THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF

WELFARE AND COMMUNITY WORKERS INC.

THE ASSOCIATION FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE PROFESSIONALS

Vic. Reg. A0036440S                                                          ABN 28 696 828 620

 

COURSE AND CAMPUS APPROVAL – DETAILED GUIDELINES

 

1.           Basic Requirements and Application Procedure

 

(1)  The minimum qualification is an AQF Diploma studied over a minimum of four (4) semesters over two (2) years of full time study (or part-time equivalent).  Certificate courses cannot be approved because the level of study does not conform to AIWCW and AEI-NOOSR standards.  Bachelor degree courses at universities may be approved on the basis of the range of delivery options.

 

(2)  Content must cover: society (including individual & family roles), community, social and political structure and function; individual human structure and function, including psychological, physical and social aspects; general and specialised welfare services and welfare systems; and welfare work with individuals, groups and communities.

 

(3)  Fieldwork supervised by a suitable professional person in at least two separate field settings of at least 140 hours, and totalling at least 400 hours. See additional document “AIWCW Requirements for Field Education 2005”.

 

(4)  Applications are initially assessed by the Membership Coordinator. For routine applications from long established courses where the appropriate declarations have been signed by the course leader and head of division or campus, and where the minimum required documentation has been supplied, the Membership Coordinator may recommend to the MAP Chairperson and to at least one other MAP member that AIWCW Approval be granted, enclosing basic details of the application, including the information in 2. (9). After ratification, the Membership Coordinator will issue the Approval documents.

 

(5)  Where complex or doubtful circumstances warrant more elaborate assessment, or for a substantially new course or campus, the application will be referred to an appropriate Membership Assessment Panel (MAP) member, and the Chairperson of the MAP notified. The Chairperson may ratify this appointment as Course Assessor, and may appoint additional members to a Course Assessment Panel.

 

(6)  For a substantially new course; where there is no pre-existing course similar to the applicant course (e.g. community development, youth work, rehabilitation, social work), or where no educational infrastructure has been in place for at least 2 years (i.e. the institution has only recently begun offering courses at this level), then the Course Assessor may determine:

a)     that AIWCW Approval cannot be granted until the course has been operating for at least 6 months, and

b)     that a Campus Visit will be required. See separate document: AIWCW Campus Visit Guidelines.

 

(7)  For a substantially new course (as described in (6), and particularly those targeting international students), there are additional requirements, set out in the separate document AIWCW Approval for New Courses. Ideally, there should be consultations with AIWCW at least 6 months before such a new course commences enrolments.

 

(8)  Formal Approval is for a three year period, with provision for interim additional audits (see Section 7. below).

 

(9)  The MAP may recommend Provisional Approval for a specified period of time, pending more information or correction of minor deficiencies. In this case, the Approval Certificate is not issued, but “Provisional Approval” status may be advertised.

 

2.        Teaching Staff

     

(1)    Teaching staff must have sufficient education and professional experience for the subjects in which they teach. Those teaching the professional and practice subjects should ideally have welfare work or social work qualifications.

 

When this does not apply, if staff are teaching in work with individuals, they must at least have appropriate and substantial academic specialisations or specific qualifications, together with appropriate experience, in clinical psychology or counselling, etc. Similarly, staff teaching in group work, community work/community

 

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development, social policy and administration, and research, must each have the corresponding academic

specialisations, or qualifications and appropriate experience, if they are not qualified welfare or social workers.  Such specialised teaching staff need not be eligible for AIWCW membership.

 

(2.) The field education coordinator should be eligible for membership of AIWCW, preferably via Pathway A, and have at least 2 years of professional experience. For courses with more than 100 students [effective full-time), a separate field education coordinator should be nominated at 0.5 or above, whose duties may overlap with some teaching, but not with course coordination. Only with student numbers less than 20 can the course coordinator also coordinate field education.

 

(3)  Any teaching staff must have at least two years full time work experience (or part-time equivalent) following

completion of any welfare/social work course. It is not appropriate to have an inexperienced new graduate teaching in a welfare work course.

 

(4)  Staff teaching introductory psychology or sociology should have at least a bachelor degree with a major

      in psychology or sociology, respectively. They need not have welfare/social work qualifications, but this is desirable.

 

(5)  The course coordinator or lead teacher should be eligible for AIWCW membership, even if not teaching practice subjects. If this does not apply to the formal course leader (who may for administrative reasons be the head of the relevant department), a professionally qualified staff member should be nominated (and appropriately paid) to coordinate the course.

 

(6)  Field education supervisors should have education and experience relevant to the field education, so that a community development placement can be supervised by someone with community development qualifications, and a counselling placement can be supervised by a clinical psychologist (for example).

 

 (7)  Opportunities should be available for staff development and staff involvement in community work, and in course development and management.  Availability of staff study leave, and for consultations and committee work in the community should be evident if requested.

 

(8)  There should be adequate representation of the course on all relevant committees within the educational institution. The head of the program or department or their representative should be members of relevant advisory or decision-making bodies. There should be provision for contributions from all teaching staff.

 

(9)  A list of current staff, their qualifications and experience, and the subjects/modules they teach must be supplied with the Basic Campus Approval Application. Qualifications details should include its title, the name and location of the educational institution, and year of completion. Experience details should include broad outlines of positions held, not merely a `years of experience’ statement. Modified curricula vitae are preferable, and will remain confidential.

 

(10) A minimum of 1.5 contracted (not casual) staff be employed at each campus, dedicated to teaching in the welfare/community studies course; and if effective full-time student numbers (EFTS) exceed 30, 2 FT staff be employed; for 45 EFTS, 2.5 staff; 60 EFTS, 3 staff, etc.  For a new course with less than 20 students, less than the 1.5 staff requirement is satisfactory, but for the first semester only.

 

(11) Sufficient support staff are employed or readily available for administrative, clerical and financial aspects of the course, and for counselling of students and staff.

 

(12)        Any significant changes in staffing, even after Approval is granted, must be notified to AIWCW, and approval of suitability obtained. For courses with more than 100 students (EFTS), a statement should be supplied to AIWCW twice per year, by 1st May and 1st October, containing the details in Par. 2. (9) above, and specifying who holds the positions of Course Coordinator and Field Education Coordinator. For courses with more than 40 students (EFTS), these details should be supplied by 1st May each year.

 

(13)        Teaching staff, students, administrative and clerical staff, and owners and directors of colleges are each part of the college community, in which exploitation or oppression (bullying) should not be tolerated. In addition to any formal grievance procedure usually available to individuals, opportunities should be available for advice-seeking, collaboration or cooperation between and among any of the stake-holders (and including appropriate external parties such as AIWCW) to resolve any apparently widespread grievances or disputes involving unfair or exploitative practices or harassment.

 

 

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3.              Resources

 

(1)      A statement of expenditure on library acquisitions should be supplied. Initial expenditure to start the course should exceed $10,000 (discounted up to 50% for those resources already available and/or shared with other courses). There should be an additional initial expenditure of $2000 for each additional 15 equivalent full time students beyond the first 15, and annual expenditure after the first year should include $2000 for each 15 equivalent full time students, up to a maximum of $12,000 p.a.. On-line material may be substituted for hard-copy where appropriate, but should not affect the above expenditure.

 

(2)   Adequate audio-visual and computer facilities should be available, including adequate set times for the exclusive use of students in the course.

 

(3)       Physical and transport facilities should be adequate, including size and availability of classrooms, provision for heating and cooling, availability of public transport and/or car parking, and personal security of staff and students.

 

(4)   An adequate written introduction and overview or handbook for the course should be available to students; and for a substantially new course, should accompany the application for Approval, along with any promotional material about the course.

 

4.      The AIWCW Code of Ethics should be adhered to in all aspects of the course operation.

 

 

5.      Course Review Provisions

 

(1)     Course Review Provisions must be readily available to students and staff, in an accessible place on campus, and available in leaflet, course brochure, or handout format, and on any available Internet website.

 

(2)      Any complaints about the course, including but not limited to lack of conformity to AIWCW Requirements, the AIWCW Code of Ethics, and these guidelines, may be made using the Course Review Provisions. Complaints may be made by any student in the course (preferably a group of students), staff member, AIWCW member, welfare agency, educational institution or education coordinating body.

 

(3)     Initial informal enquiries or complaints from any of the above may be made to the AIWCW National Office, or a formal complaint made regarding the course as a whole, aspects of it, the way it is taught, the lack of resources, etc.

 

(4)          Complaints from individual students about individual teachers are normally not accepted, and it is suggested the student first take these to the course coordinator. Only if the student reports no satisfaction, and has the support of at least 2 other students, will further action by AIWCW be considered.

 

(5)      The AIWCW National Membership Coordinator may hold initial informal discussion with the course staff regarding a complaint, or refer it to a Membership Assessment Panel member, via the MAP Chairperson.

 

(6)      If these cannot resolve the issues, the original complainant(s) are asked to put the complaint in writing, and include any documentary evidence and references to witnesses or other support for the complaint, as well as steps already taken by the complainant (or others) to resolve the issues.

 

(7)    The Membership Coordinator or MAP member may decline to accept the formal complaint, giving reasons; in which case the complainant(s) may appeal to the MAP, via the MAP Coordinator.

 

(8)     If the formal complaint is initially accepted, it is referred via the MAP Chairperson to a Course Review Panel (CRP) of at least 3 Panel Members, with at least two MAP members and at least one person currently teaching in a similar welfare course (e.g. TAFE or university). It is suggested that a Field Education supervisor also join the Panel, if available.

 

(9)    The CRP Chairperson will communicate formally (by letter or email) with the course coordinator (and any other relevant individual, including the complainants) setting out the details of the complaint (edited if appropriate), and invite a response, including any documentary evidence.

 

(10)The CRP may call for further clarification or evidence from any of the parties, or seek expert external advice, before arriving at draft recommendations (using 5 (12) as a guide), which should be communicated to the relevant parties, with further opportunity to respond.

 

 

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(11)      Final recommendations are then circulated to the AIWCW National Executive, and discussed via email or teleconference, if appropriate, before a decision is made.

 

(12)  The AIWCW National Executive may decide one or more of the following:

a)          the complaint is unwarranted and no action should be taken

b)         there is insufficient information or that the circumstances and relative contributions to the situation are so complex that no action can be taken

c)          that a formal censure be issued to one or more of the parties involved

d)         that (i) suggestions, (ii) recommendations, or (iii) requirements be issued to overcome the complaint situation

e)          that actions to remedy the situation be required within a stated time period and that if compliance with AIWCW requirements is not forthcoming (within a specified time) AIWCW Campus Approval be Suspended or Withdrawn.

f)          That Campus Approval be Suspended or Withdrawn because the overall conduct of the course is unsatisfactory.

 

(13)  The Withdrawal of Campus Approval requires a completely new application for Campus Approval, after a delay of at least 12 months.

 

(14)  Suspension of Campus Approval requires evidence to the Campus Review Panel that deficiencies have been rectified, upon which Approval may be renewed, following endorsement by the National Executive.

 

(15)  The decision of the National Executive may be appealed using the External Appeal mechanism applying to Membership applications. However, a fee of $300 will apply, together with any expenses incurred by the External Appeal Panel.

 

(16)  Any substantial changes to the course during the three years following AIWCW Approval must be notified to AIWCW.

 

6.      (1) Students should be selected not solely on secondary school performance and special consideration should be given to mature age applicants. Where possible, interviews are used in selection. Students should demonstrate prior interest/involvement in welfare work.

 

(2) Students should be fully informed of all requirements and have the opportunity to contribute to course development and management.

 

(3)  Approval of Recognition of Prior Learning should be scrutinised and attested as appropriate, by an independent person, not directly involved with the student applicant. Educational institutions are encouraged to set up reciprocal arrangements with each other so that applications for RPL are routinely examined externally.

 

7.       Renewal of Approval

 

(1)  An ongoing master list of AIWCW Course and Campus Approvals be maintained at the National Office, and renewal dates diarised

 

(2)  Prior to the expiration of the second year following formal AIWCW Approval,  the Course Leader be asked to supply within 28 days,  up-to-date staffing details, and details of any substantial changes to the course contents or conduct, in a formal document signed by the course leader and the head of division or campus.

 

(3)  Prior to the expiration of the third year following formal AIWCW Approval, a formal Renewal process be invited using the same guidelines which apply to new applications for Approval, including the use of a Campus Visit if necessary. The relevant AIWCW Branch be notified and invited to provide comment or objections.

 

 

Further enquiries about this document and a full set of application materials is available from the

AIWCW National Office

PO Box 42, FLINDERS LANE VIC 8009     Tel: 03 9654 8287     Email:   info@aiwcw.org.au                    

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                CRSE.03 Ver Jul09