L-R: Fergus Timmons, Programme Manager; Dr. Bengt Carlsson, Gothenburg University, Prof. Terri Scott, President, IT, Sligo and Dr. Perry Share, Head of Business and Humanities, IT, Sligo.
IT, Sligo’s Higher Certificate in Custodial Care (HCCC) is gathering considerable attention on the international stage. The two-year HCCC programme, delivered to new Recruit Prison Officers of the Irish Prison Service, now has almost 400 students.
Dr. Bengt Carlsson from Sweden’s Gothenburg University visited Ireland on 6-7 April 2009 to gather information and exchange ideas on the delivery of Custodial Care education and training. Dr Carlsson has been involved in the development of a similar programme in Sweden and has taught over 500 prison officers in the past 5 years.
‘Although we are almost 1,500km apart, our thinking is remarkably similar”, commented Dr Carlsson. “We both place a lot of emphasis on the prison officer reflecting on their performance as professional custodial care practitioners, we use intensive workshops with small group activity and we use peer supported learning techniques’.
President Professor Terri Scott welcomed Dr Carlsson to Ireland and the Institute. The Gothenburg academic met with Programme Manager Fergus Timmons and other members of the Custodial Care course team.
European Conference to be held at IT, Sligo
As a consequence of the meeting, a number of initiatives were launched, including the development of teacher exchanges and the hosting of an international conference on Training Models for Prison Officers in Europe, to be held at IT, Sligo in spring 2010.
Fergus Timmons commented: ‘It is really exciting to meet with international colleagues like Dr Carlsson who are also passionate about making a difference to the provision of custodial care. The visit has been mutually beneficial, and we would like to develop these links further in the coming months and years’.
Later in his visit, Dr Carlsson travelled to the Irish Prison Service’s Training and Development Centre in Portlaoise, the main delivery site of the HCCC. There he met with staff involved in programme delivery, and was given a tour of the impressive facilities at Beladd House.
For further information on the Custodial Care programmes at IT, Sligo contact:
Fergus Timmons,
Programme Manager,
Higher Certificate in Custodial Care,
IT Sligo,
Ballinode,
Sligo,
Ireland
Phone: 071 9155499
Fax: 071 9144500
Email: timmons.fergus@nullitsligo.ie