Community Services
Outreach
Outreach is our community based programme that offers support to children who remain living with their family.
Its focus is to enable children to engage fully in their interests and meaningful activities. Most Outreach Services comprise of after-school or school-holiday care. In Kerry alone, we provide this service to over 40 children with Autism and sensory needs.
As with all our services, Outreach comes in many forms, informed by the child’s specific needs. It could be assistance with homework, taking a regular trip to a park or growing social skills practicing things like like going out for a meal. Not only does the service provide the child with enrichment, it often gives a caregiving family some respite time.
New Directions
We are proud to have been early adopters of the New Directions policy – a HSE approach to supporting young adults with disabilities to attend a Day Services. We’ve been providing our New Directions services since 2017.
Four basic principles inform New Directions: person-centredness, community involvement, active citizenship and high-quality service provision.
We offer New Directions Day Services to accommodate all different support needs. Our current locations are Ballincollig, Cork; Ennis, Clare; Listowel, Kerry; Tralee, Kerry; Clane, Kildare; Naas, Kildare; New Ross, Wexford; Swords, Dublin. The service is growing so we expect to be available in more areas soon.
New Directions provides support in:
– Making choices and plans
– Making transitions and progress
– Inclusion and participation in the local community
– Accessing education and formal learning
– Maximising independence
– Personal and social development
– Health and wellbeing
– Accessing bridging programmes to vocational training
– Accessing vocational training and work opportunities
– Personal expression and creativity
– Having meaningful social roles
– Influencing service policy and practice
