New hope that MTU Social Care courses will get accreditation

Accreditation for Social Care Work courses at Munster Technological University (MTU) has been described as “our priority” by Further and Higher Education Minister Patrick O’Donovan.

Some 20 months after The Echo first reported that Social Care Work graduates at the Cork campus of MTU were at risk of graduating without officially recognised qualifications, the minister said he is hopeful of “positive news”.

In November 2023, the Social Care Workers Register opened, introducing regulation for the first time in Ireland, listing approved qualifications. As reported in The Echo in September 2022, MTU Cork’s Social Care Work (BA) course is not currently approved.

Approval of social care courses is determined by Coru, the regulator for health and social care professionals, and although the approval process began in 2017, MTU Cork applied for accreditation for its social care course in March 2023.

Speaking at the launch in Cork on Friday of two new pathways into social work designed to give more people a chance to train as social workers, Mr O’Donovan said he was aware of criticism from some students and was confident that the MTU Cork course would be accredited soon. 

“Our priority is to get accreditation and I would be confident that will be happening soon, a lot of work has gone on, both between my own department, and the university itself,” he said.

“I’d hope to be in a position to be able to bring positive news to this fairly shortly.” 

MTU Cork was approached for comment.