Social care students have reason to celebrate

South East Technological University (SETU) is celebrating another success in its first academic year with the announcement that all current social care programmes on the Carlow, Waterford and Wexford campuses have been approved by CORU.

CORU approval means that the university’s current social care programmes meet national standards of excellence in the training and development of social care students.

SETU’s social care graduates from the CORU approved programmes will also be eligible to register as social care workers once the CORU register opens in November 2023.

The news has been welcomed by students across SETU’s social care programmes.

Conan O’Neill McDermott, a fourth-year student of social care, said: “As a final year student in Professional Social Care Practice, I am delighted with the news that we will now be graduating with a CORU approved degree. This will give us more professional standing, accountability and transparency within our role as professional social care workers.”

Naomi McCarthy, a firstyear social care social care and I am eager to put these skills into prac- student, was thrilled to learn that the degree received CORU approval.

“This news brought a great sense of happiness, satisfaction and pride to all students at SETU. We feel equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to make a positive impact in the field of prac tice.” competencies to deliver regulates prac ser

Speaking of the announcement, Professor Veronica Campbell, President of SETU, sees this as a very significant milestone for the University saying: “We are delighted to receive CORU approval.

“This is a wonderful achievement, most especially for our students who will have the skills and competencies to deliver safe and person-centred practice.

“To be part of a movement that professionalises and regulates the delivery of social care provision and will ensure best practice and high-quality services for vulnerable people is very special for all of our staff, students and the wider community.

“I would like to take this moment to thank our staff, students and placement providers for their commitment and dedication throughout the process.”

“I would like to ment provid commit

Up to 28,000 homes across the country are hoped for by the Government allowing council tenants to rent out rooms in their houses for up to €14,000 a year, tax-free. Under the current Renta-Room scheme, property owners can rent out rooms in their houses and apartments for €14,000 tax-free a year.

Senior ministers agreed at Cabinet to extend the scheme to all housing types, includ- ing local authority homes. For the rst time, council tenants will also be able to rent out their spare bedrooms as increasing numbers of landlords sell up and the rental market shrinks. ere are currently around 140,000 council-owned homes across the country, of which between 14,000 and 28,000 are “under-occupied,” the Department of Housing believes.

HSE residents in Kilkenny paying €1,025 more under Fair Deal

An average €1,025 more is payable on behalf of HSE residents in Co Kilkenny under Fair Deal as cost of care crisis persists for private and voluntary nursing homes.

Recently published gures show HSE nursing homes receive an average 69% more (€744) a resident, a week, under Fair Deal fees payable by comparison with private and voluntary counterparts.

In Co Kilkenny, the average fee payable on behalf of an individual nursing home resident in a HSE nursing home is now €1,025 above that payable to counterparts in private and voluntary nursing homes. In January 2022, the disparity was €812. HSE nursing home fees for resident care are double those payable to private and voluntary counterparts.

Tadhg Daly, NHI CEO, said: “In January 2022, the average di erence was over €600 per resident and it is now approaching €800. Fees payable to HSE nursing homes signify the reality of nursing home care costs. ere are multiple analyses of Fair Deal nding the fee setting process, which is not applicable to State nursing homes, is not commensurate with the reality of nursing home resident care costs. HSE nursing homes are provided with fees that are commensurate with resident care costs. is means that there are a number of empty bedrooms in them... for example, in homes where pensioners live alone or where there were families but the children have grown up and moved out. e Government now hopes to encourage those rooms to be rented out as part of moves to best use existing housing stock.

“ e chasm in how the State funds its own nursing homes represents discrimination against nursing home residents and those entrusted in meeting their health and social care needs. It is discriminatory use of public funding and private and voluntary nursing homes are forced to close while HSE nursing homes receive multiples in funding,” he said.

A Value for Money Review commissioned by the Department of Health pointed to the discrimination in fees payable.

Local authorities cannot compel council tenants to move out or downsize.

“ e idea is to incentivise people living in those homes – between 14,000 to 28,000 of those – to take up the Rent-aRoom scheme, open up their homes,” according to one source.

“A lot of them are in good locations in towns and cities across the country, and that they wouldn’t be penalised and they are allowed do it.”

The great mortgage escape

Mortgage holders are turning to an equity-release provider to get their loans away from vulture funds.

Spry Finance said it was experiencing strong growth in the number of customers using its product as a way to switch from a mortgage held by an investment fund.

It experienced a 40% increase in mortgage switching in the rst three months of the year compared with the same period last year. is was from borrowers taking out an equity-release mortgage and using some or all of it to pay o their existing mortgage.