Social Care Matters

Social care has been a growth area in Ireland. It is demanding but rewarding, as social care practitioners make a real difference in the lives of others. Formal social care had humble beginnings, located within a largely clerical or philanthropic context, but has now expanded to include the statutory, community and voluntary sectors. Social care practitioners are now trained and educated to degree level and increasingly to postgraduate level. Salaries and career structures have seen an immense improvement in recent times. A statutory registration system is being established that will oversee future professional development in the field. The management and reporting structures in social care practice are moving towards an acceptance of the social care practitioner as an independent, autonomous professional. There is no better time to enter the social care profession in Ireland.