OPEN TRAINING COLLEGE (OTC)

Director, Dr Karen Finnerty

The previous SMH strategy set an objective for the OTC to expand the range of programmes it offers and to expand our partnership with other bodies. Highlights for the five years covered by the Strategy demonstrate that the College continues to meet its mission of providing courses to the sector that are “accredited, accessible and embody best practice”. Between 2017 and 2022, the OTC registered 2,600 students across its accredited L5 to L8 courses, conferred 2,331 students, delivered in excess of 300 in-person workshops, 12,000 tutorials and 6,000 podcasts.

The College worked on developing and delivering online resources to many stakeholders across the sector. These resources included courses on Assisted Decision-Making, individualising services and GDPR. Other achievements included the development of a complete programme of 13 modules for SMH host families and working with clinicians to develop programmes for families on aversive feeding, independence skills and school transitions. The first significant placement of OTC social care students in settings to enhance their learning and the development of the first comprehensive dedicated OTC Student Support Service also occurred.

Challenges for 2022

In 2022, the Open Training College, like all third-level educational institutions, had to transition its students back to the classroom following Covid-19. The main challenge identified was the return to in-person exams and this required the College to implement additional and robust support. The College has now returned fully to the delivery model it used pre-COVID. Other challenges included delays in statutory processes in the area of third-level education arising from the legacy of Covid. In the academic world, the threat and impact of Artificial Intelligence chatbot text generators on academic integrity emerged and is challenging all Colleges to secure appropriate responses. Post Covid also saw a change in application numbers and patterns, causing challenges with intake and programme viability as has increasing competition across all areas the College works in.

Projects 2022

All policies were fully updated and a new version of Quality Assurance Document was published in 2022. The College, in line with other third-level educational institutions, needs to maintain the development of new Academic Integrity Policies and procedures in line with NAIN (National Academic Integrity Network) guidelines and definitions. This requirement is made even more essential due to the rise of artificial intelligence apps that can lead to increased academic impropriety.

We submitted for validation, a Level 8 qualification ‘Honours Bachelor of Arts in Applied Social Studies (Disability Service Management)’, which will provide managers, influencers and leaders in disability services with the knowledge, skills and competencies to support people who use services in the Assisted Decision-Making environment. This process continues into 2023 with the first students expected to commence in autumn 2023.

The College supported numerous disability organisations in a variety of areas, including personcentred planning, supporting people who have behaviours that challenge, supported employment, assisted decision-making, in the provision of online inductions for new staff and the review of human rights and the setting up of a human rights framework.

Key Achievements

• CORU approval for its BA in Social Care; a social care degree enhancing the competence of graduates across all social sectors, including disability services and enabling graduates to achieve registration as professional Social Care Workers.

• Working with the National Federation of Voluntary Service Providers Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act Reference group.

• Developed a one-day training programme for all SMH service managers and PICs on service auditing. The programme focuses on areas including the importance of a rights-based approach to auditing, the challenges of auditing, responsibilities towards auditing and how to support other stakeholders in the process.

• Supported the Pobal-funded Supported Employment Project by providing staff employed in our day services hubs with awards in Supported Employment and in Training and Development.