Walkinstown Association Annual Report 2007
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4605 Walkinstown AR Outer 6/5/08 5:12 pm Page 2 WALKINSTOWN ASSOCIATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007 Walkinstown Association 1967-2007 walkinstown association Celebrating 40 Years' of Supporting People with Intellectual Disabilities to live Self Determined Lives 4605 Kerslake Inner Cover 6/5/08 5:12 pm Page 1 Deirdre Kerslake 02.12.80 - 01.06.07 R.I.P. 4605 Walkinstown AR TXT 2007 6/5/08 5:10 pm Page 1 walkinstown association Celebrating 40 Years' of Supporting People with Intellectual Disabilities to live Self Determined Lives WALKINSTOWN ASSOCIATION - ANNUAL REPORT 2007 Contents ❚ Chairman’s Statement 2 ❚ Chief Executives Officer’s Introduction 3 ❚ Director of Services Report 4 ❚ Director of Human Resources, Finance & Administration Report 7 ❚ Day Service Manager Overview 8 ❚ Quality Development Managers Report 12 ❚ Respite Services 14 ❚ Community Inclusion Services (formerly home support) 15 ❚ Recreation Service 16 ❚ Financial Reports 19 ❚ Staff Complement for 2007 21 ❚ Staff of Walkinstown Association 21 1 4605 Walkinstown AR TXT 2007 6/5/08 5:10 pm Page 2 Chairman’s Statement It is with pleasure and pride that I reflect on our Association’s activities over the past year, a year of considerable achievement that provides a firm foundation for the journey ahead. In 2007 we renewed our mission through the development of our first Strategic Plan - a process which clarified our values, re-focused our energies toward a more person centred service, and brought us into a new phase of partnership and transparency in our daily activities. We also reiterated our firm commitment to service user’s rights by introducing an enhanced range of rights oriented consultation activities and supports. The number of service users availing of our services also grew; we “The past year expanded our staff team; implemented a planned expansion of was clearly a residential services; and introduced a significant range of additional signal year for activities and supports into our day services. our Association, A particular highlight of our year was the formal recognition by an a year of high external agency of our accomplishments in improving service achievement quality, and the commendation that was received for the and intensive Association’s commitment and dedication to continuous quality activity ... improvement. The past year was clearly a signal year for our Association, a year of ” high achievement and intensive activity, and one which required the support and involvement of all organisation members. I wish to express my gratitude to our service users and their families, our volunteers, staff, management, and Board – without whom theses achievements would not have been possible; and to the Health Service Executive for their continued support. Joe Connolly Chairman 2 walkinstown association WALKINSTOWN ASSOCIATION Celebrating 40 Years' of Supporting People with Intellectual Disabilities to live Self Determined Lives 4605 Walkinstown AR TXT 2007 6/5/08 5:10 pm Page 3 Chief Executive Officer’s Introduction Welcome to the second published annual report of Walkinstown Association. 2007 has been a very significant year for the Association as it has been a year where innovation, person centeredness and the commitment and hard work of service users and staff has been rewarded by the achievement of our CQL Basic Assurances in September 2007. Over the years we have been inspired by the great achievements of so many of the individuals we serve. We have also been quite fortunate to have the chance to form lasting and meaningful partnerships with these same individuals and their families. It is with a heavy heart and a sense of great loss that I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the “2007 has been family, staff team and friends of the late Deirdre Kerslake who died on a very significant 1/06/07 R.I.P. Her passing has left a huge void in all our hearts and in year ... as it has our lives. been a year where Walkinstown Association continues to provide Day, Residential, Respite, innovation, person Community Inclusion and Recreational Services; however 2007 brought centeredness and with it a very substantial shift in how we deliver these services. Even the commitment though the Association is renowned for its progressiveness, innovation and hard work of and responsive individualised services, this year we took a very significant step where we recognised that serving people in community service users and settings means more than just developing and implementing staff has been individualised plans. In lay man terms it means ‘putting your money rewarded by the where your mouth is’ and also developing budgeting strategies that achievement of reflect consumer preferences. Service users have become "customers" rather than "recipients," and this new shift has changed the structure and our CQL Basic focus of our service delivery. Assurances The deep and lasting commitment of our staff to assisting consumers combined with the consumer’s desire for self-fulfilment makes this ” transformation possible. I look back with immense pride on the achievements of 2007. I can only say I am honoured to be charged with the responsibility of leading the Association and all people connected with it as we move forward on our continued journey through 2008. Once again congratulations on the achievements of 2007 and I wish you all the very best of luck supporting people to live self determined lives. Joe Mason 3 Chief Executive Officer ANNUAL REPORT 2007 4605 Walkinstown AR TXT 2007 6/5/08 5:10 pm Page 4 Director of Services Report Our Service Aims: ❚ The integration and inclusion of service users into their local community by ensuring that their physical, social and emotional needs are met on an individualised basis. ❚ To ensure that the principles of ordinary living for adults with an intellectual disability are encouraged and practiced and provided Catherine Devine through a warm supportive extended family environment in a caring professional atmosphere Developments in 2007 The number of service users availing of our residential services within 2007 In 2007 we “ increased by 20% on the previous year. continued to place huge emphasis on Once again in 2007 we saw a steady planned expansion of our residential staff training and services with the opening of our new development community home in Orwell Park. This house is currently undergoing renovations and when completed will ” have the capacity to provide services to people with more complex physical needs. We also purchased another community home in Forest Close in Kingswood. This house will cater for five service users. It also creates an opportunity to facilitate the goals of a number of our service users, that are already in our residential services but who have specifically requested to move to different accommodation and choose the people they want to live with. These two purchases in 2007 have brought our total compliment of community house properties to six. In 2007 we continued to place huge emphasis on staff training and development. A number of social care leaders now provide training to staff in the areas of induction training, key worker training, Studio III training, policy briefings and on site information and mentoring. All of this with the aim of supporting and developing staff members further 4 while at the same time enhancing the provision of the delivery of high quality services to each service user. walkinstown association WALKINSTOWN ASSOCIATION Celebrating 40 Years' of Supporting People with Intellectual Disabilities to live Self Determined Lives 4605 Walkinstown AR TXT 2007 6/5/08 5:10 pm Page 5 2007 proved to be a very demanding and challenging year for the Organisation and its staff members. The achievement of CQL Basic Assurances happened as a result of your hard work, team work, persistence and dedication. It resulted in a culture of togetherness, high achievements and believing that there is no mountain that the staff in Walkinstown Association can’t climb. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank and congratulate each and every one of you, for your continued dedication, commitment and loyalty to the Organisation and the service users. In recognition of true dedication I would like to thank a number of staff members who faced the greatest ever challenge of their careers when they bravely supported Deirdre Kerslake on her journey from life to death. The courage and strength that it took the staff team to offer such an unwavering amount of support and then to continue to work in the residential services when their job was complete is phenomenal. Your bravery and dedication went above and beyond the call of duty and is a shining beacon of what it really means to support individuals to lead self determined lives. “Unselfish and noble actions are the most radiant pages in the biography of souls.” David Thomas Plans for 2008 ❚ The purchase of a new community home in Inchicore to provide services to three individuals with complex needs. ❚ The development of Forest Park into an integrated community home for a number of service users who present with complex needs. ❚ The renovation of Orwell Park to accommodate service users with more complex physical needs. ❚ The development of our first consumer controlled, community Independent living accommodation. ❚ The recruitment of a residential service manager. ❚ The continued training and development of staff members. ❚ To continue to adapt services to meet the ever changing needs of service users. Catherine Devine 5 Director of Services ANNUAL REPORT 2007 4605 Walkinstown AR TXT 2007 6/5/08 5:10 pm Page 6 Consumer Controlled, Community Based Independent Living “I have lived with Walkinstown Association for a number of years. It was my dream to live on my own and to become as independent as possible. On the 10th of March 2008 I will have got Walkinstown “ what I always wanted and be in my new Association is home surrounded by my own family striving to create and friends and staff that are all going a path to full to support me to live my own life”.