Helping People with Special Needs

CTL Ireland collaborates with a well-established organisation that operates over 20 centres in Ireland to support people with special needs. The organisation provides a range of support services to people with both physical and mental conditions. The aim of the organisation is to provide quality, person-centred services, which facilitate people with disabilities to live a life of their own choosing. CTL collaborates with different projects across the country. 

Many of the residents have long-term physical disabilities. These disabilities do not prevent service users from leading independent lives in the community. 

These projects aim to provide volunteering opportunities that are fulfilling and engaging and allow volunteers to use their skills and talents to the greatest effect. All volunteers are trained before they begin to provide support and are valued for the time and effort they contribute. Volunteers will get to know a wide range of different service users who are aged 35 to 80.

Volunteer work:

People with disabilities at the project benefit from the involvement of the volunteers because they have opportunities to engage in social, recreational and community activities. As part of the programme, volunteers interact with every resident to agree how as volunteer they can support the resident as a person with a disability. 

The volunteer will be involved in different activities that take place for the residents inside and outside the home. They will:

- accompany people visiting family and friends

- go on shopping trips

- go to evening entertainment like cinema and pub

- Assist with the in house programme which includes, Bingo, Art Classes, Table Quizzes etc...

 

This helps the service users to socialise and integrate into the local community. In addition, residents are always grateful for help with small things like writing letters, tidying up, sitting and chatting etc.

 

Volunteers can also be involved in personal care if they wish to do so. Personal care would involve helping with eating, helping with dressing, washing and beauty routines, this would be done only with the presence of a staff member.

 

Volunteers work 5 days a week, shifts vary from 10.00am – 16.00hrs, 14.00hrs – 20.00hrs (subject to change) etc… Volunteers can choose their days off, and staff will try and accommodate the best they can.

 

Volunteers will be given guidance by staff around how best to work with vulnerable adults and how to support people with their specific disability.

 

All volunteers are trained to use all relevant equipment for their role.  They would gain an insight into the skills necessary to communicate with people with disabilities. They would also discover the limitations that people with disabilities face, and learn how to support them through enablement, that is, supporting them without further disabling them, by encouraging them to do what they can for themselves

There are usually 1 to 4 international volunteers at the same time at the project and a large number of local staff; there will also be other international volunteers in other projects from the same organisation in other host communities with who they can link and meet during their free time.

The projects are looking for friendly, open-minded, mature and team-focused volunteer with a genuine interest in working with adults with disabilities.

Location:

Various location around the country, contact us for more details