PRACTICE EDUCATION COORDINATOR, SOCIAL CARE
Title
College
School
Discipline
Level
Contract Type
Reporting To
Closing Date
Vacancy Reference
Practice Education Coordinator Social Care
Medicine and Health Sciences
Health Sciences
Health Promotion – Social Care
Fixed Term
Full Time Temporary – 3 Years
Head of School/Programme Director
17.00 (GMT) 17 July 2014
007656
JOB ADVERTISEMENT
Applications are invited for a full-time 3 year contract for a Practice Education Co-ordinator post in
Social Care (Discipline of Health Promotion).
The successful applicant will co-ordinate practice education placements on the BA Social Care
part-time degree programme within the Discipline of Health Promotion. Practice placements are
an integral part of the programme and students engage in practice education in each year of the 4
year programme. Placements will be managed to ensure an optimum match of students’ learning
needs and placement availability. In addition to organising placements, the postholder will prepare
students for practice education, through workshops and on-line learning and run preparation
courses for Practice Educators. The postholder will liaise with Practice Tutors and Practice
Educators to ensure effective practice education. Teaching, assessment and administration
related to the programme will also be required.
The successful applicant will have:
o
o
o
o
o
o
A recognised professional qualification in Social Care or a related discipline
A relevant postgraduate research qualification (e.g. Masters)
A minimum of two years relevant practice experience
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Experience of working with and educating Social Care students for practice
Experience of blended learning formats
In addition to the above, formal experience of teaching at third level and a PhD are desirable.
Current and past involvement in research and a history of publication will be an advantage.
The candidate will contribute to the development of practice education on the BA Social Care
programme in line with the professional standards for Social Care, the competencies required for
practice and the pending accreditation of the programme by the Health and Social Care
Professional Council (CORU).
For informal enquiries, please contact Dr Colette Kelly, Email: colette.kelly@nuigalway.ie; Phone:
+353 (0)91 493186.
Additional information on the Discipline of Health Promotion and Social Care programme is
available at: http://www.nuigalway.ie/health-promotion/ and http://www.nuigalway.ie/healthpromotion/courses/socialcare.html respectively.
Salary: EUR36,320 x 10 = EUR51,104 p.a.
(This appointment will be made on the scale in line with current Government pay policy)
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For more information on the College of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences and School of
Health Sciences: http://www.nuigalway.ie/colleges/medicine-nursing-and-health-sciences/
Closing date for receipt of applications is 17:00 (GMT) on Thursday, 17th July 2014. It will
not be possible to consider applications received after the closing date.
For more information and Application Form please see ‘Application and Appointment
Procedures’ (Page 6). Applications should be submitted online.
Garda vetting may apply.
Please note that appointment to posts advertised will be dependent upon University
approval, together with the terms of the Employment Control Framework for the higher
education sector.
National University of Ireland Galway is an equal opportunities employer.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Principal Duties and Responsibilities
Teaching (Tutorial, Lecturing, Marking & Feedback, Student support, Supervision)
o The individual appointed should have a strong commitment to practice education.
She/he will contribute to the development and delivery of practice education
curricula of the BA Social Care programme using an innovative array of online and
blended learning teaching methodologies for adult learners.
o Regular updating of practice material in line with changing practice, policy and
research will be required.
o Coordinate and facilitate tripartite assessment meetings between students, NUI
Galway and Practice Educators.
o The post will also entail teaching, supervision and assessment of student projects,
portfolios and assignments.
Administration (Administrative, Co-ordination, Accreditation)
o Assume responsibility for the strategic management of Practice Education in
Social Care.
o Allocate and manage practice placements to meet the learning needs of the
student and the accreditation requirements of student education and professional
bodies.
o Liaise with Practice Educators in relation to effectiveness of placements and
student progress
o Visit potential placement sites as required in liaison with Service Mangers.
o Promote and develop communication and links with a range of local and national
services, both voluntary and statutory, in order to develop practice education
opportunities.
o Promote inter-professional learning across disciplines in the health and social care
setting.
o Provide support to Practice Tutors and Practice Educators who engage with
practice education through mentoring and organise, design and deliver CPD
workshops and courses related to education and evidence-based practice.
o Evaluate practice education standards within placement sites in collaboration with
all stakeholders.
o Develop and maintain database of practice education sites in line with nationally
agreed guidelines and templates.
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o Co-ordination and administration linked to Social Care accreditation of the
programme will be undertaken.
o The post holder will work closely with the Social Care team on strategic course
developments and will participate in internal Social Care and Discipline meetings
and working groups.
Research (Publications, Student Supervision)
o The individual appointed will have a Master’s level or equivalent qualification and
will have the ability to develop a research and publication record.
o The post holder will be expected to contribute to the development of research in
Social Care including a Health Promotion approach to Social Care and/or Practice
Education.
o The appointee will be required to keep up to date with developments in the Social
Care area and promote the implementation of evidence-based practice.
o She/he will be required to support and supervise student research projects and
dissertations.
Contribution to Community
o The successful candidate will be required to contribute to related School and
College activities and administration responsibilities.
o Participation in national and international professional activities, associations,
conferences, committees, and appropriate community activities relevant to the
content, development and delivery of the Social Care programme is desirable.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Essential Requirements:
 A recognised professional qualification in Social Care or a related discipline
 A relevant postgraduate research qualification (e.g. Masters)
 A minimum of two years relevant practice experience
 Experience as Social Care Practice Co-ordinator at third level
 Skills in the delivery of blended learning modules and programmes
 Ability to contribute to the development and administration of the programme
 Ability to work with diverse student groups
 Collegiality and a capacity to work as a member of a team
 Strong communication and organisational skills and demonstrates good motivation
 In-depth knowledge of developments at a national and international policy level in
the Social Care field
 Skills and knowledge of research relevant to the field of Social Care and/or
Practice Education.
Desirable Requirements:
 Experience as a Social Care Practice co-ordinator at third level
 Skills in supervision of practice placements
 A PhD in Social Care or a related field
 Experience of lecturing and assessing undergraduate students at third level
 Experience of course administration and participation in programme accreditation
 Demonstrates high level of interpersonal skills and experience of team work in a
third level setting
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
A track record of research and publications relevant to Social Care and/or Practice
Education.
The appointment will be made to the School of Health Sciences, but will be associated
with the Discipline of Health Promotion.
Appointments will be conditional on work authorisation validation. Further details
are available at www.djei.ie
4
Competency Framework for Lecturer Roles at NUIG
Excellence in Teaching
The Lecturer develops and delivers
quality teaching programmes which
engage and inspire students at all
levels and maximises their learning.
They are confident in using a range of
teaching techniques, are open to
innovations in teaching and are
focused on continually developing their
own teaching skills.


CAPACITY TO DEVELOP
Leadership Excellence
 Personal Effectiveness
The Lecturer is enthusiastic about their
discipline and is committed to making
their best personal contribution through
employing excellent planning and
organising,
communication
and
decision making skills to achieve their
goals and through working hard and
being flexible in order to meet the
multiple and changing demands of the
Lecturer role.
The Lecturer must work well with
others, providing leadership and
direction to students, colleagues and
support staff in relation to projects or
areas of work that they are leading on.
They effectively encourage, support
and manage the contributions of others
to deliver results for the discipline and
to ensure that high standards are met.
Organisational Excellence
Strategy & Vision
The Lecturer should contribute to the
strategic development of the discipline
by developing a strong awareness of
the wider environment, how the
discipline is developing and how the
School/Discipline can develop in the
long term to optimise its contribution.
He /She must have the ability to make
a strong case for the development of
new programmes or engaging in joint
programmes or collaborations that they
feel will add long term value to the
School/Discipline.

Leading Others
DEVELOPING
CORE

CORE
The Lecturer furthers their discipline
and contributes to the body of
knowledge in their area through
planning, carrying out and publishing/
disseminating their own high quality
research, building and leading research
groups and providing supervision and
support for postgraduate students to
enable them to produce quality
research. They keep up to date with
relevant developments in their field and
network and collaborate with others,
both internally and externally, to
optimise the value and relevance of the
research being produced and to
maximise the School’s/Discipline’s
ability to attract research funding.
CAPACITY TO DEVELOP
CORE

Academic Excellence
Excellence in Research
Collegiate & Community
Contribution
The Lecturer values and engages in a
collegiate approach to working with
others, within their own discipline,
school and university and also within
the wider external community. S/he
actively seeks to build effective
networks and is willing to contribute
their time and expertise to a range of
broader university wide or community
projects.
5
APPLICATION AND APPOINTMENT PROCEDURES
1.
Application
A.
If you are a current NUI Galway employee please use the NUI Galway Employee Self Service
(ESS) portal to apply for this post. Note that access to the ESS portal is currently only available
on campus. The following is a link to the ESS portal:
http://ess.nuigalway.ie
The following is a link to a User Guide for ESS:
www.nuigalway.ie/hr/documents/internal/nuig_user_guide_academic_internal.pdf
Please ensure that you read the attached guide prior to applying for this post and allow
sufficient time to make your online submission in advance of closing date.
Please note that closing dates/ times will not be extended for user error.
Late applications will not be accepted.
Non NUI Galway employees
If you are not a current NUI Galway employee please use the NUI Galway online recruitment portal
to apply for this post. The following is a link to the online recruitment portal:
http://erecruit.nuigalway.ie
The following is a link to a User Guide for the online recruitment portal:
http://www.nuigalway.ie/hr/documents/nuig_user_guide_academic_external.pdf
Please ensure that you read the attached guide prior to applying for this post and allow
sufficient time to make your online submission in advance of closing date.
Please note that closing dates/ times will not be extended for user error
Late applications will not be accepted.
Please submit the following documents under the Applicant CV section of the online form:
a. A cover letter/personal statement A cover letter/personal statement outlining why you wish
to be considered for the post and where you believe your skills and experience meet the
requirements for the post of ‘Practice Education Coordinator Social Care’
b. A comprehensive CV clearly showing your relevant achievements and experience in your
career to date in relation to the key areas as described in the Competency Framework for
Lecturer Roles at NUI Galway.
The completed application document must be submitted online to reach the Human Resources
Office no later than 17:00 (GMT) on 17th July 2014 Please note that an application will ONLY
be considered if documents a and b above are fully completed and received by the closing
date.
B.
All applicants will receive an acknowledgement of application. If you do not receive an
acknowledgement of receipt of your application or if you have any other queries regarding the
application process please contact recruit@nuigalway.ie or telephone 091-492151.
C.
Incentivised Scheme for Early Retirement (ISER):
It is a condition of the Incentivised Scheme for Early Retirement (ISER) as set out in Department of
Finance Circular 12/09 that retirees, under that Scheme, are debarred from applying for another
position in the same employment or the same sector. Therefore, such retirees may not apply for
this position.
D.
Pension Entitlements:
This is a pensionable position. Details of the applicable Pension Scheme will be provided to the
successful candidate. The Pension element of this appointment is subject to the terms and
conditions of the Pension scheme currently in force within the University. This Scheme may be
amended or revised by the Irish Government or its agents at any time.
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The Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004 set a minimum retirement
age of 65 and removed the upper compulsory retirement age for certain New Entrants to the Public
Sector on or after 1 April 2004. Effective from 1st January 2013, The Single Public Service
Scheme applies to all first-time new entrants to the public service, as well as to former public
servants returning to the public service after a break of more than 26 weeks.
Retirement age set, initially, at 66 years; this will rise in step with statutory changes in the State
Pension Contributory (SPC) age to 67 years in 2021 and 68 years in 2028.
Compulsory retirement age will be 70.
E.
2.
Declaration:
Applicants will be required to declare whether they have previously availed of a public service
scheme of incentivised early retirement. Applicants will also be required to declare any
entitlements to a Public Service pension benefit (in payment or preserved) from any other Public
Service employment and/or where they have received a payment-in-lieu in respect of service in any
Public Service employment.
Assessment Procedure
(a) Board of Assessors
Applications will be considered by a Board of Assessors, which will shortlist and interview
candidates and report to the College, the Academic Council and Údaras na hOllscoile.
All applications and other materials submitted by applicants will be treated in strict confidence by all
panel members and others involved in the administration of the recruitment. No information about
the identity of applicants, or details of their applications, will be released to others, except where it
is necessary as part of the selection process. For example in the case of permanent academic
posts, it is necessary for copies of shortlisted applications to be circulated and viewed by members
of the College prior to candidates’ presentations as these members of college may attend the
presentation on the day. Members of College may also view the full copy of all applications
received (including those shortlisted and not shortlisted) for a permanent academic post by making
a request/appointment to the HR Office.
(b) Interview Dates
Candidates will be advised of arrangements in due course.
(c) Expenses
Expenses are paid to candidates invited to the Assessors’ Interview (see (a) above).
(d) The successful candidate will be required to submit evidence of age, original qualifications and
undergo a medical examination.
All candidates will in due course be notified of the outcome of their application. The Human
Resources Office will offer the post to the candidate appointed once the appointment has been
made by the University Appointing Authority.
Working at the National University of Ireland Galway
HTTP://WWW.NUIGALWAY.IE//HR/COMMENCING_EMPLOYMENT/
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Appendix 1
Competency Framework for Lecturer Roles at NUI Galway
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
o














Contribute to the development and delivery of teaching programmes in the School of
Engineering and Informatics in the discipline area of Biomedical Engineering at
undergraduate and postgraduate levels
Provides a high standard of teaching to students across a range of programmes in their
discipline
Provides mentoring and supervision to PhD students / projects / programmes as required
Leads on/contributes to the development and review of the curriculum and programmes
delivered and encourages other staff to contribute
Works to keep programmes ‘fresh’ while taking into account the skills of lecturers in the
area
Confident teaching student groups of various sizes and at different levels
Competent and consistent in setting and organising/co-ordinating the marking of
examinations
Competent in a range of teaching methods and strategies and is willing to continually
evaluate and develop their teaching methods and skills, looking for better ways of
teaching
Organises and structures their teaching logically to help maximise learning and ensure a
good student experience
Keeps students engaged by incorporating research and current topics into teaching and
informing their teaching by what is going on in the wider environment and including
external input
Demonstrates a commitment to students and gives the time and effort to engage with, and
be accessible to students
Gives constructive and timely feedback and advice to students
Benchmarks teaching programmes against those in other universities and aims to ensure
they are of a high standard
Works with students to prevent plagiarism, and puts systems in place to detect and
manage plagiarism
o





Excellence in Teaching
Excellence in Research
Engage in research and publish in an area of Biomedical Engineering that is a reasonable
fit to the strategic goals of the University and that will further strengthen interactions within
the School of Engineering and Informatics and with some of the University’s Research
Institutes
Publishes research frequently in high quality, peer-reviewed journals and presents
research at high profile conferences
Builds up collaborative links and networks with other organisations and keeps up to date
with research in own area and what is happening in the international research community
Goes to relevant conferences, and works with industry and other relevant external bodies
to keep research relevant
Writes strong research and grant proposals which sells the value and potential benefits of
a piece of research
8


Effectively plans research and can estimate the time and resources required to complete
it, and delivers on schedule
Provides quality supervision and guidance in relation to the research of undergraduate
and postgraduate students, motivating and encouraging them to help them overcome
problems
LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE
o






The post holder must have excellent interpersonal and communication skills
Demonstrates excellent planning, organisation and prioritisation skills, to effectively meet
deadlines and to deliver to high standards across the areas of teaching, research and
administration
Has good time management skills to manage a heavy workload
Active in reviewing systems and processes to maximise the time available for research
and teaching
Flexible and adaptable in managing competing demands while protecting core values
Understands the importance of budget management and raising programme funds, and
can assimilate financial information and report back on financial matters
o




Personal Effectiveness
Leading Others
Works constructively within a collective collegiate structure
Consistently works with others to ensure high standards in all aspects of the role
Gives clear instructions in relation to the contribution expected from others
Actively supports the career development of postgraduate students and newer colleagues
ORGANISATIONAL EXCELLENCE
o






Actively builds strong internal and external networks and collaborative links
Participates in cross discipline working groups in addition to taking on roles in external
institutions/agencies (with the necessary University approval in place)
Assumes administrative/organisational roles and tasks to help ensure the smooth running
of the School/Discipline
Contributes outside the university to different committees, the local community, and
voluntary organisations
Encourages students to get involved in relevant external groups also, where appropriate
Supports colleagues internally and with other universities in initiating collaborative
enterprises/programmes
o




Collegiate and Community Involvement
Strategy and Vision
Has a clear overall vision for what the School/Discipline is trying to achieve and how their
work fits in with the overall direction
Understands how the discipline is developing and brings this to bear on their work
Uses initiative to benchmark against other organisations and takes other opportunities to
increase understanding of best practice across the system
Identifies opportunities for new modules and programmes by assessing what will be viable
and of interest in the long term
9
10
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