Apply for universal supports

AIM Universal supports (levels 1-3) are supports for pre-school providers that empower them to create a more inclusive environment in their pre-school, more information on this can be found on our Universal Supports page. Read on to see how a pre-school provider can apply for these supports.

Level 1

Inclusion Coordinator Training 

The Leadership for Inclusion in Early Years Care (LINC) qualification is a level 6 award that can only be obtained from Mary Immaculate College. The award allows pre-school staff to become an inclusion coordinator in a pre-school setting. For more information and to apply visit www.lincprogramme.ie.

Inclusion Coordinator Higher Capitation 

Pre-schools employing an Inclusion Coordinator are eligible for an increase of €2 per child per week in ECCE capitation. Eligible providers who employ a qualified Inclusion Coordinator can apply for increased capitation by completing the INCO application form on the Early Years Hive Platform.

Continuing Professional Development 

National training programmes in relation to the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Guidelines, as well as in relation to disability and inclusion more generally, will be advertised on the websites of all City and County Childcare Committees. Pre-school providers and practitioners can apply for places on these training programmes through their local City or County Childcare Committee (You can find contact details for your local CCC here).

Training activities can also be found on a “resources for practitioners” site on the government’s First 5 website click the here for more information: https://first5.gov.ie/practitioners/continuing-professional-development

Level 3

Hanen

Hanen ‘Teacher Talk’™ is a three-day (18 hour) training course consisting of three modules, A, B and C. A training pack including three workbooks and a certificate of completion is provided to all participants who complete the full 3 Module training. Modules A and B are now available online.

Teacher Talk covers the key principles of Learning Language and Loving It, providing educators with core strategies that will help them create rich and stimulating learning environments for the children they work with.

The Teacher Talk Training Series is designed to actively engage participants through discussions, small group activities, analysis of video examples and completion of practical Action Plans that participants take back to their classrooms. Teachers receive workbooks for each session that allow them to personalize the content and think about how they will meet the needs of the individual children in their classroom.

Lámh

Lámh is a manual sign system used by children and adults with intellectual disability and communication needs in Ireland to support communication.

This course is for staff members and professionals who work in an environment where Lámh is used. It covers 100 Lámh signs and how to support a Lámh user.