WHAT exactly is a social care worker? Noel Howard, president of the Irish Care Workers Association, says that they are a relatively new phenomenon in Ireland and there is a still a certain amount of difficulty in finding their place regarded by some as mini-social workers and by others as home helps. In fact, social-care work spans a huge spectrum of services.

Social care workers may work with travellers, the probation service, detention centres, those with physical or mental disabilities, people with AIDS and the elderly, as well as in childcare, in Early Start centres or in private creches.

Niall McElwee of Waterford RTC says that the most recently-accepted definition, as used by the IACW, refers to those "appropriately qualified and recognised who work as carers in a professional capacity with individuals or groups in a community or residential setting". The IACW only approves NCEA courses, which are offered at third level.

Another of the anomalies in the care area is that people don't need to be qualified to get a job. People with Leaving Certificate standard qualifications may apply for assistant or trainee house parent jobs with the health boards.

The qualifications offered by most Post Leaving Certificate courses are NCVA level 2 awards. The Department of Education recognises these awards for childcare assistants in Early Start schemes but the Department of Health operates a qualification bar for assistant house parents without an NCEA diploma. House parents must have an NCEA qualification.