Social Care Work

Bachelor of Arts

Group of multigenerational people hugging each other
Group of multigenerational people hugging each other
Type of Programme
Full-time
Duration
3 Years
Course Code
MT 573
Entry Requirements
301 CAO Points in 2023 (round 1) and meet minimum entry requirements as listed below.
Application Deadline
See CAO for details
Location(s)
MTU Bishopstown Campus, Cork
Course NFQ Level
Level 7

Head of Department

Dr Mary Galvin

T: +353 (0)21 432 6178

Email: (email)

Overview

This programme has made an application for approval by CORU. There is no guarantee that the programme will be approved.

Social Care Work is described by CORU as a relationship-based approach to the purposeful planning and provision of care, protection, psychosocial support, and advocacy in partnership with vulnerable individuals and groups who experience marginalisation, disadvantage, or special needs. The importance of Social Care Work to the functioning of Irish society cannot be underestimated. The profession challenges the mechanics of inequality and forges creative pathways towards a fairer, more inclusive society where all human beings are valued.

This programme takes a multidisciplinary approach to social care work, drawing from psychology, sociology, social policy, and the creative arts to learn how to best respond to the experiences of all stakeholders in the social care work setting.

It aims to integrate theory and practice with an emphasis on ethical and evidence informed practice. A student-centred approach is used drawing on various teaching and assessment methods, enabling students to develop a professional insight into the various roles of a Social Care Worker, needs of various care populations, and contexts, CORU standards of proficiency and their own supervised practice.

An inclusive, empathic insight into the needs of people across various care settings and diverse backgrounds is also fostered with an emphasis on hearing the voices of supported persons/care groups throughout the course.

Furthermore, students are given the opportunity of acquiring care practice skills, such as advocacy and communication skills, creative and recreational approaches to practice, and health and wellbeing programmes for practice.

Work placements enable the student to apply theory taught on the course to a professional placement, develop reflective practice and to foster an understanding of what social care work, in a multidisciplinary teamwork context, involves.

Download PDF: Information for Prospective Social Care Work Students 

Download PDF: Programme Handbook BA in Social Care Work

What will I study?

First year at a glance

  • Creativity, Innovation & Teamwork
  • Social Care Law
  • Psychology for Social Care
  • Creative Arts Interventions
  • Health, Wellness & Self-Care
  • Disability & Human Rights
  • Social Policy
  • Professional Skills for Placement

Modules

What is a Module?

A module is a standalone unit of learning and assessment and is completed within one semester. A full-time student will normally study six modules in each semester; part-time and ACCS (Accumulation of Credits and Certification of Subjects) students will have flexibility as to the number of modules taken.

The button below provides a link to all of the University's approved modules for this programme.

View Modules

Entry Requirements

Entry 2024

For admission to a programme, standard applicants must

  • score the necessary CAO points and
  • meet the minimum entry requirements

Leaving Certificate in five subjects i.e. O6/H7 in five subjects. The five subjects must include Mathematics and either English or Irish grade O6/H7.

NOTE: Vetting by an Garda Síochána is a mandatory requirement for this programme.

 

For Non-EU International Entry Requirements please visit https://www.mtu.ie/international/non-eu/.

Career options

Employment Opportunities

CORU (2019) define Social Care Workers as, “…professional practitioners engaged in the practice of social care work.” CORU (2019). Social care work is defined as a relationship-based approach to the purposeful planning and provision of care, protection, psychosocial support, and advocacy in partnership with vulnerable individuals and groups who experience marginalisation, disadvantage, or special needs.

Qualified Social Care Workers typically work in a supportive role with people of all ages across communities, in both day services and in residential care. Typically, Social Care Workers, Social Workers and other caring professionals work together in interdisciplinary teams across a wide variety of services, and with a wide variety of service users such as children and adults who have intellectual or physical disabilities, children and adolescents in residential care, people who experience homelessness, people with addiction problems, recent immigrants, families in the community experiencing challenges and older people with care needs. They may be employed in the state sector, for example, by the HSE or TUSLA, in the extensive and highly varied community and voluntary sector, with employers such as the St John of God Services, the Brothers of Charity Services, Enable Ireland, the Simon Communities, Family Resource Centres etc., or in the private sector.

Progression

Further Studies

Suitably qualified graduates are eligible to apply for entry to

  • Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Social Care Work

Suitably qualified graduates of the BA (Honours) in Social Care Work may apply for a range of postgraduate courses such as Occupational Therapy, Community Development, and Social Care Work.

Question Time

A Social Carer will typically work in a direct person-to-person capacity with clients. He or she will seek to provide a caring, stable environment in which various social, educational and relationship interventions can take place in the day-to-day living space of the client.

The Social Worker’s role is to manage the ‘case’, e.g. arranging the residential child care placement in which a child is placed; coordinating case review meetings; negotiating the termination of a placement; and responding to child protection concerns in a given area. (Social Care Ireland 2011)

The regulatory landscape for the profession is changing. We recommend that you keep informed of the work of the Social Care Workers Registration Board (CORU). CORU’s work includes the approval of education courses. At the time of preparing this prospectus, MTU is preparing its programme in consideration of CORU’s programme approval process.

To become a social worker, you will need to complete a Master of Social Work (MSW) Level 9.

Year 2: Semester One Placement (390 hours)

Year 3:  Semester Two Placement (410 hours)

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