Social Work

The Medical Social Work Department has been in place in St. Vincent’s Private Hospital for over 40 years.

Currently the Social Work Department consists of a senior social worker and two senior social work practitioners.

The Social Work Department in St. Vincent’s Private Hospital offers a service to all patients and families within the hospital. We accept referrals from patients and families themselves, as well as all members of the multi-disciplinary team, and community service professionals.

What is social work?

Social work is the professional activity of assisting and empowering individuals, groups and communities. We do this by enhancing and restoring a person’s capacity for social functioning.

The practice of social work consists of the professional application of social work values, principles and techniques, and requires knowledge of human development and behaviour, as well as social, economic and cultural factors.

Social work is about working with people and seeing the whole person in the context of their current circumstances. Social workers respond to both crises and emergencies as well as to everyday personal and social problems.

Social workers use a variety of skills, techniques and activities to assist individuals in making and sustaining positive change.

Social work in a medical setting

Medical social workers recognise that illness and admission to hospital may have a direct impact on the psychological, social, and emotional well-being of the individual and his/her family.

The role of the medical social worker is to assist patients and families to resolve any difficulties that impact on their ability to cope with their illness. This can mean working directly with patients and/or their families and advocating on their behalf with relevant parties. Medical social workers also facilitate discharge from hospital and liaise with members of community services, both statutory and voluntary, to arrange services and supports, where possible, for patients.

Our role within the multi-disciplinary team:

Psychosocial assessments – assessment of a person’s problem solving, coping, emotional and developmental capacities in the context of their social and environmental circumstances.
Care and discharge Planning
Providing information regarding support services available to patients and their families.
Liaising with members of the multi-disciplinary team
Working with families or carers and facilitating family meetings
Crisis intervention
Liaising with statutory and voluntary services regarding patients and their families or carers
Mediation and advocacy for patients and relatives.
Supportive intervention and adjustment to illness
Individual/group therapeutic work/counselling
Assessing child protection/elder abuse / domestic violence concerns and referring on as appropriate.

Appointment and Referral information

Our Social Work Department is located on the first floor of St. Vincent’s Private Hospital between Consultants Suites 11 and 12. Our office hours are 08.00 until 17.00.

Medical Social Work Department
St. Vincent’s Private Hospital
Merrion Rd
Dublin 4

For further information, please contact our team on:
(01)-260 9214/ (01)-263 8929/ (01)-263 8876