Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys TD, has today announced funding of almost €700,000 to support Family Carers across the country.
The initiative, under the Dormant Accounts Fund, will place a special focus on empowering Carers to avail of training and education opportunities.
There has been a positive response from Carers organisations to the initiative, following its announcement by Minister Humphreys in September.
Former carers will also be supported under the initiative, which is being rolled out by the Department of Social Protection in conjunction with Pobal.
Today, the Minister is outlining the organisations across the country who will receive financial support to empower thousands of Family Carers across the country.
Announcing the successful projects today, Minister Humphreys said:
“As Minister for Social Protection, supporting our family carers has always been a key priority of mine.
“And so today, I am announcing over €700,000 to fund projects the length and breadth of the country that are designed to support family carers and the people they care for.
“I hope that these projects will provide the opportunity to family carers to engage in educational opportunities and training opportunities – further recognising and building on the unique skills they have.”
Some of the activities that will be funded under the initiative include:
- Working with employers to introduce the Caring Employers programme including to create carer friendly work practices and policies.
- A Career skills development programme delivering training in confidence building, career exploration, transferrable skills, online job search and education courses, CV preparation, Interview skills.
- The promotion of well-being promotion and self-care strategies which have the potential to bring about positive change in carer’s lives.
Minister Humphreys continued:
“I am delighted that my Department is working with our carers’ organisations to ensure this funding has a really positive impact.
“We need to make every effort to support family carers where they wish to manage both work and caring responsibilities.
“Our carers play such a vital role in society. They perform a job that so many of us simply could not do. And so, it’s vital that we support them in every way we can – that’s what this initiative is all about.”
The successful initiatives are due to commence in January 2023 and will run until June 2024. Pobal is managing the measure on behalf of the Department of Social Protection.
ENDS
List of Funded Projects
Organisation | Activity | € Awarded |
Family Carers Ireland Co. Offaly | Carer Pathways aims to upskill and empower Family Carers to re-enter or remain in paid employment through targeted interventions. It also strives to future proof workplaces for Family Carers by providing targeted programmes of support including implementation of carer-friendly policies and practices. The project aims to target 110 Family Carers and 20 Former Family Carers across 26 counties in Ireland, through a range of activities, including: - - Achieve an increase in employers establishing good practices and supportive workplaces for Family Carers.
- Increase employment skills/ employability for carers with 130 carers engaged in employment skills training and 120 engaged in employment activation activities. Increase employability skills with 75 carers engaged in employment activation activities, 40 carers supported to access mainstream employment services. Increase in the number of carers engaged in employment skills training - target 10 through provision of QQI Level 5 courses.
| 199,944 |
IRD Duhallow Company Limited by Guarantee Co. Cork | The proposed project aims to provide Duhallow based carers with a tailored schedule of workshops and training to improve their employability outlook. These activities will be complemented by the promotion of well-being promotion and self-care strategies which have the potential to bring about positive change in the carer’s lives. The project proposes to increase labour market participation for Family Carers including the following targets: - 100 carers engaged in employment activation activities and employment skills training
- 30 carers benefiting from progression in employment
Activities will include: - Development of self-care strategies plan for carers, therapeutic and educational forums to deliver labour market awareness, Labour market tuition e.g., job search skills, cv preparation, interview skills etc.
- Development of self-esteem and mental wellbeing for carers
| 50,000 |
Clarecare Company Limited by Guarantee Co. Clare | The project proposes to target 10 individuals who are Family Carers and 10 individuals who are former Family Carers. 8 modules will be delivered through a combination of in-house training and external accredited providers. The project will support Carers to become skilled for employment and further progression. The applicant will also provide new entrants with job shadowing, mandatory training (manual handling/patient moving & handling training). | 50,000 |
Care Alliance Ireland Co. Dublin | The applicant proposes to deliver against two programme level outputs as required as a condition of grant. Output targets for these two objectives are co-aligned and include: - Progress 16 carers into further education.
- Engage 80 carers in employment skills training.
- Progress 12 carers into paid employment.
Key activities identified for increasing career progression opportunities /employability include - CV review/job application support, interview skills, career coaching, sourcing appropriate training courses, entrepreneurship workshops, IT skills training, support sourcing internship/apprenticeship, support network post project. Key activities identified for increasing employability skills include confidence building workshops, nutritional education, physical health classes (e.g., yoga), mental health support and social activities to facilitate peer interaction. | 198,000 |
Peter Bradley Foundation Company Limited by Guarantee Co. Dublin | The “On with Training & Work” project will support Carers of brain injury survivors to access training and employment. It will create an understanding with employers to assist their return to work. The applicant aims to create individual journeys for each Carer supporting 13 carers to engage in employment activation activities through for example courses/training/internships) and suitability for carers and 12 carers to progress to further education. Activities here include - developing practical resources/material designed to help Carers & Educators. Establish Carers/Young Carer national online support network and encourage Young Carers to attend by providing a range of targeted activities including career discovery and preparation for college/training modules. | 197,228 |
Further information
Pobal is a not-for-profit intermediary organisation that manages various funding programmes on behalf of the Irish Government and the EU.
The Dormant Accounts Acts 2001-2012, together with the Unclaimed Life Assurance Policies Act 2003, provide a framework for the administration of unclaimed accounts in credit institutions (i.e., banks, building societies and An Post) and unclaimed life assurance policies in insurance undertakings.
The main purpose of the legislation is to reunite account or policy holders with their funds in credit institutions or insurance undertakings and in this regard, these bodies are required to take steps to identify and contact the owners of dormant accounts and unclaimed life assurance policies.
In order to utilise the unused funds in dormant accounts and unclaimed policies to best use, the legislation also introduced a scheme for the disbursement of funds that are unlikely to be reclaimed from dormant accounts and unclaimed policies for the purposes of measures to assist:
- the personal and social development of people who are economically or socially disadvantaged;
- the educational development of people who are educationally disadvantaged; or
- people with a disability.
Care Alliance Ireland is a network of 95 not-for-profit organisations supporting family carers. It is currently delivering a range of online supports to family carers including an online family carer support group involving nearly 4,000 family carers and an IT focussed project, Return Ready. For further details contact Liam O’Sullivan, Executive Director on 087 207 3265 info@carealliance.ie www.carealliance.ie