I just got a mail from someone thinking about re-locating from New York to Cork City. She asked what the job situation was like in Social Working. Any of my readers have knowledge in this area? Are there many jobs to be had? With who? In what areas? What qualifications do you need? Any equivalence given to foreign qualifications? Any pointers or useful sites they should check out? Thanks.
March 21, 2007 at 9:51 pm
Conor – the NSWQB will advise on transferability of qualifications- and once that is done there are lots of jobs in the field – temp and permanent. Most of it is in child protection but there are others in mental health/probation etc. Website is http://www.nswqb.ie
March 21, 2007 at 10:32 pm
Ah thanks Suzy, I’ll pass the message on.
March 27, 2007 at 4:31 pm
Hello, I too am considering a job in social work there in Ireland. Lesa
April 6, 2007 at 9:55 am
Well am sure of the plenty of jobs scenario particulary in Cork. More than likely she will be offered a Child Protection in Dublin. The job market is over saturated with potential workers without enough vacancies. There is a cap on the number of Statutory Soical Work positions anyone organisation can have. Even though case load is ever increasing. Personally I’m disillusioned with the route Soical Work has taken i.e. agents of the state and looking into the possibility of doing more therapeutic work. Best of luke anyhows with your job search!!!!!!!!!
April 6, 2007 at 9:56 am
Well am sure of the plenty of jobs scenario particulary in Cork. More than likely she will be offered a Child Protection in Dublin. The job market is over saturated with potential workers without enough vacancies. There is a cap on the number of Statutory Soical Work positions anyone organisation can have. Even though case load is ever increasing. Personally I’m disillusioned with the route Soical Work has taken i.e. agents of the state and looking into the possibility of doing more therapeutic work. Best of luck anyhows with your job search!!!!!!!!!
April 6, 2007 at 1:32 pm
Hi Conor, I too am looking to move to Cork and work as a Social Worker – I live in England. I’ve checked out the Website Suzy suggested, and found it useful with lots of info on how to register as a Social Worker in Ireland. However, I’m strugling to find any website that has jobs listed. Can anyone suggest any job specific websites?
Thanks
Rob
April 8, 2007 at 8:27 pm
Hi Rob,
WEBSITES
Irishjobs.ie
RecruitIreland.com
Loadzjobs
Irishjobs
Monster
Health Service Executive (HSE)
ISPCC
Barnardos
publicjobs
Foroige
More of the jobs for Cork are advertised in The Irish Examiner available in Ireland on Fridays…Irish Independant on a Thursay and Sunday Independent are also worth checking out. As I typed previously most of the jobs are in Dublin unfortunately…so much for decentralisation !!!!
April 11, 2007 at 7:26 am
Just to throw some light on the social work and Cork region. There is little prospect of the getting work in Cork at the moment. As UCC supplies Social Work graduates, there is plenty of people out there in Cork qualified. So What do you do?
Since the girl in question is based in NYC, networking would come easy enough. Try the IASW web site, it has a southern region group which meets in UCC. If she joins the association she will link in with practicing social workers and managers at regular meetings in UCC.
Next stop, http://www.hse.ie, where the HSE will link you into all Health Board Job’s. I would also look at social care work, same pay shift work and something to keep you ticking over. You also get an inside into any posts popping up, as you will be working in the social services field.
As for social worl becoming agents of the state, one would need to look at one’s own professional confidence. I have been working in it for 2-3 years and I would like to say the state is there to be challeneged and the client always come first.
So hopefully this appraoch will offer you friend a better out look. There are always jobs there, they just keep it quiet.
Aidan
April 11, 2007 at 8:10 am
Thanks for the information everyone, I hope she finds it useful.
April 11, 2007 at 9:41 pm
“The State to be challengened!!”… I would love to know what field you are currently employed in Aidan!! All I can say is God Bless your naivity one would know you haven’t long qualified …. I must say my professional confidence has never been as explict as it is right now as I have changed jobs from a bureauratic deificit model to a more enabling liberal community model…where the clients best interests really mean something….
April 12, 2007 at 5:55 pm
Cheers Mary, I’ll check those websites out. I’m poping over to Cork next week, so will also trawl the newspapers too.
Rob
April 12, 2007 at 7:30 pm
Your welcome Rob……If you need someone to show you around Cork!!!The best of luck in your job hunting….let me know how you get on…
April 20, 2007 at 7:20 am
Hi there! I am from the Philippines. I am a Social Worker and I plan to apply for social work jobs there in ireland. Life is very hard here in manila that’s why i am trying my luck to other countries.
Please advise me.
April 20, 2007 at 7:28 am
Hey Rushell, we have quite a few people from the Philippines working in Ireland. Check out the links that the others have mentioned to see about opportunities. I don’t know what the rules are for immigration e.g. must you have a job offer first before you can come over? Maybe some of the other commenters can help there?
April 20, 2007 at 1:29 pm
Dear Mary,
You have been in the job too long, humour. So just in case you missed it, humour!!!! I have worked in child protection / disbailities and mental health. I am currently in Kings College London topping up on my skills.
Now being serious, the state needs to be challenegd, its part of the political edge to our job. Advocacy entitles us to do this. I have worked with couples who have disabilies and wanted to live together, a challenge to Irish disbaility servcies but we can challeneged the system and now more and more couples in disability servcies are being respected and empowered.
The law in Ireland is not static it is dynamic and will change according to our social development. Like who would have ever thought women would get the vote, Irish people could buy condoms and we would be living in a multi-cultural society.
Mary learn to embrace life and realise while we can not change society ot a system over night, in the end we can each contribute to a change slowly but surely.
Aidan
April 21, 2007 at 9:52 am
Thanks conor! I will check with the immigration. Can you recommend other website where I can job search?
April 21, 2007 at 11:20 am
The three main general job sites here are:
http://www.irishjobs.ie
http://www.recruitireland.com
http://www.monster.ie
Hope you find what you need.
May 7, 2007 at 9:16 am
Hi, since a few years we come to Cork-city with last years students social work from Ghent, Belgium. We visit interesting social organisations to compare social system in both countries. We’re looking for new projects like working with refugees, immigration, community services, community arts, elderly, unemployed people, … Do you have suggestions where we can find these? At this moment we’re planning our visits and we’ll be in Cork from 18-22 June.
Thanks, An
May 7, 2007 at 5:16 pm
For any social work projects, go through the southern group of the IASW AN.
They can link you in with all relevant types of social work projects. If not UCC school of Applied Social Studies, Social Work department would also allow you explore your options.
So this could help you. Their is also Cork Institute of Technology or Tralee Institute of Technology, Social Care courses too.
Aidan
May 14, 2007 at 9:14 pm
Hi Aidan,
thank you very much for your suggestions. Today i’ve written to UCC for more info.
The website of IASW (I suppose this is the Irish Association of Social Workers) is not availible. Do you have an emailadress or telephonenumber?
I also found http://www.corkmentalhealth.com/text/details.html which contents a lot of adresses of organisations.
An
May 15, 2007 at 12:04 pm
Yeah I see the Iasw’s web site is down. If you contact UCC you will be given the numbers, as I am based in King’s in London I have since lost their numbers.
Since your a social work course in Ghent, Belgium I would have presumed you would have as part of a European networking circle in social work a good insight into social work Universities and orgnaisation in Ireland?
The International Federation of Social Workers, Monica Egan is a former president of the Iasw. I myself was the student representative in the Iasw 2006/2007, so if there is any more I can do for you feel free to email me at aidan.cooney@kcl.ac.uk and I can direct you accordingly around social work groups in Ireland and in particular Cork
Aidan
June 11, 2007 at 8:25 pm
Hi! In June I will finish the University in Poland. (Social Work). My english level is intermediate. I`ve got a question, did I have a chance to find a job as a social worker in Ireland? I want to visit this country for three- four months and I want to stay there for longer. Please let me know if you have any informations. Thank You:)
June 12, 2007 at 12:11 pm
For the Cech student social worker. You will need to contact the National Social Worker Qulaifcation Board, if you type this in on a google search it will pop up.
Go to the Health services executive website http://www.hse.ie and go to their careers in health website.
If I were to be honest the only posts popping up are in child protection, so you will have to be upto date on the Child Care Acts 1991 and there is another for 2001 too.
Unfortunately social work posts are quite scant on the ground. I would suggest looking at social care work, which is residential based. But once your in the social care settings. You will see where social work posts are. As well as working with social workers, you will be able to network more effectively.
Social care posts on the HSE’s web site are based all around the country. Limerick (if your feeling brave) has a few openings. Make contact with the Irish Association of Social Care workers IASCW who maybe helpful too.
I am based in the UK studying a post grad and will be looking to move back in a year or two so thats as much information I can give you. I wish you all the best. I can say for you is that there is a growing eastern european population in adult and children services so if you can promote your ethicity and lanagauge skills you should be in the running for posts.
Aidan
June 13, 2007 at 11:49 pm
Hi Aidan!
Thank you very, very much for informations. I am very thankful for your help.I salute
Joan
June 16, 2007 at 12:56 pm
Dear Joan,
Just to note, on the http://www.hse.ie website under careers, there are several social work posts on offer around Ireland. Closing date is the 5th of July.
Good luck with the application
Aidan
October 19, 2007 at 10:28 am
Hi I am a social worker from the Philippines and working with sexually abused children and offenders. I love my job here unfortunately life in the Philippines is very difficult that I am thinking of working either UK or Ireland. Please help. Thank you very much and God bless!
November 7, 2007 at 9:46 pm
Hi interesting reading, I am also looking to relocate to cork, though am open to moving where the work is, I am currently working in residential care with youg people am loooking for something in this or similar field but lack the degree have lots of experience, and an n.v.q.3 (for what it’s worth) any ideas??
Angie
November 28, 2007 at 5:47 pm
Hi!I’m studying social work in Innsbruck, Austria. At the moment I am searching for a social institution where I can do my mandatory internship in autumn/winter 2008 (4 months). I really want to make this experience in Cork, but it’s so difficult to find relevant institutions. May someone can help me?I am thankful for any information!
Sabrina
November 29, 2007 at 10:40 am
Hi Sabrina,
Imelda sent a reply by email but I think it was intended for here so I’ll post it for her:
I am Imelda, a social worker here in the Philippines. By the way are you allowed to do your internship outside of your country? If so try to inquire at Virlanie Foundation (based here in the Philippines), they are working with children who are victim of multiple abuse, they also have community work I guessed. You may email at virlanie AT virlanie DOT org or visit their website at http://www.virlanie.org I used to work there, used to handle sexually abused children. Good luck to you!
November 30, 2007 at 8:56 am
Thank you Conor for posting Imeldas reply!
Thanks also to you Imelda! Oh yes, I am allowed to do my internship abroad and I really want to take this unique chance. I am so appreciative for the information about Virlanie Foundation. I will immediately visit the website and contact the Foundation.
I am thanksful for every single further information about internship possibilities outside my country, especially in Ireland/Cork!!
Have a nice day and thanks for your help!
Sabrina
December 10, 2007 at 10:17 pm
Hi everybody, as you have a good information about the Irish social services and it´s possible vacancies, I have one question for you all. I come from the Czech Republic and I have a one-year degree in International master of social work from Gothenburg, Sweden, which was lead in English and . I have also finished a master in Civil Society Studies, which concerns to NGO´s and community development. As I graduated in September 2007 I have a social work experiences just from the interships and field placements which I´ve done during my studies. I am specialized in children and youth social work, mentoring and mentoring relationship, volunteerism, social prevention especially through the leisure time activities and work concerning to the children and youth in general. I recently came to Tralee and I would like to work in Tralee in the youth centre or in the Irish social services even if there would be an intership available for the minimum wage. Do you think I have a chance to get a job in Tralee or in the Kerry county? I would even work with children in the childcare or similar position. My level of english is advanced. Do you think I have a chance to find a job in the social services in Ireland?
December 18, 2007 at 5:12 pm
opportunities for socialworkers from India,who have GSCC but lack of opportunity. Any body can guide us to get job in UK
December 20, 2007 at 12:07 pm
There seem to be many jobs in social work in the uk.
There are quite a lot that will consider graduates with no experience.
Good website is community care uk.
You need to be accredited as a social worker by the uk social workers association.
December 20, 2007 at 12:09 pm
you may have to do some uk experience before they accredit you but it is open to people with social work qualifications from all over the world.
December 21, 2007 at 4:16 pm
Hi all!
Wow, lots of good info here, I am glad I finally stumbled onto a site that is helpful!
I am currently licensed in New York State USA as a Clinical Social Worker. I hold a Master’s degree in SW, and am looking to relocate to Ireland. I do not want a child protective position – I am more interested in the psychotherapy end of social work. Are there positions available in this area of the field?
When I checked out the nswqb web site, it stated that they want me to send my ORIGINAL passport to them for ID, as well as other original documents. This seems to be a bit scary… anyone have experience with the certification process for foreign nationals? Is there any way to get around this requirement?
Another question – as I understand it, I will need some sort of work permit, but cannot obtain it until I get a job offer – is that correct? If I came into the country to volunteer (say for three months) and found a job while there, would this be an easier route?
Thank you Conor for this blog!
Marj
January 2, 2008 at 7:03 pm
to aidan,
thanks for all the advice. You are a great help. With reference to Mary- I found your comments to be egotistical, rude and obnoxious. Cant see why you even wrote. Find another site to go on please.
January 2, 2008 at 11:29 pm
Dear Georgia,
I was glad I could been of help to you. But your last comments baffled me. I looked back over my wording and I feel I have every right to cut to the bone around such nonsense such as social workers being agents of the state. When a social worker qualifies they get a profession with ethics. The problem with people with a defeatist attitude is that we then become agents of the state.
I spent a wonderful year post qualification working in Ireland with my peers and seniors who were further from being agents of the state. Now you may feel my comments are provoking and you are right, that is if some one feels we are agents of the state, then they needed to be challenged and supported in getting to the core of their professional malaise.
I sat on the IASW as a student represent for the organisation and I openly criticized the organisation but I also gave a full year to meeting students in Universities and taking holidays to do these presentations. And you see I have heard plenty of people like Mary who feel well why should I be criticized for making my criticisms.
But you see people like Mary don’t follow through and are challenge her employers who she may feel make her an agent of the state. But I did and as a result I managed to facilitate several fruitful IASW / NSWQB and social workers I worked with from senior all the way down around issues affecting social workers and our role in the organisation and the region I worked in.
Once again Georgia I do take your comments but frankly I worked to hard and feel proactive challenging the organisations I work with regards to social work and our role will be facilitated. But too often people like Mary role over and fly the flag of ‘well social workers are agents of the state’.
We aren’t and if more people only joined the IASW and contributed to research and get out of the coffee room politics and speak up, social work would be in a far better place than where Mary is.
Happy 2008 and good luck with your professional endeavours, may they bring you great satisfaction and professional enjoyment.
Aidan
January 2, 2008 at 11:36 pm
Dear Maryj,
1st point: Passport, if you go into a solicitor they should be able to do a certified copy for you.
2nd point: Jobs in social work are scarce and the route you talk around won’t work to easy. The HSE has an embargo on all new recruits and recently went for a job interview and there were 6 days of interview for a basic social work post. So competition is hotting up
3rd point: If you go to the IASW website, they will link you in with the psychotherapy association. But those jobs are extremely hard to get. I have not seen anything like that kicking around.
The UK would best suit you for that type of social work and NHS website for jobs is quite good and the pay isn’t far off the Irish money. But keep an eye of the HSE website for jobs.
January 3, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Hey Maryj,
I hope the following may be useful. If not … Oops…..I didn’t undertake any therapeutic Social Work training in Ireland in Cork when I was studying to become a Social Worker. It wasn’t available in my curriculum. However, saying that one may undertake some direct therapeutic work with children in the role of Child Care Worker in Residential Child Care and Child Protection. I know that Cork have a Therapeutic Care Team in their Child Protection Office. I believe that some Springboard, Neighbourhood Youth Projects, Foroige and Banardos, School Completion Programme and Drugs Task Force, etc. in Ireland afford their employees the opportunities to work with individually and in groups with individuals. It is my understanding that Social Workers in Ireland are generally placed in a multidisciplinary team with maybe a more directly qualified candidate fulfilling the post of psychotherapist/counsellor. As I have in counted this challenge I have returned to college to undertake a therapeutic training course. I suppose some Social Workers would classify their work therapeutic i.e. non professional counselling, individual work, group work, parenting courses etc. I know I do. Maybe Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Medical Social Work would be a good avenue to explore. Look the best of luck.
Just in relation to a comment left on this page “Limerick (if you are brave) has a few openings”. I believe as a social worker this comment wouldn’t be deemed appropriate in accordance with the social work code of ethics in relation to the negative stereotyping of clients.
Thank you,
Happy New Year All
January 7, 2008 at 10:45 pm
Hi. How is the social work job situation in London? Any insights would be very much appreciated. I am presently in the US and have a Master’s in Social work. Would this be a problem?
Many thanks and Happy 2008!.
Jz
January 7, 2008 at 11:00 pm
Loads of work in London. Try the job agencies first as they will be able to sort out the basics for you and get you started. I work in an office with a few Americans and they like it over here. But word of advice be prepared to sell out on one’s social work ethics and embrace the world of targets. UK Social work is morally and ethically corrupt, take it from me if you land a post as a care manager you will see what I am on about.
But apart from my politics, London has some great opportunities. gumtree website is good for daily updates. I work with tradewinds recruitment. Money ranges from £19 to £24 an hour and if you go asa private company you pay less tax. Other agencies are Hays social care and blue arrow but the agency I am with are good and get you the work that pays the bills.
Enjoy and if I can help with any thing else, mail me.
Aidan
January 7, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Thanks Aidan! I appreciate your response and the prospects as well. I try to stay out of the politics here as well
but thanks for the reality.
Do you know if your American colleagues are dual citizen holders? I ask because I would require a work permit and am aware that recruitment firms help out in obtaining employer work permits.
Not that money is an issue, lol (thus social work) but what kind of lifestyle would 19 pounds an hour afford? Also, is the norm 40 hrs a week or 32 hrs?
Thanks again for your response!
jz
January 8, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Hi whoever is reading this,
I too am a social work graduate. I qualified last year but have been unable to find any work to date. Even getting an interview from some agencies appear to be an issue as ive all the skills and training but lack the experience of paid employment { even though ive had two placements of 14 weeks each at statutory and voluntary agencies.} m starting to feel desperate as ive no income coming in other than my husbands low paid wage and we have one daughter and another on the way. Leaving Cork isnt an option for us. Id greatly appreciate any suggestions to getting on the employment ladder. Im also afraid now that my current condition of being pregnant is going to lead to a bias if i were to attend an interview. Am I waisting my time applying. Should I send a cv to agencies that haven’t advertised poisitions of availability????
January 9, 2008 at 6:45 pm
Unfortunately not, I have just come back in from the pub and they were on student visas and they are returning back on Tuesday. The hours as 35 a week in most places. You should get £20-22 an hour and if you go as a company you should be able to claim expenses and pay less tax but any agency will guide you on these finer details.
The life style is good and London is a value for money city, except when one drifts into the more expensive areas but unless you link up with the city banker crew types you will be alright.
In terms of the work, any of the US qualified social workers are overly qualified and the employers don’t utilise their skills by the look of it. A tip would be to know the UK law for mental health issues and child protection. But with a good agency they will guide you. I am moving out of care management, which they say is social work but its just number crunching. And there is plenty of work, just type in gumtree social work jobs london and it will give you a flavour of what’s out there
Enjoy
Enjoy
January 23, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Hello,
I’m a bit lost at the moment-well at cross roads! I’m currently working in the Legal Sector and Lecturing in Cork. After having a summer having done Voluntary work in an orphanage in Ethiopia dealing with all sorts of physically and mentally disabled children whom most all has been sexually abused and to my disgust continue to be. So, now I want to change careers….. I want to get into the line of Social Work/ Social Care/Child Protection.
Can you please help me or advice me what courses are better than the next, (I’m open to going to London or remaining in Cork to study) whether more job opportunities are within the Social Work sector or Social Care sector, what would you advice me to do, where to go, what to study. All I do know is I want to get into this sector of work.
Any help or guidance would be much appreciated.
Thanks.
January 23, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Dear Catherinea,
Okay you want to change sectors and head into social care / social work. The first thing I would ask yourself is around how good the qualification and how well does it travel and how respected is it. I know you are wondering about this but as some with a Hons degree in social care from Cork IT and degree in social work from UCC. I feel my expierence might throw up some sign posts.
I would steer away from any of the social care courses currently being offered in Ireland. The Cork IT course in social care is grand and does offer a good all round expierence of social care issues. But to be honest it doesn’t travel well and is not linked in with any good post graduate courses or employment issues. As for social care work occupational structures and the social care worker / leader / Manager posts are filled by anyone with a social care and related qualifications.
I would promote the social work course in UCC as the course leads you in to a more protected occupational environment firstly. The opportunities at post graduate level is limited in Ireland but the work is far more rewarding and more to stimulate the mind. It also travels well and therefore if one was to travel abroad the work opportunities in social work are far more diverse.
Social care in Ireland is quite poor and has no ethical backing, although I am sure some of my colleagues would disagree. Social work would allow you to work in a more diverse environment and offers you more scope to develop community based work. With regards to child protection, social work would allow you to work with families and children as opposed to social care would be working with the children in residential care.
If I was to look at transferability of qualifications too, social work will get you into social care but social care won’t get you into a social work post.
I hope this advice is helpful, feel free to consult the IASCW website for social care and links or the IASW website for social work websites. Hopefully you will enjoy the work but I would note caution around the reason you want to go into the job. I know the voluntary expierences were real and startling. I would urge you to have a chat with a social work around these expierences and explore these feelings alot more as they may misguide you at times with how you would or could work with families on issues of abuse, disability and poverty.
Aidan
May 25, 2008 at 9:11 am
iam a masters degree in social work from india got accredition pf N.S.
W.Q.B IRELAND PLEASE ADVICE ME TO GET SOCIAL WORKER PATS ON IRELAND
May 25, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Would anyone know about the job opportunities in social work or children social care services in Tralee, Co. Kerry? I am looking for the entry-level position in social work, youth work, childcare etc. in Tralee, being graduated with International Master in SW in Gothenburg,Sweden in 2007 and acredited from NSWQB in Ireland. Would anyone have any advice or information for me? Thank you
June 2, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Tereza there are only a handful of social workers in tralee and they usually only employ from ucc, you are better off getting a job in social work without the “social worker” title, so child care or youth work may be OK
July 21, 2008 at 8:50 am
all comments are very helpful but can you help find a job abroad as a social worker.i’m a little bit hard up in finding a job abroad because i’m here in the philippines.your comments regarding this would be very helpful.thank you very much.
you can send you reply through my e-mail add.
amalia