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Last Tuesday (10.08.10) the Homeless Agency, on behalf of the Dublin Joint Homelessness Consultative Forum (previously the Board of the Homeless Agency), published and distributed the Reconfiguration Plan for homeless services. This mapping document, called Pathway to Home, sets out future requirements for statutory and NGO services across the greater Dublin area. A copy can be downloaded from the Homeless Agency website or requested from inforequest@dubsimon.ie or from your line manager.

As you are already aware, as a representative of the Homeless Network, I am a member of the Homeless Forum and have been involved in the Implementation Advisory Group for formulating this plan for the Network, Statutory Bodies and Government approval to support the Partnership Vision that ‘by 2010 long-term homelessness and the need to sleep rough will be eliminated in Dublin…’

In our press release this week we said that “Statutory and voluntary organisations have worked tirelessly to bring about these overdue changes and the reality of the situation is that without adequate housing coming on stream, we are faced with a failed government initiative. An additional 1200 units of accommodation were promised by the end of 2010.  To date a limited amount has become available. We commend the plan which is innovative and acknowledge the efforts of all concerned. Failure cannot be considered at this point”.

We also stated that “Minister Finneran has introduced positive schemes but without housing availability these schemes are threatened with failure. There are currently no alternative plans in place; people need to move out of homelessness but there is no place to go. We all know there are empty houses in the city and county. It’s like a housing famine in a land of plenty; a situation exists where those in need are not able to access what they require for survival”.
The consequence of not halting this slippage with immediate corrective action will further affect service user’s health and lives.

The Pathway to Home clearly sets out the significant role Dublin Simon Community will continue to have across the Greater Dublin area delivering services to people who are homeless and need to rebuild their lives. We will be leading the Regional Contact and Outreach Team. The plan also clearly states we will have a replacement for Harcourt Street at last and that Ushers Island will be the Regional Centre for Detox and Stabilisation. We will continue to have an increased role in long-term residential accommodation; additionally Sean Mac, NCR (which is also due to be moved to a new building), Dorset St. and Canal Road will move to 24 hour cover.
Dublin Simon will be involved in providing the Regional Prevention Service for South Dublin, Fingal, and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown (DLRD) as well as visiting support under the SLI initiative for the whole region – the contract for which will be signed very shortly.

In the meantime I would encourage you to read the document, satisfy your questions and enjoy the remainder of the summer.

Talk soon,
SAM

I came to Dublin Simon Detox on 14th September 2009. I was shy, nervous and worried about what exactly I was letting myself in for. The year was an option given to me by my university. When I heard about Dublin Simon I knew that was where I wanted to go, but being told I was placed in an alcohol detox unit and not really knowing what that meant scared me.

Once I got to detox, I was greeted with smiling faces that instantly made me feel more at ease and I settled in fast. Things were definitely not always easy; some days were really difficult and challenged me as a person. However, every hard time helped to strengthen me and improve my skills in dealing with challenging behaviours, boundaries and taking care of myself. I have grown so much as a person and have learnt a lot from the people I have met, I believe some of the most amazing people you will ever meet are on the streets of Dublin.

While I was in detox I wanted to take on a project that would leave my mark in the building. We have a one-to-one room where key working sessions are usually held with clients, it was old, boring and dull. So I decided to re-decorate and bring some life into it again. I raised the money by having what is called a ‘Pampered Chef’ evening in my home. A representative from the company came to my house and showed us delicious cooking demonstrations, at the end there was an opportunity to buy cooking utensils and a percentage went to my chosen charity. The money was well spent on some new chairs and decorations for the room, while the paint was donated. Now it is bright, fun and a happy room to sit in!

I would not change a single second of the incredible time I have worked for Dublin Simon, I will truly miss everyone. It has been a fantastic 10 months and I have gained amazing skills and gathered many memories that I will cherish through all my walks in life. Thanks for everything!

I have worked at Dublin Simon Detox Unit since it opened in March 2003. My previous work and studies had been in general nursing and then medical sciences. I worked in London after leaving NUI Galway in 1996, and homelessness came to my consciousness very rapidly once I had left the comfort of my native Ireland west. In my first few days in London I saw Irish that were homeless at bus stops, tube station exits, underpasses, sleeping in bins and parks.

I tried not to think about these forgotten Irish like most other Londoners and I initially felt they were ‘not my problem’.  I felt that my giving a few pounds to the men I encountered on my daily tube journeys was sufficient. It wasn’t. Humans have fantastic denial systems and I did my best to use mine as I walked by the men sleeping outside St Thomas’s after my shift in A&E. I didn’t engage the homeless or speak, as I didn’t want them to hear my accent as I was ashamed. I gave plenty of money and hoped I’d feel better. I didn’t.

I felt incredibly sad and frustrated as I got to know the many homeless, and mostly Irish on my route to college. I came to realise that the Irish that arrived in London from the 1940’s to 1970’s did not fare well at all. The homeless Irish had the highest incidence of mortality and  morbidity, with mental illness and suicide. They had the highest incidence of substance misuse and were the least able to access health services of all the immigrants in London. I decided to stop trying to buy my way out of the guilt I felt when faced with my countrymen on the streets.

I volunteered in Camberwell, Peckham and East Dulwich helping organise meals and social events for the Irish homeless. I started deliberately working in the area of addictions and mental health with mainly homeless patients. Each week I gained a little more insight into homelessness. I returned to Dublin soon after the millennium and saw the problems faced by the homeless here as being very similar to London.

As we opened the Dublin Simon Detox Unit in 2003, we wondered if anyone would actually use the service, unfortunately we didn’t have to wonder for too long as it became very busy. I have witnessed the wider Dublin Simon Community be an advocate, agitating, persuading, lobbying, convincing, providing, and supporting homeless men and women. The absence of a house is a terrible thing, but the absence of a home is a whole other story. It is a major issue for us all to face, especially in these times. It is not simply providing accommodation – without appropriate supports, that would only be a building.

In the Detox unit we provide the service user time to physically and mentally detoxify from alcohol or other drugs in a safe environment, and in what I hope they feel is like a “home” for the few weeks.  The nursing, medical and social care offered in the detox unit is matched by the determination of the service users to free themselves from the causes of homelessness and addiction. If you know of anyone that is alcohol/substance dependant, homeless and motivated to change, get them to contact the unit 24 hours a day or send a referral to the Detox unit.

A memorial service was held in Hazelwood House to remember former residents, friends and family members who have passed away. Fr. Richard Sheehy from Rathmines parish conducted the service and it was attended by current and former residents, staff and volunteers.

The names of the deceased were read out and a candle lit in memory of each person. The residents of Hazelwood House were very involved in the preparations for the service and in the service itself. It ended with tea and sandwiches and our volunteers and residents also baked scones, biscuits and cakes for the occasion.

This is the second year running a memorial service has taken place in Hazelwood House and we hope to keep it an annual event.

A big welcome from Dublin Simon Community to:

Joanna Pagowska: Service Operational Worker
Joanna Kondriatowicz: Service Operational Worker
Grainne Weldon: Service Operational Worker

The Service User Development Group (previously Service User Participation Group) has met 3 times since the group first formed in May.  During these meetings, members of the group identified a need for developing their communication and public speaking skills.  The group discussed how we might do this outside of formal training courses. One suggestion was for Service Users to deliver a short presentation on Service User participation in Dublin Simon Community to new staff and volunteers at the Organisational Induction day and the second suggestion was to attend a “Toastmasters” meeting.

At the group meeting in May, we came to an agreement on what we would like to include in our presentation and asked volunteers to come forward to represent the group at induction.  We had a limited time slot so our aim was to give the audience a brief insight into our group and what we would like to achieve and encourage people to get involved in Service User participation during their time in Dublin Simon.

On the 16th June, our 3 representatives (1 staff member and 2 Service Users) delivered the presentation and the feedback received was very positive. Service User Participation will now become a permanent agenda item at induction and we hope that more Service Users will use this opportunity to practice their skills.

Toastmasters is a well known and well established international organisation with a number of branches in Dublin which hold weekly meetings. The meetings provide an opportunity for members and guests to practice their public speaking and communication skills in a positive and supportive environment. Toastmasters Dublin is currently running a series of summer meetings on Wednesday evenings in the Temple Bar Hotel. Three members of the group attended a meeting on the 7th July to find out what it was all about.

The meetings lasted for two hours and are a mixture of informal light hearted topics for open discussion and more formal structured speeches.  All members of the group were pleasantly surprised by the evening and found that it was a very welcoming environment and open to all with varied levels of experience in public speaking. Toastmasters might not be everyone’s cup of tea but for those with an interest in developing their communication skills, it would definitely be worth trying out.

If you would like to find out more about the Service User Development Group, please contact Meadhbh at MeadhbhMcCann@dubsimon.ie or call 01 6749226.

Service users from Rehab and Aftercare were treated to a kayaking excursion organised by the full-time volunteers. A member of the Defence Forces, Ian, also kindly offered his time, wetsuits, kayaks, transport and expertise to ensure two great days were had by all.

Ian took two groups of Dublin Simon service users from both Rehab and Aftercare out “on the water” for three and a half hours, picking us up at the Phoenix Park and bringing us to the Irish Canoeing Union at the Strawberry Beds. Most of us were first timers but Ian was encouraging and supportive, catering for the different levels of ability within the group.

After a safety briefing, we hit the water – hard. We got our bearings, and it wasn’t long before Ian had us racing each other and playing water-polo (complete with suspended goals). After most members capsizing, we went down the weir, and then just when we thought it was safe to get back in the water, we went down the weir again- backwards! Ian urged us to leave our comfort zones and capsize, waiting submerged for 5 seconds until rescue. We all made it and are here to tell the tale. After testing us on our navigation skills we dried off and Ian gave us our respective Certificates issued by the Irish Canoeing Union, we had passed our Level 1, and the whole experience only cost us €4.

As the song goes, “where the Strawberry Beds sweep down to the Liffey and kiss away the worries from my brow” – on a hot summer’s day, we all agreed there was nowhere we would rather have been.

It’s that time of year again, get your paint brushes, cameras and writing quills out! The Dublin Simon Creative Competition is back and this year the theme is “Believe in People”. Service users, staff and volunteers are all welcome to submit their entries into the Dublin Simon Cope Street offices by September 24th. All types of entries are welcome from poems, to plays, to paintings… the sky is the limit.

The three winners will be announced during Simon week, on Community Day, Wednesday October 6th. The  winners will each receive a shopping voucher: 1stprize  – €150; 2nd prize – €70; – 3rd prize – €50. Good luck to all…

Tommy Kearney is leaving Dublin Simon after more than ten years of service. Tommy started in Cuas in Island House in 1999 as a relief worker and later took up a permanent post in NCR. Tommy’s manager was Michele McCullough and some of the members of the team at the time included Maura, Cathy, Sinead, Fran and the famous Willie Kelly.

Tommy has seen huge changes in the NCR project over the last decade. Tommy’s favourite memories mainly revolve around the various characters that lived and worked in NCR during this time. He remembers Christy from the time when Dublin Simon first started, and Jimmy Wallace who ate a bulb of raw garlic every day! One of Tommy’s fondest memories is of fellow keyworker Willie Kelly roasting marshmallows for the residents. Willie popped one in his mouth but it was too hot. As he flicked the marshmallow out, he didn’t realise it had become attached to his front false teeth. These flew with the marshmallow from Willie’s mouth and landed, some feet away, in a chip pan where they sizzled away for a few moments before being rescued!
The most satisfying aspect of Tommy’s work has been advocating for residents; seeing them move from long term homelessness to a place where they can manage their own home. Tommy couldn’t begin to count the number of people he has worked with during his time in Dublin Simon and he is thankful of the support every team has offered him.

Everyone who has worked with Tommy in NCR will agree that he is a true gentleman and hugely obliging. We will miss him very much but wish him all the best and hope that his next steps will be successful and rewarding. Thanks Tommy and God speed!

Please help me in wishing the following Full Time Volunteer placements the very best for the future as they move on; some within Dublin Simon, some to external employment and some to return to their studies in the area.

Joanna Kondratowicz – Detox
Joanna Pagowska – Harcourt Street
Bart Bak – Rehab
Barry Dempsey – Rehab
Mia McCarthy – Rehab
Sarah Pollock – Dun Laoghaire
Aine McKevitt – Volunteer Office
Simon Kimmel – Sean Mac
Sean Ginty – Harcourt Street

We would like to thank them and wish them every Success!

On the 19th of July the part-time volunteers who run the social club organised the annual summer barbecue on Dollymount Strand.  Staff, volunteers and service users met at Tara station at 6.30pm and were delighted to see the weather had picked up after the heavy rainfall that morning.  We all piled onto the bus and headed out to the beach, hungry for some barbecued nosh!

When we arrived we were delighted that the food preparation was well underway.  A chef kindly donated his time on the evening. The smell of burgers and hotdogs filled our noses and cup cakes, rice crispie cakes and fudge brownies awaited us compliments of the volunteers.  Services users eagerly tucked into the food and chatted and laughed amongst themselves and with the volunteers.  When everyone was full, a game of football and a Frisbee match began.  There was entertainment with one of the NCR residents playing his guitar and singing songs all evening.

A great evening was had by all.  Approx 60 service users showed up on the night and were thrilled with the chance to get away for a few hours.  It was great to see so many people from our different projects.  Along with those from the Social Club we had residents from NCR, Harcourt Street and Island House.

A massive thank you must be given to all the part –time volunteers who helped organise this fantastic night out, whether it was by baking, asking friends for favours or bringing themselves along with the positive and friendly attitude they always show our clients.  All these things came together to really make the night.  Gerry Jordan played the biggest part of all and took on the overall organising of the night, including the food and transport. Thank you Gerry.

Training this month includes:

Life Skills Group, Wednesday 19.08.10:  2  days

Manual Handling, Friday 27.08.10 : 1/2 day

On June 17th last, the Board of the Honmeless Agency, which includes three representatives from the Homelessness Network – one from MQI, Sonas and myself, had a special meeting to review the status of the ‘mapping’ documentation and the reconfiguration implementation plan. This is the plan and document which clarifies which NGO will be providing what services from each local authority. From this meeting it is now very clear that a number of very significant and key challenges exist in order to achieve the 2010 objective of the Partnership and National plan ‘The Way Home’.
From the Dublin Simon Community’s perspective we have satisfactorily concluded our discussions after some very tough talks, which included the Homeless Agency, Local Authorities (LA), HSE and ourselves. I am now aware of follow up actions which are taking place to source replacement buildings for Harcourt St etc., plus progress being made setting up L.A Placement Service, the Regional Contact and Outreach Team and many more initiatives demonstrating agreement, commitment and partnership in the interests of all.
But, in the meantime, there remain very significant concerns in relation to securing the long term accommodation promised to underpin the draft mapping document. This is the key central and crucial issue to drive completion of the reconfiguration.
There are some additional important issues still needing attention; e.g. statutory funding arrangements between the HSE and the Department of Environment (DOE). There are still questions behind the details also coming from the DOE. There of course is the not unreasonable requests to see the ‘cost saving and benefits’ expected before the implementation is signed off. While taken together this may be dragging out the sign off in this desperate economic climate and it is not unexpected.
So the pressure now has shifted in earnest to NGO’s like us to develop budget estimates with Service Level Agreements, embracing of proposed service changes etc. No easy task!
In the meantime, we all need to have a strong resolve to continue to believe we are doing the right thing in committing to reconfiguration in line with the ‘mapping’ document expectations and driving the implementation across the sector as it is very much in the best interests of those we serve.
SAM

We submitted our interest in participating in the Joint Homelessness Consultative Forum in the Mid East Region consisting of the counties of Meath, Kildare and Wicklow.  We attended the first meeting of the Forum in Kildare  last week.  The Forum is established by the three Local Authorities creating a three year Homeless Action Plan.

Simon will also be members of Kildare, Wicklow and Bray Homeless Fora that create a County Homeless Action Plan.The Simon Communities of Ireland are now represented on all the nine Homelessness Consultative Fora across the Country.

Simon Homeless Support Worker in Wicklow area
Following from our conversations and research in the Wicklow/Bray area, we have begun a six month pilot programme of establishing a Simon presence in Wicklow/Bray.   Anne Jordan previously worked for Wicklow County Council as a homeless outreach worker, and will now work with Simon during this pilot programme. Her role is to engage with the homeless population, asses their needs, and work in partnership with local services to provide assistance and referrals to accommodation/health services.

Anne will be based in Wicklow/Bray Area.

Kildare Homelessness

We have recently been approached by the Probation Service in Kildare to assist them in providing information on how a ‘Wet Facility’ operates for those with alcohol and drug addiction. Currently there is no emergency accommodation in the County that provides ‘wet rooms’ where residents can drink on site.  Simon is endeavouring to progress this initiative with the assistance of Kildare Local Authority and local services.

The Mini-Counted In, run by the Homeless Agency, took place this week (28th – 2nd July). The objective of the survey is to enumerate the number of persons at risk of sleeping rough and experiencing homelessness who are using homeless services. The survey is covering rough sleeping services, day services and emergency accommodation services. Evidence gathered from the survey will be used to verify the current extent of ‘rooflessness’ and use of emergency services; provide housing allocations required to meet the 2010 vision to end the need to sleep rough and long-term homelessness; and estimate the range and quantum of housing support required to help people live as independently as possible. Paul Matthews (RST) is co-ordinating for Dublin Simon and all forms will be collected on Wednesday. Thank you to all services for facilitating this process.