SUPPORT SERVICES

Director, Tara Molloy Communications

In 2020 , a new directorate was created in EMT. This new role has responsibility for Support Services in SMH, to include IT, Communications, GDPR/FOI, Leisure Centre, Activity Hub, Project Management (as assigned to the DOSS by CEO) & Fundraising.

In 2022, the Communications team continued to effectively communicate the impact of changing government Covid guidelines on SMH services across the organisation and to families, carers and stakeholders.

The Communications team continued to engage the SMH community through official social media channels by highlighting service user and organisational achievements, raising awareness and advocating on behalf of the organisation while aligning its key messaging with the vision, mission and values of St Michael’s House.

Some highlights were videos for International Nurses Day, International Day of People with Disabilities, International Women’s Day and the Buddy Up fundraising campaign series with the Omni Day Service Christmas Carols hosting the most views of any video on the SMH Youtube channel in 2022 (445 views).

Posts highlighting service user achievements continue to engage SMH audiences with the most popular posts of 2022 including Ciara from Adare Hub’s academic achievements, Omni Christmas Choir, the triumphant return of the ever-popular Leisureplex Christmas Bowl and SMH innovative Recruitment Days in Ballymun HQ.

As of December 2022, all St Michael’s House social media channels had increased in followers:

The team also supported SMH departments develop communication tools to support service delivery to and for staff, service users and families including: CDNT brochures, campaign planning, flyers, email communications, information posters, easy to read communications, newsletters, media, video production and interviews. The Communications team supported the HR department with an online communication campaign to advertise their recruitment campaigns throughout 2022.

Information Technology

The IT department were busy in 2022 working on various projects to support the IT infrastructure in SMH. The hybrid model of working has increased the demand for IT devices and support. Some of the projects in 2022 included:

• Finance (Dynamics) Server Isolation

• Windows 10 Major Version Upgrade

• Installation of new file backup and server replication system (ECKO) with cloud redundancy

• Migration of the SMH e-mail system from on-site Exchange 2010 to Exchange 365 using an intermediate Exchange 2016 server

• The IT department secured approx 100K euro from the HSE to buy hardware (laptops and chrome books) in November 2022

• MPIO- My personal Information Online - The MPIO system replaces the CIS system which had to be shut down due the HSE cyber attack. This new system was supported and became operational by the IT department.

IT is also an enabler of the Strategic Plan 2022-26. There are a number of key milestones for the department over the next five years. The Strategy is available to view on our website.

Fundraising

In 2022 the Fundraising Department continued to host events in line with government Covid guidelines, including the Dawn to Dusk Daily Dips. SMH supporters took the plunge into the sea setting personal challenges for themselves to raise funds for their chosen centres and residentials.

The ever-popular annual Bring a Book, Buy a Book was once again held online and participants where encouraged to virtually pass books onto colleagues and friends for the month of March. The Fundraising & Communications teams utilised SMH social media channels to advertise, recruit and encourage participants to use their social networks to raise funds for St Michael’s House.

After a brief hiatus due to Covid, SMH were delighted to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the annual Jill Donnelly Golf Classic in April 2022. Over 40 teams teed off in aid of St Michael’s House in Milltown Golf Club raising over €80,000 through teams, tee/green sponsorships, raffles and auctions. Since it’s inception, the dedicated Jill Donnelly Committee has raised over €1.5 million for St Michael’s House and the Board of Directors and Executive Management Team would like to thank each and every member who has worked and dedicated their time to making this event a huge success.

In June 2022, over 70 Mighty Mná participated in the VHI Women’s Mini Marathon on behalf of St Michael’s House. It was great to have so many staff, service users and their family choose St. Michael’s House as their charity of choice for this event.

The Club Draw Car Draw also took place in June 2022 and was won by long-time supporter and parent, Cecil Pollack.

SMH are extremely grateful to Noel Hughes’s sons who have continued their father’s legacy and hosted the Noel Hughes Golf Classic in September 2022. Since its inception in 2009 this event has raised over €100,000 for Castle and Sallowood services. The 2022 event raised over €17,000 in memory of Noel.

The Corporate Champion Programme

In 2022 our Corporate Champion Programme recommenced post-Covid and welcomed 18 companies hosting 170 volunterers out to our services. Our corporate champions volunteered their time and skills to complete several garden makeovers - all the gardens looked beautiful upon completion and summer ready for our service users and their families to enjoy. We received over €11,000 in donations from the 18 companies that participated in the programme meaning all 2022 projects were self-funded. Launched in 2010, our Corporate Volunteer Programme has proved very successful. To date, over 4,000 volunteers from some of Ireland’s biggest companies have visited one or more of our 170 services within St. Michael’s House. The overall feedback highlighted that volunteers experienced a sense of fulfilment and a clear education of disabilities within their local communities. The management and staff of SMH are extremely grateful to all the volunteers who so generously gave their time and hard work to improve St. Michael’s House services.

Project Management

Strengthening

Disabilities Project 2022 - 2024

Also under the remit of Support Services is Project Management. In 2022, St Michael’s House secured funding from the HSE under the governments “Transforming Lives” reform process with St Michael’s House receiving a one-off grant to fund their Strengthening Disabilities Project 2022-2024.

About Strengthening Disabilities 2022-2024

The project is split into three agreed lead strands:

1. Speech & Language

SMH Speech & Language Therapy (SLT) teams will develop and implement communication supports to service users, families and staff in order to assist the development of a rights-based model of service.

Using a Total Communication approach, the SLT project team will develop and implement a comprehensive education package for all staff to support service users. This staff training education package will include both general and targeted training approaches and will oversee documented evidence of communication profiles placed in every service user file. Training will initially be targeted at:

• frontline,

• clinical and

• management staff working directly with service users

This training will also be available for all other management staff and support services staff to foster the rights-based approach and provide a level of awareness and skill in how to support service user’ communication across the organisation.

2. Education & Training

In collaboration with the Open Training College, the SMH Rights Education & Training Team will develop, implement and evaluate education and training inputs into developing a rights-based culture within St. Michael’s House.

In collaboration with the Open Training College (OTC), the Strengthening Disabilities Rights Education & Training Team will develop, implement, and evaluate education and training inputs into developing a rights-based culture within St. Michael’s House.

A number of specific education and training inputs for service users, families and staff will be developed including: