Programme Rationale
The Purpose
This programme aims to provide a dedicated learning programme targeted to the professional homecare support sector. NCU Training/Glin National College has worked closely with homecare support providers for many years, providing education and training. This time spent working with industry stakeholders has given us great insight into the competencies required to work effectively as a healthcare worker in the homecare support sector.
It has been part of the vision at NCU Training/Glin National College to create a learning programme for the Homecare Support sector that genuinely reflects the specific skills and level of professionalism necessary to support independent living within the community.
This programme reflects years of research and collaboration with industry stakeholders, funders, other training providers, and Q.Q.I. It is specifically designed to use competency-based assessments that create realistic, scenario-based learning opportunities.
The Structure
After the industry stakeholder consultation process, the programme structure was carefully considered and reviewed at length. The critical consideration for employers is ensuring employees have the minimum H.S.E. requirements to begin working directly with service users and that this training can be achieved as quickly as possible.
This requirement is essential, but academic and quality assurance considerations are equally important. NCU Training/Glin National College’s ethos is to provide learner-centred training, except in our healthcare learning programmes, where we put the end service user at the centre of the learning experience.
Another consideration in setting the programme structure was ensuring we created a learning programme with a healthy work/study/life balance, as most learners would be employed while participating in the programme.
In a post-COVID society where many homecare workers may not be fully qualified, the sector must have access to a programme of learning that facilitates the development of the essential skills and competencies specific to the Homecare Support sector and can be achieved in a timely, efficient and effective way. This programme is designed to help individuals be personally effective learners. By carefully mapping, learning outcome integration and reinterpretation, we created a bespoke programme specifically targeted to the home care support sector.
The programme incorporates the integration of the communications module which means that the communications learning outcomes are achieved organically throughout the programme by integrating the assessments with other assessment instruments in the programme.
In addition to integrating the communications module, two non-Common Awards System (CAS) components are embedded into the programme designed to address the learning gaps for the Homecare Support Sector in the currently available Common Awards System (CAS) awards.
The Assessment
Each assessment instrument has been carefully considered to emulate a realistic work scenario. Similarly, the ethos of the assessment development for this learning programme is to put the end service user at the centre of the service. Person-centred planning is emphasised throughout all the assessments in the programme.
One of the programme’s critical features is the assessments, all of which have been targeted at developing the essential competencies to operate as an effective Professional Homecare Support Worker.
The Vision
Our vision at NCU Training/Glin National College is to create a learning programme that puts a professional lens on the role of a Homecare Support Worker in Ireland. This industry is growing at an exponential rate due to our ageing population. There is a strong need to ensure that a benchmarked learning programme sets out and maintains the highest standards required to work as a Professional Homecare Worker.
Programme Structure
