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BALLINASLOE SOCIAL SERVICES
ANNUAL REPORTS 2011/12
Celebrating 40 years
1972-2012
CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT
This year 2011/12 is a year of celebrations for Ballinasloe Social Services. First we celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Pre-School and had Minister of State Ciaran Cannon visit us in November. Then, Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald visited in March to mark the occasion with us. Now we are celebrating 40 years of the founding of Social Services.
We remember with gratitude the vision of the late Dr. Joe Tarpey and the late Sr. John. We thank Margaret Mansfield and Stephen Connell, who are still a support to us and whose initial steps in setting up the service have allowed it to grow and become such a vital part of Ballinasloe. Thanks also to various members of the committee, past and present, who have kept the service going through the years with their enthusiasm.
Thankfully we have been able to survive this economic crisis with the help of our supporters, including the Sisters of Mercy, the Lions Club, Flower Club, Soroptomists, our patrons and members, supporters of our limited draw, HSE West and the people of Ballinasloe.
We thank Bernie Austin, Director of Nursing at St. Brendan’s Hospital, Loughrea, for providing our Nurse Manager in charge in the Day Centre and providing locum cover when needed and Dan Quaid, HSE West, for his interest and support.
We thank our Day Centre nurses, Martina and Anne Marie, who greet people with a smile and provide a professional service enabling people to stay in their own environment. The centre is a very happy place to visit and long may it continue to be that way.
We thank our Manager Teresa and staff, including Diana and Brendan who help in the smooth running of the centre. Thanks too to Kay and volunteers in the Meals on Wheels and to the FAS and the Rural Development Scheme participants.
The Pre-School and Therapeutic Learning Centre continue to thrive under the guidance of Elaine Murphy, Childcare Manager. We thank her and her staff for their commitment.
We are delighted to have the Care and Repair office on site – it is a great service to the older people of Ballinasloe. We thank the volunteers in the Tuesday Club who filled a need for English classes and social interaction for foreign nationals over the past six years.
Finally, we started from humble beginnings 40 years ago and have grown and developed, despite difficulties along the way, to provide services in the Ballinasloe area that we can be proud of. We look forward with confidence to the future because of the fantastic support we receive from the many groups and people mentioned in these reports.
Go raibh mile maith agaibh go leir.
Annette Lynagh
Chairperson
DAY CARE CENTRE
We provide a safe, supportive, cheerful, environment committed to promoting the independence of our Clients, personally, medically, psychologically, socially, and spiritually, and we advocate continuous quality improvements of their lives to the fullest extent possible.
Maximum attendance of our Day Centre yet again this year, together with the increasing number of interested potential Clients, reflects the continued need for our Day Care services.
There are two Registered Nurses on duty who provide a comprehensive nursing assessment of health needs and development of a plan of care is carried out. Blood pressure and blood sugar level monitoring are provided as required. A daily programme of activities, including bingo, gentle exercise, computers, card playing, board games, art and crafts, etc. provides our Clients with opportunities for social and mental interaction with their peers.
We are fortunate to have the support of the following professionals:
Ray Kelly, our visiting Chiropodist, provides a clinic on a monthly basis.
Marion Dooley, our Community Physiotherapist, visits our Centre on a regular basis and provides Clients with an exercise programme tailored to their individual needs.
Our treasured volunteers are vital partners in the services we provide. Our success and accomplishments are directly attributed to their dedication. Thanks to Jackie Eastwood for providing art classes, Rosie Darragh for her computer classes and Claire Gibbons for her exercise classes.
We express our thanks to Kay and her team for providing delicious and nutritious daily meals for our Clients.
Music, Song and Dance is held every Tuesday. We thank our talented and jovial panel of voluntary musicians and singers who provide our Clients and Staff with hours of ‘ceoil agus craic’. Our Clients enjoyment is evident in their willing participation and light-footed steps on the dance floor.
Thanks to the Loughrea music group who attend once per month
We had yet another successful and enjoyable annual excursion in July. With packed lunches in hand, a total of 70 Clients, volunteers, and Staff travelled to Knock. A thoroughly enjoyable day was had by all. Luckily the sun shone bright (a small miracle in itself!). The day was complete for the weary pilgrims with a delicious meal in Gullane’s Hotel. Gratitude is expressed to the Lions Club for sponsoring the transport.
I would like to take this opportunity to extend a heartfelt thank you to my colleagues, clients, volunteers and the committee, for making me feel welcome since joining the Day Care Centre in April.
On behalf of the Day Care Centre, I wish to congratulate Ballinasloe Social Services on celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.
Martina O’Donovan,
Nurse Manager
SOCIAL SERVICES CENTRE
It is with great pride that I am associated with Ballinasloe Social Services in its 40th year. This is a time to review its 40 year history and looking back gives us the strength and motivation to move forward with energy and enthusiasm. Congratulations to all who have been involved over this time.
As in recent years, the economic uncertainties have, again, been uppermost in our minds when it came to funding our services and it is with the enormous support of the following groups and organisations that we are have come through the last year:
· HSE West
· Mercy Ministry Fund
· Rossway Walking Club – Fundraiser in June
· Ballinasloe Soroptomists
· Ballinasloe Lions Club
· Ballinasloe Rugby Club
· ClubDamhsa Sean Nos – Fundraiser in March
· Ballinasloe Mother’s Union
· Creagh National School - Sale of St. Brigid’s Crosses
· East Galway Cancer Support – Log Cabin Re-Union
· Go 4 Life
· Co. Galway VEC
· Vincent de Paul
· Killeens of Shannonbridge – Table Quiz
We also thank everyone who has supported the following fundraising events in the past year:
October: Car Parking at Fair
December: Christmas Sale of Work, Card Game
February: Limited Draw
April: Easter Raffle & Cake Sale, Golf Outing
June: Mini-Marathon
September: Cash for Clobber
October: Membership
Ongoing: Bonus Ball
Our policies booklet was compiled by our committee during the year and distributed to all staff.
We introduced a new Cloud accounting system “Accounts IQ”, specifically designed for the community and voluntary sector. Thanks to Oliver Nilan, our auditor, for his input into this and also for his help and support throughout the year.
Pension trustee training was undertaken online by 2 of our directors and on site by myself and the 4 other directors, to fulfil the requirements of the Pensions Act 1990 (as amended).
We said goodbye to Eilish Gillane and welcomed Martina O’Donovan to the Day Centre.
We replaced our front garden with flagstones this year and our gratitude goes to Noel & Geraldine Lohan for donating the flagstones.
Other events, in which I was involved in, during the year included:
· IPASS Employment Law workshop in February
· Speaking at Mother’s Union meeting in March
· Consultative session on Galway Age Friendly Programme in April
· Children’s First briefing in May
· CEO2CEO meetings in June & October
I wish to thank Teresa Black for her assistance, working with me in the office, throughout the year and thank Patricia Tierney in Ballinasloe Training for Employment for her support also.
Finally, I wish to express my gratitude to all my work colleagues, Social Services committee, volunteers and everyone with whom I have had the pleasure of working with during the year for their involvement and dedication to our common goal – caring for each other.
Teresa Coughlan
Manager
Ballinasloe Social Services Contact Details
Offices: Social Services Centre,
Upr Brackernagh,
Ballinasloe
Ph: 090 9643217
Fax: 090 9645197
www.ballinasloesocialservices.ie
Email:
MEALS ON WHEELS
With the organisation celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and as Meals on Wheels is the longest established of the services, I wish to congratulate everyone who was involved in Meals on Wheels and Ballinasloe Social Services over the 40 years. Buala bos to everyone!
I wish to thank all our volunteer drivers (14 in total), who are garda vetted, without whom our service would not function. A particular thank you to Nuala Noone, one of our volunteers, who took part in the Ladies Mini-Marathon this year and raised funds for our service. I also wish to thank Regina and Siobhan for their invaluable work in the kitchen. Thanks to Terry in the Community Information Centre for her assistance with Siobhan’s Fás placement.
In 2011, we delivered 16,058 meals. The areas we cover are from Ahascragh in the North to Laurencetown in the South, across to Cappatagle in the East, up to Kilconnell and Fohenagh and anywhere inside this catchment area.
We were delighted to have been able to purchase a new refrigeration unit recently, as a result of Lottery funding.
I attended the Pallas Food Exhibition last June in Galway, which proved very informative.
The Meals on Wheels service is an important support in enabling older people stay in their own homes as it provides, along with a regular nutritious meal, social contact and friendship.
Kay Cunningham
Co-Ordinator,
Meals on Wheels
THE TUESDAY CLUB
The Tuesday Club met weekly on a Tuesday morning from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm in the Social Services Centre, where foreign nationals came together for a chat, a cup of tea and English classes.
The club has been in existence for six years and the original objective was to offer an opportunity for people to meet, to network, to improve their English and to enjoy a cup of tea together.
Many people have returned to their own countries due to the economic downturn, those who remain are in full time or part time employment. Consequently it has been decided there is no longer a need for this service.
We wish to thank Ballinasloe Social Services for their continued support in this project and a huge thank you to our teachers Margaret, Mary, Martina and Marie.
Marie Staunton
Class Teacher
COMMUNITY PHYSIOTHERAPY SERVICE
Statistics from 1st October 2011 to 30th September 2012:
Physiotherapist attended Ballinasloe Social Services Centre for 10 Mondays between 1st October 2011 and 30th September 2012.
Number of Social Services’ Clients receiving physiotherapy treatment: 14
Total number of treatment sessions received: 37
Due to the lack of equipment available to physiotherapy clients in Ballinasloe Health Centre, some clients have availed of the equipment at the Social Services Centre under supervision of the physiotherapist. We are very grateful to the committee to continue to allow us to avail of this facility.
Number of clients who attended physiotherapy only at the Social Services Centre: 4
Total number of treatment sessions received: 21
Total Figures
Total number of clients treated: 18
Total treatment sessions: 58
Marion Dooley MISCP
Ballinasloe PCCC Physiotherapist
CHIROPODY CLINIC
The Chiropody Clinic is held on the last Thursday of every month. Patients must be over 65, hold a medical card and be referred by their G.P. or P.H.N. Appointments are given on a 3-monthly basis.
Number of treatments in 2011 …………………….423
Fee Total ………………………………………… €4,230
Income from clinic …………………………….... €4,085
Teresa Black
Assistant Administrator
CARE AND REPAIR SERVICE
Ballinasloe Care and Repair which is part of Age Action Ireland and under the auspices of Ballinasloe Social Services is now in its third year. It is a national organisation which was established to improve the lives of the elderly, to enable them to live full independent lives and stay in their own homes for as long as they wish.
The service here in Ballinasloe was instigated by our now Chairperson Joe Staunton, assisted by Eamon Lally, who saw the need for such a service and felt that many retired people and others would be willing to give their time on a voluntary basis to make this service practicable. Joe and Eamon serve on the Care and Repair Committee together with Martin Lyons, Margaret Brennan and Mary Cunningham. Care and Repair is supported by Fas in administrative and technical roles and Fas also supports Care and Repair by way of two part-time volunteers who are assigned to the Care and Repair office.
Our office opening hours are as follows:
Monday – Thursday 9am to 2pm
Phone – 090 9630630
Email:
The services provided include small odd jobs and repair service, including gardening, strimming etc. There is also a befriending/care service which involves anything from a volunteer going for a walk with a client, to doing some shopping for them. We also have a Trade Referral Service which means if the job does not fall within the scope of our volunteers, we will supply the names of trustworthy local tradespersons from our register. We use a pool of trustworthy volunteers and handypersons who are also Garda-vetted and carry photo I.D. This Care and Repair service is confidential and free of charge and covers a radius within 10 miles of Ballinasloe town.
To date we have 120 clients on our files. The tasks undertaken to date are many and varied. The jobs sometimes depend on the weather or the time of the year. The summertime brings about a lot of gardening, small painting jobs and tidying out of sheds. Other jobs include small plumbing and electrical jobs. Smoke alarms are regularly checked when volunteers visit clients’ homes. We receive many referrals from services like the HSE, home helps, community nurses, etc., who are aware, first hand of people who need our help. Advertising has also brought in numerous calls.
Thanks to all our volunteers for their hard work and dedication. From feedback received from phone calls from clients and other sources such as surveys, the elderly in our Community are very appreciative of the service we provide. Client numbers are rising each and every day and we hope the Care and Repair service will continue to go from strength to strength.