National Diploma in Groupwork Practice

The IGA Diploma in Groupwork Practice is a further one-year course building upon the Foundation Course in Group Analysis. This course offers an advanced introduction to the Group Analytic approach to general group work as it is currently practised in social, health care and educational settings. It is aimed towards the development and application of the theoretical knowledge, skills and techniques necessary to successfully facilitate a wide range of group work approaches.

Entry Requirements

• Completion of an IGA accredited Foundation Course, or equivalent

• A first degree or satisfactory completion of an assessed essay

• Block Courses require students to join a therapy group on the block weekend: this is included in the fees

• The IGA Diploma level is equivalent to a University Postgraduate Certificate (or the first year of a postgraduate Masters). Students on the London diploma will be expected to join the course experiential group (there is an extra fee for this) or to join a therapy group that is either in person or online for the duration of the diploma. For students intending to progress to the National Qualifying Course the personal therapy requirement is to be in a twice weekly therapy group for a minimum of 6 months prior to application. Prospective students who wish to be considered for entry on an IGA Diploma Course without having completed an IGA Foundation Course are invited to submit a written application.

Please see criteria below:

Applicant Guidance - Criteria for Prior Learning Admission - IGA Diploma CApplicant Guidan.

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National Criteria for Foundation Courses.pdf

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* Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course a student will be expected to be able to:

• Understand and critically evaluate a range of key group analytic concepts

• Compare and contrast the group analytic approach with other group approaches such as Bion's 'Tavistock Model' and Yalom

• Understand the processes of group development

• Understand a range of methods of evaluating groupwork efficacy

• Understand group process and dynamics from an experiential perspective

• Apply key group analytic concepts to a range of contexts

• Use reflective skills to understand parallel processes

• Understand the process of group supervision

Assessment Students are assessed through essays and work reflection group supervision reports. Students will be expected to keep a reflective diary for personal learning and assessment purposes. Students intending to become Group Work Practitioners and Associate Members of the IGA will also need to provide a satisfactory work place supervision report. ‘I have been generally impressed both by the level of essays and the precision and perceptiveness of the markers. …feedback is especially conscientious…’ - Barry Curnow External Examiner Diploma in Groupwork Practice, Director of Professional Business Engagement, University of Greenwich 2017 Progression This course is an essential component of further training leading to qualification as a Group Analyst, membership of the IGA and professional registration with UKCP. Group Work Practitioner Successful completion of this course, together with appropriate clinical experience can lead to the status of Group Work Practitioner and Associate Membership of the IGA. By conferring the status of Group Work Practitioner, the IGA recognises that graduates have demonstrated a high degree of competence in group work skills. This provides a beneficial addition to any existing clinical competences graduates may already possess. Group Work Practitioners have a good understanding of the theory and practice of group work at a level that is appropriate to conductors of a range of creative or educative groups, and to auxiliary workers for therapy groups. As Associate Members of the IGA, Group Work Practitioners will be bound by its Code of Practice. National Learning Experience (NLE) The National Learning Experience is an annual national event led by eminent group analysts, which includes a series of lectures and discussion seminars as well as opportunities for experiential learning. This event provides the opportunity for students from across the IGA trainings to develop their membership of the wider national IGA community. The location of the NLE rotates around the various IGA training centres. The NLE is an integral part of the National Diploma in GWP course. Fees for the NLE are included in course fees; however students will be responsible for travel and accommodation costs. * All learning outcomes are subject to change as part of our commitment to quality assurance and training development. Quotes from trainees: "I feel that I have grown enormously as a result of the course…I will be leaving a much more confident and well-rounded practitioner not only in terms of my practice with groups but also generally…" ‘In supervision I have gained …honest feedback and a huge amount of support. ‘I enjoy having the opportunity to bring one’s own reflections to the group in supervision and to get different perspectives on my experience…to expand one’s thinking through other’s experience.’ Having a supervisor who was well versed and knowledgeable about the challenges I faced as a Black trainee was immensely supportive. The National Learning Experience was fantastic…I was riveted… by the creative potential of the space….I loved meeting all the other diploma students from across the country and hearing something of their experiences of group work. I …really appreciated the input from my tutor as I was in the process of writing my essay. I found her guiding questions took me to a different level in my thinking, which ultimately helped me to make the essay a really useful learning experience.