Discussions ‘ongoing’ over IWA service future
Meeting with HSE took place last week
Discussions are “ongoing” regarding the future of services at the Irish Wheelchair Association’s daycare centre in Cavan Town.
Representatives from the IWA and the HSE met last week to discuss issues at the Cavan Community Centre. Though “no immediate resolution” on cuts to day services was reached, discussions are said to be “ongoing”.
Local staff have resorted to operating a pared back ‘outreach only model’, amid difficulties with the recruitment and retention of staff.
This involves Zoom meetings and limited community contact one day every couple of weeks for the 36 service users who use the IWA centre, some of whom, even before this change, were not receiving their full allocation of hours.
It has called into question the future viability of the service, which relies heavily on Section 39 employees, supplemented by workers from Community Employment Schemes. However, some organisations pay €4 to €5 per hour more per hour for similar roles.
The widening pay disparity between Section 39, Section 10 and Section 56 organisations and their public sector counterparts was highlighted once again as recently as last week in Dáil by Sinn Féin TD and spokesperson on disabilities, Pauline Tully.
Fianna Fáil’s Niamh Smyth also brought the discussion to the floor of Leinster House.
“They are doing absolutely everything they can to ensure that the service users get as much contact as possible, but it will not address the needs of those service users. They are so disappointed,” said Deputy Tully of the IWA service, which had been “reduced in recent years due to the lack of staff”.
“It is not the only organisation faced with this,” she continued. “It may have come to that crunch point at this stage, and it is to be hoped it can be addressed very quickly,” said Deputy Tully.
IWA officials and HSE regional management met last Thursday, April 25, with the hope of finding some pathway of certainty for the service.
The outcome from this meeting was shared with service users and their families on Tuesday evening (April 30) in the Hotel Kilmore, where the focus was on exploring all opportunities to try and save the service.
A spokesperson for the IWA informed the Celt that it was “recognised” at last Thursday’s meeting with the HSE that the issues affecting the Cavan service have been “ongoing”. Whilst the “majority of the meeting” was focused on the local concerns, there was “also an acknowledgement that recruitment and retention of staff affect the disability healthcare sector at large”.
They said the IWA updated the HSE on “all actions to date in Cavan” and nationally including “multiple recruitment campaigns, the submission of business cases to the HSE and utilising of IWA staff across services”.
IWA states that the organisation remains “committed” to working with the HSE to come to a resolution for IWA’s members, who remain at home during this period.
“Our team is working hard at a local level to continue to deliver a quality but reduced service to our members in Cavan through our OutReach model during this time.
“IWA continues to thank our members and their families for their continued support and goodwill during this challenging time.”
The HSE was contacted for comment.