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HE Unit Template
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Social Policy: Development and Impact
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BSWUG3005 - Social Policy: Development and Impact
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20250100
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2.2
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2026-09-10
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2026-09-10
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Social Work, Community & Human Services
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Institute of Education, Arts & Community
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Social Work, Community & Human Services
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15
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.125
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090501
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Social Work
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090501 - Social Work
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<a href="http://www.federation.edu.au/locate/unit/bswug3005">View unit fees</a>
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Graded (e.g. HD, D, C, etc)
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<p>In a society marked by increasingly inequitable distribution of resources, social workers require skills and knowledge to interpret, critique, and shape social policy. This course provides students with foundational knowledge about how social policy influences the lives of individuals, families, communities, and how social workers and the social work profession are influenced by, and can influence, social policy. Specifically, the course focuses on competing definitions of social policy, social welfare, the role of political ideologies and values in shaping policy development, implementation and evaluation. This course introduces students to the ‘social construction of problems’ that influence the development, implementation of social policy using Carol Bacchi’s critical social policy framework. The course will introduce students to social policy in action and apply theoretical frameworks of social policy to an area of social work practice, such as disability policy, housing and homelessness, family violence and poverty and welfare policy. Students will be required to develop skills to analyse discourses that underpin social policies, identify the political and ethical implications and advocate in macro settings.</p>
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<p class="ql-align-justify"><strong >The Social Construction of Social Problems</strong></p>
<ul>
<li class="ql-align-justify">Key theoretical constructs underpinning social policy</li>
<li class="ql-align-justify">The role of political ideologies and values in shaping social policy development</li>
<li class="ql-align-justify">How social policy influences the lives of individuals, families, communities, and how social workers and the social work profession are influenced by, and can influence, social policy.</li>
</ul>
<p class="ql-align-justify"><br></p>
<p class="ql-align-justify"><strong >Key Theoretical Constructs Underpinning Social Policy</strong></p>
<ul>
<li class="ql-align-justify">Historical and Contemporary debates about the “welfare state”</li>
<li class="ql-align-justify">Political Ideologies and the welfare state</li>
<li class="ql-align-justify">Neo-liberalism and the post-welfare state.</li>
</ul>
<p class="ql-align-justify"><br></p>
<p class="ql-align-justify"><strong >Social Policy in Action: Macro Skills in Social Work Practice</strong></p>
<ul>
<li class="ql-align-justify">Social advocacy and social policy reform with focus on royal commission case studies, including the Royal Commission into Victoria’s mental health system, the Royal Commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody, the Royal Commission into family violence and Royal Commission into aged care.</li>
</ul>
<p><br></p>
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<p>Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment.</p>
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2027
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2026
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BSWUG3005 - Social Policy: Development and Impact
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BSWUG3005 - Social Policy: Development and Impact
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Semester
Semester 1
Semester 2
Summer Semester
Year
2027
2026
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Overview
Key information
Requisites
Learning outcomes
Assessment
FedTASK
Parent Region
Overview
Unit description
<p>In a society marked by increasingly inequitable distribution of resources, social workers require skills and knowledge to interpret, critique, and shape social policy. This course provides students with foundational knowledge about how social policy influences the lives of individuals, families, communities, and how social workers and the social work profession are influenced by, and can influence, social policy. Specifically, the course focuses on competing definitions of social policy, social welfare, the role of political ideologies and values in shaping policy development, implementation and evaluation. This course introduces students to the ‘social construction of problems’ that influence the development, implementation of social policy using Carol Bacchi’s critical social policy framework. The course will introduce students to social policy in action and apply theoretical frameworks of social policy to an area of social work practice, such as disability policy, housing and homelessness, family violence and poverty and welfare policy. Students will be required to develop skills to analyse discourses that underpin social policies, identify the political and ethical implications and advocate in macro settings.</p>
Unit content
<p class="ql-align-justify"><strong >The Social Construction of Social Problems</strong></p> <ul> <li class="ql-align-justify">Key theoretical constructs underpinning social policy</li> <li class="ql-align-justify">The role of political ideologies and values in shaping social policy development</li> <li class="ql-align-justify">How social policy influences the lives of individuals, families, communities, and how social workers and the social work profession are influenced by, and can influence, social policy.</li> </ul> <p class="ql-align-justify"><br></p> <p class="ql-align-justify"><strong >Key Theoretical Constructs Underpinning Social Policy</strong></p> <ul> <li class="ql-align-justify">Historical and Contemporary debates about the “welfare state”</li> <li class="ql-align-justify">Political Ideologies and the welfare state</li> <li class="ql-align-justify">Neo-liberalism and the post-welfare state.</li> </ul> <p class="ql-align-justify"><br></p> <p class="ql-align-justify"><strong >Social Policy in Action: Macro Skills in Social Work Practice</strong></p> <ul> <li class="ql-align-justify">Social advocacy and social policy reform with focus on royal commission case studies, including the Royal Commission into Victoria’s mental health system, the Royal Commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody, the Royal Commission into family violence and Royal Commission into aged care.</li> </ul> <p><br></p>
Key information
Institute / school:
Institute of Education, Arts & Community
Discipline:
Social Work, Community & Human Services
Credit points:
15
EFTSL:
0.125
Field of education:
090501 - Social Work
Offering:
<p><strong>Spring Semester</strong><p>Ballarat - Mt Helen (On Campus)</p><p>Berwick (On Campus)</p><p>Gippsland - Churchill (On Campus)</p></p> <p><strong>Winter Semester</strong><p>Ballarat - Mt Helen (On Campus)</p><p>Berwick (On Campus)</p></p>
Grade scheme:
Graded (e.g. HD, D, C, etc)
Placement component:
No
Fee information:
<a href="http://www.federation.edu.au/locate/unit/bswug3005">View unit fees</a>
Requisites
Prerequisite
None
Corequisite
None
Exclusion
None
Learning outcomes
Learning outcomes
<p>On successful completion of this unit, students are expected to gain the following [K]nowledge, [S]kills and [A]pplication of knowledge & skills</p>
Learning Outcomes
Ref
Outcome
K1
<p>Identify and analyse competing definitions and explanations of social policy, social welfare, and “the welfare state”;</p>
K2
<p>Examine how ‘social construction of problems’ is shaped by social norms and values and this impact on different fields of social work practice;</p>
K3
<p>Evaluate theoretical frameworks of social policy analysis and policy making processes;</p>
K4
<p>Apply theoretical frameworks of social policy analysis to a particular area of social work practice, including mental health policy, social and economic inequities related to First Nations People and Communities, family violence, aged care and;</p>
K5
<p>Apply relevant theoretical frameworks of social policy analysis to advocate for social policy reform in diverse practice settings.</p>
S1
<p>Identify definitions, critiques, and criticisms of “the welfare state” and how these influence social policies shaping contemporary social work practice;</p>
S2
<p>Analyse how values, social norms and political ideologies shape ‘social problems’ and impact on social work practice;</p>
S3
<p>Determine the impacts the policy process has at the community, organisational, worker and service user levels;</p>
S4
<p>Develop skills to advocate for social policy reform in diverse practice settings and;</p>
S5
<p>Interpret social policy in relation to core social work values.</p>
A1
<p>Interpret social policy in relation to core social work values.</p>
A2
<p>Analyse the social construction of social problems;</p>
A3
<p>Understand the role of political ideologies and values in shaping social policy development;</p>
A4
<p>Apply relevant theoretical frameworks of social policy analysis to a particular area of social work practice and;</p>
A5
<p>Articulate the link between social work’s core values and social policy.</p>
Assessment
Learning Tasks and Assessment
Ref
Learning task
Assessment type
Weighting
Learning outcomes assessed
1
<p>Learning exercises will explore key concepts covered in the course using a range of written and/or oral activities.</p>
<p>Learning Portfolio</p>
<p>15%-30%</p>
K1, K2, K3, S2, A2, A3
2
<p>Analyse key theoretical constructs which underpin social policy development in the context of social work practice.</p>
<p>Essay</p>
<p>25%-40%</p>
K1, K2, K3, K4, S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, A1, A4
3
<p>Choose a contemporary social policy area important to social work practice and develop a policy brief to advocate for change.</p>
<p>Policy Brief</p>
<p>40%-50%</p>
K5, S3, S4, S5, A1, A2, A4, A5
Supplementary assessment available:
Yes
Supplementary assessment information:
<p>Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment.</p>
FedTASK
FedTASK
Description of FedTASK outcome
Level
FedTASK 1: Interpersonal
The ability to effectively communicate, interact and work with others both individually and in groups.
<p>Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context</p>
FedTASK 2: Leadership
The ability to apply professional skills and behaviours in leading others.
<p>Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context</p>
FedTASK 3: Critical Thinking and Creativity
The ability to work in complexity and ambiguity using imagination to create new ideas.
<p>Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context</p>
FedTASK 4: Digital Literacy
The ability to work fluently across a range of tools and applications to achieve a range of skills.
<p>Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context</p>
FedTASK 5: Sustainable and Ethical Mindset
The ability to consider and assess the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting ethical and sustainable decisions.
<p>Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context</p>
FedTASK
<p>Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FedTASKs (<strong>T</strong>ransferable <strong>A</strong>ttributes <strong>S</strong>kills and <strong>K</strong>nowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key, transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and co-operative learning opportunities.</p>
Key information
Institute / school:
Institute of Education, Arts & Community
Discipline:
Social Work, Community & Human Services
Credit points:
15
EFTSL:
0.125
Field of education:
090501 - Social Work
Offering:
<p><strong>Spring Semester</strong><p>Ballarat - Mt Helen (On Campus)</p><p>Berwick (On Campus)</p><p>Gippsland - Churchill (On Campus)</p></p> <p><strong>Winter Semester</strong><p>Ballarat - Mt Helen (On Campus)</p><p>Berwick (On Campus)</p></p>
Grade scheme:
Graded (e.g. HD, D, C, etc)
Placement component:
No
Fee information:
<a href="http://www.federation.edu.au/locate/unit/bswug3005">View unit fees</a>
Additional information
Add Info Static Text
Internal reference: BSWUG3005 - U2.2