SAP103: Introduction to Welfare Law-
Assignment Task
UNIT LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the completion of this unit, a student should be able to:
LO1 Describe the fundamental principles of welfare law.
LO2 Analyse knowledge of the relationship between welfare law, ethics and human practice..
LO3 Demonstrate an understanding on the nature of professional practice, including codes of ethics, standards and responsibilities, in the community services sector.
LO4 Demonstrate an understanding on the connections between legal processes and ethical considerations.
LO5 Apply knowledge of how welfare law protects: children, adults who experience domestic violence, separating families, people with a disability, the elderly, cultural minorities, Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander communities.
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Study notes:
The fundamental principles of welfare law are:
Protection: Welfare law is intended to protect vulnerable individuals and groups from harm or exploitation. This includes protecting children from abuse and neglect, adults who experience domestic violence from further harm, separating families from conflict, people with disabilities from discrimination, the elderly from abuse and neglect, cultural minorities from discrimination, and Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander communities from discrimination.
Access to services: Welfare law also ensures that individuals and groups have access to necessary services and support. This includes access to healthcare, education, social services, and other support systems.
Equal treatment: Welfare law ensures that individuals and groups are treated fairly and with respect, regardless of their background, race, ethnicity, gender, age, or other characteristics.
Empowerment: Welfare law seeks to empower individuals and groups to make decisions about their own lives and to advocate for their own needs and rights.
The relationship between welfare law, ethics, and human practice is complex. Ethical considerations often play a significant role in the development and implementation of welfare laws, as these laws are intended to protect and promote the well-being of individuals and groups. At the same time, the application of welfare laws can raise ethical questions, such as how to balance the rights and needs of different individuals and groups, or how to strike a balance between individual autonomy and the need for protective measures.
In the community services sector, professional practice is guided by codes of ethics and standards that set out the responsibilities of professionals and the values that should guide their practice. These codes and standards often reflect the fundamental principles of welfare law and seek to promote
Assessment 1: Take home exam
The goal of this take home written assessment is to test your understanding of some fundamental concepts and terms used in welfare law, and to test your capacity to apply these concepts to practical scenarios involving clients.
Assessment 2: Practical Report
You are playing the role of a community service worker supporting an elderly mother in her 80s who is seeking an order to protect herself from family violence perpetrated by her adult son. Her adult son lives at home with your client and is also her career. You are required to investigate your local court and associated family violence support services and submit a written Support Plan for your client (i.e., the mother).
Based on your individual research, your written Support Plan must include the following:
(a) The location and role of the local court in the context of seeking a family violence protection order; (b) A summary of the legal process as it relates to protecting the elderly mother from family violence by order of the court;
(c) An overview of the local support services available in connection with the court and external to the court that would Help your client;
(d) An explanation of how you (as the community service worker) would prepare if you received a subpoena to both submit your file notes, and attend court as a witness in this case;
(e) Identify and discuss two ethical issues that could arise for you in your role as a community service professional Helping the mother in this matter. Include a description of how you would respond to the ethical issues that you have identified.
Word Count: 1500-1700 words
The assessment will require you to research and review the welfare law and its application in practice for one of the following vulnerable client groups:
• Mental health inpatients requiring protection of their human rights;
• Children requiring protection from parental abuse;
• People with a disability requiring protection from discrimination in the workplace;
• Elderly requiring protection from financial abuse.
Your essay must include the following:
• Analysis of the reasons why legal protection is needed;
• Overview of the relevant principles of welfare law;
• Critique of the current application of the law.
Your essay must be based on a review of the literature and should include at least 8 current peer-reviewed (scholarly) journal articles or book chapters. This is in addition to any textbook, websites or other references you use. You must use APA 7 Referencing.
