The Specialist Certificate in Youth Health Promotion is a Level 7 course delivered by the National Youth Council of Ireland in partnership with the National University of Ireland, Galway. Aimed at those working in the youth sector, this course will be of interest to anyone looking to gain the skills to encourage, support and facilitate youth organisations to become effective settings for health. This course is also linked to the Health Quality Mark (HQM) initiative and prospective participants must be in the position to implement the HQM in their respective organisations.
This course will take a blended learning approach meaning it will be a fusion of online and face-to-face delivery. The dates for online and face to face delivery will be given at the beginning of the course to allow adequate planning time for participants.
Capacity
16 participants
Cost
€400
Date & time
- Induction: September 12th, 2023
- Block 1: September 26th, 27th & 28th 2023
- Block 2: November 28th, 29th & 30th 2023
- Block 3: January 30th & 31st & February 1st, 2024
- Block 4: March 12th,13th & 14th 2024
- Block 5: May 8th & 9th 2024
Course Aim
The Specialist Certificate in Youth Health Promotion encourages, supports, and facilitates youth organisations to become effective settings for health.
Key Benefits
- Build the capacity of practitioners and their organisations to identify and effectively address the health needs of young people.
- Develop a range of competencies in Health Promotion.
- Contribute to a culture that promotes Youth Health and Well-being.
- Access up-to-date research and specialist input from expert speakers in relation to Youth Health in Ireland.
- Support the achievement of outcome number 1 “Active and Healthy” in Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: The National Policy Framework for Children and Young People.
- Support the implementation of the National Quality Standards Framework (NQSF)
Participants can expect to
- Develop and evaluate their understanding of health education and health promotion and application of theory to practice through academic and experiential learning.
- Develop skills and knowledge to assess the health needs of the young people they work with, within the context of their own organisation.
- Explore theories of health behaviour and models of good practice in health promotion.
- Undertake to examine the development of policy and strategy as part of a ‘whole organisation’ approach to youth health promotion.
- Develop and outcomes-focused approach to planning.
- Develop and enhance group work and facilitation skills.
- Develop an ‘whole organisation’ approach to health promotion through the implementation of the Health Quality Mark (HQM).
- Support the implementation of the National Quality Standards Framework (NQSF).
This course will be of interest to
- Those who work in the youth work and related sectors.
- Have an interest in supporting and promoting the health needs of young people.
- Those who wish to develop their understanding of the determinants of health on young peoples lives.
- Those who are interested in the significant role of research in the development of knowledge and best practice in health promotion.
- Wish to acquire or further develop the core competencies to practice health promotion.
Programme Structure: 3 Modules
MODULE 1
Foundations of Health Promotion
- Concepts and principles of health promotion
- Communication, training and facilitation skills
MODULE 2
Specialism Module
- Young people and health behaviour
- Settings approach to health promotion
MODULE 3
Project Development
- Organisational health promotion strategy
Application process
Register your interest below
The Deadline for Applications is 5 pm on the 21st of April 2023
An application will be sent out for your completion.
Your line manager or manager of the organisation must also complete the application form.
An interview will be organised and facilitated by the National Youth Health Programme.
Programme Award
Certificate in Health Promotion (LEVEL 7) Specialist Certificate in Youth Mental Health Promotion awarded by NUIG Galway
The Specialist Certificate in Youth Health Promotion is a Level 7 award on the National Framework of Qualifications.
Successful graduates who wish to apply for the Postgraduate Diploma in Health Promotion Programme offered by NUI Galway can carry forward ECTS and, on this basis, are exempt from one optional module of the programme.
What some of our course graduates had to say
“Health promotion is so much more than I gave it credit for. The concepts, skills and topics covered have added so much to my abilities in thinking about how health topics impact on people across the technological spectrum. The course is now very much practice in my work, not theory in my head.”
John Buckley, Former Deputy Director Spunout
“I went back to college for the first time in many years to take part in the Specialist Certificate in Health Promotion because I passionately believe that the level of educational engagement, progression and happy fulfilled lives of each individual is determined by the awareness and quality of their own health and wellbeing. My original view of Health and Health Promotion has broadened considerably since my participation on the specialist cert. While on the Health Promotion programme, I was continually motivated and enthused by the subject matter as it totally related to my own work with the staff team as well as with our students. Health Promotion in its broadest sense, has now been moved up a gear in being integrated fully across all aspects of our Youth Reach programme. I share the knowledge and skills I gained on the programme with the staff team and students so that the needs and quality of the health and wellbeing of staff and students remains the focal point of our work.”
Josephine Dempsey, Youthreach Co-Ordinator Miltown Malbay
Register your interest
Please contact us using the form below to register your interest in the course.
The Importance of Health Promotion
Health promotion is based on a social model of health and is concerned with the process of enabling people to increase control over and to improve their health. Health promotion involves influencing the determinants of health from smoking, alcohol and physical activity to broader structural determinants of health such as unemployment, poverty, housing and education.
‘Healthy Ireland’ Ireland’s national framework for improved health and wellbeing supports a vision ‘where everyone can enjoy physical and mental health and wellbeing to their full potential, where wellbeing is valued and supported at every level of society and is everyone’s responsibility’.
The National Youth Council of Ireland in partnership with the National University of Ireland, Galway administers the part-time Specialist Certificate in Youth Health Promotion.