Applied Social Studies in Social Care – BA

The module will help students develop their academic skills and a sense of autonomy in order to thrive in the third-level academic environment and beyond.

The module provides students with the awareness of the importance of the self when working with colleagues and service users. It explores the nature and principles of groups and group work and develops confidence in building effective working relationships with individuals and groups.

This module will introduce students to Social Care and to the historical context, key concepts of the domains of knowledge, regulatory requirements, legislative, ethical and practice boundaries of the profession which are relevant to the social care profession.

It will help students to develop an awareness of and be able to take responsibility for managing their own workload, one’s own health and well being, be able to engage in and take responsibility for professional development.

This module introduces the discipline of Sociology, its origins and development, key sociological concepts and approaches, the major theorists and theoretical perspectives, in order to facilitate the development of the sociological imagination, and a world view relevant to areas of social care practice.

The purpose of this module is to introduce social care students to the sources of Irish law, to explain to students the structure and practice of the administration of law in Ireland and to enable students to apply legal concepts and legal reasoning to a range of issues confronted in social care practice, with particular reference to personal constitutional rights, child protection and civil liability.

The module will provide students with an opportunity to study neurodiversity with a specific focus on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The module will equip students with an appreciation and understanding of the varied and complex causal/risk factors of developmental difference. The module will enable students to evaluate the effectiveness/efficacy of various interventions and educational supports based on research evidence. It will equip students with the basic knowledge required to understand the neurodiversity and developmental difference in childhood.

This module will introduce students to the concept of development, key issues and themes pertaining to childhood and adolescence. Theories and perspectives on child and adolescent psychological development relating to the individual’s social and emotional development will be explored. Students will examine how the context of the family affects child and adolescent development, well-being and identity. Central to the theoretical knowledge delivered in lectures will be its practical application to the field of Social Care Practice.

This module further develops student’s awareness of social care environments. It promotes a resilient, strength-led approach to social care environments and encourages students to acquire a theoretical frame of understanding. It introduces students to Children First 2017 including definitions and indicators of abuse, safe practice, mandatory reporting procedures and dealing with disclosure and report writing.

The module provides students with an understanding of the concepts, values and core skills underpinning approaches to working for and with people with disabilities.

The purpose of this module is to familiarise social care students with the sources, concepts and regulatory framework of Irish family law and of human rights law. Specifically, the module aims to explain the law relating to families, cohabitants and children and to introduce students to the fundamentals of international human rights law.

Interactional Approaches to for Social Care 1.2 – 5 credits

The module aims to:

• provide experiential opportunities to gain specialist knowledge of the various forms of creative art and to explore and develop the student’s own creativity with reference to creativity theory,
• provide the student with an introduction to creative drama and movement and its use in social care settings through theory, practicals and self-reflection.

This module aims to introduce the student to the key principles and practices in the social care setting. It focuses on programme planning, relationship building and behaviour that challenges in practice.

The purpose of this module is to develop social care students’ understanding of the international and domestic law pertaining to children. It incorporates an examination of Ireland’s international legal obligations in this area arising under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and related international instruments, as well as examination of the Irish Constitution and the domestic legislative framework.

The module will provide students with an opportunity to explore the main features of a range of psychological problems, how psychological dysfunction occurs and the treatments and therapies available for successful management. The module addresses recent changes in approaches to mental health. These changes include the shift from a biologically dominated conception of mental distress to a biopsychosocial approach and the move from expert-led care to recovery orientated, partnership-based support. This module will equip students with the knowledge and understanding required for working with service users in mental and emotional distress.

The aim of this module is to prepare the student for the first practice placement in a Social Care settings.

This module provides a thorough knowledge of the principles and practices of modern management. It addresses the science of management in social care contexts, the exercise of appropriate judgement, and an awareness of ‘good practice’ in managerial and supervisory contexts.

Art – The Interactional Approaches to Art module offers learners an opportunity to develop safe practice based on creative and recreational knowledge, abilities and teamwork based facilitation skills.

Drama – Delivered through a series of workshops, lectures and practical skills demonstrations, the module aims to facilitate the student in developing the skills needed to apply the creative arts (Drama and on a minor level recreation) in social care situations. Drawing on various forms of drama and drama therapy, the student will learn to analyse and critique drama as a form of therapy in the social care context.

Recreation – Through research and assessing needs for practical participation and reflective work, it will provide the learner with knowledge and confidence to assess, plan, develop and deliver a recreation programme to mainstream and special needs groups in a safe environment. It will enable the learner to investigate and interpret the beneficial role physical activity, recreation and creative activities can have in the social care environment, through both theory and practice. It will also develop the students’ ability with regard to modifying these activities to facilitate engagement by a variety of populations.

This module is experiential in nature, and provides students with opportunities to develop therapeutic and counselling skills which will enable them to work more effectively and professionally with service users in social care practice. The module requires students to reflect on their practice of using these skills, while obtaining in-class peer and lecturer feedback. Students will be introduced to the person-centred approach as a model that enhances relationship-building between the social care worker and service user/client.

This modue aims to provide students with the knowledge and skills to work with and for people with disabilities across the lifespan using empowering person-centred and rights based approaches in their practice.

The purpose of this module is to familiarise students with the circumstances in which Social Care Professionals may be subject to liability in their professional capacity. It will address matters including professional liability, regulation and compliance, employment law, data protection law and whistleblowing legislation.

The aim of this module is to provide the student with an opportunity to practice in a social care setting to develop their skills, knowledge and competencies for professional practice. The placement will facilitate the link between theory and practice.

The aim of this module is to encourage students to apply critical thinking, reflective practice and problem-solving skills, within their supervisory and practice-based learning. To explore both evidence-based practice & interprofessional/inter-agency collaborative practice, in determining appropriate assessments. The module also aims to demonstrate how students can develop their individual professional identity, through Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

The aim of this module is to develop the student’s knowledge, understanding and application of the research process to enhance the evidence base of social care practice. The module introduces students to: research methodologies relevant to the field of social care; qualitative and quantitative techniques; ethical issues in research; research design; data analysis and doing research with vulnerable groups.

Art – To further develop students understanding of how creative art and recreational approaches can be used safely in social care, through active creative and recreational facilitation, creative skills development, and creative theory.

Drama – Delivered through a series of workshops, lectures and practical skills demonstrations, in this module the student will build on facilitation skills in a group work session. The student along with their peers will create and implement a drama workshop facilitating an external group from a social care context.

Recreation – Students will develop a greater understanding of the role of recreation/creative approaches in social care work throughout this module, becoming more competent in practical research, delivery and management of activities with a variety of groups. Students will extend knowledge in the delivery of sporting, creative and recreational activities in the community and social care settings. Learners will have the opportunity through engagement with groups from the community to develop their communication, management, delivery and team building skills. Students will apply their skills developed throughout the programme to the planning, design, management, resourcing of an event for delivery to a social care group.

This module will enable students to apply sociological and social policy perspectives to assess social service provision and social issues relevant to the role of the Social Care Worker.

The aim of this module is to provide the students with opportunities to acquire skills and develop their knowledge in preparation for their second practice placement in a Social Care setting. The module will support students to reflect on their first practice placement learning and to develop their ability to critically reflect on their own current and future practice and their experience of engaging with the standards of proficiencies.

Practice Placement 2 is the second and final placement on the programme and builds on and consolidates the learning that took place on Practice Placement 1 and in the academic setting.