For Special Needs Assistant Information Click Here
Community Care
Community Care Award 5M2786
The Adult Education Service South East (Dublin) are offering QQI level 5 Modules onsite and online that lead towards a QQI Major Award in Community Care. This award can be used for gaining experience and employment in Social Care Work, for example in disability services or care of the older person. It is also suitable for Special Needs Assisting.
All our classes are designed for adult learners, they are part-time and flexible. Classes are held onsite in the Adult Education Services in Dundrum or Loughlinstown. We also have some online courses and some blended courses courses (onsite and online)
All Community Care core modules have a focus on working with people in a care role.
Core Modules Include:
QQI Level 5 Care Provision and Practice 5N2705
QQI Level 5 Safety and Health at Work 5N1794
QQI Level 5 Human Growth and Development 5N1279
QQI Level 5 Communications 5N0690
QQI Level 5 Work Experience 5N1356
A wide range of optional modules can also be chosen to complement these core modules and lead to a Major Award
Eligibility: Learners must be on a social welfare payment and / or have a medical card and /or have left school before completing a leaving certificate and aged 18-65 years. If you don’t meet these criteria, please contact us to discuss your options.
These courses are funded by the EU. Learners from outside the European Economic Area must hold a STAMP 4 visa or have a labour market permission letter.
If you would like further information or to register, you can either view our current courses or please contact us in one of the following ways:
Contact Us
Dundrum:
e: learningdundrum@ddletbaes.ie
t: 01 298 9283
Dun Laoghaire:
e: learningdunlaoghaire@ddletbaes.ie
t: 01 204 3754
Special Needs Assisting
Special Needs Assisting: Some information on Qualifications.
The Adult Education Service South East (Dublin) offer a Major Award in Community Care (SNA) which will increase your chances of employment as a Special Needs Assistant.
At present in Ireland the Department of Education state the following qualifications are required to be an SNA:
The minimum requirement of qualifications for an SNA is a FETAC level 3 major qualification, a minimum of three grade Ds in the Junior Certificate, or an equivalent qualification.
Therefore, if you have a QQI Level 3 (Junior cert. or equivalent) you are able to apply for work as an SNA. However, a recent study by FORSA showed that only 3% of all SNAs have the minimum qualification of a Junior Certificate. All others have QQI Level 5 or higher.
There is currently no award at QQI Level 5 that links directly to SNA work. Instead, people can complete a range of suitable major awards such as Community Care; Community Health Care, or others. You can study just one SNA module, however your employment prospects will increase if you complete a major award at level 5. The Major award we offer in our Adult Education Service is QQI Community Care (SNA).
When studying SNA all learners will do the core modules and then electives modules chosen within this major award are linked to SNA work, such as Special Needs Assisting, Intellectual Disability Studies, Equality and Disability, Young People and Society etc. This takes most students 2 years part time. If you are new to this work we strongly recommend that you combine this course with a work placement. Work experience is the best way to increase your skills and find suitable employment as an SNA
For more information on the modules we offer that will be appropriate for SNA please click HERE.