Curriculum 2007 – ZYV107SJ (in English)

LAUREA UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

Degree Programme in Social Services,Developing Social Service Practices with Citizen..., ZYV107SJ

Operating environment

The social services operating environment changes constantly. Globalisation, changes in the economy and industry,
and technological advances are reflected in the lives of individuals, families and communities. Some of the
challenges faced by the social services are the aging of the population, multiculturalism and socio-economic
differences. The welfare service structure is shifting from being system- and sector-focused to providing customer-
oriented, networked ser-vices. The significance of immediate communities and private services is growing in welfare
service production. Welfare technology will continue to open new doors, although interpersonal work is also
increasing in importance. Service innovations are required in order to respond to the challenges faced by the wel-
fare sector.

Laurea’s area of operation, the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, is highly dynamic. It is characterised by population
growth, strong economic and technological development, internationalisation and multiculturalism. The lifestyles of
people in Uusimaa region vary from typical urban cultures to rural small community cultures. The aging of the
population is the single biggest challenge faced by welfare services. Other challenges are related to supporting the
everyday lives of families with children living in widely different conditions, to various social problems and to factors
that cause social marginalisation, such as unemploy-ment, homelessness, substance abuse, mental health
problems and crime.

Expertise

The aim of the Degree Programme in Social Services is to train experts in social services. This means providing
training in issues related to education, rehabilitation, prevention and the maintenance of abilities, from the points of
view of relationships between people, social situations and the society as a whole. The value base of social services
is founded in respect for people and social justice. Graduates of the Master of Social Services degree are experts in
development work based on the values and context of the sector.

Skills in interpersonal work, interaction, empathy, responsibility, individual and group management, and holistic
encounters with people form the core of competence in the field. The societal nature of problems, resources and
support is also emphasised. Work in the field is closely linked to the structures of the welfare society. The operating
environments of the sector are built on the basis of social policy decisions. Bachelors of Social Services are
executors of social policy decisions, providing guidance to customers in the use of welfare services; on the other
hand, their core competence also includes providing social influence and supporting citizens through social change
processes. The Master of Social Services degree emphasises the societal perspective even more than the
Bachelor’s degree, the crucial thing being to understand customer encounters and development work within a
broader social and global context.

Competences

Competence in existing social service methodology and a deep understanding of the social viewpoint form an
essential part of expertise in social services. However, work with customers living in different conditions and with
changing social situations emphasises the need for a research-oriented and developmental approach instead of one
where ready-made solutions are adopted. Also needed is a constant self-evaluation of one’s own work and learning,
i.e. reflective professionalism. Social efficiency requirements and a focus on citizens’ rights and the effectiveness of
social service work have brought about an emphasis on evaluating services and work methods, on quality and on
leadership. The Master of Social Services degree emphasises evaluation of operations and work methods than
involve citizens interactively.

The degree aims to respond particularly to the following competence challenges:
• The need to develop work in the social services and other closely related sectors, and to find innovative ways of
operating and organising work.
• The shift from a public sector-run welfare service system to multiple service provision forms creates many
challenges. A project-based work method is an important tool in responding to them.
• The development of welfare services is focusing increasingly on the citizens’ point of view, i.e. the citizens’ rights to
appropriate, high-quality services, in addition to the system’s perspective.
The programme aims to respond particularly the specific challenges of the welfare sector in the Helsinki
metropolitan area.

Graduates of the Master of Social Services degrees are experts in citizen- and region-based development activities.
The degree focuses on the values and context of the social services sector on the one hand, and on skills in
developing the work environment on the other.

The core competences of a Master of Social Services are:
• Ethical competence in social services
• Customer work and work method development competence
• Skills in and development of the service system in the sector
• Skills in social analysis
• Strengthening communality and participation
• Skills in social influence
• Management competence
• Research and development competence

A research-oriented and developmental approach is an essential part of any work in social services. Research and
development competence is emphasised particularly in the Master’s degree. Graduates are well versed in work
development methods and can evaluate development activities using applied research methods. They can analyse
and conceptualise change processes in social services. They can develop work by critically applying data from
scientific research as well as experience and knowledge acquired from practical development activities. They can
reform practices in social services with the use of systematic knowledge generation.

The degree programme also focuses on social analysis skills; Masters of Social Services can carry out critical
analyses of social change and predict social im-pacts. They can analyse the global trends in the conditions affecting
people’s social behaviour. They can break down and analyse the causes and forms of social problems.

Students deepen their value bases in social services. There is a particular emphasis on citizens’ rights and needs as
the basis for all activities and development efforts in social services. Civil participation is emphasised in welfare work.

Description of the Degree Programme

Education in social services is founded on a conception of humanity that emphasises development opportunities,
activity and resources. Learning situations promote active information processing and focus on a creative,
experiential and interactive approach. The starting points for learning lie in reflecting on forms of interaction and
experience and critically examining one’s own experiences and information structures built during life. Throughout
their studies, students are encouraged to adopt a research-oriented and developmental approach, to increase their
ethical awareness and to assume critical ethical reason-ing and responsibility.

Studying in the Degree Programme

The studies progress according to the progress principles of citizen- and region-oriented development projects. The
students’ learning process is closely linked to workplace development activities. At the early stages of the degree it
is essential to adopt the citizen- and region-based context and to analyse citizens’ needs. Students learn to plan and
manage development operations and acquire methods in citizen-based customer work and networking. The later
stages of the degree focus on acquiring diverse evaluation, reporting and influencing skills.
                                                                              1. year          2. year
OP                 STUDIES
168                SOCIAL CONTEXT OF DEVELOPMENT WORK
00557              Citizen and Regional Orientation as a Basis for Welfare              10
00558              Welfare Services in the Social Service Context                                            5
169                DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS AND THEIR
                   MANAGEMENT
00559              Research-Oriented Development Methodology                            10
00560              Planning and Managing Development Operations                         10
170                CITIZEN-BASED METHODS IN SOCIAL SERVICES
00561              Participatory and Activating Practices                               10
00562              Customer-Oriented Networking                                                              5
148                THE THESIS AS A DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
00415              Thesis                                                                                  30
125                ELECTIVE STUDIES
                                                                                        0                    0

Annual themes and competences
Study                                                            Extent      Competences
00557              Citizen and Regional Orientation as a Basis   10          Globalisaatio-osaamisen
                   for Welfare                                               kuvaus (H)
00559              Research-Oriented Development                 10          Innovaatio-osaamisen kuvaus
                   Methodology                                               (H)
00560              Planning and Managing Development             10          Eettisen osaamisen kuvaus (H)
                   Operations
00561              Participatory and Activating Practices        10          Reflektio-osaamisen kuvaus (H)
00562              Customer-Oriented Networking                  5           Verkosto-osaamisen kuvaus (H)
H - Personal competence level
O - Organisational development level
Y - Social reform level
168 SOCIAL CONTEXT OF DEVELOPMENT WORK, 15 cr


00557 Citizen and Regional Orientation as a Basis for Welfare, 10 cr

The student is able to:
Analyse the challenges of regional welfare with a basis in living conditions, inhabitants and customers. Students
know the Finnish welfare service system and can analyse it in relation to other regional and international welfare
production methods. They understand the challenges related to new expertise and citi-zen-orientation in social work,
and can analyse their own expertise. Then can conduct a citizen- and region-based needs analysis and direct their
develop-ment operations accordingly.

Contents of the study unit:
Welfare state and society, international welfare production methods, European welfare policy
• Open and dialogic expertise
• Citizenship and civil society
• Citizen- and region-based needs analysis


00558 Welfare Services in the Social Service Context, 5 cr

The student is able to:
Evaluate the quality of services and the effect of their development work in relation to the target organisation’s
operations and the results and usefulness of the operations. Students can assess their own development efforts as
a part of the development of the Finnish welfare society and put their work in relation to international trends. They
can use the methods of citizen-based social influence.

Contents of the study unit:
• Service quality, quality systems, unrestricted and equitable services
• Customer- and citizen-based evaluation of service quality and effectiveness
• Focal points and international challenges of the development of the Finnish welfare society
• Citizen-based influence on an individual, community and societal level


169 DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT, 20 cr


00559 Research-Oriented Development Methodology, 10 cr

The student is able to:
Understand the characteristics, progress logic and methodology of development activities and are familiar with
development methods. Students understand the significance of knowledge generation as a part of development
activities. They can plan and implement theoretically justified data acquisition methods. They can produce research
data in participatory ways and know how to analyse them. They can analyse the theoretical and methodological
background as-sumptions of evaluation research. They understand the relativistic and value-based nature of
evaluation data and can produce them.

Contents of the study unit:
• Concept of knowledge, knowledge interests and generating new knowledge with a basis in citizens and regions
• Nature and methodological basis of development work, plan- and process-oriented development, project cycle,
action research development and signifi-cance of participation in development work
• Nature and significance of the research process in development work
• Producing and analysing qualitative and quantitative research data
• Reporting and scientific writing
• Different trends in evaluation research and their theoretical-methodological assumptions, creating an evaluation
setting, gathering and analysing evaluation data and utilising acquired information


00560 Planning and Managing Development Operations, 10 cr
The student is able to:
Plan and manage development projects. Students can use various project management methods. Students can
manage change processes from the point of view of development work and manage and develop multidisciplinary
work communities and networks more broadly. They are familiar with development work in social services and with
legislation that regulates network partnerships

Contents of the study unit:
• Project planning, management and monitoring; project manager’s role and duties
• Shared leadership as a part of a networked community of experts
• Process management, issue management, HR management
• Welfare protection regulations, social legislation and networking regulations


170 CITIZEN-BASED METHODS IN SOCIAL SERVICES, 15 cr


00561 Participatory and Activating Practices, 10 cr

The student is able to:
Use, apply and develop participatory, activating and empowering methods when working with diverse customers,
customer groups and communities and when developing work. Students know the basic principles of sociocultural
work. They can critically evaluate social work methods and practices, taking into account research and ethical
principles.

Contents of the study unit:
• Participation and empowerment in social service customer work and work development
• Participatory methods
• Social and structural change methods
• Sociocultural, cultural and multicultural work
• Nature of data created through participatory activities, documentation and utilisation of data in work development


00562 Customer-Oriented Networking, 5 cr

The student is able to:
Work flexibly in a multicultural expertise network, developing and managing them. Students understand the
interpretive nature of social networks and the organisation culture challenges of networking. They can use
networking methods in customer-oriented ways. They can work as opinion leaders with various stakeholders, using
diverse influencing methods.

Contents of the study unit:
• Changes in the service system and in expertise, seamless service chains
• Customer-oriented networking and its methods
• Activating operations in diverse networks, initiatives and projects
• Working in a shared expertise group; decision-making in groups


148 THE THESIS AS A DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, 30 cr


00415 Thesis, 30 cr


125 ELECTIVE STUDIES, 0 cr

Description:
Students use elective studies to deepen and broaden their competence in various themes and ge-neric
competences. Students should choose study units to align the content of their studies with their own personal
interests and career objectives.
Content:
Each curriculum contains a theme consisting of elective studies. In the students’ personal study plans, the theme
should be made up of the study units chosen by the student from Laurea’s language studies, Laurea’s shared
studies or another degree programme’s curriculum. Any studies completed at another higher education institution
(university of applied sciences, university, Online University of Applied Sciences, foreign institution) that cannot be
recognised for the degree programme but that the student wishes to include in the degree should be classified
under this theme. The number of credits from elective studies can be set separately for each degree programme,
tak-ing into account recommendations for the field of study. The aim is to have at least 15 cr of elective studies in
each degree programme