TWO training courses are offered at NUI Galway's department of health promotion for those working as carers either at home or in the community as home helps, nurses aides or care assistants. The first is a year-long certificate programme in social care and the second a follow-on diploma. The cert course is taught by distance learning at 14 centres all around the country but at present the diploma is available in Galway only.

The roots of the programmes go back to 1993 and the first cert course was run in 1994, with the first diploma course a year later. Since the courses began there has been huge interest from around the country. Over 700 people have taken part over the past four years - most are women, but the number of men attending is growing.

"We wanted to provide a training programme suitable for people who have been out of the educational system for some time and who may not have specific educational qualifications," says the course manager and college lecturer, Margaret Hodgins. "It's their experience that's important. Carers, both paid and unpaid, are an important part of the health care system, although their role is not always recognised.

"Very often they assume the responsibility for providing the first level of health care within the community and we felt that, by offering training geared specifically for their needs, we could both improve the quality of care they were giving, and their own health as well, in terms of managing the stresses and strains that go with the job."

Students are typically mature people and hesitant about undertaking a college course. However, says Hodgins, once on board they are highly motivated and bring a wealth of experience to the group discussions which are integral to the course.

Apart from being an innovative course in terms of content, the cert programme also breaks new ground by being offered through the medium of Irish. This year, funding from the Horizon programme has also enabled the cert course to be run specifically for a group of 23 women with disabilities. At the end of the course these students hope to secure jobs in the social care field.

Hodgins is quick to acknowledge support from VECs around the country. "They have provided us with accommodation and other administrative support and the outreach system has worked very well," she says. "We have a network of 14 tutors who look after the Outreach students and they are essential to the smooth running of the programme. The students get their material by post and then the tutors lead a local workshop every month which they attend."

The cert course covers a mix of subjects from study skills and social policy to practical topics such as basic nursing and understanding drugs and medicines. It costs £475 and the diploma, a continuation course for those who want to take their training further, costs £725.

As things stand, no grants are available to those taking part in either of the courses. Most students must fund themselves, although some have been supported by local partnerships and community groups.

Contact: The next course in social care begins at 14 locations in September. Applications are welcome from anyone involved in a caring role either inside or outside the home. For information, phone (091) 524411 - ext 2770.