Social Care Work (Limerick) – BA (Hons)

The aim of this module is to introduce the learner into a higher education learning environment. Students will require support in the development of appropiate research, writing and information technology skillsets, thereby enabling successful progression in higher education. An abaility to communicate effectively is critically important within both academia and social care profession. A strong emphasis will be placed on developing robust, clear, concise, accurate and objective arguements within both written and oral assessments. This module will also equip students with key skills in referencing sources within assignments; and the procedures for obtaining robust and relaible sources from academic libraries; and on-line data bases. This will provide an initial grounding in the principles and application of scientific enquiry. Furthemore, students will develop digital literacy skills appropiate to the social care progession, with a special emphasis placed on Microsoft Word; PowerPoint; and Excel.

An introduction to health issues, advocacy, equality & safety in Social Care Practice. This module will introduce participants to concepts of health and disease and explore social determinants of health & health inequities. It will also explore Health as a Human Right and advocacy, before addressing safety issues.

An introduction to health, safety, risk & risk management in Social Care Practice.

The purpose of this course is to introduce learners to the concept of using creative studies as a tool for social care. It will predominantly be an experiential course, explaining the benefits of using the creative activities of art, drama, creative play, adapted physical activity, photography, clay work, film/video, role play, storytelling/narratives, dance, music and mime in social care through practical tutorials. This will invite the learner to partake in a personal journey of creativity, which will also enhance their practical creative skills. This course is also designed to provide an introduction to the theoretical underpinnings of the benefits of using creative arts in social care.

This module introduces learners to the underpinning values, relevant policy and overarching principles guiding professional and ethical social care provision and practice. The evolving profession of social care, an introduction to ethics and the social care worker’s role is examined and discussed with learners in relation to its development and current professional frameworks, and how these support practitoners to undertake professional practice, guided by the Code of Professional Practice, Human Rights and Social Justice, whilst always ensuring the needs and welfare of service users remain central to their practice. The learner is introduced to and will understand important areas for their practice, namely; confidentiality, principles of ethical practice and whistle-blowing, responsibility and accountability, management of professional boundaries and key concepts from relevant domains of knowledge. Additionally, the learner will demonstrate skills in evidence informed practice, an understanding of individual and social development across the life span along with safe and effective implementation of a range of practical, technical and professional practice skills. Finally the learner will be able to identify and understand how social care history and the external context has and continues to impact ongoing provision and they will be introduced to the various social care settings in existence.

The aim of this module is to introduce students to Sociology as a discipline and to the; three sociological lenses (symbolic interactionism; structural functionalism; and conflict approaches). The module will explore key sociological concepts from key theorists (Auguste Comte, Max Weber, Emile Durkheim & Karl Marx). The module will enable Social Science students to understand how Sociological theory applies to their own socialisation processes and ongoing identity formation. Key themes will include an introductory exploration of: beliefs, norms and values, family socialisation processes, social class, culture and identity, social media and gender and sexuality.

The overall aim of this module is to introduce students to the process of engaging with and reflecting upon their personal growth and development. The module introduces the student to the general concepts underpinning the process of personal development. The student’s learning is facilitated by their participation in weekly, experiential group-work sessions and engagement in personal reflection exercises providing them with the opportunity to explore both the personal and professional self. Students will be introduced to the process of reflective writing and maintaining a reflective journal as an aid to increasing self-awareness. Personal reflection exercises and activities. While engaging in experiential group work, students will be introduced to meditative practice and mindfulness.

In semester one the aim of the module is to introduce the student to the main theories underpinning the knowledge of the ‘self’ and thereby facilitate them in obtaining a deeper understanding of the ‘self’ as a multifaceted entity. Through the continued use of weekly experiential, group work sessions and the process of reflective writing, the student will be afforded the opportunity to further explore the themes of self-identity, self-awareness, self-in-relationship and the concept of ‘self’ in social care practice.

This module will provide students with specialised knowledge in the area of psychology and the development of the self. It will explore the theoretical underpinnings of perspectives within psychology and allow students to explore the varied and often contradictory ways in which identities, development and selves are understood, researched and evidenced within the discipline of psychology. This module will form the basis of a broad understaning of how the discipline of psychology is understood and applied in care contexts.

This module aims to provide the student with a thorough understanding of current legislation, policy and practice in relation to protecting vulnerable children at risk and vulnerable adults in professional social care settings. A central focus of the course is to ensure that students understand their statutory obligations to assess risk for vulnerable adults and children and, to be confident in terms of recognising abuse, recording allegations of abuse and referring allegations of abuse on to appropriate relevant services. A secondary aim of the module is to equip students with basic assessment competencies so that they can work effectively with individuals and families where there are safeguarding concerns. A key principle of the module is to understand current safeguarding guidelines and legislation relating to candour and disclosure.

This module challenges students to reflect on diversity in themselves, their colleagues and the people they support and work with in their professional practice. The module will build on the students understanding of sociological theory to understand change as it relates to the concept of diversity in modern Ireland. Students will engage with contemporary sociological theory to provide a framework for understanding emerging trends in social interaction, societal change and the need to address diversity and equality through social justice.

This module introduces learners to the theory and techniques of teamwork, groupwork, relationships, effective communication and interpersonal skills necessary for professional social care workers. Learners will become aware of and gain a good understanding of the relevant professional frameworks which emphasise teamwork and communication to ensure a professional duty of care is maintained consistently. Learners will be provided with opportunities to develop and improve verbal, non-verbal, digital and written communication techniques which will support them to present and articulate their practice to and with service-users, colleagues and policy makers. It explores the theoretical and professional application of models of group and team development, with a specific focus on empowerment of the service’s user needs. Learners will identify issues of boundaries, effective decision-making, confidentiality and conflict management in the social care setting.

This module will introduce the learner to essential areas for professional social care practice, namely; assessment and intervention whilst also acquainting them with the term challenging behaviour. The learner will gain insights into professional decision making and reasoning as well as their legal and ethical responsibilities in relation to using assessment and intervention with young people, adults and families, and dealing with challenging behaviour. The learner will attain necessary skills supporting them in the delivery of evidence informed, safe and effective practice which is underpinned by Human Rights and Social Justice to ensure the rights, dignity and autonomy of every service user, including their role in the diagnostic, therapeutic and social care process are central at all times.

The aim of this module is to provide an introduction to the Irish legal system and to Irish Family and Child Law.

The aim of this module is to provide learners with the materials, environment and opportunities necessary to gain a deeper understanding of the role of family of origin through this personal development module. The primary focus of this module is on the theory of family based therapeutic interventions from a systems perspective. The systems theory focus is balanced with contemporary developments that highlight the ways in which culture, race, social class, and gender frame our personal and family identities. Over the course of the module students will gain the knowledge in key issues related to the family such as trauma, alcohol and drugs and adoption.

Practice Education Placement is an essential element in the BA. (Social Care Work), there are two practice education placements comprising each of 400 hours in the Programme. During this first practice education placement, learners will be allocated placements in a range of professional social care settings.

This first placement focuses on developing the competencies, skill and knowledge of:

• Professional Autonomy and Accountability
• Communication, Collaborative Practice and Team working
• Safety and Quality
• Professional Development
• Professional Knowledge and Skills

During placement, learners will develop their knowledge, skills and competence of the five domains above and build on the theoretical models covered in the first three semesters of the programme.

Learners will learn under the guidance of a designated Practice Educator in the professional social care placement(see Appendix Practice Education Placement Handbook for further details). Learners will also have an Academic Supervisor to support the learning process. There will be four points of contact during placement, two planned tripartite meetings between the learner, the practice educator and the college placement supervisor and two telephone / e-mail contacts during each placement. Academic Supervisors will be teaching on the Social Care programme, in accordance with CORU requirements (Criteria for Education and Training Programmes 2017) to ensure an effective feedback loop in to the classroom and the programme. The LIT supervisor will ensure prior consultation with the host organisations and clarify expectations, requirements and learning outcomes for the learner. It is vital that we foster positive relationships with placement providers as they are integral to the success of our programme.

The learning goals for the placement are agreed between the learner, the practice educator and the academic supervisor and are outlined clearly in a ‘placement contract’ ( See Appendix Practice Education Placement Handbook)

Formal supervision meetings between the learner and the practice educator take place each week in order to offer support, guidance and feedback to the learner on placement performance. In this first practice education placement the objective is to facilitate your development and confidence as a Social Care professional. (full details in Practice Placement Handbook)

Learners must successfully complete Professional Development 1:Preparation for Placement module before they can progress to this Practice Education placement.

This module aims to prepare students for a practice education placement in a professional social care setting. The concept of professional identity and its implications for professional development will be explored. Learners will engage in and take responsibility for professional development, be aware of professional regulation requirements and be able to identify learning and development needs. A critical component of the module examines the importance of supervision and feedback in order to develop a learners professional practice skills and knowledge.

This module is a pre-requisite for the two Practice Education modules. Learners must successfully complete this module before they can progress to their Practice Education placements. 80% attendance is required for the successfully completion of this module.

This module will provide students with specialised knowledge across a variety of areas of psychology relating to social interactions, social issues, and groups who perform activities towards accomplishing common goals. The focus will be on studying the effect of social relationships between individuals and groups using the principles of psychological science to underpin this knowledge base and address the challenges that occur. Students will integrate theory and research from a range of perspectives in psychology in order to develop an understanding of the ways in which the presence of other people impacts profoundly on human behaviour. Students will also examine the ways in which emerging findings from social and occupational psychology may be relevant to social care practice.

The aim of this module is provide students with the opportunity to explore the concept of leadership and quality management in ethical and profession al social care practice, especially in understanding the role and place of supervision, workplace identity and team working. Students will be given the opportunity to recognise the potential for ethical dilemmas in professional social care practice and gain an underrdtanding of how to attempt to resolve these conflicts. This module aims to build upon the students knowledge of the provisions of the current Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics issued by the Registration Board and in recognising the importance of practising in a non-discriminatory way to manage the potential conflict that can arise between confidentiality and whistleblowing. Finally, this module assists the student in interpreting personal responsibility and professional accountability for one’s actions and illustrating the process and justification of professional choices and decisions made.

The aim of this module is to provide an introduction to Irish Criminal Law, as well as a study of Disability, Capacity and Mental Health Law, and a study of Social Care Regulation.

This PD module enables learner’s from different backgrounds and perspectives to work and learn together for the improvement of mental health and well being incorporating a Bio-psycho-social model and other relevant theories prevalent to mental health and well being in addition to assisting learner’s form an appropriate attitude towards the subject and an ability to identify, interpret, record and respond appropriately to patterns of behaviours displayed by both themselves and the people encountered in practice in a variety of settings.

Practice Education Placement is an essential element in the BA. (Social Care Work), there are two practice education placements comprising each of 400 hours in the Programme. This second placement occurs during Semester 1 of 3rd Year. Students are expected to build on the learning that they have experiences in professional social care practice in the previous semester. A focus on the development of the core competencies of Communication, Collaborative Practice and Team working, Safety and Quality, Professional Development, Professional Knowledge and Skills and Professional Autonomy and Accountability will continue in this placement. In this practice education placement, learners will complete documentation to evidence the knowledge,competence and skills development over the placement. In this second practice education placement, learners will also be expected to be proactively involved in the work of the agency.

During placement, learners will develop their knowledge, skills and competence and build on the theoretical models covered in the previous semesters.In this second practice education placement, learners will also be expected to be proactively involved in the work of the agency.

Learners will learn under the guidance of a designated Practice Educator (see Appendix Practice Placement Handbook for further details) and will also have an Academic supervisor to support the learning process. There will be four points of contact during placement, two planned tripartite meetings between the learner, the practice educator and the college academic supervisor and two telephone/ e.mail contacts during each practice placement. Academic Supervisors will be teaching on the Social Care programme, in accordance with CORU requirements (Criteria for Education and Training Programmes 2017) so as to ensure an effective feedback loop in to the classroom and the programme. The LIT Academic supervisor will ensure prior consultation with the host organisations and clarify expectations, requirements and learning outcomes for the student. It is vital that we foster positive relationships with placement providers as they are integral to the success of our programme.

The learning goals for the placement are agreed between the learner, the practice educator and the college placement supervisor and are outlined clearly in a ‘placement contract’. Formal supervision meetings between the learner and the practice educator will take place at least once every two weeks in order to offer support, guidance and feedback to the learner on placement performance.

Students must succesfully complete Professional Development 1: Preparation for Placement and Practice Education Placement (1) before commencing this Practice Education Placement (2) module.

The module enables the learner to evaluate and reflect critically on their own professional and personal development upon completion of two practice education placements. It aims to consolidate the ability of learners to work as reflective practitioners. Learners will advance their understanding and demonstrate evidence of ongoing continuing professional development and education. It encourages learners to explore the meaning of professionalism and reflect on their knowledge, theory, research and practice skills in the professional social care setting.

In summary, learners will demonstrate a critical approach to reflective practice and demonstrate the capability for deep learning based upon critical self-evaluation. They will demonstrate capacity to reflect on the complexities of uncertainty in professional social care practice and initiate change based upon sound professional judgement and decision-making.

Students must succesfully complete Professional Development 1: Preparation for Placement and Practice Education Placement (1) and Practice Education Placement (2) before commencing this module.

The aim of this module is to provide learners with the knowledge, skills and competencies to interpret, conduct and design research for social care. This module will introduce the forms of research used within social and academic research presenting exemplars of published research, quantitative and qualitative research methods, methodological design considerations and analytical techniques. Learners will be given the opportunity to interpret research, apply quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques and design methodological approaches appropriate to research design needs.

The aim of this module is to introduce the learner to social policy and view the Irish welfare state within a broader international context. It will also give students a grounding in political idealogy and explore the major historical developments of social policy relating to social care practice.

The aim of this module is to provide a further study of Irish Family Law, as well as a further introduction to Irish Criminal Law.

This module challenges learners to explore their own perceptions and experiences of disability. Learners will examine the social construction of disability in the context of current and historical models of supporting people with disabilities. Current themes in service delivery, such as partnership, collaboration, empowerment, advocacy and personalisation will be examined. This module examines the social care practitioner’s role in working with people with disabilities to enhance independence and autonomy and the barriers that may be faced in doing so. The learner will develop competencies in assessing need and developing relevant care plans. The learner will explore the importance of working effectively in a multi-disciplinary team environment.

This module examines the Irish housing system in order to highlight the main factors that contribute to the phenomenon of homelessness. The module highlights compares, contrasts and classifies different housing systems across the EU and wider western society, to illuminate the main problems in different housing systems, housing tenures and then to assess potential solutions. The structural context of homelessness is examined. This module is designed to enable learners to become effective advocates and practitioners with insights and skills to respond effectively to service users with complex biographical profiles. It will also enable learners to identify the structural issues impacting upon housing and homelessness. The module will evaluate different theories of adult homelessness and prepare learners to explore ‘entrenched’ homelessness and the more ‘pathological’ or individual components that contribute to homelessness. Learners will also assess current government policy and practice in relation to housing and homelessness in addition to evaluating the network of services established to prevent homelessness and the use of supportive interventions with individuals and families.

This module outlines the key features of Working with Older People in Ireland in order to highlight the main factors that contribute to their provision and care in society. The learner will gain insights into and be able to critique the overarching legal and policy frameworks along with therapeutic practice guidelines which oversee care and provision for older people and therefore frontline practice This module is designed to enable learners to become effective advocates and practitioners, to identify the structural and individual influences on provision and care for older people and to respond effectively to service–user needs. The module will then evaluate different models of care for older people in Ireland and abroad and will help the Social Care Practitioner to work in the context of an inter-agency approach.

This module outlines the key features of Residential Childcare in Ireland in order to highlight the main factors that contribute to children living in care in society. The learner will gain insights into and be able to critique the overarching legal and policy frameworks along with therapeutic practice guidelines which oversee residential childcare and therefore frontline practice This module is designed to enable learners to become effective advocates and practitioners, to identify the structural and individual pathways for children and young people entering residential childcare and to respond effectively to service–user needs. The module will then evaluate different models of residential childcare in Ireland and abroad and will help the Social Care Practitioner to work in the context of an inter-agency approach.

This module is designed to enable learners to acquire theoretical knowledge, skills and aptitudes required to work effectively, under supervision and collaboratively with vulnerable young people in a variety of contexts, situations and settings. This module also promotes the ability of learners to understand how distress and disturbance are created in young people, causing their behaviour to become difficult and problematic not only to adults but also to themselves and to wider society. Using the latest evidence-based theories, the reader will learn how to detect and diagnose problems and work out strategies for helping young people in distress and to work safely and effectively as part of a team in settings with vulnerable young people.

This module will explore the theory of Positive Behaviour Support and its application in social care practice in a variety of settings. It will look at causes of distressing and challenging behaviours, and ethical approaches and interventions for management of these behaviours for the social care practitioner.

This module will develop students’ understanding of broad perspectives in psychology and explore the relationship between the theoretical perspective that is taken and the consequent psychological therapies and interventions that emerge from these. Students will analyse and evaluate a range of therapeutic interventions in psychology and assess their applicability in circumstances such as addiction, mental health and dealing with challenging behaviour. This module serves as a preparation for the three Advancing theories of psychology electives that are offered in semester two of the final year of the programme.

Students will be presented with a wide range of theoretical frameworks that underpin the study of addiction particularly emphasising biological, psychological and socio-cultural concepts of addiction. The student will be encouraged to develop a greater understanding of psychological approaches to addictive behaviour and basic intervention skills intended to facilitate knowledge transfer to the workplace. Prevention, harm reduction, treatment and rehabilitation will be examined throughout this module, as will aspects of Irish and international social policy and best practice in addiction.

This module aims to build upon previous knowlege and engage students in the process of critically analysing the theories, concepts, roles and challenges of management and leadership in the rapidly changing and increasingly complex field of Social Care practice. As potential managers in the field of Social Care, students are facilitated in identifying and developing the practical management and leadership skills essential for the role by providing the students with the opportunity to explore the processes of supporting staff, creating effective teams/groups and managing conflict and change in the developing Social Care environment. Students are given the opportunity to critically examine the areas of project management, planning, policy implementation, monitoring of quality standards and information governance in Social Care work, document risk analysis and current legislation/guidelines.

The aim of this module is to provide learners with an understanding of how assertiveness is influenced by life experiences, family and environments. It requires learners to reflect on their own experiences of assertiveness and non‑assertiveness. It also aims to provide the student with the opportunity to learn the skills of assertiveness and to review and evaluate the implementation of these skills in their personal and professional lives. This module will allow students to explore their own assertiveness in a variety of situations in Social care practice: one to one, group-work, team and management contexts. This module will use experiential group-work to assist the student in applying the theory from the lecture regarding assertiveness into their everyday relationships and in their professional lives.

This module facilitates a deeper understanding of self as an individual and as a social care professional, with a focus on the use of self when engaging with people we support in group work. Topics covered in this module include personal reflection skills, group dynamics, group facilitation skills , and creative interventions with groups.

The aim of this module is to provide learners with the knowledge, skills and competencies to interpret, conduct and design research and evaluation for social care. This module introduces the forms of research used within social and academic research presenting exemplars of published research, evaluation, quantitative and qualitative research methods, methodological design considerations and analytical techniques. Learners will be given the opportunity to interpret research, apply quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques and design methodological approaches appropriate to research and evaluation design needs. The module will give the learners an opportunity to decide between an academic final year project or a group evaluation project to complete their final research requirement. The two options allow the candidate to choose an option which best suits their career and research aims.

The aim of this module is to advance learners knowledge of critical issues impacting on Irish social care provision and practice using the lens of social policy analysis. Learners will have the opportunity to think about and reflect on some of the normative assumptions about the development of social care services; social care practice and social care profession. The module also aims to extend out learners expectations of the potential role of social care beyond that of direct care, to explore the political role of social care via human rights and social justice approaches.

This module encourages learners to become reflective practitioners, by deepening their engagement with sociology to understand the social, economic, cultural, and symbolic processes that shape their professional lives and the lives of their clients. The concept of ‘intersectionality’ will operate as a departure point for learners to understand the complexities of society, reaching out to concepts like globalization, structuration, glocalisation, late modernity, post‑modernity and progress. While previous modules in this stream have focused on understanding both the past and the present, this module sets out a future focused context. Consequently, learners will study about advocacy, social movements and the political dimensions of professional practice. This module will enable students to use social theory as a means to reflect on their practice placement and furthermore, to develop theoretical frameworks that can be used in dissertation research in fourth year. This module is designed for those who will work with vulnerable groups. Some topics from second year will be revisited to deepen the learner’s knowledge base.