Standards & Guidelines

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Standards & Guidelines

  • ICSWHMH_MREC

    • Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards

    The Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards (ASWEAS) set out the principles, standards and graduate attributes for social work education in Australia. The standards are used as the criteria for the accreditation of a professional social work course with the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW).

    The March 2020 ASWEAS can be accessed below.
     
    ASWEAS March 2020 associated templates and guidelines
     
    Review of the field education standards as part of the Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards (ASWEAS)

    Following the release of the ASWEAS March 2020, it was acknowledged that the Field Education Standards required further review. This review was being conducted with an expert advisory panel of key stakeholders throughout 2020 and facilitated by PhillipsKPA.

    The final draft of the Field Education Standards was approved by the AASW Standards & Assessment Committee and the AASW Board of Directors in April 2021.

    The main changes include:

    • The standards have been reduced from 14 sections to 8 core standards with 39 supporting standards.
    • The sequence of the 8 core standards prioritises the achievement of graduate learning outcomes for entry to the profession.
    • The number of requirements focused on processes, staff roles and documentation has been significantly reduced to minimise unnecessary restrictions on providers and to eliminate duplication of HESF and TEQSA requirements.
    • Some new standards have been introduced to reflect recent developments globally and current practice in other countries or in similar disciplines.
    • A set of standards on assessment has been reintroduced from the ASWEAS 2012 to focus on learning outcomes.
    • The wording of some standards has been edited to improve clarity.
    • The introductory statement includes an additional opening sentence to provide context.

    A copy of the updated Standards can be accessed here.

    Please contact here for more information

    Guidelines 1.1 to 1.6 of the standards provide information for universities about implementing the ASWEAS in their BSW and MSW (Q) programs
     
    In accordance with AASW policy, the principles, standards and policies presented in the ASWEAS will be reviewed every five years; that is, in 2025 or earlier, if contextual factors necessitate.