Assessment Item No. 3
Assessment name: Project (applied)
Description: Students will prepare a detailed evidence-based submission of 2000-2,500 words on behalf of the AASW to a Federal Senate Inquiry which has recently been established to investigate and identify strategies to address a specific Australian health issue. A list of health issues and subpopulations will be provided for individuals/groups to choose from but will be drawn from topics discussed in lectures, online tutorials, and via the Blackboard online discussions. (2000-2500 words).
Assessment Guidelines and Instructions SWN005
AASW Submission (Individual Report/Group work, 30% of total assessment)
Step ONE
You or your group must individually identify an Australian health topic. You can choose from the lecture topics covered in SWN005 or you might like to choose from the following list of topics. Choose only ONE topic:
- Hospitals and related health services
- Community health and primary health care
- Population health, health promotion, prevention and early intervention
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples’ health (health disparities ie. physical health or social and emotional well-being)
- Health and wellbeing of people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds or refugee backgrounds
- Mental health and wellbeing
- E-Health and information management
- Health workforce
- Aged care and health of older persons (including dementia)
- Clinical, technical and medico-legal matters
- Chronic diseases, including communicable and non-communicable diseases
- Rural health and access to health issues
- Alcohol and other drug use
Step TWO
Identify a selected group of clients that experience challenges or issues within your chosen health topic/health issue area eg children, young people, men, women, older people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, transgender persons, refugee communities, rural communities etc.
Step THREE
Undertake a literature review of the identified health topic. Critically analyse and think about the literature you identify. Avoid using google or other simple searches to find literature. Use search engines available through the library. Make an appointment with a Library Advisor who can help you with using key words or terms and understanding how to search or which data bases to use. Grey literature (eg. quality rigorous reports published by government or non-government agencies) is also important but make sure it is quality grey literature. Don’t use fact sheets or low quality information sheets or webpages available on the internet.
Please read the references provided for this unit. You can use the unit texts or references cited but don’t over-rely on this. You should do a comprehensive literature review. You will have to draw upon the key messages within the literature when your write your submission. The submission must be evidence-based; meaning it is informed by and linked to the literature you have identified. You do not include the literature review in your AASW submission, you USE the evidence you have gathered in your literature review to write the submission.
It is important that you consider the micro (individual issues for clients), mezzo (agency and organisational issues) and macro (policy and national issues) perspectives of the identified health problem and its impact of the identified client group. You can decide how to best organise your submission. Often using headings is useful. In fact, headings are recommended! They aid with logic and flow of your submission. The submission is written as a report – report format typically include an introduction/background; body (with specific headings that help the reader follow the logic of your submission) and a conclusion.
Make sure you access quality and up to date literature – typically peer reviewed journals and texts you would access via the library. Google searches are inadequate. Grey literature is important but there should be a focus on contemporary peer reviewed literature. PLEASE use your librarian and resources available through the library website. Get organised early.
YOU DO NOT INCLUDE THIS LITERATURE REVIEW WITHIN YOUR SUBMISSION. You carefully read, appraise and analyse the literature. You then use the literature you found in your literature to inform the development of your submission. Carefully cite the literature, guided by QUT CiteWrite.
Step FOUR
Prepare an evidence-based written submission on behalf of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) to a federal ministerial taskforce which has recently been established to tackle your chosen problem. Write the submission using a report format. Check out QUT CiteWrite on hints as to how to write a report. You must write 2,000 words but will accept up to 2,500 words. Please write NO MORE than 2,500 words. If you are working as a group – then you must each submit this amount of words eg. 2,000-2,500 per person with a maximum of 4 students. You must also have four clear recommendations for change, regardless of whether you are undertaking the submission as an individual or a group.
HINTS
Each submission should be written in report format. Reports have an introduction, the body (typically with headings and subheadings), and a conclusion. The conclusion may make specific recommendations from the AASW. The use of headings is recommended. You should think about your submission as being an “argument for change” – this is the best approach but use the literature to persuade the reader – in this case, the reader is the Ministerial Taskforce.
Your submission should be written in Times Roman 12, use 1.5 line spacing and only USE APA referencing conventions. Within the submission, there needs to be clearly identifiable information that provides a synopsis of the relevant literature; issues from the micro, mezzo and macro perspectives; and key recommendations.
It is very important that you present your ideas with advocacy role in mind. This means your submission argues a position. Also keep in mind that your submission is from the AASW. You will be representing the interests of your client group as well as well as the professional standing of your social work discipline. Your approach to the presentation should reflect these responsibilities. Don’t forget your social work gaze – health literature can persuade you to be overly medicalised – keep your social work hat/lens on at all times.
Your understanding of your chosen health issue and your recommendations for improvement in policy and practice in this area should be reflect your research and be evidence-based, rather than focused on your opinions. It is OK to have opinions but back these up with the literature eg. this is an evidence-based approach to writing the submission. You need to judiciously reference and cite quality literature. This can include peer reviewed literature and grey literature.
You should also consider how improvements in your chosen health area could be achieved at the level of prevention, early intervention and treatment from a social work perspective. Carefully read and revise your work as there are marks allocated for written expression and clarity. Reading out loud often helps with identifying problems with internal logic and flow. DO refer to the Marking Criteria for detailed guidance. Questions should be discussed in tutorials and please use the Discussion Board. If you have further issues, you can contact the Course Coordinator.
PLEASE COPY THE MARKING CRITERIA INTO YOUR SUBMISSION. DO THIS IN LANDSCAPE FORMAT. If you do not know how to do this, contact the IT HelpDesk for advice. You should list on your cover sheet how many words are contained in your submission, excluding references. Your report should be provided in word format to enable online marking and return to you.
SWN005 Assignment No 2: AASW Submission (Individual/Group – cross out which does not apply – a group receives the same marks) Marking CriteriaCOMMENTS:MARKS: /30