February NUI Galway Launch Innovative New Course for Social Workers and Practitioners in Children and Family Services

NUI Galway’s discipline of Social Work at the School of Political Science and Sociology is offering a new Postgraduate Certificate in Continuing Professional Development for Social Work for qualified social workers at various stages of their social work career.

One of the courses in this programme of studies, The Non Violent Resistance in Practice course is also open to practitioners from other disciplines as well as social work, such as social care, mental health nursing, family support, psychology and counselling.

The course will take place for five Fridays starting from 15 March to 12 April, from 10am-4pm at the Institute for Lifecourse and Society, NUI Galway.

The Non Violence Resistance in Practice course responds to the needs of practitioners in children and family services for an effective, evidence based and strengths-focused responses to the problems of abusive behaviour and violence in families.

Dr Declan Coogan, lecturer in Social Work at NUI Galway, said: “The Non Violence Resistance in Practice course aims to deepen links between the campus and wider community in the West of Ireland, bringing together knowledge, experience and research to make a difference in families lives when abuse and violence takes place, especially in those families where children (under 18 years old) abuse their parents.”

Practitioners interested in the Non Violent Resistance in Practice course must be employed as a qualified practitioner in social work or allied health and social care disciplines such as, for example, family support/ social care/ psychotherapy/ youth work/ psychology/ nursing (mental health). The closing date for registration is February 28. Completed application forms must be returned by then to joanne.oconnor@nuigalway.ie

A variety of modules, including the Non Violence Resistance in Practice course, will be offered on a stand-alone basis and credits from these modules can contribute to the award of a Postgraduate Certificate (30 ECTS) or Diploma (60 ECTS). This means that social work candidates interested in earning academic accreditation must register for the certificate and pay the fee of €1,500. Alternatively, candidates can pay a fee of €500 as they take each module. 

Practitioners from social work and from other disciplines may choose to pay an attendance only fee of €250. Participation in the course does not then earn academic accreditation and does not require candidates to complete assessment exercises (but attendance certificates can be made available on request at the end of the course).

To apply for this course, other than the Non Violent Resistance in Practice course, applicants must have a CORU accredited professional social work qualification (level 8 or level 9) or equivalent.

All details available about these courses can be found at www.nuigalway.ie/colleges-and-schools/arts-social-sciences-and-celtic-studies/political-science-and-sociology/postgraduate-programmes/pgcertdip-cpd-social-work/ Alternatively search for social work CDP at NUI Galway using any search engine on the internet.

For further information about these courses contact Dr Declan Coogan, NUI Galway, at declan.coogan@nuigalway.ie.