Social work degrees offered in Gibraltar

People hoping to develop a career as a social worker can apply for a three-year, full-time social work degree which will be delivered on the Rock for the first time.

The Care Agency has set up the course together with the Gibraltar School of Health Studies, Kingston University and St George’s University of London.

A series of open days will be held to provide applicants with the opportunity to gather more information on the course and speak to social workers and managers from the Care Agency.

The first Open Day was held on Tuesday evening and attended by Westside and Bayside School students.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work, students will be eligible to apply to the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) for registration and they can then apply to work as fully-qualified social workers.

The course will only run if justified by the number of applicants.

Entry requirements for the social work degree include two or three A-Levels (Two A* grades or BBC), general Studies not accepted; BTEC Extended or National Diploma in a health-related subject (DMM), other Level 3 qualifications equivalent to 112 UCAS points.

All candidates must have five GCSE’s A*– C including English Language and Mathematics or equivalent.

Applicants with previous employment in social care may apply for recognition of their prior experiential learning in respect of the practice learning modules.

Natalie Tavares, the Care Agency’s acting CEO, said this was a fantastic opportunity for anyone who is interested in becoming a social worker but unable to leave Gibraltar due to personal commitments.

Health and Care Minister Neil Costa said he is “delighted” to see the development of qualifications in both social work and nursing.

“There may be many reasons why people who wish to further their education may find it difficult to leave Gibraltar to further their studies,” he added.

“So it is vital that we try our utmost to ensure that further education, in these important vocational professions, is provided locally whenever possible.”

“I wish thank Natalie Tavares and Ian Peate for their hard work and collaboration in making this possible.”