Meetings

Gheel Family & Friends

    Chairperson: John Hanlon

    Secretary: Michael Kenny

    Treasurer: Betty Bowden

    Contact Form

     

    Venue: Gheel Autism Services, Griffith Court, Fairview, Dublin 3

    If you have an email address which is not already on our list, please let us know either by mailing us at gheelfamilyandfriends@gmail.com or at the meeting. Communication by email is much quicker and more efficient, and I promise you won’t be bombarded with loads of material, just stuff that’s relevant and of interest. For instance we send on material received from Inclusion Ireland, which is much too bulky to print.

    John Hanlon, Betty Bowden, Michael Kenny

    Chairperson Treasurer Secretary

    Families and Friends of Gheel Families and Friends of Gheel Families and Friends of Gheel

        Parents are wondering to what extent Gheel will move from a service providing residential services based on a rent/lease model, to one that is founded on freehold acquisition of property that can be a secure foundation for long term residential service provision?

        There are many absurdities in the provision of services for those with severe disabilities including autism in our state. Gheel needs to move from the absurd model of renting and leasing to one that provides long term residential care based on a model of properties owned and governed by Gheel on behalf of the state

        Gheel should not be an agency condemned to the practice of Renting and Leasing properties for those suffering from severe autism.

        From their inception organisations evolve out of the need to serve the particular needs of their clients. As they evolve, organisations organically develop responding to the needs of clients and the needs of outside agencies or umbrella organisations.

        Organisation requires bureaucracy and governance and staff with salaries, pay and conditions, staffing structure, paperwork, rules and regulations. Even with best practice and a sinusoidal curve with bureaucracy above the evolving X line of time and the Y curve serving the needs of clients, there is always the drift in emphasis towards increasing bureaucracy and less focus on what the original aims of the service or organisation was, to best serve the needs of clients.

        Gheel supplies adult services for those with autism requiring residential provision. Its a scandal and disgrace for those with such needs that Gheel is required to rent/lease properties in the private market. Its a waste of taxpayers money that contributes to propping up the high cost of rent in the private market sector.

        Gheel staff are required to spend exorbitant lengths of time negotiating leases, securing properties. Regulations require the outfitting of such properties again at taxpayers expense.

        Within the limits provided by their circumstances Gheel staff do a fine job.

        With the sudden passing on of a landlord or for some other reason the landlord wishes to sell the property, adults with autism with staff all requiring structure and calm, face sudden eviction where notice of change can be as little as a few months. Further complications can impact the client and their families regarding deficiencies in planning that involve delays, endless committee meetings, decisions enmeshed in bureaucratic entanglements compromised by lack of resources. Lost somewhere in HSE space.

        Your adult with severe autism, due to an economic downturn or other cause, could also find themselves homeless. We must face the possibility that inadequate and compromised services may not at such time in such circumstances be able to respond to provide the long term residential care required for an adult with severe autism in Ireland.

        More data and research is required to measure the real needs and shortfalls in residential services for adults with autism

        Do not expect advocacy from those within the HSE mandated to garner confidence in the service they lead. They are not appointed to challenge the HSE. Its up to parents, families and members of the general public, politicians and the news media, to advocate for change.

        Colm Brazel


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        http://www.gheelfamilyandfriends.com

         

Autism Awareness

Autism requires cradle to grave support