Social Work and Community Development

About Social Work and Community Development

Social workers help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives. Social workers also help people develop their skills and their ability to use their own resources and those of the community to resolve problems.Clinical social workers also diagnose and treat mental, behavioral, and emotional issues.

This diploma in social work and community development equips students with social work skills to engage with individuals, families, groups and communities in an effort to enhance social functioning and overall well-being of the people. Graduates will be able to apply social sciences, such as sociology, psychology, political science, public health, community development, law, and economics, to engage with various stakeholders in order to develop interventions that solve social and personal problems; and create social change.

Social workers are unique in the way that they look at many different aspects of a problem, from the individual to the societal, from the psychological to the political. Common ways of serving clients include providing counseling, therapy and education, as well as connecting clients to appropriate public or private resources.

Social workers typically do the following:

• Identify people and communities in need of help
• Assess clients' needs, situations, strengths, and support networks to determine their goals
• Help clients adjust to changes and challenges in their lives, such as illness, divorce, or unemployment
• Research, refer and advocate for community resources, such as food stamps, childcare, and healthcare to assist and improve a client's well-being
• Respond to crisis situations such as child abuse and mental health emergencies
• Follow up with clients to ensure that their situations have improved
• Maintain case files and records
• Develop and evaluate programs and services to ensure that basic client needs are met
• Provide psychotherapy services

Career options include:

• Clinical social work
• Mental health social worker
• Social work administrator
• Child welfare
• Community Based Organizations

Entry requirements for Social Work and Community Development

The minimum entry requirements for the diploma in social work and community development course are:-

• Pass in relevant Craft Course, or;
• KCSE Mean Grade C- (Minus), or;
• Equivalent qualification approved by KNEC

Objectives of Social Work and Community Development

This diploma in social work and community development equips students with social work skills to engage with individuals, families, groups and communities in an effort to enhance social functioning and overall well-being of the people.

Upon completion of the diploma in social work and community development course, the graduate will have acquired knowledge, skills and abilities to be able to:

• Use development knowledge skills and abilities attained to support Development organizations control principles and procedures;
• Describe development concepts, principles and procedures in development organisations
• Select and apply development paradigms in appropriate development situations;
• Apply various development skills to solve problems in various economics, political and social areas
• Engage in an effective way in community development and more or so within the counties.
• Develop, implement and evaluate program to eradicate poverty and inequality in communities
• Asses the effect of their facilitation and empowering management skills in the holistic context of community development.

Social Work and Community Development - Programme

Module I

• Social Work Theory and Practice
• Introduction to Community Development
• Development Economics
• Entrepreneurship Studies
• Community Capacity Building and Empowerment
• Information Communication Technology
• Community-Based Organizations
• Communication Skills
• Life skills

 Module II

• Legal Aspects in Social Development Work
• Resource Mobilization and Fundraising
• Project Management
• Advocacy and  Lobbying
• HIV/AIDS and other Pandemics
• Statistics
• Resource Management

 Module III

• Disaster Management
• Social Psychology and Human Development
• Social Rehabilitation and Reintegration
• Social Policy and Administration
• Social Research Project
• Community Leadership
• Introduction to Counseling Psychology
• Transformation and Social Marketing
• Community Development Methodologies
• Management of Community Concerns
• Gender and Development