Resources during Covid-19

Children:

The Department of Education and Skills has prepared information about Talking to children and young people about COVID-19 (pdf).

 

Community Groups:

COVID-19 Government Action Plan to support the community response.

COVID-19 Posters/Videos English & Irish, available here.

To support the community response to COVID-19 the DRCD have developed a suite of leaflets about volunteering, on supporting communities and advice during this time. Find out more here.

Irish Rural Link have prepared a useful ‘Protocol for Community Groups and Volunteers in delivering services’ during COVID19. Access the protocol here.

 

Essential Services:

Galway County Council has updated its provision of services during COVID-19.

 

Housing:

Emergency measures were announced on 19 March 2020 to protect tenants who have been impacted by COVID-19.  

 

Immigration:

Immigration permissions during COVID-19 have changed. Immigration Services Division has a list of frequently asked questions about these changes.

 

Information:

HSE (Health Service Executive) COVID-19 updates available here.

HPSC (Health Protection Surveillance Centre) – Guidance for healthcare professionals on COVID-19 available here.

Government of Ireland (Gov.ie) COVID-19 – Latest Updates available here.

 

Mental Health

List of Mental Health Supports from HSE.ie, available here.

Advice on Minding your Mental Health during the outbreak available here.  

Jigsaw Resource to Coping with the impact from Corona Virus.

 

Online and phone supports: Face-to-face interaction may be limited during this period. There are many online mental health resources and phone services that can help. Check here.

 

Older People:

Information on supports for older people during the coronavirus pandemic.

Older people who have questions or concerns can contact:

  • ALONE helpline on 0818 222 014
  • Senior helpline on 1800 804 591

Advice for the elderly and those who need supports- Advice during COVID-19.

Information on how to guard against fraud and generate trust-Protecting against fraud.

 

Social Security:

If you have lost your job, or been laid off because of COVID-19, you can apply for the COVID-19 Unemployment Payment.

How to nominate a temporary agent to collect DEASP payments: An Post Temporary Agent Form

On 19 March 2020, DEASP announced that social welfare payments will paid on a double (two-week) basis. You can find out more about these changes.

The DEASP also have a dedicated COVID-19 Income Support Helpline (open from 9am-5pm, 01-2481398 / 1890-800-024.

All of our updates, contacts, links & info here.

Find out more about your employment rights during the COVID-19 restrictions.

 

Travel:

If you are planning to travel abroad, you should follow the travel advice of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

 

Volunteering:

Advice for those who want to volunteer- How can I volunteer in response to COVID-19?

‘Do’s and Don’ts’ of volunteering – Sensible volunteering in response to COVID-19

‘How can we get volunteers’? – Advice on the recruitment of volunteers for community groups.

If you are well enough and would like to volunteer, or are looking for volunteers, in response to COVID19 please register with Volunteer Centre Galway.

Launch of 19 Stories of Social Inclusion

“19 Stories of Social Inclusion – Ireland”

People with intellectual disabilities in Ireland are more likely to be socially excluded than other people. They are more likely to experience poverty, are less likely to be employed and less likely to be living independently in the community than non-disabled people. However, in spite of this, there are also people with intellectual disabilities taking part in their communities and living ordinary lives all over Ireland.

This research aimed to give an opportunity for people to hear their stories and know that it is possible for people with disabilities to live ordinary lives in the community. This research is inspired by the ’19 Stories of Social Inclusion’ project carried out in Australia. Its approach was to start with the ‘success stories’ and work backwards to find out how people have created socially included lives for themselves.

The reason for 19 stories is because Article 19 of the United National Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities focuses on the right to live independently and the right to be included in the community – rights that are most relevant to social inclusion and people with disabilities.The launches will take place at events in Dublin on 8th May and in Tullamore on 29th May.

Find out more and register to http://www.inclusionireland.ie/sites/default/files/attach/basic-page/1673/social-inclusion-launch-invitation.pdf

Adult disability services are in crisis – Micheál Martin

“Quoted from RTE News”

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has said adult disability services are in crisis and the parents of adult children with disabilities are exhausted, stressed, and beaten down.  He said there was no appreciation in Government of the crisis, and there was a “terrible inertia” at play.

Referencing a number of cases, he spoke about a 19-year-old man named Peter who has complex needs, but for whom respite care and home support has ceased.  “The parents are at breaking point, totally worn out,” he said.

Another patient has severe autism and is prone to violence, and a further case of Gerry, a 57-year-old man whose carer passed away recently. Mr Martin said this was a “devastating complex case”.  He said the services were in “real crisis” and he asked what the Government was going to do.

Responding, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said this was a Government which cared about people with disabilities and cared about the people who look after them.  He said it was a priority for the Government to improve rights and services for people with disabilities.  He said the Government was doing its best to resolve individual issues and complex cases.

Mr Varadkar said the budget for disability services was €2 billion, and this would allow for the recruitment of an extra 100 therapists.

He said there was additional funding for 12 new respite houses, giving family carers a break, and he said medical cards had been extended to children with disabilities regardless of their parents’ income.  He said he was aware of the issues being raised by Mr Martin and understood the complexity around these cases.  He said there would be 39 additional residential places available for people with disabilities in 2019.

Circle of Friends

People have used the ideas of circles as a way of safeguarding individuals’ lives, offering alternatives, fulfilling dreams, and moving on with ones’ life. A circle of support, sometimes called a circle of friends, is a group of people who meet together on a regular basis to help somebody accomplish their personal goals in life (Regina DeMarasse – Circles Network – UK). It is a group of people who are intentionally invited to come together in friendship and support of a person who has a disability, for the purposes of protecting their friends interests into the future.  Not with the expectation that this group might necessarily have a responsibility of ‘caring for’ the person BUT with the expectation that if asked people might be pleased to make time and agree to join the Circle to ‘look out’ for the person (Community Living Project (Sth Australia).

 

A Circle of CourageDescribes what every persons ordinary needs are. There’s nothing special about the need to belong, to be independent, to show off what you are good at and to contribute.

Describing a Circle – Some ways of describing what a circle is and how it works – regular, intentional, fun, promoting a persons will and preference, staring from where you are at, recognizing and building on strengths.

Circles Workshop Q&A
The typical questions that you have asked about a Circle of Friends – what if a person has no support network to start with?, what if a person doesn’t want to join?, who is part of a circle? what about professional people? – These questions and more.

Contact ClanBeo to discover how you can set up a Circle of Friends. Learn about what a circle is, how to start a circle, who works best in a circle, how it operates, what a facilitator does, and what it looks like when it works well.