The Family Support Team of 26 staff provides a wide range of services throughout the county. Over 700 people avail of these services annually through either individual support or various group programmes. The range of services is given below.
Social Work with Children & Families
The Social Work Service provides parenting support and assessment to families referred by the HSE Social Work department. The Clarecare Social Workers also facilitate groups with parents and children in local communities. It is a countywide service.
Community Childcare
The Community Childcare Workers provide one to one support for children in the areas of personal and social skill development. The work also involves running groups for children and their parents. It is a countywide service. Families may refer themselves or may be referred by another agency.
Family Work
The Family Workers provide support for parents in their own homes. The main focus is to support parents caring for their children, through the development and maintenance of household routines. Families are referred through the HSE Social Work Department. The family worker service also facilitates a parent and toddler group in Ennis. It is a countywide service.
Adolescent
The Adolescent Service aims to provide support to vulnerable young people (aged 13-18years) who are at risk of becoming involved in criminal activity, or young people who are identified as potential early school leavers. Young people are referred through the HSE Social Work department. It is a countywide service.
Advocacy Service for parents of children in care
The Advocacy Service provides support for parents whose children are in the care of the HSE (foster care or residential care). This support aims to enhance parent’s participation in the care process. It is a countywide service.
For further information, click on the following link:Families with Children in Care A guide to your rights
Aftercare
The Aftercare Service provides support for young people who have left, or are planning to leave, the care of the HSE (foster care or residential care). The service is provided for young people age 18-21 years. It aims to support the young people to live independently. It is a countywide service.
Traveller Support
The Traveller Support Service aims to support members of the Traveller Community in Co Clare. This service involves advocacy in relation to entitlements and supports the development of links between the Traveller Community and the wider Clare Community. The service also runs groups for young people and parents. It is a countywide service.
Springboard Project (Ennis)
Springboard is a national family support initiative which works in a targeted way with vulnerable families. This Springboard project operates in the RAPID area of Ennis.
