How will we learn?

Tutor presentations
Tutor led discussions
Group brainstorming
Mind mapping
Role plays
Group discussion
Group activities and games
Handouts
Worksheets
Collages and more!

Tutor Profile: Jean McElvaney
Jean is a qualified and experienced mental health social worker. She decided to branch
into adult education later on and has nine years experience facilitating personal
development related programmes. Jean really enjoys working with people from lots of
different backgrounds and with varied life experiences. In the past Jean has successfully
delivered the WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan), REACH (Respect and Esteem
Through Accommodation, Education and Horticulture) and ENRICH programmes to a
number of groups including those with mental health issues as well as the Personal
Development Programme through Gateway in 2012 and 2013 (previously called
Assertiveness & Confidence Building).
Jean is a committed and dedicated facilitator and mentor and is passionate about working
with groups to achieve their goals and dreams. Feedback from past learners has been
positive which is why we continue to ask Jean back to Gateway.

Accreditation
The tutor is very experienced and will guide and encourage learners in how to complete
these assignments and gain a FETAC award.
WALK are delivering this programme on behalf of the Gateway Project. They have been a
FETAC accredited training centre since 2007. To date they have delivered 20 FETAC
accredited training courses to adults with complex needs at Level 1, 2, 3 and 4.
FETAC fees are not applicable to medical card holders but where applicable will be paid by
the participants themselves.

* It is important to remember that it is the responsibility of individuals to engage in the
learning process and complete their assignments to gain the FETAC Level 4 qualification.
Personal Development at Gateway
Programme Information Booklet











Personal & interpersonal skills FETAC 4
Assertiveness, confidence building & communication
Includes CV & job preparation skills
Personal Development Programme Outline
Why do this course?
The goal of this programme is to provide learners with opportunities to gain a knowledge
and understanding of personal and interpersonal skills and how to put them into practice.
It covers important areas of communications like assertiveness and self-advocacy and
helps to build confidence and self-esteem. Job preparation and practice skills are also
included for those interested.

By the end of the course, it is hoped that learners will be able to create positive change in
their daily lives. Ultimately, we hope that the Personal Development Programme at
Gateway can help our members to create happier and healthier futures for themselves as
a result of participating and engaging on the course. See more below.
What is involved?
Attendance at information session
Interested people will need to attend at least one information session in order to register
for the course and complete and return the Registration Sheet as soon as possible.

Short informal interview
For people interested in joining the programme, a short interview will take place
beforehand to make sure everyone is aware of the work involved and that they are suited
to the course. The interview will ask people why the want to do this course in particular
and what they hope to learn and achieve. This is to make sure that the course and the
person are a good match and so that the group share the same level of commitment to
working together to get the best out of the learning experience. Given that the course
runs over 4 months this is quite important.

Time & Cost
17 weeks in duration from August to November 2014 from 1.00 4.00 pm, Wednesdays
and Fridays in Parker Hill, Rathmines.

Course fees are 40 per person and are paid at registration on 6
th
August or before. It is
advised to book your place as early as possible due to the limited places available. Email
or phone Gateway Project to register your interest on 01-4965558 or maryb@rpcp.ie.

Academic commitment
In order to gain a FETAC 4 qualification in Personal & Interpersonal Development, you will
need to attend and participate in the sessions and produce 4 assignments for FETAC. The
tutor and a study group will support students to complete and submit their folders for final
assessment. Awards if achieved will be granted in 2015.

Learners will be expected to keep their folders up to date and provide their own
stationary. Course materials and handouts will be provided by the tutor and Gateway.

It is important to remember that it is the responsibility of individual participants to engage
in the learning process and complete their assignments to gain the FETAC Level 4
qualification.
Course Content
Personal & Interpersonal Development Module FETAC Level 4 accredited*
The aim of this section is to provide learners with an environment in which to develop a
sense of self-knowledge and self-awareness. It explores concepts such as rights and
identity and encourages individuals to strive for and achieve personal goals. Through
exercises, information and role-play students gain knowledge on skills such as decision-
making, negotiating and effective listening and have the chance to practice these skills in
the classroom. Each class increases students communication skills in many areas and
allows them to practice and acquire assertiveness and self- advocacy techniques for
implementation in real-life situations.
Learning Objectives:
Learners will be able to:
Design a personal profile and explore their own strengths, weaknesses, hopes, fears and
personal resources.
Create and develop a personal plan of action for achieving a goal in an established time
frame.
Distinguish between rights and responsibilities and become more aware of personal rights
in relation to their own lives.
Explore the concept of identity and recognise the main social and cultural factors
influencing their own identities.
Develop an understanding of decision- making processes and how they affect their daily
lives.
Explore passive, aggressive and assertive behaviours and learn valuable tools for dealing
with future real- life situations.
Become familiar with characteristics of effective listening and be able to practice these
skills in class.
Identify key processes in the negotiation process enabling them to deal more effectively
with real-life conflict situations.

Additional Learning
Students will learn more about their self- esteem and how to nurture positive interactions
in their daily lives. They will also explore self-advocacy in relation to personal rights. A lot
of work will be carried out in relation to personal care including looking at possible triggers
for stress and ways of managing it using mindfulness techniques and other relaxation
exercises. Time management, healthy daily routines and problem- solving skills will be
explored and sessions will also include information and guidelines for sleeping and eating
habits.
The module is concerned with personal development so skills for job applications will also
be covered in the assertiveness sessions. These skills can increase confidence in
participants and allow them to practice how they might approach any questions asked.
These sessions will also deal with conflict resolution and enable students to practice and
role-play scenarios in a safe environment.