Researchers: Charlotte Burke (PhD candidate), Dr Denise Lyons, Dr Hazel O’Brien, Dr Dean McDonnell (SETU Carlow Department of Arts and Humanities).
Challenge:
According to the Population and Labour Force Projections 2023–2057 Report (CSO, 2024), Ireland’s older population (65+ years) is set to increase substantially, creating significant demands on social care resources. Coupled with ongoing and variable staff shortages, this raises pressing questions about the sustainability and future-proofing of social care services. This challenge is compounded by the need to preserve and build upon the professional identity and historical knowledge of Social Care Education (SCE) in Ireland. Ensuring that students connect past practice with contemporary and emerging care standards is critical for sustaining a competent and compassionate workforce. There is a clear need for educational approaches that not only meet regulatory standards but also foster reflective, informed, and adaptable practitioners capable of thriving in a changing social care environment.
Impact Summary:
This research has delivered cultural, educational and awareness impact through the preservation and promotion of the history of Social Care Education (SCE) in Ireland through a documentary grounded in original qualitative research. Informed by interviews with graduates and course leaders from Ireland’s first formal SCE programme and spanning 52 years of SCE, the documentary supports student learning, fosters professional identity, and meets CORU’s Standards of Proficiency for Social Care Workers. It has been adopted by educators across Technological Universities and is being used as a reflective learning tool to link past experiences to contemporary practice. The project also raises awareness of the evolving cultural and professional status of care work in Ireland. By using an accessible film format, it reaches a wider and more diverse audience, offering both educational and societal value. Ultimately, the research contributes to the sustainability and development of the social care profession, supporting compassionate and well-informed practice in an era of regulatory and societal change.
“This documentary not only educates but also serves as a testament to the commitment of those who have shaped the social care landscape in Ireland. What makes this documentary so compelling is its reminder that if we are to move forward with social care, we must honour the past.”
Dr Teresa Brown Chair of the Irish Association of Social Care Educators
Supporting Social Care Education and Professional Standards
This project has significantly strengthened Social Care Worker (SCW) education in Ireland through the creation of a documentary based on the first formal Social Care Education (SCE) programme. Informed by original research, the documentary directly supports educators and students in meeting CORU’s Standards of Proficiency, particularly Domain Five, Proficiency 14, which requires understanding of the history of social care and welfare provision in Ireland.
This resource is now in active use across Technological Universities and higher education providers. Its accessible format ensures engagement with a diverse student population, while also supporting compliance with regulatory frameworks. By transforming academic research into a dynamic educational tool, the project contributes to the sustainability and quality of SCW education during a period of significant change in the profession.
Promoting Reflective Practice and Professional Identity
The documentary preserves the voices and experiences of graduates from Ireland’s first SCE programme, as well as insights from its founding course directors. These narratives illustrate the impact of education on the development of values-led practice and professional resilience.
Current SC students are invited to reflect on these stories in relation to their own learning. This encourages a connection between past and present and promotes self-awareness, ethical engagement and a deeper sense of professional identity. The resource affirms the importance of compassion, empathy and social justice in social care work. It also provides practitioners with a shared professional heritage, fostering a sense of community and continuity.
Contributing to Sectoral and Societal Change
The documentary is being used to support conversations about the future direction of the SCW profession, including its professionalisation, regulation and cultural recognition. It draws attention to the shift from informal care as low-status and gendered, towards care as a skilled and vital social practice. By capturing a formative moment in Ireland’s SCE history, the project supports long-term sectoral development. It is contributing to a broader societal understanding of care work as central to a compassionate and inclusive society. The documentary serves as both a learning tool and a cultural artefact that connects historical context to contemporary needs in education and practice.
This is the first study to trace over five decades of SCE development in Ireland and assess its impact on professional practice. It addresses long-standing sectoral challenges such as role ambiguity, an evolving knowledge base, and the values, skills, and perspectives essential for effective social care. By highlighting both historic progress and persistent issues such as underqualified staff, poor conditions, and limited reflective opportunities, it supports the development of a sustainable, reflective, and well-informed workforce.
Drawing on national and international literature (e.g. Byrne, 2016; Fenton, 2016, 2019; Mulkeen, 2016; Lyons, 2017), the research situates SCE within the broader context of professionalisation, relationship-based practice, and the marketisation of care. It investigates how education has responded to these changes and explores pedagogical tensions within a commodified care system.
The documentary has already been adopted as a teaching resource across the sector. The study emphasises the integration of theoretical, practical, and experiential learning and considers how students come to understand social care work, both through acquiring skills to perform the work and by developing the reflective capacity to form a professional identity. It explores how student placements, situated learning, and practice wisdom contribute to readiness for complex real-world practice environments.
The study preserves a significant moment in Irish social care history, featuring interviews with course directors and graduates from Ireland’s first formal SCE programme. This work strengthens the historical record and aligns with CORU’s Standards of Proficiency, particularly the requirement to understand the history and development of social care.
- Full Documentary: https://socialcareireland.ie/innovation/video/
- Short clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzGpi5RIc8o
- Keynote address (2025): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYpNflFUnIg
- Research presentation (2022): The History of Social Care Education in Ireland presentation 240322.pptx
- Annual Féile na Beatha festival takes place at SETU
“This documentary highlights the importance of remembering our past, especially now that we have become a regulated profession with CORU. It reminds us to learn from past mistakes, so we don’t repeat them as we shift from being seen as a vocation to being recognised as a profession. Future students will now understand that social care has a rich history that spans decades.”
Leon Ledwidge - Chair of the Professional Body Social Care Ireland
“This documentary not only educates but also serves as a testament to the commitment of those who have shaped the social care landscape in Ireland. What makes this documentary so compelling is its reminder that if we are to move forward with social care, we must honour the past.”
Dr Teresa Brown - Chair of the Irish Association of Social Care Educators
“We recognise that the history of social care work education is deeply intertwined with the values, ethics, and standards that underpin today’s regulated practice. This important research and the resulting documentary offer a powerful and timely reflection on the foundations of social care work in Ireland; foundations built on advocacy, compassion, resilience, and a deep commitment to social justice.”
Catherine Byrne - Head of Strategy and Policy, CORU
The documentary was a collaborative project between the graduates from the first social care programme and current social care students from SETU Carlow on a CORU-approved programme. Documentary videographer - Roger Whelan, RoJnRoll productions.
Funded by ‘Strategic Alignment of Teaching and Learning Enhancement Funding in Higher Education’ (SATLE), July 2024.
