The Kilrush office open form 9.30 – 5.00 p.m from Mon- Friday. The office consists of two part time Community Child Care Workers, one Home Help Organiser and one part time Incredible Years Coordinator. The Clarecare Family Support Social Worker and the Family Worker for the Kilrush area also use the office on a regular basis.
Overview of The Clarecare Kilrush Office
The Kilrush Office is located in Toler St Kilrush in the upstairs section of the Community Centre. The downstairs section of the building houses the Kilrush Family Resource Centre. There is a large hall area downstairs also which is communal and may be booked for use by Clarecare staff through the Family Resource Centre.
As a Clarecare office, we hold details of the entire Clarecare services county wide, and can refer a member of the public to the appropriate person or service.
The Kilrush office is used extensively by Clarecare staff as outlined above and is also used after hours by the community for various groups. Meetings between clients and various professionals outside Clarecare are also facilitated in the Clarecare Kilrush Offices (counselling for example).The kitchen and upstairs lounge/hall area are the designated spaces used by community groups in the Clarecare section of the building. The main hall downstairs is also used by community groups. All may be booked through the Kilrush Family Resource Centre or the local parish office.
Clarecare staff, in the course of their work, network with, and maintain good working relationships with the Community Welfare Officers, the H.S.E Social Work department., the Gardai, MABS, Clare Co.Council, The Family Resource Centre Kilrush Youth Providers Network and Incredible Years Projects in Galway, Sligo and Limerick among other contacts
In common with the other Clarecare offices, we organise and facilitate the annual Church Gate collection. This includes recruiting and maintaining a panel of volunteer collectors from the area and the accounting and lodgement of funds collected.
Home Help Service
Clarecare operates the Home Help Service in Co. Clare on behalf of the H.S.E. The service provides home care services to older people and families in stress.
The Home Help Organiser for the West Clare Area is based in the Kilrush office.
The service mainly assists clients over 65 but also offers support to other age groups i.e. Persons with disabilities, Palliative care patients etc.
Referrals are accepted from anyone concerned with the welfare of a potential client.
Application forms are sent out to potential clients on receipt of referral. The service is means tested.
A risk assessment is carried out before commencing a service in order to ensure the safety of the client and the Home Help.
Tasks: These will depend on the individual client’s abilities and needs. Following an assessment of these needs, the duties of the Home Helps tasks can include: Household tasks, meal preparation, shopping, personal care, relief for carers and care of persons with terminal illness.
Reviews and Home Help recruitment are carried out on an ongoing basis. Potential Home Helps are interviewed; Garda vetted and must be willing to participate in training as part of the recruitment process.
Clients and families in receipt of the Home Help Service are encouraged to contact the Home Help Organiser if they have any concerns or queries. Jane Coughlan Home Help Organiser is available on the following numbers: (065)9051441 and (065)9052817.The Home Help Service in the Kilrush area is accessible Monday-Friday 9.30am – 5pm.
Community Child Care Worker Service
Clarecare’s work with children and families aims to improve children’s quality of life and to encourage participation in their own community. To achieve this aim, the Community Childcare Workers assist children and families who may be finding it hard to cope with certain difficulties in their lives.
Community Childcare Workers meet children on an individual basis to help support them around issues that may be causing them difficulty either at home, in school or in the community. Community Childcare Workers can support children in many different areas i.e. developing social skills/self esteem, coping with loss/separation/bereavement, behavioural issues, family issues.
Clarecare Community Childcare Workers believe in providing a safe, supportive environment, where each child can develop his/her potential, socially, emotionally and physically. Community Childcare Workers believe that all children need to be valued, respected and listened to.
Referrals for this service are accepted from any of the following; Parents, Carers, GP’s, Teachers, Psychologists, Social Workers, Youth Workers, Gardai and any Health Professionals. Regular contact is kept between Community Childcare Workers and the Child’s parents/carers, schools and other relevant health care professionals. Appointments can take place at the child’s school, home or in Clarecare offices Kilrush.
Community Childcare Workers run groups/programmes throughout the year including; Parenting Programmes, the Youth Group and Transition from primary to secondary group. Other focus groups may also be developed based on identified needs. Clarecare Kilrush runs three summer camps each year, one of which is specifically for the youth group.
In Kilrush, the Community Childcare workers run a youth group each week. The youth group was established in 2003. It is aimed at young girls aged 13-16yrs. The group explores various topics such as; Coping skills/Problem solving, Sex Education/Relationships, Healthy eating/nutrition, drug/alcohol awareness and many more. A summer camp is run each year for the group which includes outings away and also workshops held in Clarecare Kilrush.
The services the Community Childcare Workers provide are confidential. We may refer to other services as required, following discussion with parents/carers.
There are two part-time Community Childcare Workers based in Kilrush. Cathy Mc Hugh (Mon-Thurs), Dawn Lambert (Wed-Fri) 9:30am-5:00pm. Any queries regarding this service can be directed to Cathy/Dawn in the Kilrush offices. Should it arise that nobody is available in the Kilrush Office, a message may be left. Alternatively, urgent queries may be directed to Clarecare Ennis on (065)6828178.
The Incredible Years Project
The Incredible Years (IY) Project in Clare is an interagency initiative, founded in 2004.The project is made up of professionals from three key child and family services in Clare, these are: Clarecare, HSE West Clinical Psychology Services, and The National Educational Psychology Service( NEPS).
The Incredible Years Clare initiative aims to pool the skills and resources of the agencies involved in an innovative and cost effective manner to meet the needs of children and their families and is organised around a model of early intervention called the Incredible Years Parent, Teacher and Child Training Series, which was developed in the U.S by Dr. Carolyn Webster Stratton (1984:1998)
The Incredible Years Programmes aim to promote the emotional and social competence of young children and their families and also to prevent, treat and reduce behavioural and emotional problems among young children (0-12 years).
Collaboration between parents, schools and family services is at the centre of this initiative therefore, primary schools have become the natural focus for the delivery of the IY Programmes in the local community.
To date the Incredible Years Parent, Teacher and Child Training Programmes have been delivered to three schools in Co Clare: Scoil Chriost Ri Ennis, Scoil Na Mhaighdine Muire Newmarket On Fergus and Holy Family Jnr School Ennis. Ennistymon National School is the next school due for IY implementation commencing in February 2011.
The Incredible Years Coordinators Post is based in Kilrush on a part time basis (two days per week).The Kilrush office has become a base for The Incredible Years Project. Any queries about the IY Programmes may be directed to Eve Brennan, IY Coordinator in the Kilrush Office (generally on Tuesdays and Wednesdays). Alternatively, queries may be directed to Clarecare Ennis (065)6828178.
