ORGANISATION OF SOCIAL WORK

The course aims to describe and understand the organization of public, private, and third sector institutions within which social work operates.
Starting from the history of public social and healthcare organizations and leading up to the current context, the course will focus on the tools and models used in social service planning, as well as the role of different organizational actors in the planning, management, and delivery of these services.

The course has two main objectives:

to understand the organizational logics behind the planning and provision of social services;

to become familiar with the current structure of Italian social services and the mechanisms that regulate access to them.

Knowledge and Understanding:
By the end of the course, students will have the tools to conduct a basic analysis of national, regional, and local social policies, as well as of the main features of the planning and provision of social services in Italy.

Applying Knowledge and Understanding:
By the end of the course, students will be able to identify the main characteristics of organizational models in social services (both public and third sector) and apply the concepts studied to the management of practical cases.

Basic knowledge of social work and of the Italian legal system.

Definition of organization and organizational analysis models.

Historical and legislative framework: from the origins to the current social service system; Public actors and the third sector; The provision of social and welfare services.

Governance and local planning of services; The “Piano di Zona” (local social plan); Organizational models for the joint management of services; Service provision and outsourcing; Regulation of access to services: essential levels of assistance; Social and healthcare integration. The role of the social worker within the social services system.

Giorgio Gosetti, Michele La Rosa, Sociology of Services. Elements of Organization and Planning, Franco Angeli, Milan – excluding chapters 1 and 3
M.L. Raineri, Guidelines and Procedures of Social Work, updated edition, Erickson

Additional materials will be uploaded to Moodle.

Written exam with open-ended questions.
Further instructions will be provided during the course.

written

Grading criteria:
Scores in the 18–22 range will be awarded in the presence of:
sufficient knowledge of the theoretical content based on the exam materials;
limited ability to apply knowledge to practical cases;
sufficient communication skills, especially in the use of the specific language of the Social Work profession.
Scores in the 23–26 range will be awarded in the presence of:
fair knowledge of the theoretical content based on the exam materials;
fair ability to apply knowledge to practical cases;
fair communication skills, especially in the use of the specific language of the Social Work profession.
Scores in the 27–30 range will be awarded in the presence of:
good or excellent knowledge of the theoretical content based on the exam materials;
good or excellent ability to apply knowledge to practical cases;
fully appropriate communication skills, especially in the use of the specific language of the Social Work profession.
Honors ("cum laude") will be awarded in the presence of:
excellent knowledge of the theoretical content covered in the course;
excellent judgment skills and communication abilities;
excellent ability to make connections and apply theoretical knowledge to practical cases.

Traditional lectures supported by PowerPoint presentations will be complemented by educational activities that make use of participatory teaching tools: simulations, role-playing, case presentations, seminar-style lessons, expert-led seminars, and workshops.

The syllabus is subject to partial modifications upon the assignment of the official course instructor

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Poverty and inequalities" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development