Information for Social Care Education Providers

CORU is Ireland’s multi-profession health and social care regulator established under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (as amended). Our role is to protect the public by promoting high standards of professional conduct, education, training and competence through statutory registration of health and social care professionals. The Social Care Workers Registration Board was appointed in March 2015 and is currently undertaking the necessary preparatory work to regulate the profession by progressing the opening of the register.

One of the statutory functions of the Board is to approve the education and training required for entry to the social care workers register. Regulatory approval of education and training programmes is a process to assess whether a programme consistently and effectively prepares graduates for entry to the register of that profession. To receive approval, a programme must demonstrate that it meets specific quality assurance requirements as set by the Board.

The Social Care Workers Registration Board launched the Standards of Proficiency for Social Care Workers and Criteria for Education and Training Programmes on the 31 May, 2017.

There are two types of requirements:

• Standards of Proficiency are the threshold standards set by a Registration Board for entry to the register. The standards of proficiency provide detail on the knowledge and skills that all graduates must possess at entry to the register.
• Criteria for Education and Training Programmes are the requirements set by the Registration Board related to how a professional education and training programme is designed and managed. The criteria are used to ensure that a programme has a system in place to consistently and effectively produce graduates who meet the standards of proficiency for the profession.

The launch of the Social Care Workers Registration Board’s requirements signals a lead-in period for education providers to prepare for the programme approval process. Education providers are encouraged to review these requirements in detail.

Criteria for Education and Training Programmes is available to download here.

Standards of Proficiency for Social Care Workers is available to download here.

Further support and information is available from CORU and will be provided over the course of the coming months to education providers who wish to apply for programme approval, when the application process commences.

 

The following guidance should be read in conjunction with the Social Care Workers Registration Board standards and criteria:

1. Programme Approval and Monitoring Processes: Information for Education Providers
2. Programme Information Guidelines for Education Providers
3. Visit - Guidance for Education and Training Providers
4. Documentary Evidence - Guidance for Education and Training Providers
5. Guide to Education
6. Guide to CORU
7. Guide to Registration