the organisation operates. For example,
the organisation may be established by virtue of a government statute, such as a child
safety agency at state level. Non-profit organisations are also formed and run
according to legal frameworks; however, they are also defined by their values-base.
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Thus, one can encounter religious charities, secular charities, incorporated
associations and companies limited by guarantee.
Activity 1.2
Go to the Blackboard page to access Activity 1.2.
Activity 1.3
Go to the Blackboard page to access Activity 1.3.
Historical and cultural background
Community services and the healthcare system in Australia have been shaped by the
historical and cultural background from whence our society has emerged. Australia is a
liberal democracy, which, as a social and political system, has been largely derived from
British liberalism. This shaped ideas of citizenship, justice and government which, in turn,
underpin the aims and ethos of human services in our society.
In Australia, the term ‘social welfare’ (or simply ‘welfare’) is inextricably linked with the
ideology of liberalism. This ideology highlights and prizes individual responsibility for one’s
own well-being. Conversely, liberalism aspires for minimal involvement of society or the
state in providing for the individual. The central idea here is that the state only becomes
involved with individuals’ welfare when they experience ‘genuine’ hardship, such that they
have no control over.
Since in early liberal society individuals were literally charged with responsibility for their
own well-being and economic independence, the failure of some to achieve these aims were
viewed as something that had to be corrected within the individuals themselves. Early on, this
gave rise to a particular view of social justice, in which poor, sick and disadvantaged people
were helped only on the condition that they would help themselves and be subjected to
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punishment and ‘corrective’ measures to ‘improve’ their lives. Although this is no longer the
case, the tradition of liberalism has, nevertheless, influenced later ideas of social justice.
The English Poor Laws
The earliest English Poor Laws can be traced as far back as the mid-1300s and continued to
be developed over a period of about four centuries in England and Wales, and also in
Scotland and Ireland. The first Poor Laws were developed to be administered at the local
community (or borough) level, and were funded through local taxes. These laws established
the doctrine that welfare is not an entitlement. This then lead to an ethos for early human
services to be employed not only as a means to provide the most basic of services to the
‘deserving poor’, but also as a deterrent for people to seek such services unless it became a
last resort to do so.
In 1834, a ‘New Poor Law’ was developed in England (and applied in Australia and other
British colonies at the time), which differed from the previous Poor Law in that their
regulation was centralised into the responsibilities of central governments. The ‘reformed’
New Poor Laws remained “… imbued with notions of personal autonomy through self-help
which were individualistic and moralistic and supported a new rigour in the treatment of the
poor” (Checkland and Checkland 1974, cited in Dee 2003, p.5).
For example, in the 1800s Britain, services for the poor were provided after applying the
‘workhouse test’:
The workhouse test was central to a process of degradation and humiliation in order
that the lowest paid work might begin to seem attractive when compared to getting
‘indoor relief’ in the parish workhouse, many of which were built in towns and cities
throughout the England of 15,535 parishes (Dee 2003, p.6).
It is important to note that it was from within this context that the early community workers
emerged. Chenoweth and Mcauliffe (2012, pp.34-36) provide a historical sketch of the
emergence of the welfare practitioner in the last period of the reign of the Poor Laws, which
they divide into three forms of practice:
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The friendly visitors – usually middle-class Christian women who worked in the community
as volunteers who visited the poor.
Charity Organisation Societies. These were on the whole organisations formed in the wake of
the growth of the philanthropy in the late nineteenth century and which supported volunteers
working to deliver community services, including some friendly visitors.
The settlement movement. This was derived from the United States, and was established in
London by its founder, Jane Adams. The settlement movement involved establishing
community-based housing in which both service consumers and workers lived. Workers
employed an environment-based approach to working with people, which was one of the
earliest methods in which the social environment, rather than the individual alone, was seen
as a factor in the issues faced by the individuals and families they worked with.
In Australia, the first formally-recognised community workers were ‘trained welfare
workers’, known as almoners, who were first employed by public hospitals in 1929. The first
professional body of community workers in Australia was the Victorian Institute of Almoners
(Chenoweth and McAuliffe 2012, p.36).
Activity 1.4
Go to the Blackboard page to access Activity 1.4.
The welfare state, social citizenship and the return of liberal doctrine
The English Poor Laws remained influential within the Australian community services sector
until the arrival of the Great Depression, which was shortly followed by the Second World
War. These events helped to usher in the ‘welfare’ state and a new notion of social justice,
defined by what T.H. Marshall called ‘social citizenship’. In this, the individual in society is
not simply as having just political and civil ‘rights’ (such as ‘natural’ liberty, political
choices, and freedom to participate in the market economy), but also as having the right to
enjoys a minimum standard of wellbeing (Shaver 2001). This influenced social policy, and
also the ethos and principles of practice of the modern community service sector.
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Activity 1.5
Go to the Blackboard page to access Activity 1.5.
However, the Marshallian notion of social citizenship and entitlement was relatively shortlived, and in Australia peaked in the Whitlam years (1972-1975). This re-emergence of crude
liberal doctrine (also known as neo-liberalism, economic rationalism or the New Right)
eventually shifted the political and public policy-making language from that of welfare as
entitlement back to a notion that access to welfare should be defined as, at best, a mutual
obligation ‘pact’ between society and individuals. In such an arrangement, the role of the state
becomes once again to coax individuals in need of support ‘to give something back’ to
society, and to contribute in the formal economy in some way. Rather than building social
policy according to principles of entitlement, the neo-liberal (‘welfare’) state emphasises:
individualism, self-reliance and the minimal government. Some of the implications of this
‘new’ social contract were outlined by the National Youth Affairs Research Scheme:
The philosophy of the new contract is: self-reliance; self-provision; responsibility for
self for family and for community; an expectation that social services are,
increasingly, purchased; that the state is less likely to intervene to support individuals
and families except literally as a safety net; and that individuals are expected to give
something back – to reciprocate, to the government and community that supports
them (NYARS 2000, cited in Dee 2003, p.9).
Activity 1.6
Go to the Blackboard page to access Activity 1.6.
References
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (2011). Australian Social Trends: Community service
workers.
ABS
catalogue
no.
4102.0.
(Accessed
22-02-2014).
http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features30Sep+2011
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Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (2011). ABS.Stat: B44 Industry of employment by
occupation. (Accessed 22-02-2014)
http://stat.abs.gov.au/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=ABS_CENSUS2011_B44
Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS) (2007). Australian community sector survey:
2006. ACOSS Paper 145, February 2007. Strawberry Hills, NSW: ACOSS.
Australian Community Workers Association (ACWA) (2014). Are you a Community
Worker? (Accessed 21-02-2014) http://www.acwa.org.au/membership/who-is-a-communityworker
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) (2012). Australia’s health 2012.
Australia’s health series no.13. Cat. no. AUS 156. Canberra: AIHW.
Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) (2005). Industry skills report. Brisbane:
ANTA.
Chenoweth, L. & Mcauliffe, D. (2012). The road to social work & human service practice
(3rd ed.). Sth Melbourne: Cengage Learning.
Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council Ltd (CSHIS) (2004). Strategic plan
2004-2008. Sydney: CSHIS.
Dee, M. (2003). Harsh time at the Ministry of Fear? Australia’s diminished citizenship of the
working poor. Paper presented to the Social Change in the 21st Century Conference,
Brisbane: QUT.
Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) (2013). Australian Jobs:
2013. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.
Shaver, S. (2001). Australian welfare reform: from citizenship to social engineering.
Australian Journal of Social Issues 36(4): 277-294.
Extension readings and resources
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‘Contribution of the Not-for-Profit Sector’ – Report by the Productivity Commission (2010)
https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/not-for-profit/reportAustralian Council of Social
Service,
‘Community
sector
survey
2013,
National
Report’
http://www.acoss.org.au/images/uploads/Australian_Community_Sector_Survey_2013_ACO
SS.pdf
Australian Community Workers Association website: http://www.acwa.org.au/
Who
are
Community
Workers?
A
brief
online
description
with
links.
http://www.tcls.org.au/01_cms/details.asp?ID=17
Watch this short presentation on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K33shx0nslg
Paper by Ayton et al (2012) which provides a wealth of relevant background information:
http://www.academia.edu/1174646/Historical_overview_of_church_involvement_in_health_
and_wellbeing_in_Australia_implications_for_health_promotion_partnerships
A briefing paper by Anglicare submitted to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into the
contribution of the non-for-profit sector in 2009. Useful background information
https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/not-for-profit/submissions/sub140.pdf
Now that you have completed this week, visit the learning portal to participate in the latest
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Week 1: The community services sector in Australia
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WEL101A
Introduction to community services
Week 3
Organisations: government and non-government
Week 3: Organisations: government and non-government
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
Week 3: Organisations: government and non-government
Week overview
This week‟s topic is the community service organisation. The material covered explains the
characteristics of government and non-government organisations. The types of community
organisations, in terms of services they provide, are also discussed. The roles of community
workers within organisations are explored, and organisational governance is discussed.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this subject, you should be able to:
Describe what a community service organisation is.
List types of community organisations.
Explain the difference between government and non-government organisations.
Outline some of the roles undertaken by workers within community organisations.
Prescribed textbook reading
Chapter 7, pp. 197–226 from Chenoweth, L. & McAuliffe, D. (2015). The road to social
work & human service practice (4th ed.). Melbourne: Cengage Learning.
Chapter 1, pp. 11-24 from McDonald, C., Craik, C., Hawkins, L. & Williams, J. (2011).
Professional practice in human service organisations. Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin.
Week 3: Organisations: government and non-government
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
What is an organisation?
An organisation is a social (and normally a legal) structure through which a group of people
aim to achieve common goals. Most scholars agree that organisations are first and foremost
about people who organise around common values, rules and social norms. Chenoweth and
McAuliffe (2015, citing Holland 1995), for instance, emphasise that organisations are:
“formalised groups of people who make coordinated use of resources and skills to
accomplish given goals and purposes”.
Organisations have distinguishable characteristics, with formal and informal rules which
structure what each do. An organisation has systems and processes through which the
activities of its members are regulated and directed, and resources are distributed to support
its activities. The organisation‟s system can be quite complex, as in large government
agencies, multi-national business or a large non-profit (like Anglicare), or quite simple – as in
local community organisations, or small special interest associations. The organisation‟s
system is often composed of a number of sub-systems, such as departments or teams. The
organisational system and procedures are shaped and directed by the organisation‟s mission
and values which, in turn, guide the organisation‟s strategic goals.
Most organisations develop individual and unique cultures. As Chenoweth and McAuliffe
(2015) point out, organisational culture consists of its symbols, language and rituals.
Community service organisations
Community (or human) service organisations differ from other organisations in important
ways, and as McDonald, Craik, Hawkins & Williams (2011, p.4) point out, and was
discussed previously (in Section 1), they are diverse. Many are also quite complex. In his
now classic work on human service organisations, Yeheskel Hasenfeld (1983, cited in Liddell
2003, p.8) listed a number of characteristics which distinguishes them:
Their „raw material‟ is people.
They often have vague goals – for instance „they want to help people‟, but have no
specific target groups.
They are surrounded by moral ambiguity, and various interest groups with differing
views on how is to deliver, or who is to receive services.
Week 3: Organisations: government and non-government
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
They often operate with what some see as unclear models of service delivery. For
example, case management cannot be easily reduced to a formula or so it is not
predictable either in its application or its outcome for clients and community workers.
The core activity of the organisation normally consists of the relations between
workers and clients.
Sometimes, community service organisations lack reliable and valid „measures‟ of
effectiveness, so they may be resistant to change and innovation.
A simple way to categorise community service organisations is along the classification
outlined by Chenoweth and McAuliffe (2015, p. 206):
Government or public agency
Third sector organisation
Private for-profit organisations
Another method is to classify a community organisation according to the type of service it
delivers (ABS and the Productivity Commission use this method), as follows:
Health: Hospitals & rehabilitation; Nursing homes; Mental health & crisis
intervention; other health services (for example, public health & wellness education).
Social Services: Child welfare, child services & day care; Youth services & youth
welfare; Family services; Services for the handicapped; Services for the elderly; Selfhelp & other personal social services; Disaster/emergency prevention & control;
Temporary shelters; Refugee assistance; Income support & maintenance; Material
assistance.
Law, Advocacy & Politics: Advocacy organisations; Civil rights associations; Ethnic
associations; Civic associations; Legal services; Crime prevention & public policy;
Rehabilitation of offenders; Victim support; Consumer protection associations;
Political parties & organisations.
Not-for-profit organisations
Week 3: Organisations: government and non-government
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
Most non-government organisations which deliver community services are non-profit (short
for „not-for-profit‟). There are, however, an increasing number of for-profit organisations,
mainly operating programs for unemployed people. This guide concentrates on the nonprofit organisations, as these deliver the bulk of programs among non-government
organisations.
The non-profit sector in Australia is quite large. The Productivity Commission estimated in
2010 that there are around 600,000 organisations which are classified as non-profit. The
Australian Bureau of Statistics identified 59,000 of these which are economically significant
– contributing some $43 billion to Australian gross domestic product and eight per cent of the
total national employment in 2006-7. Some 4.3m million volunteers work within non-profits.
Interestingly, only about 20,000 non-profit organisations rely heavily on government funding,
with most of these operating in the human services area (Productivity Commission 2010,
p.xxiii).
The characteristics of non-profit organisations include,
Having a special status under tax law, where organisations do not pay tax or
Might be exempt under some provisions of anti-discrimination laws
Normally, they are managed by volunteer committees of management or boards
They can have any of the following legal structures:
o Companies limited by guarantee
o Incorporated Associations
o Cooperatives
o Incorporated by other means
o Unincorporated (this is the largest group, consisting of approximately 440000
organisations)
About 20000 non-profit organisations deliver community services programs and rely
on government funding.
Not-for-profit versus for-profit organisations
Week 3: Organisations: government and non-government
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
All organisations have at least a rudimentary business model of operation, which allows them
to plan for sustainability, obtain or access resources, and keep track of/be accountable for
their financial viability and operating budgets. It is often suggested that non-profits do not, or
should not aim to make profits. This is erroneous, since „non-profit‟ does not actually mean
that an organisation is not allowed to create profits. Rather, the non-profit organisation should
not distribute surplus income as profit to its members or funders. A non-profit differs in these
ways:
Profits are used solely for service delivery. By contrast, for-profits operate solely to
create profits on investments which are then distributed to investors.
Unlike a for-profit organisation, a non-profit organisation cannot be sold or traded,
though it can be merged with other non-profits.
A non-profit organisation cannot be floated on the stock market, or distribute shares.
Government versus non-government organisations
A government organisation which delivers community services has to be established and
operated through a government-decreed legal structure. Normally, these organisations are
referred to as „agencies‟. Most community health and welfare/social services are delivered by
state agencies, operating under a specific Act of state parliament. For example, in Queensland
the Child Safety Services Agency is within the Department of Communities, Child Safety and
Disability Services. The Queensland Child Protection Act 1999 sets the guidelines and rules
under which everyone working within this government agency operates.
By contrast, non-government organisations develop their own mission goals and vision
statements, and its members are responsible to their own management hierarchies, usually
headed by boards of directors or management committees in not-for-profits, or managers and
owners in for-profits. However, many services which non-government organisations deliver
are funded under a government program, so the workers are required to structure services
according to the legislation that provides the legal framework for the implementation of that
program. For example, although the Queensland Child Safety Services Agency mentioned
above delivers many services directly to clients, it also subcontracts much of service delivery
to non-government (largely not-for-profit) organisations. These organisations need then to
Week 3: Organisations: government and non-government
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
operate service delivery as required by the provisions listed in the Queensland Child
Protection Act 1999.
The organisational settings of community work
Taking note of the discussion on organisations so far, we can now look at which
organisations community workers are employed in. These include,
Government agencies (e.g., child protection, public hospitals)
Quasi-government organisations (e.g., universities and TAFEs)
Non-government organisations:
o For profit (e.g., employment agencies, training firms, aged care)
o Non-profit (e.g., aged care, child care, housing)
Management and governance
Community workers often engage with management, and need to be aware of governance law
(especially in non-government organisations). Some of the activities undertaken within
organisations by community workers may include,
Participate in management meetings. Workers should have knowledge of procedures,
such as formal management meetings, and they should acquire presentation skills
appropriate for specific settings, such as management and brainstorming meetings.
Advice on governance matters. Workers should understand the organisation‟s
policies, and the governance system under which the organisation functions.
Community workers should have an awareness of relevant governance law, e.g.,
Corporation Act 2001 (Cth) and equivalent state legislation.
Work with volunteers. Workers need skills in coordinating, training, working with
and in supervising volunteers. Volunteers are normally viewed and treated as
employees, and therefore all policies and legal requirements which apply to
employees also apply for volunteers.
Supervise other staff. Community workers are often called to supervise other staff in
the organisation, so they require leadership skills.
Week 3: Organisations: government and non-government
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
Manage services. Community workers are often in charge of whole, or components
of, program implementation. For this they require knowledge of program management
and implementation, and of program evaluation.
Work with contractors. Community workers often arrange for services to their clients
from a variety of external suppliers. For example, when working with disabled people
who are being cared for in their own homes, community workers may need to arrange
for home repairs or modifications that aid to mobility and help with independent
living.
OHS regulations. Occupation Health and Safety is an important aspect of working in
organisations. Community workers should have at least a basic understanding of
current OHS government regulations and the organisation‟s OHS policy. All
employees normally have a legal duty of care to ensure safety for themselves,
colleagues and their clients.
References
Chenoweth, L. & McAuliffe, D. (2015). The road to social work & human service practice
(4th ed.). Melbourne: Cengage Learning.
Liddell, M. (2003). Developing human services organisations. Pearson Education: Frenchs
Forest, NSW.
McDonald, C., Craik, C., Hawkins, L. & Williams, J. (2011). Professional practice in human
service organisations. Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin.
Productivity Commission (2010). Contribution of the Not-for-Profit Sector (January 29,
2010). Productivity Commission 2010 Research Report. Available at SSRN:
http://ssrn.com/abstract=1586630
Activity 3.1
Please refer to the Learning Portal for this activity.
Week 3: Organisations: government and non-government
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
Activity 3.2
Please refer to the Learning Portal for this activity.
Activity 3.3
Please refer to the Learning Portal for this activity.
Activity 3.4
Please refer to the Learning Portal for this activity.
Extension readings and resources
Report by the Charities and not-for-profits commission (2013): „Not-for-profit reform and the
Australian Government‟
http://www.acnc.gov.au/ACNC/Pblctns/Rpts/NFP/ACNC/Publications/Reports/NFPreport.as
px?hkey=416871fb-2d45-46fd-900a-aef151e3c88c Provides an overview of the Australian
Government’s not-for-profit reform agenda and the regulatory environment in which charities
operate.
The website of the Australian Council of Social Services provides great resources on nongovernment community service organisations
http://www.acoss.org.au/policy/community_services/
Furman (2013) „Getting to know the human service organization‟ chapter 1 from Navigating
human service organizations http://www.acoss.org.au/policy/community_services/
Community Services Sector Industry Skills and Workforce Development Report (2012), by
the health & Community Service Workforce Council
Week 3: Organisations: government and non-government
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
https://www.workforce.org.au/media/255522/wfc-industry-skills-report-community-servicessector-2012-09-24.pdf This report summarises information related to the Queensland
Community Services sector, but also provides some general information on the sector
Australia-wide.
Now that you have completed this week, visit the learning portal to participate in the latest
discussion forum and to check your progress by completing the self-check questions.
Week 3: Organisations: government and non-government
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
Week 5
Working in the community services sector.
Intersecting models for practice
Week 5: Working in the community services sector
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
Week 5: Working in the community services sector.
Intersecting models for practice
Week overview
This section further explores the variety of roles which a professional community worker
may undertake. Practice frameworks are mapped using a two-level model to explain the
knowledge and skills required to work in the sector: knowledge and skills generic to most
community workers, and specialised knowledge and skills employed by workers in specific
fields of practice. A brief exploration of community/human service frameworks from the
perspective of professional values is included. Two case studies which demonstrate the use of
specialist knowledge and skills in practice are provided.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this subject, you should be able to:
Explain the difference between generalist and specialist practice frameworks.
List common knowledge and skills required by all community workers.
Explain what a specialist framework for practice is.
Prescribed textbook reading
Chapter 1, pp. 18–27 from Chenoweth, L. & McAuliffe, D. (2015). The road to social work
& human service practice (4th ed.). Melbourne: Cengage Learning.
Chapter 1, pp. 11-24 from McDonald, C., Craik, C., Hawkins, L. & Williams, J. (2011).
Professional practice in human service organisations. Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin.
Week 5: Working in the community services sector
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
Working in the community services sector. Intersecting models for practice
As discussed in Section 1, community workers practice in a diverse range of fields.
Regardless of the field they work in, the cornerstone of community work is promoting
social justice and maximising human potential. The peak professional body for
community workers in Australia define what community workers do in this way:
…community workers provide services, support, activities, information and referral
for those in need of assistance. They do this by linking people with appropriate
services, government departments, groups, communities and each other (Australian
Community Workers Association 2014, online).
Chenoweth & McAuliffe (2015, p. 16) provide a philosophical explanation for the ‘purpose’
of human service practice:
To position human welfare and human rights as a primary social responsibility,
acknowledging that humanity exists in balance with the environment, and to celebrate
and acknowledge the diversity of humanity … practitioners are charged with the
responsibility of bringing to public notice the values, attitudes, behaviours and social
structures, as well as the economic and political imperatives, that cause or contribute
to the oppression of human welfare and rights. They are further charged with the duty
to respond with passion, hope and care, to human need wherever and however it is
manifested …
Most workers specialise in a particular area of work. Chenoweth & McAuliffe (2015, Ch 6)
provide a few ways to categorise the practice fields, and then use and expand upon the
following categorisation:
The health sector
Mental health
Child protection and juvenile justice
The disability field
Week 5: Working in the community services sector
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
Working with older adults
Rural and remote practice
Income security and employment services
Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs
Youth work
Responding to disasters
This is not a comprehensive list (for example, community development, work with people
from culturally diverse backgrounds, housing and the homeless, domestic violence,
correctional services, and other fields are not included); however it does provide an indication
of the diversity of the fields of practice in community or human services.
To work in any of these areas the community worker requires specialist skills and training.
Chenoweth & McAuliffe (2015) enumerate some of the specialist skills for each of the listed
fields of practice in their text. However, all community workers also require generalist
practice knowledge and skills. For example, a youth worker is likely to need specialist
training in order to work effectively with young people. However, teenagers and youth are
embedded in all sorts of social contexts, so the worker needs at least basic skills in working
within those contexts as well. For instance, the youth worker may need to liaise with families,
school communities, community groups, other services, and with government agencies. In
other words, apart from their specialist training, the community youth worker also draws on
and employs generalist practice skills and knowledge to support the young people within four
social domains: individuals, families, groups and communities. Chenoweth & McAuliffe
(2015, pp. 21–24) list four other domains of practice: social policy, research, management
and education/training. Generalist practice is informed by knowledge, skills and wisdom to
practice in all of these domains, with the first four being more prominent. It is important to
note that even though it is possible to look at these areas separately, as we do further on in
this course, in practice they are interdependent.
Week 5: Working in the community services sector
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
Much of the body of generalist knowledge upon which the community worker draws is
informed by a range of social sciences, including sociology, psychology, anthropology,
political science and economics. These provide conceptual and theoretical explanations of
how social groups function, the role of culture in shaping values and norms, individual
behaviour, social institutions, social power, ideology, ideas of justice, citizenship and rights,
and so on. This knowledge base also informs the theories used in human services. Lastly,
community service workers draw on a framework of professional ethics to inform their
practice. In human services, the use of self is integral to how a worker practices. Professional
ethical standards balance personal values and inform action in respect to ethical issues which
arise in the course of one’s work.
Practice frameworks
To summarise, for a community service worker a practice framework refers to the values,
knowledge and skills on which he or she draws to work effectively and professionally with
her or his clients. This framework includes:
Professional values – e.g., social justice and human rights, dignity, individual worth
(normally expressed within a professional Code of Ethics),
Personal perspectives – e.g., values respect, religious beliefs, tolerance,
Knowledge of how social structures are formed and maintained, and of individual
behaviour – e.g., understands and uses conceptual frameworks (theories) to explain
and work effectively within social structures (such as culture, political and legal
structures, class, gender, inequality); understands and uses theories of the human lifecycle and behaviour (such as when it is relevant to child development, deviance,
domestic violence, [un]employment),
Skills for working with individuals, groups and communities – e.g., communication and
counselling micro-skills, assessment of needs, evaluation of service delivery, research
of social issues and needs.
Cultural competence – this means knowledge and skills to work with individuals, groups
and communities from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Week 5: Working in the community services sector
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
Capacity to reflect effectively on one’s own practice. This is referred to as reflexive
practice, which is the capacity to self-assess with a degree of objectivity what one
does in their practice.
Advocacy skills. This refers to knowledge and skills in how to represent and speak for
individuals and communities, how to network effectively, and how to practice
community development principles so that clients are empowered.
Skills for working within organisational/institutional and legal/statutory contexts – e.g.,
policy making and analysis, writing reports for courts, making assessments for
statutory protection (such as in child protection or family violence).
A professional practice framework is, therefore, a ‘toolbox’ of knowledge and skills which
the worker uses in their work with clients. And just like with any toolbox, existing tools are
checked and serviced and new tools are added as required by the work for which it is used.
Workers need to constantly engage and update themselves with knowledge and skills for
practice as appropriate to the contexts they work in (Kennedy and Richards 2007, p.36). This
includes a capacity to acquire new skills and knowledge as the worker moves between
different areas of practice – this is just as important as any of the other skills or knowledge
the worker might employ in their practice (Braye and Preston-Shoot, 2006). For instance,
when a worker begins practice in the field of domestic violence for the first time, they would
need to update themselves and train wherever necessary to acquire the knowledge and skills
to work within a statutory system. Unless a worker understands well the legal rights of, and
recourses available to, a victim of domestic violence, the relevant jurisdictional system, and
their legal obligations as a worker in this area of practice, she or he would be unable to work
effectively with the client, regardless of their other skills and knowledge.
Reading 5.1
Access the following reading via the learning portal.
Harms, L. (2007). Working with people: Communication skills for reflective practice. Sth
Melbourne: Oxford University Press. (pp. 11-25).
Practice values
Week 5: Working in the community services sector
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
Another perspective on practice models is the values base held by professional community
workers. After reading the extract from Harms (2007), you should have the capacity to
explain the following five practice values:
respecting the human person
promoting social justice
right to self-determination
empowerment and autonomy
being authentic
Practice approaches
Community workers share particular theoretical and conceptual approaches which shape and
inform their practice. Most workers prefer specific approaches, and can be quite critical of
others. Regardless of the approach(es) used, however, it is important to understand the
principles and logic behind each of the main approaches used in human/community services
because workers often work in teams, where workers may use different approaches, or
collaborate with workers from other agencies (as in community care case management) who
are likely to use different approaches. The main approaches draw on various theories of
social and individual behaviour. Some examples include,
System and ecological perspectives. These tend to have a holistic approach, which focus
on the social environment of the individuals and groups they work with.
Cognitive approaches. This draws from psychological theories of individual behaviour,
focusing on learning patterns and methods of conditioning and re-enforcing positive
behaviour in individuals.
Radical approaches. These focus on wider societal structures, such as gender, class and
race and attempt to change them wherever they build oppressive and unjust systems.
Radical feminism is an example of a radical approach.
Humanist existential approaches. These are person-centred approaches which highlight
the ability of individuals and groups to control their own lives, and focus on
facilitating processes which lead to self-determination.
Week 5: Working in the community services sector
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
Psychodynamic work. This is a psychological approach, which helps individuals deal
with mental health and emotional issues.
Strengths perspectives. These approaches focus on people’s capacities (strengths) and
build and develop these by linking to appropriate resources.
Chenoweth & McAuliffe (2015, pp. 149–154)
Reading 5.2
Access the following reading online.
Hunter, E., Onnis, L-A., Santhanam-Martin, R., Skalicky, J., Gynther, B. & Dyer, G. (2013).
Beasts of burden or organised cooperation: the story of a mental health team in remote,
Indigenous Australia. Australasian Psychiatry, 21: 572 (available at:
http://apy.sagepub.com/content/21/6/572)
This article outlines the experiences of a team of community workers in Indigenous remote
mental health practice. The authors outline some of the skills used in their practices, which
include both general practice and specialist community service skills. This is also background
reading for Activity 6.1.
Activity 5.1
Please refer to the Learning Portal for this activity.
Textbook reading
McDonald, C., Craik, C., Hawkins, L. & Williams, J. (2011). Professional practice in human
service organisations. Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin. (pp.135-139).
This section, ‘Working with interpreters’, in McDonald et al (2011) provides an example of
specific knowledge and skills in community work. This is also background reading for
Activity 6.2.
Week 5: Working in the community services sector
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
Activity 5.2
Please refer to the Learning Portal for this activity.
References
Australian Community Workers Association (ACWA) (2014). Who is a community worker?
(accessed 21-02-2014) http://www.acwa.org.au/membership/who-is-a-community-worker
Braye, S. & Preston-Shoot, M. (2006). The role of law in welfare reform: critical perspectives
on the relationship between law and social work practice”. International Journal of Social
Welfare, 15:19-26.
Chenoweth, L. & McAuliffe, D. (2015). The road to social work & human service practice
(4th ed.). Melbourne: Cengage Learning.
Harms, L. (2007). Working with people: Communication skills for reflective practice. Sth
Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
Kennedy, R, & Richards, J. (2007). Integrating human service law & practice (2nd ed.). Sth
Melbourne : Oxford University Press.
McDonald, C., Craik, C., Hawkins, L. & Williams, J. (2011). Professional practice in human
service organisations. Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin.
Activity 5.3
Please refer to the Learning Portal for this activity.
Week 5: Working in the community services sector
WEL101A
Introduction to community services
Activity 5.4
Please refer to the Learning Portal for this activity.
Extension readings and resources
Paper by Audrey Matthews (2008) ‘Developing a practice framework’, published in the
online journal of the Australian Community Workers Association, Practice Refelexions:
http://www.acwa.org.au/resources/Practice%20Reflexions%20Volume%203/Research%20Pu
blication-23.pdf
The Practice Standards of the Australian Association of Social Workers (2013)
http://www.aasw.asn.au/document/item/4551
The Australian Community Workers Association’s Core competencies of a community work
practitioner http://www.acwa.org.au/about/core-competencies
An example from a government organisation of what is expected of workers in terms of their
professional practice framework: Integrating and understanding the practice framework
(Queensland Government 2013) http://www.communities.qld.gov.au/childsafety/child-safetypractice-manual/practice-framework-and-maps/integrating-and-understanding-the-practiceframework
Now that you have comple…
