MASTERS              

M.A. in Therapeutic Child Care

This is a 2-year, one-day per week course with a maximum intake of 18 students.

This course is offered every two years and will run again in

October 2010.

Contact MA Office, Carlow College, College Street, Carlow 
Tel: 059 9153200

Download Application form here

Email: matcc@carlowcollege.ie

 WHO IS THE COURSE FOR?

This multi-disciplinary course is for experienced practitioners currently working with emotionally troubled children and their families in a wide variety of settings. Subject to meeting course requirements. Prospective students may be:
 

• Staff in Residential Child care settings, High Support, Special Care and other residential centres 
• Community Child Care Workers
• Social Workers
• Family Support Workers/Staff of Child & Family Centres
• Teachers working with very troubled children
• Care Staff working with children and young people who have physical and /or intellectual disabilities.

INTRODUCTION

Many professionals who work with emotionally troubled children and their families are seeking advanced training in therapeutic principles and practices to add to the basic training that they have received in their own discipline. This course is closely modelled on the MA in Therapeutic Child Care Course currently being offered at the University of Reading in England. That course was founded in 1990 by Adrian Ward who saw a need for advanced training for experienced staff working in therapeutic child care settings. Our experience suggests that there is considerable demand in Ireland for an equivalent training experience.  

We are grateful to Adrian Ward, to Linnet McMahon (the current Reading MATCC Leader), and to the University of Reading for their very generous help and support to us in setting up this course. While keeping true to the unique spirit and philosophy of the Reading course we shall situate the Carlow College course in the present Irish experience of working with very troubled children. Further reading: Intuition is Not Enough by Adrian Ward and Linnett McMahon (Eds.), (1998) London: Routledge.

COURSE PHILOSOPHY

The course has a strong focus on the therapeutic community model of practice, and its application in different agencies and settings. For this reason the learning situation at College will be conducted as much as possible so as to reflect ‘best practice’ in a therapeutic community work setting. Each day’s work begins and ends with a Community Meeting, and the group learns together to become a ‘holding environment’ in which everyone has the safety they need to grow, and to make mistakes. The emphasis is on co-operative rather than on competitive learning.
Students and staff therefore work together as a learning community on a range of methods in therapeutic child care, including milieu therapy, opportunity led work in daily living, anti-oppressive practice, focused work, group work, management and ethical issues. There is a continuous emphasis on the overlap and connections between personal, professional and academic learning and opportunities are provided for personal and professional development.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT

Year 1
Advanced Child Care Practice 1: Therapeutic work with Children and Adolescents. Context, Principles and Practice

Learning is through seminars based on prepared reading, and other methods such as role-play, case studies, family sculpting etc. Special emphasis is placed on the psychodynamic approach to understanding children’s needs and emotional development, as well as on the therapeutic community model.

Philosophical & Ethical Issues in Therapeutic Child Care
This module is an opportunity to reflect on the ‘taken for granted ‘language of therapeutic child care and to evaluate practice from an ethical and moral point of view.

Professional Workshop
These sessions are an opportunity to work on current problems and issues in the student’s workplace and to test out and apply the theories covered on the course.

Experiential Group
This is an essential and integral part of the course. It entails reflecting on the connections and overlap between the personal and professional. Emphasis is on personal development rather than on academic learning. The sessions are conducted along group analytic lines and continue throughout Year 2.

Visit of Observation
Students will have an opportunity to visit a social care setting in order to study different contexts and methods of therapeutic work.

Year 2

Advanced Child Care Practice 2: Therapeutic Communication with Children & Young People
These sessions draw on attachment theory and the other principal psychodynamic approaches to child therapy. Themes include trauma, separation, loss and grief, as well as the impact of physical and sexual abuse, and problems of identity.

Psychotherapeutic treatment approaches include therapeutic management of the milieu, play therapy, group work and family work. Learning methods include seminars, practical skills training, experiential work and case study presentations.

Management Issues in Therapeutic Child Care

• Every therapeutic child care setting needs to be professionally managed and these sessions address this most important therapeutic task. The themes include:
• Everyday practice - matching the task to the working method
• Teamwork - its potential and its constraints, supervision, consultation and making meetings worketc
• Leadership and the dynamics between leaders, teams and others. 

Research in Therapeutic Child Care & Dissertation Workshop
These sessions offer ongoing support to students while they work on their dissertations. Students are helped to develop their skills, experience and confidence in evaluating research and are provided with individual supervision.

Residential Workshops
A residential workshop is held in Year I with particular emphasis on the
Dissertation and in Year 2 to consolidate the learning outcomes.
 
Assessed Work
Three essays are required in Year 1. In Year 2, a dissertation proposal, the dissertation itself and two further essays are required. As students also need to present case studies etc. to the class group, they will need to put a day aside for study apart from their day in College.

MASTERS IN THERAPEUTIC CHILD CARE STAFF

Lecturing Staff

Professional Workshop – Olivia Ring

Philosophical & Ethical Issues – Peter Kieran

Advanced Child Care – Damien McLellan

Experiential Group – Dorothy Casey

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS & SELECTION CRITERIA

1.   Degree in Applied Social Studies or equivalent academic        

     /professional qualification to Degree level in a relevant profession
      (In exceptional circumstances, (see below *) Diploma in Applied

     Social Studies or equivalent qualification)
And
2.   Minimum of two years post-qualifying experience in a professional

     social care setting  
And
3.   Be currently and continually employed in a social care agency

     open to working from a therapeutic perspective (the supportive

     role of employer will be defined as part of the application process)
And
4.  Satisfactory performance at interview

* If you are unclear about your eligibility to apply, please contact the college.

COURSE FEES/SPONSORSHIP & RELEASE
€4,500 Yearly
You are advised to discuss sponsorship and release options with your line manager, human resource / personnel department as soon as possible.

For informal enquiries contact:
Damien McLellan

Course Leader

MATCC Office
Carlow College
College Street
Carlow

Tel: 087 2836923

Masters by Research & Theses (Humanities)

It is possible to achieve an M.A. in the area of English Literature, Philosophy, History, or Theology at Carlow College.

Entry Requirements for Masters by Research & Theses (Humanities)

Applicants should normally have at least a 2.1 in their primary degree in an academic area closely related to their proposed field of study.

Fees area:

Year 1 & 2:                  € 2,888

Recurring Years:         € 1,444

Applications should be sent to:

The Registrar, Carlow College, College Street, Carlow

Prior consultation with the Academic Director of Humanities is recommended.