GUIDANCE NOTES
STANDARD APPLICATION FORM (S38)
For those Commencing Practice as a Social Worker
in the Republic Of Ireland
Please note: All supporting documentation submitted with your application
must be certified copies of the original.
About these Guidance Notes
Please read the guidance notes before filling in the registration application form.
If there is anything you don’t understand after reading the Guidance Notes, please
contact us.
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Who should complete the Standard Application (S38) Form?
You should complete the Standard Application (S38) Form for registration if you are
commencing practice as a Social Worker in the Republic of Ireland for the first time and
if you hold:
An Approved Qualification in Social Work from a Republic of Ireland College:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
Master of Social Work, University College Cork
Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work Studies, University College Cork
Masters of Social Science (Social Work), University College Dublin
Graduate Diploma in Social Work, University College Dublin
Masters in Social Work, University of Dublin, Trinity College
Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work, University of Dublin, Trinity College
Masters in Social Work, National University of Ireland Galway
Bachelor of Social Work, University College Cork
Bachelor in Social Studies, University of Dublin, Trinity College.
A Qualification gained outside of the Republic of Ireland with
1) Letter of Recognition from the Social Workers Registration Board or
2) Letter of Accreditation from the National Social Work Qualifications Board
Please note there are two different application forms for different categories of
applicants:
 Transitional Application Form (S91) for Existing Practitioners
 Standard Application Form (S38) Application Form which is for anyone
commencing practice in the Republic of Ireland.
Important points to note
DO:
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Complete the form and submit it to CORU in hardcopy format only with all
required documents (i.e. certified copies* of proof documents).
If completing in your own handwriting, complete the form in black ink and block
capitals.
Mark boxes with an ‘X’.
Write dates in the form dd/mm/yyyy (day, month,year).
Make sure you fill in all sections of the application form and that you include
your payment. We will return incomplete applications and those without the
correct payment.
Answer all questions fully. If you need more space, please use the additional
information page at the end and reference the section and question number
you are elaborating on.
Make sure your Statutory Declaration is dated within six months of the date of
your application.
Tell us immediately about any matter likely to affect your registration application
and your ability to perform your professional duties.
Keep a copy of all the material you send to us.
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*Certified Copies: A Solicitor, Commissioner for Oaths, Peace Commissioner or
Notary Public must certify that the documents you submit are true copies of the
originals. This means that you will have to show the original documents to one of the
above.
DO NOT:
 Claim you are registered with the Social Workers Registration Board if you are
not.
 send original documents as we cannot return them;
 Make arrangements or incur any expenses which depend upon the approval of
your application by us. We will not accept liability for any loss or expense that
you experience;
 Staple any part of your application.
Please note:
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The Registration Board will not accept liability for any application form and
attachments that we return to you.
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The Registration Board will check all your documents and reserves the right to
seek confirmation or verification in relation to anything contained therein.
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The Registration Board may verify, or ask you to verify, any information in this
application form. We may also ask you to supply additional information and to
supply this information by means of a statutory declaration.
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We aim to acknowledge receipt of your application within 7 days. If you have
not heard from us within 7 days of sending in your application, please contact
us.
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SECTION 1. PERSONAL DETAILS
1.1
Which register: Please tick the box indicating that you are applying for
registration as a social worker.
1.5
Previous name(s):
If you have legally changed your name, for example,
following marriage, you must give us your previous name and a certified copy
of the relevant document (such as a marriage certificate). If you change your
name in the future, you must write and tell us.
1.7/1.8 Professional name: This is the name you normally use and are normally
known by in work. This is the name that will appear on your Certificate of
Registration and on the Register.
1.10
Birth certificate or adoption certificate: You must provide a legible,
certified, colour photocopy of your birth certificate or adoption certificate. If you
do not have a birth or adoption certificate, we may accept other appropriate
evidence but you will need to discuss this with us.
1.12
PPS Number: stands for Personal Public Service Number. Your PPS Number
is your unique reference number for all transactions with government
departments and other public bodies such as Revenue, the Health Services
Executive (HSE) and social welfare. If you do not have a PPS Number or
cannot find it, contact your local social welfare office. The PPS Number was
previously known as the (P)RSI Number. By law, we have the right to ask you
for this number.
1.13
Passport: You must provide a certified copy of the photo page of your passport.
1.17
Home address: We need your main home address so that we can write to
you. We will not publish your home address on the Register where the public
can see it. Please note that we will only correspond with you, not with an
agency. This is why you must provide a home address and not the address of
an agency. If you give an agency address, we will return your application.
1.19
Phone number: By providing your phone number you agree that we can
contact you by telephone.
1.20
Email address: By providing your email address, you agree that we can
contact you by email.
1.21
Work address: The work address you give us should be for your main place of
work. Members of the public will be able to see on our Register the county or
postal code in which you practise (for example, Tipperary or Dublin 9).
If you work in more than one location, you must give details on a separate
sheet. If you are not currently practising, you can leave this section blank and
contact us as soon as you are able to give us a work address.
Change of home or work address: If you change either your home or work
address during the application process or at any point in the future, you must
write or email and tell us. By law, you must inform us of any changes with
regard to these details.
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1.22
Language: The ability to communicate effectively in a language of the State is
critical to working effectively as a Social Worker in Ireland. Consequently,
(unless English or Irish is the first language) information about an applicant’s
ability to use English or Irish will be sought.
If English or Irish is not your first language, you are asked to provide one of the
following:
i. A copy of a qualification acquired in the English language.
ii. A copy of a qualification attesting knowledge in the English language.
iii. Evidence of previous professional experience or training in Ireland.
If you cannot provide any of items (i) to (iii) above then you may be required to
take a test of English language proficiency. Please contact us at info@coru.ie
for further information.
SECTION 2. QUALIFICATION(S)
Please include your qualifications in this section of the form.
There are different categories of qualification:
Social Workers Registration Board approved qualification
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
Master of Social Work, University College Cork
Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work Studies, University College Cork
Masters of Social Science (Social Work), University College Dublin
Graduate Diploma in Social Work, University College Dublin
Masters in Social Work, University of Dublin, Trinity College
Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work, University of Dublin, Trinity College
Masters in Social Work, National University of Ireland Galway
Bachelor of Social Work, University College Cork
Bachelor in Social Studies, University of Dublin, Trinity College.
Qualification gained outside of the Republic of Ireland with
1) Letter of Recognition from the Social Workers Registration Board
2) Letter of Accreditation from the National Social Work Qualifications Board
Schedule 3 Qualifications
If you hold either of the qualifications known as ‘Schedule 3 Qualifications’ and
are an existing practitioner please complete the Transitional Application (S91)
Form
1) National Qualification in Social Work (NQSW) awarded by the National Social
Work Qualifications Board
2) Certificate of Qualification in Social Work (CQSW) awarded by the Central
Council for Education and Training in Social Work, UK.
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SECTION 3. CAREER HISTORY SUMMARY
Career History: The details in this section are required and will be used to crosscheck information supplied during the Garda vetting process.
Please give brief details of your entire working career since leaving school, including
work outside of your profession. Contact person means your line manager or another
relevant person whom we can contact in relation to this employment. Reasons for
leaving may include career advancement, career change, termination, and so on.
SECTION 4. FIT AND PROPER
Health and Character: By law, before your name can be entered on the Register for
your profession, you must satisfy the Registration Board that you are a fit and proper
person to engage in the practice of the profession. This includes showing that you are
of good character and of good mental and physical health.
If you have a physical or mental health condition that may affect the practice of your
profession you must give full details here. Answering ‘yes’ to any of the questions
does not necessarily make you ineligible for registration. However, failure to give us
relevant and accurate information will affect your application for registration.
Garda vetting: Garda vetting is a requirement of registration. Within current disclosure
policy, details of all convictions and/or prosecutions, successful or not, pending or
completed, in the State or elsewhere as the case may be, are disclosed to the person
in CORU who is authorised by the Gardaí, known as the Authorised Signatory. Fixed
charge offences such as Parking, TV Licence and any others which resulted in
prosecution or conviction, need not be declared, but will be disclosed through Garda
Vetting.
You are required to complete a CORU Garda Vetting Form and submit it with your
Application Form. You are required to complete a CORU Garda Vetting Form and
submit it with your Application Form. The Garda Vetting form and guidelines are
available from the website www.coru.ie.
Certificate of Criminal Clearance: If you have lived abroad for 6 months or longer
after the age of 18, (working or not), you must provide an original or certified copy of
a Certificate of Criminal Clearance (to be obtained from the local police authority) for
each country where you have lived for six months or longer with your application. If
you are unable to secure these documents, please contact us.
SECTION 5. STATUTORY DECLARATION
Statutory declaration. A statutory declaration is a declaration of knowledge,
circumstance and fact, made on oath in a prescribed manner before a Solicitor with a
Practising Certificate, Commissioner for Oaths, Peace Commissioner or a Notary
Public.
A statutory declaration has the same effect as an affidavit. Your Statutory Declaration
must be dated within six months of the date of your application.
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Please note that we will not process your application if you have not signed this
declaration in the presence of a Solicitor, Commissioner for Oaths, Peace
Commissioner or Notary Public. You should make sure that you fully understand the
declaration before signing it. It is illegal to try and get your name entered on the
Register by fraud. If you do this, you may be prosecuted.
Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics. Each Registration Board has a Code of
Professional Conduct and Ethics which applies to the profession. All registrants must
adhere to the code for their profession. Therefore all applicants must declare that they
have read, understood and will comply with the Code of Professional Conduct and
Ethics for their profession, as part of the Statutory Declaration.
SECTION 6. FEES
5.1
Registration Application fee: The registration application fee is a one-off, nonrefundable payment. We cannot process your application for registration
without this payment. This fee also covers your registration up until the next
renewal date which is the following 31st May.
5.2
If you are a new graduate: If you hold an approved qualification as described
in page 2 of these notes and apply for registration within two years of
graduation, you are entitled to a reduced application fee of €100.
Annual retention fee: This annual retention fee must be paid it in full by 31st May each
year, the renewal date for all social workers. The fee is due by 31st May, regardless of
the date when you first applied to the register.
Methods of payment
We accept the following methods of payment:
 Postal Order (in euro, made out to CORU)
 Bank Draft (in euro, made out to CORU)
 Electronic Funds Transfer (Bank details can be found in the
Application Form.
We do not accept cash or cheques.
Certified copies. A Solicitor, Commissioner for Oaths, Peace Commissioner or Notary
Public must certify that the documents you submit are true copies of the originals. This
means that you will have to show the original documents to one of the above. In the
case of a qualification certificate, the principal (or someone authorised by the principal)
of the university or educational institute that granted the qualification may certify the
document as a true copy of the original.
Translation of documents. You must submit certified copies of all documents in
English or Irish. If the documents are in other languages, you must submit certified
copies of an English language translation which has been issued and officially
stamped by an official translator. You must include the name and address of the
translator so that we can verify the translation. (Contact your Embassy or Consulate for
names and contact details of official translators for your language).
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Agencies – Please note that we will only correspond with you, not with an agency.
This is why you must provide a home address and not the address of an agency. If you
give an agency address, we will return your application.
SECTION 7. SENDING IN YOUR APPLICATION
The Checklist
Please go through the checklist to make sure that you have included all the support
documents and signed all declarations that we need.
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Fill in all sections of the application form. We will return incomplete applications.
Send all the support documents we need.
Do not send original documents unless we ask for them. Instead, please send
certified copies of documents.
Make sure you enclose the correct fee. We will not process your application
without the fee.
Send your application to:
The Registrar
CORU
13-15, The Mall,
Beacon Court,
Bracken Road,
Sandyford, Dublin 18.
Photographic identification. You must provide two certified passport size
photographs.
The photographs must:
 Be identical;
 Be no more than six months old;
 Be at least 35mm x 45mm in size and no more than 38mm x 50mm; and should
 Show a close up of your face and the top of your shoulders.
Please write your name and date of birth on the back of both photographs. This will
help us match your photograph to your application if they become separated.
What happens next?
Once we receive your application, we will check to see if you have included all the
documents we need as well as the fee. If anything is missing, we will send your
application back to you. When we have all the documents and the correct fee, we will
send your application to the Registration Board. The Board may ask for more
information from you or may ask you to clarify some information. Once the Board is
satisfied that you have met the criteria, your application is formally approved and you
will be issued a Certificate of Registration and your name will be entered on the
Register for your profession.
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Data protection
Data protection laws safeguard your privacy in relation to the processing of your
personal information. These laws give you rights and place responsibilities on the
people and organisations that process your personal data. Under data protection laws,
the Registration Board must:
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keep your personal information private and secure at all times;
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make sure the information we hold about you is accurate, complete and up-todate*;
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hold only the information we need about you – not too much information – and
only for as long as we need it;
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allow only the Health and Social Care Professionals Council, the relevant
Registration Board and its staff and authorised personnel to access your
information so that they can carry out their work under the Health and Social
Care Professionals Act, 2005.
* By law, you must tell us of any changes in your details so that we can update
the information we hold on you.
If you need a copy of the personal information that we hold about you, please write to
the CORU Data Controller and ask for it. You must pay a standard fee of €6.35. If you
are not happy with how we use your details, you should write to the Registrar of the
relevant Registration Board. The Registrar will look into your concerns and write back
to you. If you are still not satisfied, you can contact the Office of the Data Protection
Commissioner, Canal House, Station Road, Portarlington, Co. Laois, Ireland.