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Whilst in employment, social workers need to continue learning and broadening their skills. A post-qualifying framework has been developed that allows the continuing professional development of social workers to be structured and formally recognised.

There are a number of specialist qualifications available at post-qualifying level and these include training to be an approved social worker (a social worker who specialises in mental health), mental health officer, inspector of care services, child care worker or practice teacher. For more information on PQ awards, please contact the PQ consortium nearest to you (see section on list of PQ awards below).

Courses in relevant social work currently approved by the General Social Care Council for the purpose of application to register for social workers

• Certificate in Child Care or Home Office Letter of Recognition in Child Care: Issued by the Home Office Central Training Council in Child Care (CTC) from 1947 until 1971.
• Certificate in Social Work: Issued by the Council for Training in Social Work from 1962-1971.
• Probation Certificate or satisfactory completion of courses recognised by the Recruitment and Training Committee: Issued/recognised by the Recruitment and Training Committee: Issued/recognised by the Recruitment and Training Committee of the Advisory Council for Probation and After Care until 1971.
• Certificate or satisfactory completion of courses recognised by the Institute of Medical Social Workers (previously the Institute of Almoners): These lead to eligibility for registration of an Associate of the Institute (AIMA or AMIA). Records held by the British Association of Social Workers.
• Satisfactory completion of courses recognised by the Association of Psychiatric Social Workers: These lead to eligibility for membership of the Association (AAPSW). Records held by the British Association of Social Workers (BASW).
• Certificate of Qualification in Social Work (CQSW): Awarded by CCETSW with a first intake in 1971. last intake was 1994/95 when it was replaced by the Diploma in Social Work (DipSW).
• Letter of Comparability to the CQSW: issued by CCETSW to social workers trained outside the United Kingdom, to indicate that a specific qualification gained outside the United Kingdom was comparable to the CQSW for the purposes of employment. Last issued in 1990.
• Certificate in Social Services (CSS): Awarded by CCETSW with a first intake in 1975. Last intake was in 1994/95 when it was replaced by the Diploma in Social Work (DipSW).
• Diploma in Social Work (DipSW): Awarded by CCETSW and GCC/CCW/NISCC/SSSC. First approved in 1989. First awards were issued in December 1991. The DipSW replaced CQSW and CSS as the professional qualification in social work.
• Courses leading to a degree in social work approved by the GSCC, CCW, NISCC or SSSC.
• A qualification gained outside England that the GSCC recognises, for the purpose of registration, as equivalent to those gained through GSCC-approved training in England. The GSCC may establish separate equivalency procedures for qualifications gained in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, in the European Economic Area, and in other parts of the world.

Further information

The Department of Health and the General Social Care Council provide information services on all aspects of social work and social care training. They can be contacted at the following addresses:

Department of Health
Richmond House
79 Whitehall
London SW1A 2NS
Tel: 0845 604 6404
Email: dhmail@doh.gsi.gov.uk
www.socialworkcareers.co.uk

General Social Care Council
Goldings House
2 Hays Lane
London SE1 2HB
Tel: 020 7397 5800
Email: info@gscc.org.uk

GSCC approved post-qualifying consortia

Advance PQ consortium
University of Hertfordshire
Social Work Division
Meridian House
32-36 The Common
Hatfield
Hertfordshire
AL10 0NZ
Tel: 01707 285 875
Fax: 01707 285 814
Email: k.chamberlaine@herts.ac.uk

East Anglian PQ consortium
c/o Staff Development
Essex Social Services Department
Eckard House, Easton Road
Witham
Essex
CM8 2DW
Tel: 01376 536 181
Fax: 01376 536 159
Email: joan.sears@essexcc.gov.uk

East Midlands PQ consortium
De Montfort University
c/o Department of Social & Community Studies
Scraptoft Campus

Church Hill, Scraptoft
Leicester
LE7 9SU
Tel: 0116 255 1551 ext 8806
Fax: 0116 257  7806
Email: jnicholls@dmu.ac.uk

East Pennine PQ consortium
13 Wentworth Park Rise
Darrington
Pontefract
West Yorkshire
WF8 3AU
Tel: 01977 793 944
Fax: 01977 793 740
Email: kdouglas@eppg.org.uk

Far South West PQ consortium
Social Services Staff Development Team
College of St. Mark & St. John
Derriford Road
Plymouth
PL6 8BH
Tel: 01752 776 434
Fax: 01752 783 887
Email: hdonnellan@nascr.net

Greater London PQ consortium
Lower Ground Floor West
1-3 Dufferin Street
London
EC1Y 8NA
Tel: 020 7588 9898
Fax: 020 7588 9696
Email: glpq@care4free.net

Greater Manchester PQ consortium
Staff Development & Training Section
Salford City Council Social Services Department
Chaseley Fields
Chaseley Road
Salford
M6 7DZ
Tel: 0161 736 3854
Fax: 0161 743 0979
Email: geraldine.beale@gmpg.fsnet.co.uk

Kent PQ consortium
c/o Social Work Department
Canterbury Christchurch College
Canterbury
Kent
CT1 1QU
Tel: 01227 782 298
Fax: 01227 782 840
Email: mac10@cant.ac.uk

Lakes and West Pennines PQ consortium
c/o St. Martin College Continuing Development Unit
Room A15
Ashton Road
Lancaster LA1 1QU
Tel: 01524 594 105
Fax: 01524 593 699
Email: lwp@ucsm.ac.uk

Merseyside PQ consortium
Cottage 1
Newhall Campus
Longmoor Lane
Liverpool
L10 1LD
Tel: 0151 523 0217
Fax: 0151 523 0218
Email: mpqc@merseyside15.freeserve.co.uk

North East PQ consortium
Durham Social Services Department
Room 101
County Hall
Durham
DH1 5UG
Tel: 0191 383 4301
Fax: 0191 383 3327
nepqwjm@community-care.net

Surrey and Sussex PQ consortium
University College Chichester
Bishop Otter Campus
College Lane
Chichester
West Sussex
PO19 4PE
Tel: 01243 816 292/3
Fax: 01243 539 859
Email: c.osborne-brown@ucc.ac.uk

SYNEM PQ consortium
Rooms 500-503
33 Collegiate Crescent
Collegiate Crescent Campus
Sheffield
S10 2BP
Tel: 0114 225 2412 (admin)
Tel: 0114 225 4415 (direct)
Email: e.flynn@shu.ac.uk

Thames Valley PQ consortium
Buckingham Chilterns University College
Owen Harris Building
Queen Alexandra Road
High Wycombe
Buckinghamshire
HP11 2JZ
Tel: 01494 603 188
Fax: 01494 461 704
Email: david.dawkins@bcuc.ac.uk

Top South West PQ consortium
Horner Court
637 Gloucester Road
Horfield
Bristol BS7 0BJ
Tel/Fax: 0117 952 3233
Email: topswgq@compuserve.com

Wessex PQ consortium
King Alfred's College of HE
Sparkford Road
Winchester
Hampshire
SO22 4NR
Tel: 01962 827 484
Fax: 01962 827 402
Email: r.poulton@wkac.ac.uk

West Midlands Regional PQ consortium
Students Guild
Aston University
Birmingham
B4 7ES
Tel: 0121 359 0582
Fax: 0121 359 0585
Email: wmrpqc@yahoo.co.uk