The Health Promotion and Improvement Department HSE CHO2 is delighted to offer the following training in the Mayo Education Centre in Castlebar in 2023: the Foundation Programme in Sexual Health Promotion.
The closing date from interested applicants is 20th January.
This revised comprehensive six day Foundation Programme in Sexual Health Promotion (FPSHP) is for health, education, youth and community service providers who wish to develop their confidence, skills and knowledge in the area of sexual health promotion.
The Foundation Programme in Sexual Health Promotion (FPSHP) is managed nationally by the Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme, with the support of Health Promotion and Improvement, within HSE Health and Wellbeing.
The delivery of the FPSHP in Community Healthcare West is managed, staffed and funded by HSE Health and Wellbeing, Health Promotion and Improvement. It is free to participants.
The aim of the Foundation Programme in Sexual Health Promotion (FPSHP) is:
To enhance participants’ capacity to incorporate sexual health promotion into their work through the development of their comfort levels, confidence, knowledge and skills in relation to sexual health.
Learning Outcomes
On completing the 6 day programme participants will:
- Have increased self-awareness in relation to sexual health issues, and understand how this might impact on their work.
- Have increased understanding of how their sexual socialisation impacts on their values and attitudes to sex.
- Be aware that people are sexual beings through their life course and have needs with regard to sexual health, whatever their age or their level of sexual activity.
- Have increased knowledge around sexual health issues.
- Have increased understanding of sexual health in an Irish context.
Content
This program will look at sexual health promotion holistically throughout the life-stages and covers the following topics:
An introduction to health promotion, sexual health, sexual rights and inequalities, sexual health promotion within the Irish context, gender, sexual orientation and inclusive practice, a life course approach to sexual health, healthy and unhealthy relationships, intimacy and sexual pleasure, consent and the law, physical sexual health, the role of sexual health promotion policy and raising the issue of sexual health with clients.
Methodology
The course is participatory and experiential in approach, in line with adult learning principles. It requires participants to have an openness to personal development as they explore knowledge, attitudes and values in relation to sexual health, through individual, paired and group work.
Target Group
Target participants are those working in the health, education, youth and community sectors, whose work has the potential to involve aspects of sexual health promotion. Some previous experience of facilitation and / or one-to-one skills is desirable as this is not general skills training.
Commitment
- Participants are required to attend all six days.
- Participants are expected to keep a learning journal throughout the program and to prepare an action plan on the final day outlining how they will incorporate or integrate their learning on the course into their work practices.
- Time: 9 – 4.15pm on Day 2 and 9am to 4.30pm on Day 3. All other days are 9am to 4pm.
Certification
This course is certified by HSE Health and Wellbeing, and accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland.
Application process:
As places are limited on each course there is a two-step application process.
- Step 1: Application Form (which requires a signature from your manager)
- Step 2: Telephone interview
Course location and dates:
Our next 6 day course is due to be delivered in Mayo Education Centre, Westport Rd, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, F23 HX48.
Dates:
- Day 1 – 21st February, 2023
- Day 2 – 22nd February, 2023
- Day 3 – 22nd March, 2023
- Day 4 – 23rd March, 2023
- Day 5 – 18th April, 2023
- Day 6 – 19th April, 2023
In order to ensure that this is the right course for potential participants in terms of content, methodology and time commitment, the course facilitators will be conducting informal telephone interviews on February 1st and 2nd , 2023, before places are allocated. Please note these dates in your diary.
For more information on this course, please contact:
Vivienne Fitzmaurice, Health Promotion & Improvement Officer, Health Promotion & Improvement, Community Healthcare West, Mayo Community Living, Park Road, Swinford, Co. Mayo, F12 R704. T: 087 4445895 E: vivienne.fitzmaurice@hse.ie
You can access the application form HERE.
The closing date for receipt of applications is Friday, 20th January, 2023
Evaluation and Testimonials
The evaluation, “Capacity Building Impact of the Foundation Programme in Sexual Health Promotion: A Multiple Stakeholder Perspective” showed a “positive evaluation of all aspects of the FPSHP and high degrees of satisfaction with the programme overall; participants perceived more supports than obstacles in implementing what was learned and participants doubled the number of sexual health promotion activities they engaged in” on completion of the course.
Evaluation testimonials:
‘I feel because the quality of the programme, the length of time, it was over four or five months…my comfort level in discussing sex and sexuality with people has increased [sexuality and sexual health] was normalised for me. So it’s not an area I’m afraid to touch on with people’ (Participant, age 43, female).
‘[name of participant] runs nurse-led smear clinics as part of the [names specialist] service. She educates and counsels patients regarding sexual health in these clinics. As a result of the course her confidence in doing so has increased’ (Manager’s comment).
For information on other sexual health supports available in the area click HERE.
