SAFE HOME IRELAND ANNUAL REPORT 2015

Transcription

1 Pg. 01 SAFE HOME IRELAND ANNUAL REPORT 2015 Most countries send out oil or iron, steel or gold, or some other crop, but Ireland has had only one export and that is its people. John F. Kennedy on his presidential visit to Ireland, June 1963 Tel Fax St Brendans s Village, Mulranny Westport, Co. Mayo Website: info@safehomeireland.com

2 Pg. 02 Contents Chairpersons Report page 3 What we are do and what we do? page 4 CEO Report page 5 Coordinators Report page 7 Outreach Officers Report page 8 Our Work in 2015 page 10 Our Impact in 2015 page 11 Testimonials page 12 Financial Summary page 15

3 Pg. 03 CHAIRPERSON S REPORT DR. JERRY COWLEY As you can see from our operational statistics and the outline of on-going day to day work, the need to ensure that anyone who may need to avail of our services knows who we are and how to get in touch with us. To this end, in early 2016, we hope to up-date our website to clearly depict what we do, make it more user friendly and easier for clients to make direct contact with the office. We intend to further explore the use of I.T as a promotional tool in the coming year, with the launch of a quarterly e-bulletin to agencies working with our client group at home and abroad. We fully embrace the transparency and good governance procedures now required by patrons and funders alike. During 2015, we completed the registration process with the Charities Regulatory Authority. In 2016, we will complete the final sign up to the Governance Code. Raising the profile of the organisation will be to the forefront of our minds as we begin the year ahead. This will benefit us not just in terms of advertising our services to potential clients but will be vital in our bid to securing additional funding streams. With cuts and new guidelines in statutory funding in recent years, looking to the private sector for financial support is something that we will explore closely into the future. We look forward to working with housing providers throughout the country, support agencies at home and abroad and statutory bodies to ensure we deliver the best service that we can for our clients. I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the Board, staff and volunteers of Safe Home Ireland to warmly welcome our new CEO, Karen McHugh. Since joining us in May of this year, Karen has shown tremendous dedication and drive in developing the organisation. I hope that we will have many rewarding and fruitful years working together to build on our success to date and develop Safe Home Ireland into the future. Board of Directors Safe Home Ireland is a Company limited by guarantee and a Registered Charity with its registered office in Mulranny, Co. Mayo. The Company is governed by the following voluntary board of Directors, who have a broad range of skills, experience and knowledge in the area. Chairperson Company Secretary Directors Dr. Jerry Cowley Michael Joe Ginnelly Teresa Hanley; Teresa Cowley; Mary Wood; Teresa Gallagher

4 Pg. 04 W H O W E A R E AND WHAT W E DO? Safe Home Ireland was set up as a pilot project in 2000 by a local GP and our current Chairperson, Dr. Jerry Cowley. At that time, as a rural GP and Chairman of Voluntary Housing scheme based in Mulranny, a number of people queried the possibility of their elderly relatives returning home to live in their native area. Publicity around the pilot project increased with queries coming from all over the world, highlighting the demand and need for a separate organisation to support older emigrants in their quest to return home. This led to a successful funding bid in 2001 which launched Safe Home as an independent organisation. There are essentially 5 main aspects to our work and can be summarized as follows:- We provide an information and advice service to anyone (regardless of age or circumstances) who may be contemplating returning or moving to Ireland. We assist qualifying* (per criteria below) older Irish born emigrants to return to secure accommodation in Ireland. We liaise with Housing Associations in Ireland to explore appropriate secure housing options for qualifying older Irish emigrants seeking to return to social housing. As part of our outreach work, where it is feasible we carry out home visits with Safe Home housing applicants throughout the UK. We meet with them in their own homes, go through the application process with them in detail, answer any questing they may have and assess their situation. Where relevant, we can refer to them to local support services in the area to improve their situations (financial/housing/support), as they wait to return home to Ireland. We provide an outreach and advocacy service to people who have returned home who need assistance with their resettlement and integration in Ireland. This could include assistance with paperwork involved in applying for their rights and entitlements as well as signposting them on to other relevant support agencies that may be of assistance. We act as a link with home for those emigrants who decide to remain on in their host countries. We do this primarily through our monthly Newsletter, which is disseminated globally. * Qualifying Criteria Older Irish born emigrants living abroad Aged 57 yrs + Capable of Independent living Living in rented accommodation abroad and unable to provide accommodation for themselves (from their own income/savings) on return to Ireland

5 Pg. 05 CEO REPORT KAREN MC HUGH I am delighted to have joined Safe Home Ireland since May 2015 and to follow in the footsteps of my predecessor, Mairin Higgins, whose work and impact I would like to acknowledge from the outset. I have always held deep respect for the aims and objectives of Safe Home and I was honored to be appointed to lead the organisation through its next stage of development. As an 1980 s emigrant myself and having managed an Irish Centre in Brent, I was all too familiar with the desire that many emigrants, particularly older emigrants, have to return home to their native areas on retirement. This dream would never have become reality for many emigrants without presence and support of Safe Home Ireland was another busy and productive year with 732 new queries from all over the world, many at the early stages of considering returning home. We processed 60 new Housing Applications during the year and now have 258 applicants on our housing waiting list. A key aspect of our work is to visit applicants in their own homes in their host country and in 2015 we carried out 62 home visits in the UK. Due to funding constraints, it is not feasible to carry out home visits outside of Ireland and the UK. While in the UK we also try to visit as many Irish and other welfare services as we can. During 2015 we visited 16 such agencies. Safe Home could be described as a one stop shop as we support applications in all stages of their journey from firstly contacting our office with the initial idea of returning home; secondly, follow up advice and support and possibly home visit if in UK to and thirdly support and home visits on return. In 2015 we carried out 129 support visits to returned emigrants across the country. This was facilitated primarily by our two Outreach and Advocacy Officers. In 2015 we reviewed many of our operational and strategic policies, procedures and systems. We revised staff Job Descriptions and Job Titles; we spent a lot of time developing our new logo and planning for re-branding in 2016; we revised our vision and mission; we commenced the implementation of a new client recording system which will be launched early 2016 as will a new and more advanced website. We carried reviews of all Safe Home housing applicants, some of whom are long term on our waiting list to check their current status and desire to return home. Some applicants had changed their minds but practically everyone wanted to continue to receive our monthly Newsletter, highlighting its credibility and value. During the year we also developed closer links with agencies in Ireland supporting returned emigrants, including Irish Commission for Prisoners Overseas (ICPO) and Crosscare and look forward to advancing our partnership work in We work very closely with other housing and welfare services right

6 Pg. 06 across the county and we look forward to even closer partnership work in In 2016 we will be developing a quarterly e-bulletin specifically targeting services providers and policy fora. Due to the popularity of our existing Newsletter we will continue to disseminate monthly. While there have been huge achievements and impact in 2015, we also faced some challenges in supporting emigrants return home. A key challenge is the lack of availability of suitable housing options right across the country as Safe Home applicants now need to be assessed as having a housing need by the Local Authority. This poses a great challenge for many intending applicants as previously Safe Home applicants could be offered accommodation by a voluntary housing body without being assessed by the Local Authority. The Global Irish Forum and the Irish Diaspora Toolkit, both launched in 2015, outline the Government support of returning emigrants and in 2016 we will be exploring strategic opportunities to ensure older Irish born emigrants are afforded the opportunity to do same. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Safe Home funders and supporters in 2015, and particularly the Emigrant Support Programme of the Department of Foreign Affairs, without whom we would not be able to carry out our vital work. I would also like to acknowledge and thank the dedicated staff team of Safe Home. It is both an honour and privilege to work with such an incredible team, who through their combined expertise, skill set and dedication effect positive change and transform the lives of those we work with. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all members of the Safe Home Board who gave freely of their time and expertise to support and develop the organisation both in 2015 and since our inception. Their commitment and dedication has been remarkable. The future will no doubt hold challenges, but whatever we face we will continue to advocate for the needs of all emigrants, those who wish to explore the option of returning, and those who, having done so go on to realise their dream of returning home to Ireland. Our Vision To ensure that anyone considering of returning or moving to Ireland is given every opportunity to make an informed decision Our Mission To act as the link for Irish emigrants both at home and abroad by providing advice, information, guidance and supports for those seeking permanent repatriation as well as those who chose to stay in their adopted country. Our Values Safe Home Ireland is committed to working in partnership with all relevant agencies at home and abroad to offer a professional and person centered service to our client group.

7 Pg. 07 COORDINATOR REPORT MARY ANN FADIAN My role as Coordinator is in essence to act as a link throughout all tiers of Safe Home. This includes liaising with our Board, CEO and Outreach Officers, as well as housing providers and welfare agencies at home and abroad. My day to day work incorporates much paperwork, reviews and reports, financial and general administration. However, the aspect that I find most rewarding is dealing with our clients and being the first point of contact for people who get in touch with our office seeking information and advice. From the moment that I answer that first tentative call, my main aim is to develop a rapport with people. I hope that they can feel comfortable to query any aspect of the roller-coaster journey in what can often be traumatic and red-tape heavy process. It s a great feeling to know that as a very small dedicated team, Safe Home plays such a vital role in helping someone to reach a happy outcome in a major life event. For some, this will be the offer of secure housing, close to family and support back in their native areas; for others, a sense of satisfaction in having explored all that is involved, realising that a move home is not right for them. I consider myself fortunate to have worked at Safe Home for almost 15 years I cannot believe how that time has flown by! There have been many changes and developments throughout the years. This past year has seen us bid farewell to old friends and welcome new ones. It has also given us a chance to evaluate and be proud of all that has been achieved so far, an opportunity to build on that and to explore how we can develop to best meet the needs of those we work with in the future. For all the changes that may have come and gone, to my mind the one thing that has remained unchanged over the years is that the Irish emigrants who I speak to on a daily basis really value a contact and connection with home. While returning to Ireland is something that is not going to be right for everyone, Irish emigrants abroad do not want to be forgotten. I hope that Safe Home will continue be here for as long as people need us to be. I think Noreen, in Birmingham (originally from Bantry, Co. Cork) put it best when I spoke to her recently about the Safe Home Newsletter, I would be very lonely without it, it s like a little piece of Ireland dropping through my letterbox each month.

8 Pg. 08 OUTREACH AND OFFICER BRENDA FLEMING This has been a year of huge change for us all here at Safe Home Ireland, with the departure of our CEO Mairin Higgins and the arrival of Mairin s replacement, Karen Mc Hugh. We have continued our work with our applicants assisting them to make informed decisions about returning home to Ireland. In March, I was lucky enough to go to Scotland meeting clients that wished to return home and also to meet organisations that work with Irish people there. I was made most welcome by Eulalia Stewart who works for an organisation called Alive & Kicking organising activities for older people and who has taught and been prominent in the Irish dancing world for many years in Scotland. I got to meet with a representative from Age Scotland and also to visit the Irish Heritage Foundation in Govanhill, Glasgow where I met with Isobelle Grey and witnessed first-hand some of the great work they are doing with their Irish emigrants. I was fortunate to meet with the Irish Consul Pat Bourne who made me very welcome and was most interested to learn about the work that we do at Safe Home. In July, I was delighted to go to Manchester where I received a cheque on behalf of Safe Home Programme from Professor James Thompson, Associate Vice President for Social Responsibility at Manchester University and Dr Liam Harte. They generously donated part proceeds from a play that toured the UK and Ireland called My English Tongue My Irish Heart : The play written and directed by Martin Lynch was based on a book written by Dr Liam Harte The Literature of Irish in Britain. Whilst in Manchester I also got to meet with Deirdre Carroll the manager of Links Outreach CIC Project along with her colleague Anne Giblin and they told me about the great work they are doing with the people in that part of Manchester. During the year I visited many other cities in the UK and got to meet with colleagues old and new all working for the betterment of the Irish in Britain. I have really enjoyed assisting our applicants to settle into their own homes when they return. I try to make it a stress free as possible, helping them with the mountain of forms and being there with a listening ear when they need it. It certainly can be a daunting task for an aging person to up sticks and move after many years away. In 2015, I have also worked with people who have returned independently of Safe Home and fallen foul of the Habitual Residency Condition (HRC), which has been particularly stressful for them. Many were not aware of their requirement to meet the HRC and found that even getting a PPS number has been difficult. I look forward to the next year and the challenges and rewards that it brings and to all the new people that my work will bring me into contact with.

9 Pg. 09 OUTREACH AND OFFICER NOREEN MULRINE This has been a very busy and interesting year for our small team in Safe Home, early in 2015 we said goodbye to one great CEO, Mairin Higgins, then in May we welcomed an equally great new CEO Karen McHugh. Happy retirement Mairin and a huge welcome to Karen. This year we continued to work closely with Irish Welfare organisations abroad and with any organisation who may have Irish clients. This year while conducting home visits in the UK I met with eleven agencies who have Irish clients. It is important that we can all work together to assist anyone who is considering a return to Ireland. My work also involves working closely with social housing organisations, various agencies, community welfare officers and departments in Ireland on behalf of our clients. When these bodies are familiar with our work and the services we offer, they in turn refer to us people who have returned to Ireland independently of Safe Home who may be encountering difficulties, for example they may have returned to Ireland but do not know how to transfer their pensions or avail of medical treatment here. We can then work together in order to achieve a positive outcome for our mutual clients. An important aspect of the services we, the Outreach and Advocacy Officers provide is that we travel to meet with our newly returned clients in their home, from there we can assist them in making applications for entitlements, help with form filling and accompany them to vital appointments if necessary. One seventy year old client recently spoke to me about the difficulties he has had when making applications for various entitlements, he said everything is now by phone or online, I don t have a computer, I make a telephone call and they send me forms to fill, I am not great at filling out forms. Even the banks want me to do telephone or online banking. Safe Home have a unique role in working with people who wish to explore the possibility of returning home, I feel that it is a privilege for me to assist these people. My hope for the coming year is that we continue to raise our profile so we can reach the people who most need to avail of the services that Safe Home offer. Thanks to the Safe Home team for all the help you have given us to start a new life back home in Ireland surrounded by all the new friends we have here at Oriel Lodge and more importantly to be surrounded by our whole family at Christmas for the first time in more than twenty years Michael & Pauline Co. Cavan

10 Pg. 10 OUR WORK IN 2015 We provide support and assistance to older Irish emigrants before, during and after the moving process. We act as a link with home for emigrants who choose to stay in their adopted countries. We provide clear up to date information on returning to Ireland to all of those who seek it We explore and establish links with housing providers throughout the country, and maintain a database of possible housing options for returning emigrants We meet with and lobby statutory bodies to highlight the needs of our client group and assist in the formulation of policy changes as necessary. We work together with other relevant agencies in the voluntary sector in Ireland to promote the work of our Association and highlight the needs of our client group. We liaise and work together with relevant welfare & advice agencies abroad to highlight the needs of our client group and identify support solutions for them where they currently reside. We assess, process and approve Housing Applications for qualifying applicants seeking to return permanently to Ireland and where appropriate and feasible, seek out suitable housing options for them. Where possible and feasible, we carry out home visits with qualifying applicants seeking to return home permanently and use such visits to ensure they are fully aware of all aspects involved in a permanent move. We sign post individuals who may need additional supports in their current location and if appropriate, make referrals to relevant agencies. We ensure that qualifying clients are kept informed and up-dated on any issues relevant to their planned return to Ireland. We provide on-going support as is appropriate and feasible, to those who have returned home by assisting with relevant paperwork and as necessary, linking them in with other local services. We act as a vital link with Ireland that many emigrants, of all ages, crave and value

11 Pg. 11 OUR IMPACT IN 2015 We dealt with 732 new queries We visited Housing Association schemes, and compiled Information factsheets on the developments bringing the number of schemes on our comprehensive countrywide social housing register up to 263. We processed 60 new Housing Applications bringing the total number of active applications registered on our housing waiting list to 230 applications (covering 258 individuals) We facilitated 28 referrals to Local Authority Housing waiting lists in Ireland We carried out 62 home visits to Safe Home applicants throughout the UK in Accommodation was secured by 99 people, bringing the total number of people assisted in their return home, to 1856, since the inception of Safe Home

12 Pg. 12 During 2015 we met with the following Agencies in the UK: England London Irish Centre, West Kensington, London London Irish Pensioners Project & Community Support Service, Brent Irish Advisory Service, London Connection at St. Martins, London Irish Elderly Advice Network, London Aisling Return to Ireland Project, London Haringey Irish Centre, London Irish Embassy, London Irish in Britain, London Mind Yourself, London London Irish Centre, Camden Irish Women s Survivors Project, Manchester Partner meeting with Crosscare Migrant Project in Dublin Scotland Irish Consul (Pat Bourne), Edinburgh, Scotland Citizens Advice Bureau, Edinburgh, Scotland Irish Heritage Foundation, Glasgow, Scotland Citizens Advice Bureau, Glasgow, Scotland Meeting the President of Ireland at Aras an Uachtaran as part of the Global Irish Forum Conference During 2015 we carried out the following reviews: Review of Safe Home housing applicants Client Outcome Surveys with clients home visited in the UK Review of Newsletter mailing list Presentation of Cheque at Manchester University from the proceeds of "My English Tongue, My Irish Heart", a play based on

13 Pg. 13 a book written by Dr. Liam Harte (pictured left), The Literature of the Irish in Britain. TESTIMONIALS

14 Pg. 14 DON T CALL ME ON A WEDNESDAY Michael contacted Safe Home to explore whether the option of returning to live in Ireland was the right move for him as the council property in Manchester where he has lived for nearly 30 years is going to be demolished. Michael was informed he would be re-located to another part of the city but is very nervous about the proposed move due to the high level of reported muggings in that area. Michael was born in Dublin in In the summer of 1955, he left for England wit h his brother, James. After working around various parts of England, Michael eventually settled in Manchester where he has lived now for the past 32 years. He spent some time in the Irish Army in his youth and recounted positive tales of the time he was st ationed in Africa. Michael never married but he lived happily with his partner, Lucy, for almost 40 years. Lucy had been married previously and was not officially separated. Michael said that Lucy s background caused a rift between him and his sisters back in Dublin, but she was a queen to me and he told me that Lucy sadly passed away in early Lucy and Michael did not have family of their own. Michael told me his brother James, who now lives in Yorkshire is in very poor health and he doesn t see much of him now. Michael said that he feels very lonely and isolated since Lucy s death. I go down to Sainsburys just to have a chat with the staff there they re all very nice but they don t want to be doing with an aul fella like me. Michael currently has no support systems in place in Manchester but has siblings in Meath and Offaly who would love him to come home. On enquiring about the possibility of setting up befriending or day care support services for him in Manchester while he explores what is right for him, Phillip s response was: Don t call me on a Wednesday. I go out every Wednesday before lunchtime. I ring a taxi to come and pick me up and I go down to the cemetery to Lucy. You see she died at about one o clock on a Wednesday and I like to go down to be with her. Michael wants to be buried back home in Dublin and tells how he has already made enquires with a local undertaker about bringing Lucy home with me when the time comes. Michael has since been in touch with the Irish Community Care i n Cheetham Hill, Manchester and a Safe Home Outreach Officer is scheduled to visit him at his home over the coming months

15 Pg. 15 FINANCIAL SUMMARY Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Emigrant Support Programme: 260,000 Total Statutory Funding 2015: 260,000 Funds from other Sources: St. Stephen s Green Trust: 1500 Private & Corporate fundraising: 6891 Book Sales: 400 Total Funds from other sources: 8791 Total Income in 2015:

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