1. Submit your assignment here - A cover sheet is not necessary as submission to the assignment box assumes that you declare you are submitting your own work. Please submit a word document with your name in the header .

   Task Description

   The task is to write a 1000 word essay about the values and ideologies which underpin your chosen social policy. The actual content of this essay is dependant on the policy you choose -

   First Step: Choose which social policy you will discuss from the list in the subject outline - all policies are also in a folder in the Assessment section. This is the policy you will analyse throughout this subject - you will be expected to read widely about this area and the specific policy.

   Second Step: Ensure you have undertaken all the readings around values and ideology in policy.  

   Third Step: Now examine your chosen policy and identify and analyse the values and ideology  you can see embedded in the policy statements - you may be able to identify this from the language used, the voices that are heard and what the policy is silent on.  The criteria differentiates between public and professional values - where will you be able to see professional values on this topic??

   You might like to consult sources that may have analysed your policy - what do they say about the values and ideologies that underpin this area - consider the AASW and ACWA sites, the Australian Social Policy Association, The Australian Journal of Social Issues, other academic journals, ACOSS, The Australian Institute of Family Studies, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, and media outlets like the ABC, SBS and The Conversation. Make sure you check the particular values of your sources ( For example the Centre for Independent Studies is anything but).  

   This is a short essay but nonetheless you should follow an essay structure - a short introduction to your topic and your argument, followed by a series of paragraphs that each make a clear concise point about your argument and provide evidence from the literature to support your argument and, finally, a conclusion that summarises your points and makes an overall statement that you believe you have demonstrated.

   The word length is 1000 words without references and 10% over or under this exact number is acceptable. APA referencing style needs to be used - check and double check that you are accurate and consistent.

   Look at the marking criteria displayed in the subject outline - do you think you have demonstrated these attributes in your essay?

 DESCRIPTION 

The assessment allows you to demonstrate your understanding of the impact of values, ideology, and broad social debates on policy direction and decisions. This first assessment forms part one of the overall social policy analysis assessment. Selection of the policy should be one that you will carry through into the next assessment piece. 

Social policy documents for analysis (copies of each can be found under the assessment tab on LearnJCU):

  National Disability Insurance Scheme

  Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 

 National Housing and Homelessness Agreement 

 Not Now, Not Ever: Putting an end to domestic and family violence in Queensland 

 Temporary Protection Visas 

Scenario 

You have just started your placement with a social service organisation. You feel excited about the placement opportunity as it allows you to work in a team of experienced social workers. The service provision of the organisation is informed and guided by the social policy you have chosen to analyse from the above list. The organisation has been invited by the AASW to contribute to an upcoming submission to a government review of this policy. In preparation for an upcoming staff meeting, your supervisor asks you to support the agency in this task by undertaking a value and ideology analysis. As you are familiar with the format and process of a critical analysis from your university studies, you happily agree to this task much to the relief of all other team members. 

Your supervisor and yourself discuss the task at hand and come up with the following task description: 

Assessment task 

Familiarise yourself with the chosen social policy. Consider the social, political and economic context in which the policy has been developed and/or was implemented. Identify, interpret and evaluate the professional and public values and ideologies that impact and inform the content of the policy and the implementation process. Your analysis needs to address how these professional and public values and Page 8 of 20 ideologies align with current social work values and ideologies. You need to evidence your claims with specific examples in the policy. At a minimum, you will be required to use the materials from weeks 1- 4, however, high quality analyses will also access material from outside the required study materials. You are encouraged to familiarise yourself with the social policy framework that will form the basis for your final assignment (see Unit 6 notes) as it will allow you to recognise how a value and ideology analysis informs your final assessment, social policy analysis. Word limit 1000 words