Limerick IT breaks new ground with social science qualification

Institute moves decisively into the field of social sciences with a new course aimed at social care workers. Olivia Kelly reports

Limerick IT has a consistently strong record of producing well-qualified graduates to the business, technology and science industries of the mid-west. The college is now turning to meet quite a different industry need with the introduction of its first social studies qualification.

The national certificate in applied social studies in social care is a part-time course which Limerick IT is running at the specific request of the Mid Western Health Board and the Mercy Childcare Services. Both bodies have come together with the college to address the lack of training courses for staff working in the area of social care in the region.

"The lack of formal qualifications for people working in childcare services has been a fairly significant problem in recent years," says Bernard Gloster, director of the Mercy Childcare Services. Mercy Childcare is a voluntary organisation that runs six centres in the region for children in care who have been referred by the health board or the courts. "We've had real difficulties finding suitably trained staff," Gloster says.

Limerick IT started running the part-time social studies course in 2001. Students attend lectures two full days a week on release from the workplace. It takes three years to reach national certificate level and it is envisaged that students will be able to complete an additional year part-time to gain a diploma in applied social studies. There are currently 16 students on the course; the majority are childcare workers from Mount St Vincent's childcare services in Limerick, which runs under the auspices of the Mercy Childcare Services.

"Our existing staff are well experienced but may have no specific qualification in childare," Gloster says. Before the introduction of the Limerick IT course, staff had to travel long distances to attend courses, he says. "We had no professional training course in the mid-west. Staff had to travel to colleges in Cork, Dublin, Waterford or Sligo to attend courses."

The certificate in applied social studies is the first joint education initiative between Limerick IT and the Mid Western Health Board. The college is running the certificate course under franchise from Cork IT.

Ruaidhri Neavyn, head of development at Limerick IT, says: "The health board and Mount St Vincent's approached us and highlighted that there were no courses in social care in the region. We investigated what was available in other areas and we developed a link with Cork IT." The course provides training for staff working in residential, day care and community care settings and is suitable for those working in childcare, disability services or with the elderly.

"The course gives people the foundation to work in different care organisations and with different client groups," Neavyn says.

Students take five subjects in the first year and five to six subjects in the second and third years. The course content includes psychology, sociology, communications, personal and social service, which involves studying how the health care systems operate and how to deal with people in crises.

Students also learn about home management and centre management, different models of care including community support, outreach and fostering. The course offers a mix of practical elements, such as the best practice in feeding and caring for children housed in units, and theoretical subjects including social policy and administration.

Best known for its science and technology courses, Limerick IT has dipped its toe into the area of humanities with the introduction of a BA in business studies and tourism, which appears on the CAO for the first time this year. However, with the applied social studies certificate, Limerick IT is making its first foray into the social science area and taking an even greater step towards developing an arts faculty.

"We are now looking to develop a full-time course in social studies and hope to make a submission to HETAC shortly," Neavyn says.