Entry requirementsApplicants need to be established in a profession such as counselling or social work, where they can draw on existing expertise that can be brought to the learning process. A component of the assessed course work is based on establishing and facilitating a group, so it is important that candidates have the opportunity to do this, preferably in an agency context.
Academic titlePGCert Working with Groups
Course descriptionIntroduction
This course is consists of two 30 M level modules examining groupwork theory and groupwork practice. It aims to provide experienced professionals with an additional qualification so that they may confidently introduce groupwork in to their professional roles as counsellors and psychotherapists, social workers, health professionals or other caring professions in the statutory or voluntary sector
The Groupwork course will be run in conjunction with a number of one day CPD events on offer in the Counselling and Psychotherapy section, as well as in discrete learning groups. The course is one day/day and evening a week over two semesters.
The taught component focuses on the two areas of groupwork theory and groupwork practice. The theoretical models outlined and explored are primarily drawn from the humanistic/person centred and the psychodynamic theoretical perspectives and it is the knowledge of these theories that the assignments will assess. As well as examining the purposes and tasks of groupwork, great emphasis will be placed on enabling students to establish themselves as safe and ethical facilitators, able to hold boundaries and provide containment to groupwork members.
In the practice based module students will be required to establish and maintain a structured group within a clearly articulated framework. This group will be the place in which a student demonstrates that they are working to a coherent and internally consistent theoretical model. It is expected that students will provide video or audio tapes of their groupwork practice as a component of the assignments for assessment, after members of the group have provided informed consent for this to happen. While undertaking this work, the student is expected to be externally supervised.
As well as the taught theoretical component and the groupwork placement, students will be involved in experiential learning by themselves being part of a personal development group. Students are required to keep a personal journal in which to reflect upon their learning and practice and to draw on this when outlining their own development while on the course.
Career prospects
Graduates of this course will be able to offer a different modality of working, namely groupwork, within their existing professional roles, as well as using the experience and knowledge to move into new areas of work. Working therapeutically in groups and facilitating self help groups can optimise the resources of the skilled practitioner in services under pressure to deliver to a wider or larger target number.
Attendance
This course will run on Thursdays from January - December 2006. Some days will be whole day events in conjunction with a new CPD programme and some teaching will be discrete. There will be a requirement to attend a personal development group that is likely to run in the early evening.