Course description

Duration:
This is a Full-time one-year course, which runs from September to May. Exact details of the timetable will be given out to students during the induction process prior to class commencement in September.

Overview:
This course is suitable for both mature students and school leavers, who would like to work in the area of health and social care. This QQI Award provides the opportunity to pursue a fulfilling and rewarding career providing care and support to vulnerable people in the community. Students will acquire knowledge of health and social care theories and best practices. Students will also acquire practical experience on work placement. This could include a variety of settings such as resource centres, hostels for homeless, addiction services and youth projects.

Entry Requirements:
One of the following:

Leaving Certificate (LC Established, LCVP, LCA) or equivalent
A Full QQI Level 4 Award (or equivalent)
For Mature applicants (aged 21 or over) – appropriate experience will be considered in lieu of formal qualifications. Note: Mature applicants may be entitled to VTOS funding. For details about VTOS, please contact the college.
For applicants who do not meet the above entry requirements, please contact DFEi.
Applicants whose first language is not English require level B2 competency on the CEFR language framework. Applicants may be required to undergo English language testing to establish their language competency.

Course Modules:

Care Provision and Practice
Family Studies
Social Studies
Community Addiction Studies
Human Growth and Development
Teamworking
Work Experience
Communications

Certification:

Level 5 QQI Award – Community and Health Services (5M4468)
First Aid Certificate (Optional)
Manual and People Handling Certificate (Optional)
Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults – HSeLanD

Special Features:

All DFEi students are provided with an M365 account, which gives them access to the tools and resources needed to deliver assessment work while attending their course. M365 Apps include Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, and OneDrive.

Work Experience:
Students will be required to undertake a period of work placement in an organisation connected to their vocational area during the academic year. Work Experience is mandatory for all of our full-time Level 5 courses. Students are required to source their own work placement but will be assisted in this by the work experience teacher. The work placement is usually for a period of 10 days or a minimum of 60 hours. Students usually find the work experience element of the course to be invaluable and should bear in mind that a successful work placement can sometimes lead to further opportunities.

This programme requires students to undertake work experience that will bring them into contact with children or vulnerable adults and in which they assume positions of trust. As a result, all students will undertake Garda Vetting prior to commencing their work experience.

Additional Information:
Emerging Health Occupations:

Due to unprecedented demand, Ireland’s health system is currently recruiting qualified staff who can treat and support dementia, disabilities, mental health, and social issues. This course is an ideal stepping stone for either employment or educational progression in these specialist areas.

Assessment:

Assessment techniques will be used to assess the knowledge and skills that students will have achieved on successful completion of modules:

Student Record
Portfolio/Collection of Work
Assignments
Examination – Written or Practical
Project
Skills Demonstration

A full major award is granted on passing the relevant eight components. On successful completion of each component, you will be awarded a pass, a merit or a distinction grade. See www.qqi.ie for more details

Progression Opportunities:

Graduates are eligible to apply through the CAO and/or the Higher Education Links Scheme for entry to year one of a range of higher certificate and degree programmes, at Universities, Institutes of Technology, and Technological Universities using their full QQI Level 5 major award. Places are not guaranteed in these Institutes and are subject to students meeting certain criteria. It is the student’s responsibility to consult with the relevant HEI for information on the admissions process and any specific entry requirements. Students may also refer to the individual HEI prospectus or may also refer to the QQI FET section of the CAO website. www.cao.ie

Examples of CAO progression opportunities are listed below.

Progression Examples:

BA Arts (MH101)

BA Psychology (MH106)

Bachelor of Social Science (MH107)

Bachelor of Social Science (Community and Youth Work) (MH116)

National University of Ireland Maynooth

Bachelor Law (TR004)

Bachelor of Deaf Studies (TR016)

Trinity College Dublin – www.tcd.ie

BA Social Care (TU996)

BA Social Care Practice (TU997)

BA Applied Social Studies in Social Care (TU991)

BA Community and Youth Development (TU792)

BA Early Childhood Education (TU995)

Technological University Dublin – www.tud.ie

BA Social Science (WD187)

BA Social Care Practice (WD192)

Waterford Institute of Technology – www.wit.ie

BA Applied Social Studies in Professional Social Care (CW068)

Institute of Technology Carlow – www.itcarlow

BA Arts (DN520)

BA Humanities (DN530)

BSc Social Sciences (DN700)

BSocSc Social Policy and Sociology (DN750)

BSc Psychology (DN720)

University College Dublin – www.ucd.ie

BSc Applied Psychology (DL825)

IADT, Dún Laoghaire – www.iadt.ie

BA Arts (CK101)

BSocSc Social Science (CK102)

BSocSc Social Science (Youth and Community Work) (CK114)

University College Cork – www.ucc.ie

BSc Health and Society (DC209)

Dublin City Universty – www.dcu.ie

BA Community Youth Work (DK767)

Dundalk Institute of Technology – www.dkit.ie

BA Social Care Practice (AL860)

Athlone Institute of Technology – www.ait.ie

BSc Psychology (GY104)

Galway University – www.nuigalway.ie

Career Paths:
Graduates may find employment working with individual clients, clients in residential care or in the community e.g. resource centres, learning disability, family support, addiction services, youth projects or as a special needs assistant.