This twelve-week, accredited course provides a comprehensive introduction to the person centred approach to disability and empowerment. It combines online learning with a series of intensive workshops that will provide you with the knowledge, skills and abilities required to use person centred planning to:

Support a person to develop their personal profile
Facilitate them and their circle of support to produce an action plan that will achieve their personal goals

Who Is This Course For?

The course is aimed at people about to begin a person centred plan with an individual. This includes:

Care Worker
Health Care Assistant
Personal Assistant

Family Support Worker
Home Support Worker
Community Care Worker

At a Glance

Audience Care Workers, Health Care & Personal Assistants, Family or Home Support Workers, Community Care Workers
FormatBlended
Duration12 weeks
AwardQQI Level 5 Minor Award – 2 Component Certificates
Credits30 (15 per certificate)
Fees€450
Start DateAutumn 2019

Continue to Application Centre

Generally, participants are experienced practitioners who have no formal qualifications in the area but are looking to take an accredited programme (QQI level 5 award) that provides:

A comprehensive introduction to person centredness
The opportunity to practice the person centered planning approach

Course Details

Learning Objectives

After successfully completing the course you should be able to:

Explain the principles, philosophy and value base that underpins a person centred approach to disability and empowerment
Describe the main steps in the person centred planning process
Identify and perform the key skills of an effective person centred practitioner
Use the concepts of empowerment and disempowerment to evaluate a service being provided to an individual
Support a person with a disability to develop their personal profile
Facilitate a person with a disability, with the support of members of their circle of support, to:
- Identify their dreams, goals and support needs for their future
- Produce an action plan
Develop and discuss solutions to the challenges of working with individuals using a person centred focus that empowers them to make informed choices and decisions

MODULE 1 – Empowerment & Advocacy

Unit 1: History & Concept of Empowerment

Empowerment for People with Disabilities – Overview
History of Empowerment
Empowerment & Legislation
Methods of Empowerment

Unit 2: Qualities of Empowerment

Qualities of Empowerment

Unit 3: Advocacy as a Method of Empowerment

Definitions & Development of Advocacy
Growth of Advocacy in Ireland & Abroad
Principles, Forms & Ethics of Advocacy
Values of Advocacy in your Everyday Work

Unit 4: Facilitation Skills to Support Empowerment of People with Disabilities

Empowering Practice in your Role
The Process of Empowerment through Effective Facilitation

The Principled Advocacy Framework
Facilitating Empowerment – Core Elements

Unit 5: Empowerment in your Working Environment

The Challenges Faced by People with Disabilities
Levels of Empowerment
Service Providers & Support Workers

How Empowering is your Work Environment?
How Empowering is your Organisation?

MODULE 2 – Person Centred Planning

Unit 1: Person Centred Planning: The Context

The Service System
Service System Models
- Traditional Service Model
- O’Brien’s Basic Strategy
- Customer-driven Model
Exploring Values
Five valued Experience & Service Accomplishments

The Concept of Inclusion
Circle of Friends
The Concept of Giftedness
Empowerment
Self-Determination & Advocacy
Service Brokerage

Unit 2: Person Centred Planning: The Principles

Planning – Essential Features
Kolb’s Planning/Learning Cycle

Person Centred Planning – Key Features

Unit 3: Person Centred Planning: The Steps

The PCP Process – Overview
Phase 1: Discovering the Person
Phase 2: Capacity Searching & Safeguards Search
Phase 3: Vision making: Images of Desirable Futures

Phase 4: Circles of Support
Phase 5: Constructive Actions
Phase 6: Reflection & Learning

Unit 4: Person Centred Planning: Skills & Techniques

The Facilitator – Roles & Skills
Facilitating Groups
Problem Solving, Negotiating & Resolving Conflict – Methods, Approaches & Challenges
Managing Time
Managing Change

Developing Creative Skills
Acting as a Coach
- Person Centred Planning & Leadership
- Managing Creative Tension
- Teams, Partnership & Collaboration

Unit 5: Person Centred Planning: The Wider Organisation

Organisations & Person Centred Planning
Systems, Loops & Service Deficits
Organisational Quality & Personal Outcomes

Personal Outcomes & Measures
Personal Outcomes & the 5 Valued Experiences

Assessment

Successful completion of the course is dependent on undertaking a series of short assignments. These involve:

Completing a practical project that ties together your learning and professional practice (title: Designing a Person Centred Plan)
Engaging in critical reflection on your experiences (title: “A Personal Reflection”)

Taking the Course

The course uses a ‘blended’ approach which combines online learning, virtual tutorials and face-to face workshops.

Our online learning materials are explicitly designed to accommodate the pressures that come with trying to balance work, life and learning. They make it possible to build study time around your work schedule. These are accessible through our learning centre which provides a platform for you to study, collaborate and communicate with your fellow learners. Regular online tutorials will expand your knowledge of the topic and answer any questions you have as you study.

Each workshop focuses on extending your understanding of the subject matter and helping you apply it in your working practice. The one-day session will be led by a subject matter expert who also has extensive experience in providing coaching/training to people working in the human services and non-profit sector.

Discussion, collaboration and the sharing of experiences are actively encouraged in order for the workshop to achieve one of its primary goals:

Facilitating the application of knowledge and skills acquired during the course to address real world challenges in a practical and effective manner.

Underpinning all of this is our learning community. This is made up of tutors who have extensive first-line experience, learning support staff who understand the human challenges people can face when attending college and our learners who are defined by their commitment to supporting each other.

We believe this creates a learning experience that is unique to the Open Training College, one that meets the specific requirements of people working in our sector and improves the quality of service our users receive. This is know as the Supported Open Learning Model. You can read more about it here.

The Learning Experience

The Tutor’s View – Claire Hopkins

What do you think the course gives people taking it?

Participants benefit from obtaining the “big picture” of what PCP actually is – not the jargon and the idealism but the real power of person centredness. They learn how to implement it so that it has a meaningful impact on the ground on a daily basis. It is a reenergising opportunity to reflect on the core values that should underpin their practice.

Returning to education can be stressful for a lot of people. How does the college help them cope?

We’re all first line professionals so we understand what it is like to go back to study after an extended period of time, if you work in the sector. We provide a comprehensive set of supports but at the heart of it are our tutors who try to tailor their support to suit how people learn in order for you to have the chance to achieve success.

What changes do you see in people as the course progress?

The course seems to unearth skills and knowledge in people they probably didn’t think they had. The content and interactive style identifies their strengths and areas in need of improvement in their practice. It provides the first steps in addressing these to reap the benefits back in their service and make a real difference with the people they work for. This is especially evident for people working in a traditional service delivery culture who are only recently getting to grips with person centredness.

More generally, what motivated you to become a tutor in the first place?

I love being a part of a person’s learning journey. It is a privilege to support people initially grappling with the subject and wondering how it and indeed how they can make a difference! Then at the end of the course to see the positive impact their learning has on their personal and professional development.

Qualification

The course is certified as a Level 5 Award by QQI/FETAC. Successful participants will obtain two component certificates:

Person Centred Focus to Disability (5N1728) (15 credits)
Empowering the Individual (5N1749) (15 credits)

These sit on the Major Level 5 Award: Cert in Intellectual Disability Practice (5M3782). The component certificates count towards two components of the eight to be successfully completed for this Level 5 Major Award.