Social Work

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Social work is a challenging and a rewarding activity and requires a personal commitment to the ideals and values of the social work profession. Those considering social work as a career option should be aware of its ethical and value dimensions and, in particular, the commitment of practitioners to the promotion of social justice.

The Master in Social Work/Diploma in Social Work course offered by the School of Social Work and Social Policy provides a route to a professional qualification in social work for applicants with a primary degree in the social sciences.

This course is both an academic and vocational course combining university-based learning with assessed work experience conducted under the supervision of professionally qualified social workers.

Graduates are eligible to apply for registration as professionally qualified social workers with the Health and Social Care Professionals Council (CORU) and are also eligible for employment in a wide range of professional social work posts.

Social Work in Ireland
Social work education has been provided in Trinity College since 1934. Since then, the number of social workers employed and the scope of social work have expanded greatly. There are currently over 2,000 social workers employed in Ireland and many others in community development, counselling, psychotherapy, social work management and training posts. Social work in Ireland is still expanding and there is a shortage of qualified workers. Qualified social workers' starting salary is 43K+ per annum. An increasing number of career development options are available through both in-service training and advanced professional courses.

Choosing a Career in Social Work
As social work is a vocational career, it is important to consider whether it is the right career for you, prior to embarking on a professional training course. Meeting with social workers to find out what they do, reading widely about social issues and problems, and doing voluntary or paid work in the social work/social care field are all helpful steps in reaching this decision. It is also important to think about your own personal style and attributes to see if they fit with social work:

* Are you a good listener and communicator?
* Are you able to empathise with people in difficulty and distress?
* Can you remain calm and focused at times of crisis?
* Can you be patient and flexible in helping people to find their own solutions?

Choosing the Trinity Master in Social Work
The annual intake on the Trinity MSW course is limited to under 25 places. Students are guaranteed small group teaching, individual attention from lecturers and tutors, and a manageable peer group and class environment, and also access to a world-class library and a famous historic campus.

This course is full-time and consists of both academic and fieldwork components. Academic modules include:

social policy/social work practice theories/ethics and skills/critical perspectives/social research methods and processes/life span psychology/social work and the law/child and family work/criminology/mental health and addictions/health-related social work

The normal requirements for entry to this programme are: * Successful completion (minimum 2. 2 grade) of a Level 8 Social Science Degree. The core course prerequisites are: foundation courses in Politics and Economics and substantial courses in Sociology and Social Policy.* * Prior to acceptance on the course, candidates will be required to demonstrate a minimum of nine months practice experience (full or part-time). Practice experience will be judged on the basis of the quality and relevance of either paid or voluntary work, and what the individual candidate has gained from it. * * On rare occasions, candidates may be considered who have completed a 'non-standard' social science degree (such as one in sociology, psychology or anthropology) but whose education and/or work experience includes other highly relevant subjects. It is extremely important that candidates in this position seek advice from the Course Director as to whether they need to complete qualifying courses prior to applying for the Masters in Social Work. If proceeding with an application, it is the responsibility of the candidate to give full detailed transcripts of courses covered. * In situations where there is a shortfall in the area of Social Policy, Economics or Politics, a compensatory learning package will be offered to potential candidates who have been successful at interview. The candidate will be assessed on this subject area and will be required to demonstrate a level of competence, which the examiner is satisfied, brings them to a level necessary to undertake Social Policy and Social Work courses at master's level, prior to registration on the course.When assessing the quality of previous practice experience, the factors taken into consideration include: * nature of the tasks undertaken * quantity and quality of supervision and training available to and availed of by the candidate * connections the candidate can make between practice experience and wider social issuesexamples of relevant practice experience include employment as: * residential child care or social care workers, social work assistants, family access or family support workers. * Voluntary work covers a wide range of activities such as phone-line counselling, volunteer support and befriending work, and community activism. * Informal experience of helping, even if extensive, would not by itself be considered to fulfil this criterion of relevant practice experienceexamples of practice experience that cannot be included as relevant are: * pastoral or parish work alone (i.e. outside of a formal context such as St. Vincent de Paul visitation); voluntary work conducted while at school; * voluntary tuition; * childminding; * teaching. English language requirements: * IELTS: Grade 6.5 * TOEFL: 88 iBT, 230-computer based, 570 paper based * Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English: Grade C * Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English: Grade C English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 CAE score: (read more) Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) is part of the Cambridge English suite and is targeted at a high level (IETLS 6.5-8.0). It is an international English language exam set at the right level for academic and professional success. Developed by Cambridge English Language Assessment - part of the University of Cambridge - it helps you stand out from the crowd as a high achiever. 80 (Grade A) TOEFL paper-based test score : 570 TOEFL iBT® test: 88