HDip in Social Policy

Abs1990

Hi,

Have just completed my ordinary degree in Social Care and have accepted a place for the HDip in Social Policy for this coming September in UCC. I initially applied for this as a way of getting into the MSW in the future as the level 8 honours degree in Social Care in Tralee doesn't really appeal to me but at this stage I would just do the hdip and hope to get out working as soon as finished..To cut a long story short; has anyone out there been in the same position as me (ordinary degree, not much hope of getting a grant, done the HDip)? If so do you feel having the ordinary degree and hdip has improved job prospects for you in any significant way as opposed to having just ordinary degree or honours degree if that should be the case?

I would really appreciate any feedback from anyone as am trying to weigh up whether I'm better off doing it even though it'll put me in a bit of debt between fees, accommodation and living expenses or sucking it up and doing my honours degree minus the debt..I'm running out of time and need anyone with some insight to be brutally honest and tell me if I'd be wasting my time doing it.

Thanks for reading

auskid

Hi, as far as I can see the Msw is a two year masters which costs about 7500 (last time i checked).. It also has entry requirements of 400 voluntary hours needed to qualify. The masters is also a professional based course where attendance is recorded. The hours are long also which doesnt allow for much part-time work time. a hdip in social policy will allow you to qualify for BTEA and susi...is your social care degree level 7 or level 8.....

owla

whats a BETA and susi, where do you do a hdip in social policy?

auskid

BTEA = BACK TO EDUCATION ALLOWANCE AKA KEEPING YOUR SOCIAL WELFARE PAYMENT

SUSI= THE GOVERNMENT GRANT AND FEES SCHEME...ALLTHOUGH YOU WILL NOT GET A GRANT ONLY FEES PAYED IF YOU QUALIFY FOR BTEA...

A Hdip in social policy primarily used for people with a level 7 degree to transfer it into a level 8 in one (maybe two) years rather the normal 3 or 4 for a level 8 degree...in order to qualify for a postgraduate/masters level 9 course which you need a level 8 to qualify....it is available in UCC

The advantage of doing this is that all Hdip courses which are mainly education orientated allows you to qualify for or to keep a BTEA payment

As far as I know you could also keep a btea payment if you allready have a level 8 degree and do a level 8 Hdip...normally you must progress each year in order to keep a payment...

Im open to correction on all this information...hope it helps

owla

Thanks it explains, it brings you up to level 8. Thing confuses me.... what is the difference between social care and social studies? they are BA courses. What is social science then? Dont we study the same courses basically? can you say social care is social studies?

auskid

I presume you are studying social care....

Social care is from what I understand and talking to a few people who are doing it, a practical based course which includes work placements..it will allow you to enter the care side of things at a hands on level

Social science is basically what is says on the tin..it involves studying society from a political and sociological perspective..it incorporates social policy , sociology , psychology, economics and philosophy. It traces the evolution of modern society from the past through these modules. Social policy is the dominant theme and the study of Ireland's transition and future as a welfare state...it is an academic course with no practical aspects..it is mainly used a stepping stone to study at level 9 postgraduates such as scoial policy.. social work..and things like that.

id imagine social studies is the level 7 version of social science and social care is the level 7 version of social work...

owla

No i have a level 8 degree in social care, you can go onto the masters in social work directly, but you're right, it also has alot of practical involved whereas social science is more social backround and studies, even though social care involves this also perhaps not so indebt, it is a Bacherlor of Arts as opposed to Science

auskid

Are you looking moving on to something else this year or looking to work

The Hdip in social policy is mainly for people with level 7 social care or other fetac courses or life experience to enter a masters in social work. no use to you really..allthough as we all know it would be easier to get the masters in UCC through this Hdip as it is a Ucc course.

owla

my friend has the same qualifaction as me (level 8 social care) and is currently on the Masters programme in NUIG for social work.. she says its a tough course. I am working away in social care but it wears you down, our qualifications are only wanted really in residential settings, I work in a centre for the disabled, when someone with a social qualification retires they re advertise the job looking for 'the junior or inter cert' as minimum qualification! so they can basiclaly pay people less. It is totally unregulated. A bit disheartening. I think the professionalisation will only be for managers, they hse just want cheap labour on the front line workforce.

auskid

You have it in a nutshell...a level 7 or 8 in social care is much like the level 8 degree in social work at ucc..you end up as a soldier on the front line..dealing with all the unfairness and underpayment...the masters in social work or social policy allows you to move higher up the chain...

allthough get this...the masters in social work is a 2 year course that costs nearly 8000 euro....allthough if you are accepted for the susi fees this will be paid...but its a professional based course where attendance is monitored and you spend the second half of the first year and the first half of the second year on placement which basically means 10 months..making it impossible to work part time to support yourself...

You also cannot get BTEA for a masters so you actually have no income to support yourself....taking into account that you have to be a mature student to do the level 8 degree in social work in the first in Ucc it makes it near impossible to attempt this 2 year intensive masters which in turn stunts peoples progression..makes sense doessnt it...i mean what mature student can afford not to have an income for 2 years

Just to add to this that in itself is what social policy is...tackling policy issues such as your predicament on the front line and trying to change or introduce new policy across all aspects of society from healthcare to childcare to planning etc...

owla

i dont know how my friend is managing... she still works part time and has a mortgage etc. i wish her the best... she loves the course though... probably the same as UCC...i think social care services are in a crises at the moment, the talk of HIQA is all great but our managers dont want to spend money on stafff... theory is fab and lots of staff on the day HIQA call... great!

auskid

Thats a bit of a joke if HIQUA dont get to see the realities of what is going on where you work...It makes no sense that a body that is put in place to create positive change isnt allowed to see what is really going on on the frontline..it must be very frustrating to see this first hand....this is one of the reasons i wouldnt like to get into social work id say it would make you tear your hair out at times dealing with the inner workings of the HSE