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Dublin Simon Community
PO Box 581
Dublin 1
Ireland Tel: +353 (0)1 671 5363
www: www.dubsimon.ie
E-mail: admin@dubsimon.ie |
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Dublin Simon is a non-governmental organisation that has been delivering services and campaigning for the rights of people who are homeless since 1969. It employs 106 paid staff and over 200 volunteers. Dublin Simon is involved in delivering both emergency responses and longer-term solutions to homelessness. The underlying approach is to provide a “continuum of care” to support people to move out of homelessness and into settled accommodation as seedily as possible. Breaking the cycle of homelessness is at the heart of what we do.
Dublin Simon provides the following services to people who are homeless:
-outreach services
-emergency accommodation
-resettlement, training & employment opportunities
-transitional accommodation
-permanent supported housing
-post-settlement support
Our goals, agreed with voluntary agencies and main statutory bodies, are to reverse the homelessness crisis and to eliminate long-term homelessness. These aims are ambitious but achievable.
OUTREACH SERVICES
Outreach services are an important gateway to other Dublin Simon services and homeless services generally. They enable people who are homeless on the streets of Dublin to address their most basic and pressing needs for physical and mental health care, hygiene, an income, food and clothing, protection from the elements while sleeping rough and access to emergency shelter. The “Outreach Services” and an Emergency Shelter is Dublin Simon’s emergency responses to homelessness.
OUTREACH TEAM
Dublin Simon's Outreach Services consists of a number of projects run by 12 paid staff and approximately 130 volunteer workers. The Outreach Team makes contact with people sleeping rough, primarily on the streets but also elsewhere, in order to: build trusting relationships; enable people to link in with appropriate services; and assist them to move at their own pace into appropriate accommodation.
The Outreach Team employs a number of different strategies:
- Contacting and searching for people on the streets (morning, daytime and evening)
- Visiting rough sleepers at their skippers (where they sleep)
- Meeting people at the Outreach Centre at regular morning clinics
- Linking regularly with meal centres, day centres and other places where people who are homeless congregate
- Assessing people's needs and referring them on to appropriate support services and accommodation
- Liaising with shelters, hostels and other emergency accommodation
- Following up on contact made by voluntary projects (particularly the Soup Run)
The outreach team also supports the work of volunteers.
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SOUP RUN
The Soup Run is the original project of Dublin Simon and is frequently the first point of contact for people wishing to link into services. Seven teams of over 100 part-time volunteers work on the streets 365 nights of the year. Soup Run volunteers bring nourishing food to people sleeping rough, maintaining contact and building trusting relationships with them.
EMERGENCY SHELTER
Dublin Simon's Emergency Shelter at Usher's Island, on Dublin's south quays, is a critical resource for people who become homeless in Dublin. The shelter provides emergency accommodation for up to 30 single men and women who are homeless. It provides respite and support to the long-term homeless, and those who have recently become homeless. Individuals can stay for up to six months. The Shelter is staff by both paid and volunteer workers.
During the year 2002, over 900 people stayed at the shelter, and increase from 711 in 2001. 94% were male, typically aged between 25 and 45 years of age. Alcohol use was the most common issue, affecting over 50% of residents. Almost a fifth (18%) had physical health problems, while mental health difficulties (12%) and drug use were also significant.
A new key working and care planning system, focused on the needs of rough sleepers, was introduced in 2002. This includes working with challenging behaviours, maximising options and moving people onto permanent housing. Individual care plans are now drawn up with each resident, based on a comprehensive assessment of their mental and physical health, drug and alcohol use, family history, previous breaches of the law, and anything that may impede their ability to move into independent living.
The Shelter also introduced a major policy changes in relation to drug users who are a small but significant percentage of service users. People who are homeless and alcohol dependent find it difficult to access appropriate health and social services. A pilot Alcohol Detox Unit was established by Dublin Simon in March 2003. The Unit has been set up, in partnership with the South Western Area Health Board, to provide respite care, a safe means of withdrawal and to examine options for treatment and accommodation. This 24-hour service operates as part of the Emergency Shelter services on Usher's Island.
TRANSITIONAL HOUSING
Dublin Simon's Transitional House, off Dorset Street, acts as an important 'stepping stone' for people to move out of homelessness and into independent living. It provides self-contained accommodation and a high level of support for up to 17 residents to support them to move into settled accommodation.
Residents must be over 25 years of age and are referred from other Dublin Simon projects or services run by other agencies. Individuals are accepted on the basis of a detailed assessment of their capacity and motivation to move into independent accommodation.
Staff work in partnership with residents and agree a tailored programme with them. They support them to learn skills for independent living, and assist them to access and maintain independent accommodation. Settlement options are carefully planned based on assessment protocols developed in conjunction with housing providers. The maximum length of stay in Transitional Housing is 18 months. Gaining access to permanent accommodation is vital and the project is developing strong links with local authorities, other social housing providers and the private sector.
PERMANENT SUPPORTED HOUSING
Dublin Simon Community's Supported Housing project provides permanent housing for mostly older people who have been homeless for long periods of time and who do not have the capacity to live independently. It provides accommodation for 42 people in two houses on Sean MacDermott and North Circular Road. Every resident has their own room and houses have large communal rooms and gardens. Meals and a laundry service are also provided.
Staff, volunteers and Community Employment workers run the houses. They are motivated and committed to providing a supportive environment for residents and to help them live as independently as possible. Workers support residents in areas such as daily living, self-care, leisure time and family attachments.
The project opened a new facility with 19 beds on Canal Road, Ranelagh in June 2003. This low-support facility, developed in partnership with Dublin City Council, promotes a higher degree of independent living among people who have a capacity to do so. Staff support will be available but residents will take greater responsibility for many aspects of their daily lives, including, for example, cooking and cleaning.
RESETTLEMENT & TRAINING
RESETTLEMENT
The Resettlement Service assists people living in Simon temporary accommodation develop the confidence and skills necessary for independent living. A new team of four resettlement workers was employed in early 2003. They provide support to people who are homeless by assessing their needs, targeting move-on accommodation and devising individual care plans. The team may work with individuals for up to one year after they move into their own accommodation. The project is recruiting part-time volunteers to assist participants to develop and enhance life skills, such as budgeting, shopping, basic cooking and literacy skills.
TRAINING
The Dublin Simon Training Project offers training courses that are tailored to the needs of people who are homeless or who have experienced homelessness in the recent past. Courses delivered include catering, artwork, woodwork and other activities. The Training Project develops links with employers to secure work placements and employment opportunities for people who have been homeless. For example, retailers such as Marks & Spencer are providing work experience for people who are homeless as part of the 'Business in the Community' initiative. The creative work of the Training Project has appeared at open days and fairs in the last year.
Read more about Dublin Simon Community:
www.dubsimon.ie
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