In a significant academic achievement, Lecturer in Applied Social Studies, Michael McCarthy, has had his scholarly chapter, ‘Leaving care and aftercare’, featured in the all-new edition of the leading textbook for social care work students and practitioners in Ireland, Social Care Work: An Introduction for Students in Ireland, edited by Kevin Lalor, Perry Share, and Teresa Brown (Dublin: Institute of Public Administration, 2023).  The inclusion of Michael’s chapter underscores his expertise and contribution to the field of social care and education.

Michael is in the first year of his PhD programme through Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) and lectures on the BA in Applied Social Studies (Professional Social Care) programme at Carlow College.

Also in this important book for Social Care is a co-authored chapter by former staff member Dr Lucy Bennett. Prof. Pat Dolan (University of Galway) said of the book: ‘in this most informative reader, the editors and contributors bring practice and policy in social care work to ‘life’, not just for students but for the wider community with an interest in the field.’

Social care work is a relatively young profession. It is now in a transformative phase of development with formal recognition of third-level courses; statutory registration for workers with CORU, the Health and Social Care Professionals Council; and legal protection of the title ‘social care work’. The last decade has seen major growth in research, practice development and new influences on the profession.