EVALUATION OF COMMUNITY COMPANIONS MOYROSS Summary Report 2012 i Stephen Rourke EVALUATION OF COMMUNITY COMPANIONS MOYROSS Summary Report Stephen Rourke Summary Report Evaluation of Community Companions Moyross TABLE OF CONT Summary Report Evaluation of Community Companions Moyross Table of Contents 01 … Foreword 03 i Introduction 05 Moyross 07 History and Development of C.M.M. 09 Work and Activities of C.M.M. C.C.M - Assessment of Outcomes and Impact 11 11 1.0 Quantitative Outcomes 12 2.0 Assessment of Impact on Local Residents 17 3.0 Assessment of Impact on Local Community and on Agencies 20 4.0 Staff of Community Companions 23 Recommendations 27 Conclusions TABLE OF CONT Summary Report Evaluation of Community Companions Moyross … Foreword oyross Community Companions is a unique project. It has been operating on the Moyross estate since 2009. The idea for the project Mcame soon after the Masterplans for the Limerick Regeneration Programme were agreed. With the launch of the Masterplans, there were high expectations that the estates would be transformed. A group of people who were living and/or working in Moyross in professional jobs or voluntary work at that time, came together because they were concerned that regeneration was not sufficiently focused on the social – the people and the community of Moyross – and that, fundamentally, regeneration needed to be ‘about them’. This group met in Corpus Christi Church over a couple of weeks. From the discussions and ‘brainstorming’ that took place, the concept for Community Companions emerged with the support of the Limerick Regeneration Agencies. This Report is an important document insofar as it draws attention to a type of social intervention that has proved to benefit people and has helped some to transform their lives. In 2009, the detailed model wasn’t fully developed but the core idea was there. This was centred on building up social contact with people by going out to visit them, ‘knock on the doors’, and meet them in the street and at community events. Despite living in a built up estate, many people are socially isolated and, for a variety of reasons, do not participate in community life nor access the many services and activities open to them. The role of the Companions was to build up social connections with residents through this unique ‘outreach’ approach, to be there to listen, offer support if needed and ‘connect’ them to appropriate services. It was also seen as important to show that Moyross is a caring community. There was a sense that despite the problems on the estate, there are many examples of strong and supportive community there. In the current situation of economic crisis and challenges facing individuals and families, the importance of social support and solidarity is even more evident. 01 FOREWORD Summary Report Evaluation of Community Companions Moyross Moyross Community Companions has developed over time from this simple idea. The Companions are now well-known and available to residents on the estate and respond to a wide variety of needs – visiting for a friendly chat, meeting people at social and community events on the estate, encouraging and helping people in their personal development, referrals in accessing services, and often accompanying people through serious crises. While maintaining its caring ethos, the organisation has developed a range of professional practices and techniques that ensure quality in service delivery, and accountability of the work undertaken. This evaluation report, carried out by Stephen Rourke, describes in detail the context and origins of Moyross Community Companions, and makes a comprehensive assessment of the activities and results of the project. It identifies the positive impact of the project and many examples of benefits to people on the estate. The project would not have come to fruition nor progressed without the strong commitment and voluntary effort to support it by key individuals who were there when the idea was first discussed. It could not have got ‘off the ground’ and continued to operate without the funding support from the sponsors: the Limerick Regeneration Agencies, Limerick Enterprise Development Partnership and the Health Services Executive. The commitment, belief in the philosophy of the project and the personal qualities of the team of Companions are key factors in its successful implementation. Equally important is the management support given by Moyross Community Enterprise Centre and Corpus Christi Parish. It is my hope that the evaluation captured in this report will lead to all the necessary supports being made available so that this project can continue its important work. Dr Eileen Humphreys FOREWORD02 Summary Report Evaluation of Community Companions Moyross i Introduction ommunity Companions Moyross which has very high levels of socio- (C.C.M) is a community based economic disadvantage, an area which Cproject located in the Moyross is going through an enormous period of area of Limerick City. C.C.M. was change (with the regeneration process established in early 2009 (it was and a large population decline of 46.9% originally called Corpus Christi between 2002 and 2011), an area Community Companions) and was which has witnessed a lot of criminality set up to respond to the needs and anti-social behaviour over the last of people who may be lonely, who decade or so. All of these factors have may be socially isolated and who resulted in many local people becoming may not be linking into the various more nervous, more prone to ill-health services, supports and socialisation and depression, more isolated and opportunities which exist within more vulnerable, more uncertain about Moyross and the wider Limerick their own futures and the future of area. C.C.M. has visited every the community in which they live, less house in Moyross on at least three trusting and less likely to participate in occasions since it recruited its first community and social activities. paid workers in March 2009. On the basis of figures contained in the HOUSEHOLDS CURRENTLY IN CONTACT 2011 Census of Population, there are WITH COMMUNITY COMPANIONS MOYROSS a total of 778 occupied houses in Moyross. In the period from March 2009 to June 2012, C.C.M. has developed significant contacts with 324 324 households in Moyross and has provided a range of different 1 ‘Significant Contacts’ means that C.C.M. has engaged supports to people living in these with people through providing information, through becoming a regular visitor, through advocating on behalf households. of local residents, through bringing people to meetings and appointments and/or through getting people C.C.M. is a unique type of project. It involved in social groups and events. is not modelled on any other project either in Ireland or further afield. Rather it is a particular response to the particular needs and circumstances which pertain in Moyross – an area 03 INTRODUCTION Summary Report Evaluation of Community Companions Moyross The independent evaluation of C.C.M. began in May 2012 and the following evaluation activities took place between May 2012 and July 2012: ● The evaluator met with the staff who have worked on the project since its establishment. ● The evaluator met with 12 members of the advisory/management committee, which was set up to support the development of the project. ● The evaluator met with 6 other people who are involved in delivering services to local residents in Moyross. ● The evaluator met with 52 local residents who have had some experience of interacting with C.C.M. Opportunities were presented to all people with whom C.C.M. has engaged to meet with the evaluator and, of these people, 52 decided to meet him. ● The evaluator read and analysed a number of reports produced about C.C.M., and read through publications which relate to the development of Moyross. In total, the evaluator met with over 80 people and read through over 30 different reports and documents which are relevant to the evaluation of C.C.M. INTRODUCTION04 Summary Report Evaluation of Community Companions Moyross … Moyross oyross is situated to the 2006 and 2011. In any community in north west of Limerick City. Ireland, the loss of over a third of its MThe houses in Moyross population in a five year period would were built between 1973 and 1987 present major challenges for community and are located around 12 clearly spirit, for community cohesion, and for identified areas and parks. In 2006, community self-belief and confidence. Moyross had 1,160 houses – 728 in the Ballynanty DED and 432 houses A further significant outcome from the in the Limerick North Rural DED. By 2011 Census of Population is the ageing 2011, when all of Moyross had come nature of the population in Moyross. within the boundaries of Limerick This has implications for projects such City Council, the number of houses as C.C.M. and for other agencies and had been reduced to 778 – this is a organisations providing services to local very significant reduction of 32.8% residents. It is clear that from the 1970s in the period from 2006 to 2011. The (when the first houses were constructed regeneration process (which aimed and young families began to move into to demolish all of the houses in Moyross) through to the 1990s, Moyross Moyross and replace them with new had a predominantly young population houses) and the decision of a large with well over half of the residents aged number of families to move out of under 25. The demographic profile has Moyross are the main reasons for changed significantly over the last 10-15 the dramatic fall in the number of year period, with the teenagers of the houses. 1980s and 1990s now entering middle age and becoming parents themselves.