SWM5006 Assessment and Intervention: Working with groups and communities
Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
SWM5006 Assessment and Intervention: Working with groups and communities is a level 5, 6-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, offered in 2026 in Semester 1 and Semester 2 at Caulfield. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 1, Semester 2
- Caulfield
- Assessment
- No exam
- 3 tasks
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before SWM5006
Prohibitions
You can't enrol if you have passed any of these.
After SWM5006
No unit lists SWM5006 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
Must be enrolled in the Master of Social Work M6012 course version 4.
Equivalent units
The same content under another code. Only one of them counts.
Overview
This unit extends your knowledge and understanding of social work assessment and intervention principles developed in the first year of your studies. The unit will provide you with a structured introduction to social work practice with groups and communities, including differences when working with other cultural groups.
You will learn how theory informs effective group and community focussed social work practice. The unit will explore social therapeutic, psychosocial educational group work and community level assessments and interventions.
Throughout the unit you will be provided with the opportunity to develop and practice group facilitation skills and to demonstrate critical thinking regarding the policy and political context of group and community work.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester (extended) | Caulfield | On campus |
| First semester (extended) | Caulfield | Blended |
| Second semester (extended) | Caulfield | On campus |
Assessment
- Group program proposal (3,000 words)Written50%
- Community development proposalPresentation50%
- Case study with reflection - Advocates II (Pass/Fail)WrittenCompetency hurdle-
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Articulate major concepts and theories informing group and community work in social work practice
- 2
Differentiate between treatment and task-based group work, community development interventions and the implications for social work practice.
- 3
Appraise common group work and community development social work practice challenges in the broader structural and cultural systems found in the contemporary Australian context, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations and adapt practices accordingly.
- 4
Critically evaluate your role within group settings and community development.
- 5
Identify and discuss community development principles and contemporary theories and plan a community development intervention.
- 6
Evaluate the impacts of current policy and political context on group and community work.
Workload and teaching
- Tutorials24 hours
- Lectures24 hours
- Workshops12 hours
6 hours of teacher directed study per week, including a 2 hour lecture and 2 hour tutorial; remaining hours involve directed readings and class preparation, along with guided reflection and consolidation activities. 6 hours per week of self-directed study.
Off-campus students: 2 days of on campus workshops, to be advised at the start of semester.
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Marcelo Maghidman
- Unit Coordinators
- Siobhan Hardiman
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for SWM5006?
SWM5006 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is SWM5006 offered?
In 2026, SWM5006 runs in Semester 1 and Semester 2 at Caulfield.
Does SWM5006 have an exam?
No. SWM5006 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.