SETU hosted a Presentation of Certificates ceremony to celebrate students from the Cáirdeas Centre in Carlow.
The partnership was born out of SETU’s regional links as a university providing education and training in social care practice. A key partner of SETU in relation to work placement is the Cáirdeas Centre.
Dr Brian Casey, Head of Department of Humanities, alongside members of SETU’s social care programme board, Noelle Reilly, Eileen Farrell, Denise Lyons, Majella Finnegan, and Niall Harvey, were awarded funding from N-TUTORR to deliver a bespoke introduction to university course to service users from the Cáirdeas Centre supported by student partners from the social care programme.
On the project:
"The cornerstone of our work placement offering is the open dialogue between our programme board, students, and partner organisations to continuously improve our understanding of the needs of both our students and service users. We received feedback from our partners at the Cairdeas Centre regarding their experiences of social care students coming on placement. They asked us if there was a way for them to experience college life and learning in the university environment."
"Seven people with intellectual disabilities and ten social care students have worked together for the last six weeks. The impact of this course seems to be very wide reaching, with staff from the Cairdeas Centre informing us of how they can see the growth and development of the men and women who have been attending. Their confidence, their engagement in other aspects of their lives, and their view of how they see themselves has changed. Our social care students have spoken about their huge learning in better understanding the abilities and skills that people with intellectual disabilities have. They have gained enormous insight into the challenges that people can face."
On the importance of SETU’s continued partnership with community organisations:
"The long-term goal is that should university courses for people with intellectual disabilities become more widely available at SETU, these learners will have developed foundational skills to enable them to attend the University. This partnership is hugely impactful for a special cohort of our community and one that aligns strongly with SETU’s strategic goals. I would like to congratulate the students who have completed their course, and in addition, I commend our wonderful social care students for their commitment and enthusiasm."
Noelle Reilly, SETU Placement Coordinator in Social Care
"This collaborative project with SETU and Cáirdeas has been amazing life changing experiences for the young adults from Cáirdeas Centre, attending college just like their siblings and graduating with cert allowed the young people to experience something that's not always available to people with disability. The inclusion in the class work and the support from SETU was outstanding and a fantastic experience to have. This project was about ability and not disability."
Eileen Doyle, Manager of the Cáirdeas Centre.
"This N-Tutor funded project proved rewarding and uplifting for the students from the Cairdeas center and the students SETU. The interactions generated by these generated a positivity in a learning environment I have rarely seen before. This project shows the value and impact the University can have in the community but also the value the community can bring into our university transforming the learning experience for our students."
Dr Brian Casey, SETU Head of Department of Humanities.
The Cáirdeas Centre is an adult service whose aim is to support adult presence, participation, and contribution in and with the community. With the aim of total inclusion of the person in the community, the Cáirdeas Centre provides people with the opportunity and support to experience ordinary places, work experience, part-time work, education, and living independently.
