ASSESSMENT AS A WELFARE WORKER
FOR OVERSEAS QUALIFIED APPLICANTS
This document
accompanies and modifies the Application for Assessment of Social Work
and Welfare Work Qualifications – Form 1182 SWNR (and the Form 1183 WR) which
should either be included in this package or available from the website, etc.
The modifications are:
a) The two different pathways to assessment as a welfare worker
have now been labelled A & B, and the second Pathway (B) was changed on
The new criteria are outlined under “Two Pathways to Welfare
Work Suitability” below.
b) For applicants with qualifications equivalent to an Australian
welfare work course, the full details specified in the Form 1182 (or 1183) are
not required. See details below.
c) A
new email address:
Before applying for skills assessment as
a “welfare worker” you are urged to thoroughly consult the Skilled Occupation
List within the “General Skilled Migration” booklet, available from Australian
Embassies and from the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs
(DIMA) in
Generic
welfare work is similar to social work as practised
in
Generic
welfare work can be applied to a
variety of specialised categories of
people, such as the aged, disabled, youth, addicts, homeless, etc., and those
in poverty or other form of disadvantage. But generic welfare work is not concentrated upon only one of these
`methods’ or specialised categories. This means that welfare workers in
The required ability (generic skills and knowledge) may be acquired
either by completing a professional vocational course in welfare work (Pathway
A), or by a combination of an Other
Relevant Qualification and professional experience, as confirmed by also having
attained the AIWCW
Core Competencies (Pathway B). These Core Competencies include the ability to
use the `methods’ and values mentioned above and applicants using Pathway B
will need to provide extensive evidence that the Competencies have been
attained. Details of the two Pathways now follow:
TWO PATHWAYS TO WELFARE WORK
SUITABILITY
A. Graduates of a course
which is equivalent to one with AIWCW Basic Approval are assessed as suitable
as a welfare worker in
1. Be
at least equivalent to an Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) Diploma, and
2.
Have
a curriculum which includes study of:
a)
generic welfare work or social work, including
work with individuals (casework and counselling), and
with groups and communities;
b)
society
and sociology, including community, and social and political structure and
function;
c)
individual
human structure and function, including introductory psychology;
d)
general
and specialised welfare services and welfare systems, and including welfare
agency management and policy; and
e)
research
and evaluation
3. Include
at least 400 hours of professionally supervised fieldwork, in two separate
placements AND EITHER
4. a) At least 52 weeks of full-time study over two
calendar years OR
b) At least 1000 hours of class contact.
If
you are reasonably sure your qualification matches these criteria, you need not
enclose details of work experience; you will rely only on Pathway A instead.
Full details of the course must be attached, however, unless you use a “Recognised Courses” Application - see
below.
B Graduates
with (1) an Other Relevant Qualification
(ORQ), and (2) who have at
least three years of relevant
professional experience and
averaging at least 30 hours per week, during the ten years prior to the
application, and (3) who have satisfied the AIWCW Core Competencies Requirements.
These
requirements involve an extensive application process and evidence guide, the
details of which are outlined in the separate document AIWCW Core Competencies
Requirements for Overseas Qualified Applicants. If you wish to use Pathway
B and this Core Competencies document is not enclosed, please contact the
National Office for a copy or see the website. – www.aiwcw.org.au
(1) An Other Relevant Qualification (ORQ) will be at least equivalent to
an Australian Qualification Framework Diploma which has a curriculum relevant
to a closely related occupation, such as work with disabled, youth, the aged,
nursing, physiotherapy etc; OR which is equivalent to at least a bachelor degree
with a major in psychology or sociology, or some similar social science
discipline.
(2) “Relevant professional experience” can be paid or voluntary, but the
latter must be adequately supervised by a professional person, whose name and
qualifications should be supplied. The experience must total at least an
average of 30 hours per week. It may be in an Other Relevant Occupation, such
as psychologist, nurse, community worker, social policy analyst or planner, or
residential care worker (e.g).
(3) The 7 Core Competencies are summarised thus:
1. Practice in an ethical
and professional manner; 2. Communicate appropriately; 3. Assess plans, projects
and work with clients; 4. Implement programs, projects, and work with clients;
5. Manage, plan and organise, both autonomously and as part of a team; 6. Use
personal attributes appropriately; 7. Use awareness of societal structures and
systems in work with clients.
Evidence of ability to work with individuals, groups, and communities as “clients” is required, although you might not
have extensive experience in all of this work.
Based upon our
experience of many assessments in the past, the following cautions and
concessions are offered to prospective applicants:
Many
applicants from Asian and African countries are very experienced in
working with communities, and some have very senior positions involving policy
development, management of large programs, and/or research, but if they do not
also have some experience, ability (or qualifications) in helping with
individual problems as counsellors, they are probably
not suitable as welfare workers in
Some
applicants, especially from
Many
applicants from the European continent (such as Germany and the
Netherlands) have qualifications or experience in “social pedagogy” involving
work which is educational in focus and dealing with people with disabilities or
those in conflict with society. This does not usually correspond directly with
welfare work as practised in
Applicants
with certain qualifications from (only) the following countries may use the Recognised
Course Format, which allows a great reduction in required documentation.
Notwithstanding the instructions on the form SWRN 1182 (and 1183), such
applicants need only supply the following for Skills Assessment, with respect
to qualifications and experience:
1.
Certified
copy of social work (or welfare work) qualification
2.
Certified
copy of transcript of final results
3.
Details
of all field work placements, as outlined on the Application Form (1182 or
1183)
4.
Details
(but not evidence) of other qualifications and work experience, as outlined on
the Application Form 1182 at Questions 16 and 21 (or 1183 at Questions 14 &
19).
Apart from
Certified copies of your qualification and transcript of results, no other documentation regarding
qualifications or experience need be supplied – you can ignore Items 3 and 7 in
the list of “Documents you should include” on page 2 of the Instructions to the
forms. You may still need to supply other documentation required, such as
evidence of change of name and registration (where applicable).
In rare
circumstances, additional material will be requested from applicants, but
experience has shown that such applications can generally be assessed on the
basis of coursework alone. There can be no reduction in fee for such
applications, however.
AUS Applicants with an AIWCW Approved Australian
welfare work qualification.
UK Applicants with a social
work qualification from the United Kingdom who have at least a Diploma
in Social Work (or
earlier, the Certificate Qualification in Social Work) studied full time over
at least a two year period, with at least 400 hours of supervised field
education, and recognised by the Central Council for Education and Training in
Social Work (CCETSW) as a qualifying training for social work.
USA Applicants with a Bachelor
of Social Work degree from recognised universities in the CAN
HK Applicants
with a Diploma or Bachelor Degree in Social Work from the following educational
institutions in
Those with social work qualifications from other
Hong Kong Universities may also use the Recognised Course Format, but more
details may be required later.
PH Applicants
with a 4 year (full time) Bachelor of Social Work degree from the
You should thoroughly
check the details of what is
required before answering Yes to these questions.
Q
1 Do you have a diploma or degree in social work. Answer “Yes”
only if the
qualification is specifically in “social work” and involves full time study of at
least 2 years duration, with at least
400 hours of field work. Yes/
No
Yes / No
If
yes, you might consider a “Recognised Course Application” – see above.
Q 3 Do you have a social work qualification of
at least 4 years (full time) duration? Yes/No
If you answered Yes, you might be eligible for
assessment as a “Social Worker” in
If you answered No to Q. 1;
Q
4 Do you have another qualification or combination of
qualifications which is likely to be equivalent to a generic welfare
work course? Yes/ No
If
yes, you might still qualify under Pathway A, but full details of all courses
must be supplied.
If you answered No to Q. 1 & 4 – that is, you do not have a welfare or social work qualification.
Q
5 Do you have an Other Relevant Qualification likely to be
recognised by AIWCW
If Yes, go to
Q. 6 ` If No, see # below. Yes/ No
Q
6 Do you have at least three years of professional experience
within the past 10 years? If Yes , go to Q. 7 If No, see # below Yes/ No
Q
7 Has this been full time, or nearly
full time (at least 30 hours per week)?
If
Yes, go to Q. 8 or 10 If
No, see # below Yes/ No
Q
8 If all or part of your 3 years of experience has been
voluntary (without wages or other payment), has it been adequately supervised
by a professionally qualified person?
If Yes, go to Q. 9 If
No, see # below Yes/ No/ Not Applicable
Q 9 If so, have you supplied details of
supervisor(s)’ names and qualifications?
If Yes, go to Q.10 If No, please supply details Yes/ No/ Not Applicable
Q
10 Have you examined the 39 Elements of Competency outlined in
the document AIWCW Core Competencies
Requirements and determined that you can substantially fulfill the
requirements for the 33 Essential Elements, and 2 out of 6 Desirable ones?
Yes
/ No / Unsure
If
unsure, you might contact AIWCW for further limited guidance. If No, see #
below.
Q
11 If you answered Yes to Q 10, have you completed the
Competency Assessment requirements, and attached full answers for each Element,
including supporting documentation? Yes/ No
If you have answered Yes to all the relevant questions, you are ready to send
your application. But also consult the Checklist on the Application Form.
# If you answered No to Question 1 and 4, AND any of Questions 5, 6,
7 or 10, you are unlikely to be assessed as suitable as a welfare worker in
ENQUIRIES AND CONTACT:
The Australian
Institute of Welfare & Community Workers Inc.,
Email: