The Department of Applied Social Sciences provides programmes for the social care sector (including the professional provision of care, protection, support, welfare and advocacy for vulnerable or dependent clients, individuals or groups). This encompasses people with learning disabilities, probation, hostels, “at risk” people, abused children, residential care and general community work. The aim of the social care programmes is to provide skilled and professionally competent graduates to work in a variety of social care settings and to furnish students with relevant knowledge, skills and an appropriate level of personal development. The Department also offers programmes in social and community development. These programmes are designed to enable students to develop the skills and competencies to work in the areas of community development, in the voluntary sector or in social inclusion.

The Department of Applied Social Sciences offers programmes that require students to undertake placement and volunteer posts.

To ensure the protection of the public and justify public trust and confidence, LIT uses the Garda Vetting Unit (GCVU) service to assess the suitability of applicants to these programmes. Depending upon the outcome of the vetting process, the Institute reserves the following rights:

• To not register a student;
• To remove an existing registered student;
• To delay the student’s placement modules on programmes

In all circumstances, it is the student’s responsibility to proactively disclose any convictions or pending cases. The Institute reserves the right to inform any placement provider of any convictions or pending cases.

The RETRO Project

In 2009, a group of educators from five different European countries (Ireland, Finland, Greece, Lithuania and Poland) came together to consider the challenges involved in managing relationships in teaching situations which are characterised by diversity.

Read about the project