EVENT CANCELLATION POLICY: Cancellations made up to five working days before the event are refundable. Cancellations made after this, are non-refundable. Substitutions may be made without charge at any time, please contact cpd@socialcareireland.ie to arrange the substitution.
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Social Care Ireland Annual Conference 2025
April 2 @ 8:30 am - April 3 @ 5:00 pm
€30.00 – €220.00The theme of this years conference is,
‘Creativity, Innovation and play in Social Care – The Power of Possibility in an era of regulation’
Date: 2nd & 3rd of April 2025
Venue: The Fairways Hotel. Dublin Road, Haggardstown, Dundalk, Co. Louth, A91 E6KC. Email: reception@fairwayshotel.ie
/ Phone: +353 42 934 3910
Please book accommodation directly with the hotel
If the Fairways is booked out there is another hotel near by the Gateway Hotel Dundalk they are also accepting the promo code.
When booking online enter the code “SCI2025” into the promo code section. You will automatically receive the Social Care Ireland discounted rate.
Social care practice often requires thinking and acting creatively and innovatively in complex and sometimes ambiguous contexts which are now increasingly bounded by regulation. While standards, regulations and legislation provide essential benchmarks, recognition, promotion and support for creative, innovative and playful practice is central to bringing about positive change for individuals and communities, and within cultures of care. It is widely recognised that creativity and innovation are essential 21st century skills. However, with the professionalisation of the social care sector the importance of creativity and innovation in being an effective social care worker may have diminished. The Standards of Proficiency for Social Care Workers, for example, contains just one reference to creativity (SP 5.16). With so many regulatory bodies overseeing social care services (e.g. Tusla, HIQA, CORU) staff teams may find it more difficult to think laterally, problem solve and collaborate while respecting regulatory parameters. Thinking and acting creatively and collaboratively can often provide innovative solutions and challenges to existing systems. The 2025 annual conference will focus on the power of possibility in adopting and enhancing creative, innovative and playful practice in such contexts.
Student Award & Outstanding Achievement Award 2025
We are delighted to announce the winners of this years Student award and Outstanding Achievement award. The student award goes to Shauna Kelly from SETU Waterford and the Outstanding Achievement Award goes to Dr James Forbes a Director of Social Care in ChildVision for the visually impaired. Congratulations to you both. The awards will be presented at the gala dinner during the conference on the 2nd of April.
Student Mentorship Programme:
We have selected all our participants for the mentorship programme. We hope everyone enjoys themselves and makes some lasting memories.
Sponsorship at the Conference:
We have a number of sponsorship options outlined in the leaflet attached. What do you get for your sponsorship is the exposure to a wider social care community with fantastic networking opportunities. If you would like to take up one of the sponsorship options please fill out this online application from and send back to socialcareirelandcon@gmail.com
Keynote Presenters:
Keynote: Professor Neil Maiden
Theme: ‘Digital, AI and Creative Thinking in Social Care’
Creative thinking is a skill that employers are increasingly seeking from their employers. In 2024 the World Economic Forum reported it is the fastest-growing skill demanded by organisations across professions. Social care is no different. Not only can creative skills encourage people in care to engage more in artistic activities, but also creative thinking is essential to overcome everyday care challenges and seize new opportunities. This keynote will define creative thinking in the context of social care work, and frame it is a skill can that be relearned by professionals in the form of specific techniques and more general good practices. Moreover, it will present how emerging digital technologies, and in particular Artificial Intelligence can be used in simple and secure ways to augment this creative thinking, as one means of broadening our understanding of the social care profession.
Biography: Professor Neil Maiden of Digital Creativity at the Bayes Business School at City St George’s, University of London, and Director of the Centre for Creativity enabled by AI funded by Research England. His research interests include uses of artificial intelligence to augment human creativity. He is and has been a principal and co-investigator on numerous EPSRC- and EU-funded research projects with a total value of over £64 million. He has published over 220 peer-reviewed papers in academic journals and conferences. He chaired the Steering Committee for the IEEE International Conference on Requirements Engineering series 2009-2012, and was Editor of the IEEE Software’s Requirements column 2005-2013. His details are available at https://www.city.ac.uk/people/academics/neil-maiden.
Keynote: Professor Vlad Glăveanu
Theme: ‘Creative experience: How to discover new possibilities for self, others and society’ 
Biography: Vlad Glăveanu, PhD, is Full Professor of Psychology in the School of Psychology and Director of the DCU Centre for Possibility Studies at Dublin City University, and Professor II at the Centre for the Science of Learning and Technology, University of Bergen. He is the founder and president of the Possibility Studies Network (PSN). His work focuses on creativity, imagination, culture, collaboration, wonder, possibility, and societal challenges. He is editor of Europe’s Journal of Psychology (EJOP), an open-access peer-reviewed journal published by PsychOpen (Germany) as well as Possibility Studies and Society, launched by Sage in 2022. In 2018, he received the Berlyne Award from the APA Division 10 for outstanding early career contributions to the field of aesthetics, creativity, and the arts.
Keynote: ‘That’s Life’ project Brothers of Charity Services Galway. Elizabeth McCormack – Lead vocals, Karen Breen – Keyboards
Tiago DaSilva – Drums, Martin McDonagh – Guitar, Aengus Hackett – Guitar and vocals, Andrew Madec – Bass and vocals
Theme: That’s Life program will showcase the inspiring work of artists with intellectual disabilities, including in-person presentations and performances by adults engaged with That’s Life. This offers a unique opportunity to witness firsthand the creativity and community impact fostered within social care through the arts.
Biography: That’s Life, part of the Brothers of Charity Services Galway, is an inclusive arts and personal development program that empowers adults with intellectual disabilities through music, visual arts, and physical theatre. Over the past 25 years, it has evolved into a dynamic platform that fosters creativity, self-worth, and community involvement. The program’s innovative approach combines high-quality engagement with accessibility, collaborating with local artists and organizations to create transformative experiences. Participants engage in diverse projects—from music performances and visual installations to sensory-rich theatre—showcasing their talents in public and challenging perceptions around arts and disability. Through its commitment to inclusivity and artistic excellence, That’s Life has become a vital part of Galway’s cultural landscape.