The document outlines the requirements for Assessment Item 3, a 2500-word essay worth 40% of the course grade, due on October 20th. Students must critically analyze the strengths and weaknesses of delivering services to remote communities through both face-to-face and virtual models, selecting one specific service need or population group to focus on. Additionally, the essay should address challenges faced by human services workers and propose professional development strategies to improve service delivery in remote areas.

1. Assessment Item 3
Description/Focus:
Essay
Value:
40%
Due date:
Midnight Friday 20th October (Week 12)
Length:
2500 words
Presentation:
The document will be typed
· 12 pt. Font
· 1½ or Double spacing
· Wide margins
Assessment criteria:
· Evidence of wide reading
· Academic writing
· Demonstrated comprehension of the literature and synthesis of
theory with practice.
Task:
Critically analyse the strengths and weaknesses in the delivery
of services to remote communities via face to face and virtual
service models. Identify within each approach the challenges
for the human services worker. What professional development
strategies could support the retention of such workers in
delivering service to remote locations?
In considering each approach select one of the following
population groups or service needs.
a) Disaster recovery within Australia

2. b) Mental Health services for remote Aboriginal communities
c) Domestic Violence services for women in remote and
regional Australia
d) An issue or population type of your choice
Assessment 3
Essay TIPS
SWK405
The task
Essay
When preparing to write an essay be sure to read the question.
It is helpful to break it down as demonstrated below.
PART 1
Critically analyse the strengths and weaknesses in the delivery
of services to remote communities via face to face and virtual
service models.
PART 2
Identify within each approach (FACE TO FACE AND
VIRTUAL) the challenges for the human services worker and
professional development strategies for improving regional and
remote skills
In considering each approach select one of the following
population groups or service needs.

3. Essay Structure
My suggestion is to start by identifying the
group/population/issue you have selected to work with. You
may think about the agency interview and report you have
completed in Assessment 2 to inform your choice of service.
In considering each approach select one of the following
population groups or service needs.
Your population/issue
Step 1:
Select your population or issue and the type of service to be
offered.
Disaster recovery within Australia
Domestic Violence Services for women in remote and regional
Australia
Mental Health Services for remote Aboriginal community
Other
What is the service you are providing?
Step 2:
Consider what part/s of the service is suited to face to face or
virtual service delivery?
e.g.

4. Critically Analyse
Step 3: It is important to consider carefully the strengths and
weaknesses of each type of service delivery model to remote
areas.
When you think about these strengths and weaknesses, some
will relate to client outcomes and some will relate to the service
provider (logistics, cost, personnel).
Not simply a description but your own critique.
The following questions will help you to focus your reading and
develop a critical lens.
Critical Reading
Step 4:
What have some authors written about the advantages and
disadvantages of each type of service model?
What do you think about their positions?
Does this fit with the service you have selected for the essay?
Has technology come further since the article was written?
Is there a research that supports the arguments proposed in the
literature? Critique the research that supports the author’s
argument.
What position do you take in relation to ideas raised in the
literature?
Is there a bias in the readings in favour of one type of service
delivery over another?

5. Step 5: Shaping your argument
Consider the following focus questions to shape your argument
Strengths and weakness of face to face service delivery
What is face to face service delivery?
e.g. this could be where staff live and work within the
community or where staff undertake remote community visits to
deliver services.
What are the benefits of delivering services face to face?
To the client, for the worker
What are the challenges of delivering face to face services to
remote areas?
e.g. Cost, staff recruitment and retention, staff skills and
resilience, culture and language, occupational health and safety,
work/life balance
Strengths and weaknesses of virtual models of service delivery
What is virtual service delivery?

6. e.g. phone, online, skype
What kind of services can be enhanced by technology?
Accessing information through the internet (community and
client empowerment), Apps, social media (connections and
groups)
What type of service is most suited to ICT?
e.g. counselling? Meetings? community work?
What are some assumptions when relying on ICT to deliver a
service?
e.g. internet access? Speed, cost, confidence
Some things to think about – confidentiality, transparency,
accountability.
Combination of approaches
Would there be benefits realised through combining face to face
service delivery with other technology?
Not just simply one approach or the other.
Part 2 of the question
Identify within each approach (FACE TO FACE AND
VIRTUAL) the challenges for the human services worker and
professional development strategies for improving regional and
remote skills

7. Step 6: The human services worker and the organisation
Now that you have considered the pros and cons of the type of
service model to your population or issue, consider the second
part of the question.
A) What challenges are there for the human services worker in
delivering services face to face and virtual?
B) What approach could the organisation take to support and
develop the skills of the worker in either the face to face or
virtual service delivery?
Structure
Introduction
Clearly outlines the way that you will be approaching the essay
Help the reader to anticipate the key themes and arguments.
Body
One paragraph for each new idea. Introduce each idea and
ensure that it logically leads from the last paragraph.
Conclusion
Summarise the key points of your essay that support your
argument.