Intellectual Disability Practice
Major Award

If you are seeking a HIQA and HSE recognised qualification to enable you to in services supporting people with intellectual disabilities,  this is the course for you.

Access to the Programme
Mature Applicants with relevant life and work experience are welcomed. Our Course Advisor is available to meet with prospective learners to discuss and advise on the course details, career and academic opportunities and assess your suitability for the course.

Entry Criteria
Entry criteria / prerequisites Level 4 Certificate / Leaving Certificate (or equivalent) or relevant life experience detailed in a current Curriculum Vitae. Please provide details and attach a copy of either a current CV or Certificate. Learners must be a resident of Ireland / based in Ireland.

Focused on the person-centred care of individuals with intellectual disabilities, this award builds the knowledge and practical skills required for inclusive support roles in residential, educational, and community settings.

Mandatory Modules:

• Intellectual Disability Studies (5N1652)
• Empowering the Individual (5N1749
• Community Inclusion (5N1740)
• Facilitating Learning (5N1753)
• Communications (5N0690)
• Work Practice (5N1433)

Electives (Choose Two):

• Positive Behaviour Support (Challenging Behaviour- 5N1706)
• Person Centred Focus to Disability (5N1728)
• Social Studies (5N1370)
• Applied Behavioural Analysis (5N1729)
• Understanding Special Needs (5N1709)

Any 15 credits from other relevant QQI Level 5 modules may be offered as a vocationally relevant elective, subject to programme validation and scheduling.

Learners will be able to:

• Demonstrate a wide breadth of knowledge of intellectual disability and the issues associated with supporting inclusion and facilitating independent living within the community.
• Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the theoretical concepts underpinning the empowerment and rights-based support of persons with an intellectual disability.
• Apply a broad range of specialised skills and tools, including Positive Behaviour Support strategies and Person Centred Planning to assist persons with an intellectual in a safe, respectful, and inclusive manner.
• Contribute to the development, implementation, and review of person-centred plans in line with HIQA regulations and national best practice frameworks, ensuring that supports reflect individual goals, preferences, and aspirations.
• Facilitate persons with an intellectual disability to develop socially valued roles and relationships within their communities, promoting participation, equality, and inclusion.
• Demonstrate initiative and independence by working collaboratively with diverse groups and multidisciplinary teams to uphold a rights-based and person-centred approach in all aspects of practice.
• Critically evaluate personal and professional practice to enhance communication, teamwork, and adherence to HIQA quality standards.
• Reflect on personal values and learning experiences to inform self-awareness, professional growth, and continuous improvement in providing inclusive and empowering support.

Learning Management System (LMS)

The Learning Management System is the most important tool for your course. all of your course content is contained online within the LMS. This includes narrated slide presentations (which may have extra content in the narrations), extra resources from your trainer, quizzes, links to the zoom tutorial sessions and the knowledge bank. The LMS saves your progress so you don’t have to keep repeating all the work you have already done. The content is developed to complement and enhance online synchronous trainer led classrooms. Trainers can upload other document types for distribution to learners, and provide links to external resource

Trainer Support At Forus Training,

We have 3 different training options available for your learning.

• Live and Online (Blended Learning): Trainer-led, group-based online sessions with e-learning for an interactive learning experience.
• Online Anytime (Self-Paced): Independent e-learning with three one-on-one tutorial sessions with a Trainer, scheduled at your convenience.
• Courses Near You (In-person, Classroom Based Training): Trainer-led, in-person sessions for group training, delivered on-site or at our locations

The trainer provides support to learners, including issuing feedback on draft work you will submit. Expect to wait up to 72 hours for a response by email for feedback. Many of our trainers have full time jobs as well as training with us this means they will have up-to-date sector specific information, but also means that you need to allow a little time for them to get back to you. Our trainers are current with practice in the sector in which they work.
Trainers can, by appointment, make time available to you before or after class to answer your queries that cannot be covered in the session. They can also make an appointment with you to discuss your work on a telephone call.

Learner Pack (Optional)
This learner pack contains all course materials including assessment instructions to support you as you complete the course.
The pack will also include induction information as well as forms that you will complete during and at the end of your course.

Assessment Details

Complete your Level 5 course and submit your coursework in 9 weeks from the day you get access to your materials. (If on a group booking, deadlines may vary - please check with your trainer). You are assesed using a range of tools, including, projects, assignements, learner records, skills demonstrations and examination. See indivdual Modules for the assement criteria and approach. 

Each QQI modules are 15 credits each – so completing 8 modules = 120 credits. 120 Credits are needed to achieve a QQI Major Award. 

Grading
Pass 50% - 64%
Merit 65% - 70%
Distinction 80% - 100%

Support with Preparing for Assessment

If it has been a while since you’ve studied, we have free, short presentations on Study Skills, Academic Writing and Harvard Referencing to assist you in your work.

Assessment Upload Facility

We have a user-friendly assessment upload facility available to you.

Technical Support

Technical support is available by phone to 044 9349400 or by email: hello@forustraining.ie (Monday to Friday : 9am to 5:30pm).

Compassionate Consideration

Where a Learner, pursuing an award, through no fault of his/her own, is unable to complete their assessment, the exit pathway below is in place to facilitate this Learner with an alternative course. The Learner is given the opportunity to obtain the Award by completing the course at an alternative date/location should they have relocated to an area where we provide the same award.
The following are examples of circumstances where a Learner is unable to complete their project/their course:
● Bereavement,

● Illness,

● Pregnancy,

● Relocation,

● Extenuating circumstances.

Please see P9 S7 C6 Compassionate Consideration Policy.

Learner Welfare

P9 S6 C6 Learner Welfare Policy and practices are fully integrated throughout teaching and learning experiences by both Trainers and staff to effectively meet the health and wellbeing needs of all Learners. The Forus Training welfare policy is focused on the welfare of all Learners and addresses any particular challenges individual Learners may be experiencing during their learning experience. The learning environment includes welfare support provided by staff for Learners which is fully integrated throughout the teaching and learning and organisation of teaching and learning to effectively meet the personal, social (wellbeing) and academic needs of Learners and staff. Please see the policy here P9 S6 C6 Learner Welfare Policy.

Supports for Learners with Disabilities and Specific Learning Difficulties

Forus Training is fully committed to complying with relevant policies and legislation with respect to equality and disability. Registered and potential Learners with verified disabilities or specific learning difficulties may be given compassionate consideration and reasonable accommodation to enable them to successfully complete their programme. This is arranged by the Course Coordinator.
A reasonable accommodation is any action that helps to alleviate a substantial disadvantage due to an impairment or medical condition. Such accommodations are put in place to help reduce these barriers in order to provide equality of access and opportunity for all. Reasonable accommodations are made for Learners on a case by case basis and must be supported with medical documentation. Both P9 S2 C6 Evidence of Disability Form and P9 S2 C6A Application Form for Reasonable Accommodation can be found at the following link:
https://forustraining.ie/knowledge-base/how-do-i-a...

Upon successful completion of the programme, you will be awarded a Level 5 major award is Intellectual Disability Practice (5M1761).

QQI is the awarding body. Forus Training is a provider of education and training programmes and we issue the certification to learners who have reached the standard for a QQI major award.

The certificate you will receive on successful completion is a formal confirmation by QQI that you have demonstrated the knowledge, skill and competence required to achieve the named award.

This Programme is validated by QQI and is coded Intellectual Disability Practice 5M1761. This certificate which will be issued to you by us is an award listed on the NFQ (National Framework of Qualifications). This ensures the certificate is nationally and internationally recognised and has many potential uses; for example, for further / higher education or employment in Ireland or abroad.

We offer a range of Delivery Options:

• Live and Online (Blended Learning): Trainer-led, group-based online sessions with e-learning for an interactive learning experience.
• Online Anytime (Self-Paced): Independent e-learning with three one-on-one tutorial sessions with a Trainer, scheduled at your convenience.
• Courses Near You (In-person, Classroom Based Training): Trainer-led, in-person sessions for group training, delivered on-site or at our locations.

For Organisatons- location-based training

• Have the course run at your organisation or book our training room. Each module is delivered in 3 hour sessions over a period of 4/6 weeks. We can tailor the sessions to your organisational requirements.
  

Progression Achievement of this award will enable the learner to progress to other appropriate programmes at the next or higher levels of the National Framework of Qualifications. Awards learners who successfully can progress to:

QQI Level 6 Special Needs Assisting - 6N1957
QQI Level 6 Health Services Supervisory Management Skills - 6M4978
QQI Level 6 Social Care - 6M2218
QQI Level 6 Early Childhood Care & Education - 6M2007

Progression Opportunities

The Higher Education Links Scheme (HELS) links specific QQI Level 5 and 6 Advanced Certificates to reserved places in a variety of higher education programmes. For QQI CAO applicants there are 40 higher education institutions including universities, institutes of technology and private third level colleges offering places on a variety of courses such as;

Bachelor of Arts Applied Social Studies in Social Care at Athlone Institute of Technology

Up to 20 places are reserved for QQI students. Any QQI Level 5 qualification is acceptable. Applicants, however, must hold one or more of the following modules:

• Social Studies (5N1370)
• Care Provision and Practice (5N2705)
• Intellectual Disability Studies (5N1652)
• Care of the Older Person (5N2706)
• Understanding Mental Health (5N3772)
• Special Needs Assisting (5N1786)

For details, please contact the Central Applications Office at www.cao.ie

For information on these Health and Social Care Programmes, see www.forustraining.ie

Applicants must check information on the CAO and on the higher education provider’s website.