Applicants do not need to be an IASW member.
The Postgraduate Diploma in Palliative Care for Social Workers was developed to help address the educational and career progression gap that opened up between social workers and other disciplines delivering care to people living with life-limiting or life-threatening illness.
The course is delivered part-time and online over two years. The next intake starts in October 2025. There will be three modules per year. There will be four days of teaching per module (alternate Wednesdays) with an expectation that students will also complete self-directed learning and academic assignments or presentations.
The course will be of interest to social workers in specialist palliative care posts with adults and children and to those in generalist palliative care, including those in disability services with adults, primary care, mental health, community mental health teams for older people, older peoples’ services, hospital social work posts or hard to reach populations (e.g. homelessness or addiction services). Visit https://www.qub.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate-taught/palliative-care-pgdip/ for further details on the course content, assessment and criteria.
Hear from some of the current students and staff involved in supporting the course using this link: https://youtu.be/zUVd3rBkjt4
Criteria for Eligibility
Applicants must:
- Work in the publicly funded healthcare service
- Have at least three years post qualifying social work experience
- Be employed in a social work post that includes working with people who have palliative care needs
Application for Recognition of Prior Learning is not applicable to this programme. A requirement for registration is that participants are computer literate and have reliable internet access and access to a computer, which will be assessed at interview.
Conditions
Successful applicants will be required to deliver a series of webinars & skills workshops on palliative care in social work as part of the IASW CPD programme.
In addition, one applicant will be required to develop a document on pathways to specialist practice for the profession and the other a document on advanced practice for the profession. The development of AP and specialist pathways in palliative care will support the social work profession to meet the increasingly complex needs of service users across the life cycle, many of whom are living longer with chronic conditions. In this way, the benefits of participation in the Postgraduate Diploma will be reaped by the wider social work profession and by those with whom they work. The Hospice and Palliative Care Social Workers group can offer support to the candidates in developing the documents.
To express interest in a funded place on the course, please confirm that you meet the eligibility criteria required and submit a 500 word statement covering the following: outline how your participation in the course will benefit your professional practice, service users, colleagues, your service and the social work profession. Please indicate your preference for development of a document on Advanced or specialist pathways in palliative care. (max 500 words)
Shortlisting will be based on the information provided in the statement. Shortlisted applicants will be invited for interview on Wednesday 18th June 2025 and will be notified by Thursday 12th June.
Email your 500 word statement & confirmation that you meet the criteria for eligibility to cpdofficer@iasw.ie by COB on Monday 9th June
Please ensure ‘Palliative Care Course’ is used for the subject line.
