Social Work Online

Teaching of fundamental aspects of social work science, including a central introduction to the discipline and profession, definition of the subject of social work, discussion of methods in social work and fields of action in social work.

Descriptions and explanations of human behaviour and experience in a social context are taught within the general framework of a bio-psycho-social model of human development. The focus is on teaching basic (social) psychological concepts (learning, thinking/problem solving, motivation, emotion, personality, attitude, communication/interaction) that are relevant to the planning and implementation of social work tasks. Students acquire the basics for understanding and modifying human communication and behavioural structures for different fields of action and activities in social work.

The module offers an introductory approach to the basic concepts and findings of the disciplines of sociology and educational science. These provide reference knowledge and forms of knowledge acquisition for scientifically systematised social work. The module provides basic systematic knowledge to explain and understand social processes and social structures, particularly with regard to socialisation conditions, social inequalities and risks of exclusion.

It deals with theoretical, ideological, social and institutional-historical aspects of the development of welfare and youth care, social work and social pedagogy - social work, the development of social work as a context of interpretation and action, the principle of subsidiarity, political, organisational and institutional structures of current social work.

The ability of social workers to act requires knowledge of the legal framework across all fields of action. Students acquire basic knowledge in the areas of law relevant to the theory and practice of social work, in particular social and welfare law. They learn to recognise the structural framework of social work and to assess the significance of law and legislation in the conception of professional assistance.

The students deal with competence assessment alpha levels, catalogues, bibliographies, research techniques, tools and strategies (truncation, masking, thesaurus etc.) as well as reading techniques that promote learning (excerpts, summaries, synopses) in order to enable them to work academically.

The module offers in-depth access to the concepts and findings of the disciplines of sociology and educational science that are relevant to social work. As reference sciences, they provide forms of knowledge acquisition for scientifically systematised social work. The module provides further systematic knowledge to explain and understand social processes and social structures, in particular with regard to educational conditions, socialisation conditions, social inequalities and risks of exclusion as well as the identification and assessment of professional help.

The theoretical and methodological foundations of social space orientation are dealt with against the background of its historical development as community work.

In terms of content, a spatially sensitive examination of the topics presented from the field of social space orientation is carried out, e.g. in relation to the following exemplary topics: demographic change, migration and integration, practices of spatial appropriation, segregation, socio-spatial inequality. By analysing selected institutional settings, the course illustrates how social processes work in space and whether and how the respective spatial context influences these processes.

Through practical exercises based on selected examples and using different types of space (e.g. urban, rural), students learn concepts and methods that serve to assess socio-spatial needs and develop possible approaches for action.

The module comprises lectures and seminars or accompanying exercises. It deals with general concepts of methodological action and the three classic methods of social work - individual case help, social group work and community work - supplemented by cross-methodological approaches. It looks at the historical and theoretical development of social work and examines practical procedures and current variations of methodological action in the context of social change. In addition to classical and current theoretical approaches - such as social work science discourse, critical-emancipatory approaches, diversity approaches and social space orientation - social work is presented as an independent field of research. The courses accompanying the lecture focus on the structural and working principles of individual case help, group work and community work, as well as the planning, implementation and evaluation of methodical action processes (e.g. help planning process, experiential education, dialogue management). Practical implementation is deepened through group exercises as well as self-reflection and reflection on others.

With the welfare state paradigm shift from the welfare state to the activating state, the relationships between service providers and service providers have changed into client-contractor relationships; service providers are also under increasing competitive pressure due to the opening up of social legislation to private commercial providers. This means that the social economy and social management are becoming increasingly important. Social workers and their clients have the most points of contact with politics in local politics. In this field, social workers advocate for the interests of their clients in accordance with their dual mandate. Students familiarise themselves with the political and administrative structures and processes at municipal level. They distinguish between different types of social work organisations and are familiar with different forms of funding.

The ability of social workers to act requires knowledge of the legal framework across all fields of action. In addition to the legal knowledge acquired in the Law I module, students acquire further basic knowledge in areas of law that are particularly relevant to the theory and practice of social work, especially with regard to the areas of civil, family and youth welfare law. You will learn to recognise the structural framework of social work and to assess the significance of law and legislation in the conception of professional assistance. This includes the following teaching content:

• Elements of civil law: legal capacity and capacity to contract and their significance in the law of obligations, representation, tortious capacity and tortious liability for one's own behaviour and the behaviour of others (e.g. children)
• Family law: requirements and consequences of marriage, civil partnership and kinship (e.g. maintenance obligations), content and limits of personal custody law, guardianship, care, guardianship
• Child and youth welfare law: youth (social) work, educational child and youth protection, promotion of upbringing in the family, promotion of children in day care centres, educational assistance, integration assistance, assistance for young adults, data transfer in the event of a risk to the child's welfare by persons subject to professional secrecy, taking into care, participation in court proceedings, other "other" tasks of child and youth welfare, cost sharing, data protection, state law on child and youth protection

The module provides basic and in-depth knowledge of the conditions and structures of migration, diversity and integration processes. It promotes an understanding of life situations in the context of migration as well as reflexivity and action competence in dealing with migrants in different life contexts. The understanding of central scientific concepts and the analysis of structures of social integration of migrants (education, work, housing, social space, politics, networks) is promoted, with a special emphasis on options for shaping social work.

This module provides an introduction to the central concepts, theories and practical fields of child and youth welfare. It deals with the legal framework, socio-educational principles and social space-orientated approaches that characterise work with children, young people and their families. Central topics include the planning, implementation and evaluation of support services in the context of family, school and leisure, preventative strategies, individual case support, group services and networking with institutions and independent organisations. The module imparts knowledge of inclusive methods of early intervention, educational support, youth social work, youth work and participatory methods that promote participation and equal opportunities. It also introduces students to approaches and structures for planning and coordinating youth support services in a municipal context.

The module is dedicated to the fundamental transformation of our learning, living and working environments in the course of ongoing digitalisation and the associated opportunities and risks for the field of social work. New working environments as well as changing lifeworld settings require extended digital competences and rely on agile formats of learning and working. Acquiring these skills therefore also opens up career prospects for students in changing working environments.

The following topics are covered in particular: counselling clients online/offline; digitalisation, organisational development and counselling in social work; the use of digital media in child and youth work and in intercultural educational work; big data in social informatics, data protection and ethics. In addition, in-depth insights are provided into other selected topics.

Through practical exercises, students learn how to use different forms of digital communication. They also learn how digital media can be used for their own empirical surveys.

At the centre of the module are perspectives from cultural anthropology, cultural sociology and cultural education, which place the human habitus and long-term changeable mentalities in interaction with the socio-culturally mediated frameworks of human society. On the other hand, students should acquire basic qualifications in cultural education. In this respect, the module serves to round off the qualification objectives of the introductory educational and social science foundation modules and, on the other hand, prepares students for intercultural teaching content and cultural education work.

The social market is of particular economic importance. The number of employees is well above the level of total employment in Germany and has increased significantly in the last 10 to 20 years. On the one hand, staff are regarded as the main cost factor for social organisations and, on the other, as an essential resource for trustworthy and professional interaction with the recipients of social work. Social work organisations and services must assert themselves in an increasingly competitive market for funding and skilled staff. Students learn about an appropriate organisational structure (organisational charts) and process organisation (process management). They distinguish between basic organisational theories and management theories and are able to apply personnel selection and assessment tools to social work.

On the basis of a life-span perspective, students acquire systematic knowledge of developmental tasks in different phases of life, they are familiarised with the analysis and modification of developmental threats and risks, but also with the recruitment of resources. The range of social work services is reflected upon in terms of its developmental psychological fit. On the basis of the paradigmatic ICF model, students are enabled to reflect on the life situations of chronically ill, disabled and elderly people; they are informed about the health-relevant effects of social inequality. They are familiarised with basic (social) therapeutic intervention approaches in prevention, therapy and rehabilitation for target groups at all stages of life.

As part of the topic of gender, diversity and interculturality, relevant terms and concepts are discussed and the opportunities and challenges in the context of social work are presented and discussed. The basic principles, challenges and legal foundations of gender- and diversity-sensitive social work, including the associated forms of work, will be addressed. In addition, connections to gender and diversity studies and gender and diversity policy are conveyed.

Against the backdrop of a shortage of public funds and increasing competition for the allocation of services (service agreements), it is becoming increasingly important for social work organisations to acquire their own funds. Project funding is particularly important in this context and is now an established form of funding for social service providers.

Students thus acquire the qualifications and skills to apply basic action models and methods of project management to market-relevant field tasks in social work. The focus is on teaching relevant concepts, theoretical knowledge and methodological skills on the one hand and their application in specific project contexts on the other. In addition, personal development through the module plays a role, for example, students draw important conclusions for future project work from the failure of a project or develop a self-critical and reflective attitude through the project processes that have taken place.

This module enables students to differentiate between empirical research methods, to examine their suitability for answering scientific questions and to categorise them in terms of scientific theory. In addition to the basics of the theory of science, students will learn the essential methods and fields of application of quantitative and qualitative research, e.g. with regard to research planning, development and design of questionnaire surveys, basic statistical evaluation procedures, the creation and implementation of interviews and the associated processing and evaluation methods.

Students are familiarised with bio-psycho-social models of mental health and illness. They learn about the structures of the care and support system and the clinic, aetiology and epidemiology of selected psychiatric illnesses. They will be qualified to arrange, provide or implement appropriate help in the form of evidence-based counselling/treatment for those affected and their relatives. In-depth seminars provide a perspective on exemplary fields of action and care approaches in the context of educational support, drug help, school social work and parent and family counselling, among others.

The module deals with organisations and institutions in the education system, the transition system, the employment system and the system of social assistance. It explains the basics of organisational theory in the field of tension between structure and process, e.g. including system theory, structuration theory, organisational culture and power theory perspectives. The focus is on reflecting on the relationship between organisation, profession and prevention. In addition, processes of marginalisation and exclusion in the field of social work, particularly in education and employment, as well as specific forms of assistance and support services in the context of education and employment will be discussed.

The practical phase organises educational and qualification processes in the career-oriented interweaving of practical work and exemplary learning. Theoretical prior knowledge is critically reflected upon and deepened, and further professional and personal experience is generated in dealing with the demands of practice.
The staffing support offers co-operating institutions additional opportunities to design, test or evaluate methodological approaches in social work.

In order to be able to address social and professional developments in a timely and innovative manner, accompanying events organised by the university can be modified.
The practice institutions represent the requirements profile and range of tasks of professional social work.
The supervision by the lecturer responsible for the practice phase is an example of professional reflexivity in social work practice. Its object is the continuous improvement of practical action with regard to competence (attitude, knowledge, skills), professional understanding, professional identity and theory-practice transfer.

Various theoretical models from the social work and related sciences are used to analyse and process the experiences from the practical phase in order to demonstrate and practise the practical relevance as clearly as possible. The theory-practice link is also to be emphasised through the involvement of practitioners/experts from different professional disciplines.

Students can choose from courses on specific fields of action and subject areas of social work. Students expand and specify their knowledge and tools of action as well as their professional attitude. A key objective is the acquisition of professional attitudes, which are documented in particular in personal initiative and the ability to work in a team, in the pronounced ability to communicate and interact with professional and non-professional actors in the field of work and their social environment.

The content of the module conveys in-depth conceptual and didactic methodological basic knowledge and skills of social work competence in the fields of counselling and counselling. Person-centred, team/group-oriented and organisational concepts of interviewing and counselling are discussed, in particular systemic, solution- and resource-oriented approaches to (organisational) counselling.

Students are given perspectives on different fields of counselling (educational and family counselling, addiction counselling, corporate social work, personnel development). Various forms of evaluation and quality assurance of counselling processes are taught (supervision, counselling and intervention research, quality management.

This module offers more in-depth and concrete information with regard to professional participation in the shaping of connectable offers for transition design, in particular in the area of education and work as fields of action of social pedagogy and social work; this both within the framework of regular structures such as school social work and, for example, in youth work as an educational project, socio-pedagogical schools, production schools and vocational rehabilitation, socio-pedagogical support for clients in the transition system and in the design of regional educational landscapes.

Students are supported in outlining their own didactic building blocks for participation either in regular structures of education and work or in educational programmes with a particular pedagogical character and in work programmes confronted with special social requirements.

Students learn to apply theoretical concepts to empirical research and to critically scrutinise and evaluate the significance of these concepts for social work practice. They are able to formulate a scientific question, research relevant literature and collect and analyse data.

The practical phase organises educational and qualification processes in the career-oriented interweaving of practical work and exemplary learning. Theoretical prior knowledge is critically reflected upon and deepened, and further professional and personal experience is generated in dealing with the demands of practice.
The personnel support offers co-operating institutions additional opportunities to design, test or evaluate methodological approaches in social work.

In order to be able to address social and professional developments in a timely and innovative manner, accompanying events organised by the university can be modified. The practice institutions represent the requirements profile and range of tasks of professional social work. The supervision by the lecturer responsible for the practice phase is an example of professional reflexivity in social work practice. Its object is the continuous improvement of practical action with regard to competence (attitude, knowledge, skills), professional understanding, professional identity and theory-practice transfer.

Students expand and specify their knowledge and professional tools for action. Emphasis is placed on communication and interaction skills with actors/stakeholders in specific areas of work and the analysis of selected problem areas.

Discussions are initiated on the complex topic of profession, professionalisation and professional action, preceded by an examination of selected approaches.at the centre are considerations and theoretical approaches to ethics, morals and values, with a particular focus on understandings and concepts of social justice. Students learn to reflect on their own values and professional standards within the framework of (social) state norms and to draw conclusions for their own professional actions.

The students situate their practical experience based on theory. They discuss differences between public, non-profit and private-commercial organisations. They reflect on their experiences regarding professional standing (e.g. proximity-distance, double and triple mandate, dealing with other professions, etc.). They further develop their attitude (e.g. expected vs. perceived value orientation, expectations of supervision, teamwork). They develop and concretise their expectations for their future field of work (practice), the modules of the 6th and 7th semesters (theory) and their Bachelor's thesis.

In the module, content on scientific work and empirical research methods is deepened in an application-oriented manner. Students learn to select research methods based on theory and questions and to develop suitable research designs for specific research questions.

The practical phase organises educational and qualification processes in the career-oriented interweaving of practical work and exemplary learning. Theoretical prior knowledge is critically reflected upon and deepened, and further professional and personal experience is generated in dealing with the demands of practice. The personnel support offers co-operating institutions additional opportunities to design, test or evaluate methodological approaches in social work.

In order to be able to address social and professional developments in a timely and innovative manner, accompanying events organised by the university can be modified. The practice institutions represent the requirements profile and range of tasks of professional social work. The supervision by the lecturer responsible for the practice phase is an example of professional reflexivity in social work practice. Its object is the continuous improvement of practical action with regard to competence (attitude, knowledge, skills), professional understanding, professional identity and theory-practice transfer.

Various theoretical models from the social work and related sciences are used to analyse and process the experiences from the practical phase in order to demonstrate and practise the practical relevance as clearly as possible. The theory-practice link is also to be emphasised through the involvement of practitioners/experts from different professional disciplines.

Students recapitulate essential standards of academic work and receive help in finding topics and structuring academic papers. Emphasis is placed on developing adequate self-management and time management skills.

Thematically, reference is made to the theory, empiricism and history of social assistance and educationor to specific social work target groups and fields of action in social work.students are professionally supervised by a first and second assessor.students can submit suggestions for topics, which must be agreed with the examiners. If no qualifying suggestions of their own are submitted, the student can be given a topic to work on. Guiding questions, the chosen methodological approach and the results of the thesis must be justified and defended in a colloquium.

On the basis of the practical phase or the practical application of methodological action, the module serves the reflective examination of this action and the expansion of theoretical knowledge as well as the reflection of the professional attitude for the acquisition of action competence (attitude, knowledge, ability). Relevant contents include

• Expansion of methodological knowledge
• Deepening the theories of social work
• Professional competence to act
• Professional ethical behaviour and professional ethics
• Selected fields of research in social work

Building on the content of the project management module, the theoretical principles of planning, developing and implementing projects are deepened and tested in an application-oriented manner.

Specific projects are developed in and/or with practice, drawing on and processing the experiences from the practical phase.

The presentation of project objectives, project planning, etc. enables a process-oriented synchronisation of the examination and teaching activities.

The follow-up of the practical phase centres on improving practical action with regard to competence (attitude, knowledge, skills) as well as reflections on professional understanding, professional identity and theory-practice transfer.