BACKGROUND
This is an iSAP based task. It will involve you watching a stimulus piece and responding to some set questions. To generate a response you will need to do your own research into long-term unemployment, what it is, what are the current interventions in working with this client group and how effective they are.
After you have submitted your response on Moodle, you will then watch our expert panel consider these same questions. After you have considered their responses you will be required to go back and critique your original response based on what you learned from the video. This will be done via video message. You will be graded on both parts of this assessment.
THE TASK
Your task is to review the clip on the “Work for the Dole Scheme’ and respond to the following questions.
ABC. (2014),
Will work for the dole increase your chances of getting a job [streaming video]. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/will-work-for-the-dole-increase-your-chances-of/5630302
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/will-work-for-the-dole-increase-your-chances-of/5630302
ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS: 250 words for each Questions and at least 3 references for each questions. Harvard referencing is required.
- Who do you believe is responsible for addressing long-term unemployment and why? (5 marks)
Higher scoring students provide a clear position and sound rationale for that position drawing on materials (Lectures, Readings and Tutorials) in the Unit so far and their own research.
- Response contains numerous statements of who is responsible for addressing long-term unemployment, which demonstrates an exemplary understanding of the complexity of the issue.
- Justification is logical, evidence-based and evaluates this information demonstrating an excellent range of contributing factors with depth.
- What evidence and /or research was presented in this clip that could contribute to a solution to assist the unemployed? How does this and evidence in general assist in social work interventions? (5 marks)
Higher scoring students identify the central evidence used in this clip. They might also articulate how evidence informed practice in social work and where they see this occurring in the case of the long term unemployed.
- All sources of evidence cited in the news report are accurately identified.
- An outstanding attempt is made to critically analyse all sources, including each sources accuracy, relevance and reliability
- Sophisticated links stated between evidence and social-work practice which are clearly and accurately explained. Excellent reference made to both the context of the news article and more general social-work practice.
- Drawing on learning in the course so far and what you understand is involved in being unemployed, what interventions do you think a social worker could put in place for a long term unemployed client to assist them into meaningful work? (5 marks)
Higher scoring students demonstrate evidence of their own research on this issue through articulating referenced and evidence based interventions that could assist in this case. They articulate this clearly by integrating that evidence into their response.
- Several feasible and relevant interventions are proposed clearly and accurately
- Highly effective interventions have been prioritised over obvious options in a sophisticated way
- All interventions are client-centred and logically justified
- Outstanding discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed interventions
- Imagine you are a social worker providing services to the long term unemployed. What are three pieces of information you would you like to know from the client before commencing work with them and why? (5 marks)
Higher scoring students present three key areas of information that are rational and relevant in working with this client group. They pose clear questions relating to these areas that could be used in an initial interview with a long term unemployed person.
- Three insightful questions are produced which have the potential to elicit honest, important and meaningful information from the client in the specific context of longterm unemployment.
- Relevance of the questions to future work with the client is very clear
Background information
Unemployment has been an issue of social significance since the Industrial Revolution.
In the past, Australia has been called the ‘workingman’s paradise’, meaning that that work was an effective and available way for people to get and stay out of poverty, and live a good life (Mendes 2017). The nature of work and its place in the social fabric has evolved significantly since that time and work provides citizens with much more than just an income and keeping food on the table. It offers opportunity for connection, self-esteem, contribution, routine and purpose. Thus, unemployment has a deep and penetrating impact on people.
As such, responses to unemployment and income maintenance are particularly important for social workers to understand. Working with the unemployed bridges both direct practice and social policy domains.
Historically, Australia has provided a safety net for people during times of unemployment through a welfare payment colloquially known as the ‘dole’. This payment has been available to the unemployed since 1944 and has continued in various guises over successive Labour and Liberal Coalition Governments since. Prior to this any assistance provided to unemployed persons came from charity organisations. This was supplemented with some state-based support but even this often came in the form of in goods and services through charity rather than any cash payments from Government. With the rapid rise of unemployment in Australia in the 1970’s in most industrialised nations however, the unemployed and the way in which Governments should assist them came to the fore.
A line of continuity in the history of the dole in Australia is that the payment was always intended to be a temporary measure and the rate of pay set at rates that were meant to incentivise a return to work. Getting back into work was almost always the end goal. Conditions and various ‘reciprocal obligations’ for receiving the payment has been attached to unemployment benefits since their inception. In this way unemployment benefits deviate from other welfare payments, such as pensions and tax breaks, in that they are not based on 'reciprocal obligation', but are grounded in citizen’s rights.
In Australia, Work for the Dole schemes have always played a considerable role in the history of unemployment benefits and have been firmly entrenched in this notion of reciprocal obligation. As you will see from your research and reading, the dole has been provided on the assumption of responsibilities of the recipient, that includes a willingness and capacity to secure employment. In other words the payment is given when the recipient is deemed worthy of the help through active job searching and, in some cases, community contribution. Today, receipt of unemployment benefits remains in this conditional form. Recipients must prove ( and continually prove) they are actively looking for work, or engaging in activities to improve their employment prospects as well as demonstrating a willingness to accept offers of suitable employment. This may even include moving to a new area to work. If people are not prepared to engage with the welfare system under this reciprocal obligation, and forgo what are considered viable job opportunities or training, they are often labelled 'job snobs'. Whether this is fair and just has been hotly debated. And now you get to weigh in the tensions!
