This sector includes a varied range of careers and professions associated with providing help, care and support, across the general community.

The definition of social care work used by the Department of Health & Children is:
"Social care workers plan and provide individual or group care to clients with personal and social needs. Client groups are varied and include:

• Children and adolescents in residential care;
• Young people in detention schools;
• People with intellectual or physical disabilities;
• People who are homeless
• People with alcohol/drug dependency;
• Families in the community;
• Older people.

Social care workers strive to support, protect, guide and advocate on behalf of clients." 

Skills and attributes for this sector
You need to be altruistic - a  ‘people person’ - to enjoy working in this career area. Personal attributes such as empathy, compassion, self-awareness and open-mindedness are typical of those found working in the social care sector.  Strong communication skills, an ability to use critical reflection, teamwork and interdisciplinary work are all important skills for social care practitioners. You would be liaising with other personnell across related areas, such as Doctors, public health Nurses, home helpers etc.) to plan an integrated approach to care. You would also be in contact with voluntary agencies who have vested interests in different areas of social work.

Most jobs in the field of Social and Caring involve working with clients and their families, often over a long period of time. For example, you might be:

• Supporting and helping vulnerable people – older people, people who are homeless, adolescents in residential care, people recovering from alcohol or drug dependency, people who are immigrants
• Caring for people with learning disabilities or with physical disabilities
• Giving advice and information – about welfare rights, education, money, careers or jobs – to people who need it
• Working in a community education centre, engaging local people of all ages in different learning activities
• Counselling people to help them sort out problems in their lives – an area where you must develop a trusting relationship with your client.

Social Work
Social work is a profession for those with a strong desire to help improve people’s lives. Social workers often see clients who face a life-threatening disease or a social problems, such as inadequate housing, unemployment, a serious illness, a disability, or substance abuse. Social workers also assist families that have serious domestic conflicts, sometimes involving abuse.

In Ireland the biggest employer of social workers is the Health Service Executive (HSE). Social workers also work with adoption agencies, hospitals and clinics, and in the probation and welfare service. 

Voluntary agencies catering for specific interest groups also employ social workers. These include charities, special schools (run by religious groups or parents) and treatment centers.

Medical Social Work
Most public hospitals employ Social Workers. Medical and Public Health Social Workers provide persons, families, or vulnerable groups with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses, such as Alzheimer's disease or Cancer.

Medical Social Workers are involved in counselling patients. They also help plan for their needs after they are discharged from the hospital, by arranging for at-home services, such as meals-on-wheels or oxygen equipment.

Mental Health
Mental health and substance abuse Social Workers assess and treat individuals with mental illness or substance abuse problems, including abuse of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs.

Examples of the services involved in this area include individual and group therapy, outreach work, crisis intervention, social rehabilitation, and training in skills for everyday living. They also may help plan the best way to make use of supportive services to ease a patients’ return to the community.

Mental health and substance abuse Social Workers are likely to work in hospitals, substance abuse treatment centers, or with individual and family services agencies.


Psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of thought, emotion and behaviour. The Psychologist examines the various aspects of human experience - people's emotions, their thoughts and their actions and applies their understanding to the person. Psychologists work in a variety of professional settings, including clinical, counselling, educational, organisational and academic environments.

The first step to a career in psychology in Ireland is to study for a primary degree at honours level. Completion of an approved primary honours degree enables a student to become a graduate member of The Psychological Society of Ireland (P.S.I.). Further education and specialist training is then necessary to develop a career in psychology. 

Community Services
Community Workers are sometimes employed by Local Authorities to run community and youth projects that aim to address such problems as teenage pregnancy, or anti-social behavior.  

The work of Social and Community Workers can involve assisting one-parent families, the area of adoption, or finding foster home care for neglected, abandoned, or abused children. 

As a Probation and Welfare officer in the Department of Justice, you may find work with the Adoption Board, in the Courts, or in Prisons and places of detention. 

Counselling
Counsellors help people to deal with any problems, distress or loss of direction they experience in their lives. They usually work with clients on a one-to-one basis, meeting them in private and treating their problems in confidence. People may need counselling to help them cope with situations or issues such as bereavement, anxiety, drug or alcohol dependency, debt or domestic violence.

At the moment, there are no legal minimum qualifications needed to become a counsellor. However, the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP) is very concerned that counselling standards should be developed and improved. For this reason, the IACP has developed strict Codes of Ethics and Practice for its members. They also have strict accreditation criteria, and this accreditation is very highly valued by employers.

Working with Older People
Another area of social and community work involves working in services for senior citizens, running support groups for family carers or for the adult children of aging parents, advising elderly people or family members about choices in areas such as housing, transportation, and long-term care, and coordinating and monitoring these services.

Child Welfare Services
The public health service in Ireland is obliged to provide social work services for children considered to be 'at risk' and for other child care services. These services are delivered at a local level by the Health Service Executive (HSE). The Social Workers who deliver these support services may be known as Child Welfare Social Workers, Family Services Social Workers or Child Protective Services Social Workers.

This involves making recommendations to the appropriate authorities. Through community and FÁS workshop programs, Community Workers may help disadvantaged young people find suitable employment. There are also career opportunities for Trainers that help workers cope with job-related pressures or with personal problems that affect the quality of their work. 

Social workers are registered at the Health and Social Care Professionals Council (CORU). Registration applies to anyone wishing to practise in Ireland in the regulated professions, regardless of whether they received their qualifications in Ireland, within the EEA/EU or elsewhere, and whether they work in the public, voluntary or private sector, as an employee, or as a private practitioner. 

Childcare 
Childcare is now commonly referred to as "Early Childhood Education and Care" and pre-school children in Ireland are “children under 6 years of age, who are not attending a national school or equivalent”.  Pre-school services include pre-schools, montessori, play groups, naíonraí, day nurseries, crèches, childminders and other similar services looking after more than 3 preschool children. {See EDUCATION SECTOR for detailed information on careers in the area of Childcare}.

Carers
There are many people who's chosen career path is to provide care on a daily basis. Care roles include:

• Respite Worker - provides family carers with a break from full-time caring responsibilities
• Special Needs Assistant - assigned to a child with a disability within the classroom situation
• Care Attendant -(or nursing assistant) can work in a variety of care facilities in the public, private and voluntary care sectors, varying from residential nursing homes to community day care facilities and health centres.
• Personal Assistant - provides assistance to an adult individual with a disability to allow them to live as independently as possible
• Home Help - is employed by the HSE and provides support to a person with a disability, or an elderly, frail person who may wish to remain in their own home but require some assistance with certain tasks

Disability
In recent years there has been a increased focus on disability. There are many Special Needs children and adults in our community. There are others who have aquired a medical condition, or a brain injury. A person with disability may or may not require special care. Some may require long-term specialist care.

Garda Vetting
Following implementation of the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 it is mandatory for persons working with children or vulnerable adults to be vetted by the Gardaí.  The Act lists the following work or activities where people working with children and vulnerable adult will require vetting:

• Childcare services
• Schools
• Hospitals and health services
• Residential services or accommodation for children or vulnerable persons
• Treatment, therapy or counselling services for children or vulnerable persons
• Provision of leisure, sporting or physical activities to children or vulnerable persons
• Promotion of religious beliefs