Program Overview

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The Postgraduate Diploma in Palliative Care was developed to provide a way to address the training needs of social workers involved in delivering care to people living with life-limiting or life-threatening illness and supporting informal caregivers both pre and post bereavement.

This course will be of interest to qualified social workers who are either working in generalist or specialist palliative care with adults. It may also be of interest to social workers learning or physical disability with adults, primary care, mental health, community mental health team for older people, older peoples’ services, hospital social work posts or hard to reach populations (i.e. prison service, homelessness or addiction services) or who have people with palliative care needs on their caseload.

Online delivery will enable social workers across different countries, service user groups and settings, to apply.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Palliative Care is aligned to the Specialist Award in Social Work via the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC), meeting all nine requirements.

This programme will not be suitable for sponsored visa students to attend. It is an online part time programme and international students may study this in their home countries.

The programme will be open for application every two years, commencing in September 2023.

Closing date: Friday 16th June 2023 at 4pm.

Palliative Care highlights

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Professional Accreditations

The Diploma is aligned to the Specialist Award in Social Work via the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC).

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Internationally Renowned Experts

Given the complex nature of palliative care and the range of topics to be covered in the modules, specialists within certain fields will contribute to the delivery of teaching. In addition, existing social workers from other countries will contribute to the teaching, to promote the international diversity of social work.

SSESW academic staff with expertise in Systemic Practice and CBT will provide their specialist expertise on assessments and interventions. Staff from the School of Nursing and Midwifery, with specialist expertise in palliative care, will be invited to contribute to teaching on Principles of Palliative care on multi-disciplinary team working, and staff from Queen’s Management School will also deliver specialist teaching on leadership.

“Through experiential learning, the online Postgraduate Diploma in Palliative Care Social Work will develop and enhance practitioner confidence and skills in the complex areas of living with life-limiting or chronic illness (malignant and non-malignant), attachment, loss and grief. This course has been developed specificially for social workers who are working with people who have palliative care needs, regardless of service user group or setting (i.e. children’s disability, physical or learning disability, primary care, addictions, mental health, prisons, homelessness, dementia care, integrated care teams, hospital, or specialist palliative care teams.”

Professor Audrey Roulston, Programme Director

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