OTC Cert: Empowerment and Advocacy
Next Commencement: Autumn 2025
Apply or make an enquiry via the Online Application Centre button (top right)
GENERAL INFORMATION
COURSE CODE
OTC-CPD-EA
LOCATION
Online
AWARD
Certificate in Empowerment and Advocacy
APPLY BY
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AUDIENCE
Care Workers, Health Care & Personal Assistants, Family or Home Support Workers, Community Care Workers
NEXT WORKSHOP DATE / TIME
Date TBD - 9.30am - 4.00pm
CREDITS
This OTC-accredited programme is equivalent to 10 ECTS credits of student effort (=250 hours).
ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION
Date TBD
WHY TAKE THIS COURSE
This 8-week, professional development OTC accredited course in Empowerment and Advocacy equips the practitioner with the knowledge, skills and competencies to support people with disabilities in empowering themselves on a day-to-day basis, thus facilitating their own plan for their future.
This includes guidance and skills related to effective facilitation through a number of empowering approaches, particularly advocacy. Advocacy is one of the most predominant methods of empowerment that has emerged to facilitate people with disabilities.
If you are serious about supporting people to achieve what they want, then advocacy is key.
The course is aimed at staff in the disability sector whose role involves:
- Facilitating advocacy/person centred plans with people using the service; and
- Performing a supervisory role within an organisation that supports advocacy/PCP
It is ideal for a practitioner with a social studies/care/community development qualification who would like to:
- Gain an in-depth knowledge of this area
- Critically reflect upon their role as a practitioner.
WHAT YOU WILL YOU LEARN
Learning Objectives
After completing this course you should be able to:
- Discuss the overall concept of empowerment, and its development from an international and national perspective.
- Explain the qualities of empowerment as it applies to people with disabilities and reflect on the support worker’s own practice in relation to these.
- Describe the many elements of advocacy as a means of empowerment, its history and legislative framework, particularly from a national perspective.
- Illustrate facilitation skills to support empowerment of people with disabilities.
- Analyse the work environment in terms of level of empowerment and how the support worker can have an impact on this.
COURSE CONTENT
Programme Units
The course will be delivered in five units:
Click on the link below to view or download the upcoming provisional Course Schedule:
Assessment
To achieve this OTC Certificate of Completion you must participate in the online workshop and contribute to the online posting board with your fellow participants. You will also need to provide a short case study of empowering an individual.
ADDITIONAL COURSE INFORMATION
A Note from the Course Tutor - Niamh Delany
Advocacy and empowerment are terms used throughout best practice and policy documents relating to providing a service to people with disabilities in Ireland today, but what do they really mean, and how can we be sure that the service or support we provide maximises the potential in these concepts? This course delves into the theoretical background of Advocacy and Empowerment. We investigate our own beliefs about these terms and challenge ourselves to understand them fully. Only then can the words written in policies such as New Directions become real. We will explore the stories of influential people who have fought for and brought forward human rights for people with disabilities and explore the personal and organisational practices and policies that may enhance or present a barrier to empowerment and advocacy.
In my experience delivering this course many supporters have begun to expand decision making with the people they work with and are eager to share their experiences. This course brings together many supporters from different service types and regions. Family members are also drawn to the course. Whether you are a seasoned facilitator/activist or are embarking on a new career, this course offers the opportunity to virtually meet with and exchange ideas and resources with others. A chance to evaluate what is going well and be exposed to new ideas and ways of thinking. When ideas are shared and relationships are built, the potential for strengthening communities grows. This networking is one of the aspects of the course that is considered by past students to be very useful.
HOW THE COURSE WILL IMPACT YOUR CAREER
Qualification
Participants will achieve an OTC-accredited Certificate of Completion in Empowerment and Advocacy
COURSE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Applicants must have experience working with or volunteering with individuals with disabilities. This CPD opportunity would be beneficial for professionals such as social care workers, care workers, healthcare and personal assistants, family or home support workers, or community care workers. We also encourage applications from family members of disabled individuals.
Applicants must possess the necessary IT skills to participate as required.
International Applicants must provide appropriate documentary evidence of proficiency in English (i.e. IELTS 6.0).
HOW TO APPLY
Applications for this course are accepted through our Online Application Centre.
To apply, you will need to:
- Satisfy the entry requirements for the programme
- Provide some documents to support your application
- Submit provide a short personal one-page statement explaining why you want to apply
Supporting Documents and Forms to Download
You will need to provide us with some documents as part of your application. These are:
Start Making your Application
- Click on this LINK to access the application form.
- Click on the Apply Online black button
- Choose the CPD Short courses area, and then
- choose the Empowerment & Advocacy course from the drop down menus.
HOW CAN WE HELP?
Contact us if you want to know more about the course.
Call: (+353) 86 0756580 (Hours 9am-5pm please)
Mail: Please use the contact form below.