Certificate in Intellectual Disability Practice Online – QQI Level 5 (FET Major Award) - for Groups

• This groundbreaking online L5 course - designed specifically for people working in the disability sector -  is available for Groups only.  
• Participants are required to be working/volunteering at least 4 hours per week at a disability agency.
• Contact the College.

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This programme is designed to address the needs of front-line staff (Care Worker, Healthcare Assistant, Family Support Worker, Home Support Worker, Personal Assistant and Community Care Worker) working in services for people with Intellectual Disability in Ireland.

This course is aimed at people working in disability services. It was created by people with extensive first-line experience who fully understand the area and the problems that come with attempting to balance work, life and learning when you work in the sector.

Having a relevant QQI Level 5 qualification is a  basic requirement to access work as a Care Assistant, SNA, Key Worker, Personal Assistant or Community Support Worker in a large number of organisations.

If you are already working in a service that is HIQA regulated, a Level 5 qualification is increasingly becoming a requirement.

The certificate will provide you with the knowledge and practical skills required to apply for a healthcare assistant job and deliver person centred services to people with intellectual disability. During it you will study:

• What a person centred approach is
• Where it comes from
• How to use it
• Its impact on practitioners and service provision
• The opportunities and benefits it offers services users

Course Aim

This one year programme aims to provide participants with the tools to take a person-centred approach to supporting individuals with an intellectual disability. This will enhance their quality of life and allow them to achieve their full potential.

Course Objectives

• This programme will provide the learner with the knowledge, skills, and competencies to support them in delivering a person-centred service.
• The course will introduce the learner to key service delivery areas such as empowerment, advocacy, community inclusion, person-centredness, teaching, and learning.
• Learners will be provided opportunities to develop crucial personal and professional skills and knowledge relevant to their job role to enable individuals with intellectual disabilities to reach their potential and live the lives of their choice.

Learning Outcomes

After completing the certificate you will:

• Understand what ‘intellectual disability’ is
• Appreciate the tasks that need to be performed if you want to empower persons with an intellectual disability to make positive life and lifestyle choices
• Understand the issues practitioners face when facilitating a person to live an independent life in the community
• Have the knowledge and skills to actively support persons with an intellectual disability in the different phases of their lives
• Be able to meaningfully contribute to developing strategies that will them develop a range of functional skills that can be used in their daily life
• Possess the knowledge and skills to enable persons with an intellectual disability cultivate socially valued roles and relationships
• Understand how you can make a difference to people lives by improving service quality

Course Modules:

The certificate is made up of ‘core’ and ‘elective’ modules.

The six core modules are mandatory and have to be completed by everyone:

1. Intellectual Disability Studies (5N1652 - 15 Credits)
2. Facilitating Learning (5N1753 - 15 Credits)
3. Empowering the Individual (5N1749 - 15 Credits)
4. Community Inclusion (5N1740 - 15 Credits)
5. Personal Effectiveness (5N1390 - 15 Credits0
6. Work Practice (5N1433 - 15 Credits)

The electives modules are designed to allow people ‘customise’ the course to meet their specific personal, professional or career needs. Choose two that most closely match your precise needs:

• Person-Centred Focus to Disability (5N1728 - 15 Credits)
• Challenging Behaviour (5N1706 - 15 Credits)
• Using Lámh in a Total Communication Approach (5N713 and 5N1731 - 30 Credits combined)

Assessment

This course will be assessed through various methods, including:

• short answer assignments
• learner records (reflection on your practice and identifying learning),
• skills demonstrations (for example, working as part of a group, having a meeting, teaching a skill, delivering a presentation),
  portfolios, and
• one online exam.

An Open Training College Tutor and a designated person within the organisation will support participants. Please note that students will be required to identify an on-site assessor who will carry out three skill demonstration assessments in the workplace. The College will support the assessors throughout in their role.