Foundation Programme in Sexual Health Promotion

This revised comprehensive six-day Foundation Programme in Sexual Health Promotion (FHSHP) 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 (SHCPP), HSE Health and Wellbeing, Strategy and Research, Healthcare Strategy, with the support of HSE Health and Wellbeing, Health Promotion and Improvement.  

The delivery of the FPSHP in Community Health Organisations is managed, staffed and funded by Health Promotion and Improvement, HSE Health and Wellbeing, and in the mid-west it is delivered in partnership with GOSHH (Gender Orientation Sexual Health HIV).  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 six 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 programme 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, sexual consent, sexuality 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 currently or 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 present an action plan on the final day as to how they will incorporate or integrate their learning on the course into their work practices
  • Time: 9am to 4.30pm on the first day and 9.30 to 4.30 all other days

Certification and Accreditation

This Course is certified by the HSE Health and Wellbeing and is accredited by:

  • The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland as a Category 1 course awarding 35 Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
  • The Irish Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP) and awarded 36 CPD points

For other registered professions see CORU’s CPD Support Document to demonstrate how the FPSHP meets your CPD requirements under your Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics. www.coru.ie 

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 line manager/Supervisor)
  • Step 2: Telephone interview

Course location:

This 6 day course is due to be delivered in Limerick City.

Dates:

Monday 3rd and Tuesday 4th October 2022

Monday 14th and Tuesday 15th November 2022

Monday 5th and Tuesday 6th December 2022

Closing date for applications:  Friday 27th May 2022

For more information on this course contact:

Áine Montgomery

Health Promotion and Improvement Officer, Health Promotion & Improvement, HSE, Museum House, Francis Street, Ennis, Co Clare.

Email: aine.montgomery@hse.ie

Tel: 087 4052647

Or

Gráinne Woulfe

Sexual Health Project Worker, GOSHH, Redwood Place, Limerick

Email: sexualhealth@goshh.ie

Tel: 083 0249951