We are currently recruiting the following roles:
Behaviour Therapist
Day Services Manager - Blackrock House Day Service
Check out the details, including job descriptions, on our careers page:
Our Community Employment Scheme is currently recruiting a Maintenance Assistant and a Domestic Aid, both based in Galway City. Please contact Breda Kerans, CE Scheme Supervisor, for more information: 087 675 1415
Wishing you all a very happy New Year. Here's hoping this will be a better year for us all.
Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and sending best wishes for a healthy and safe 2021.
Thank you for your continued support.
As we rejoice about news of a COVID vaccine and look forward to brighter days ahead, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the year that has been like no other we have known. Ability West provides essential services and supports to over 600 children and adults with intellectual disability across Galway City and County. Like everyone else, the arrival of COVID-19 left us feeling worried and anxious. Worried and anxious for the vulnerable people we support and their families, for our staff, our services, our neighbours, our peer services, and our community. None of us could have anticipated what was to come at the start of 2020. However what we will remember is the overwhelming sense of community and the extraordinary response of our incredible staff team. We want to take this opportunity to thank you, your readers, the people of Galway and beyond for your generosity, kindness and support this year.
Ability West’s Adult Day Services were required to close for six months in 2020. This was a devastating loss to many people and families across Galway City and County, and while we offered as many creative alternatives as possible, supporting people remotely is difficult and is far from what Ability West strives to deliver. We acknowledge the extreme pressures and stress that families have endured during this time and the toll this has taken. We have been overwhelmed by the resilience we have seen and the strength found in the darkest of times. We are happy to report that a significant amount of day services have reopened and have proven very safe, and everyone is now receiving some quantum of support in the week. We continue to recruit new staff and search for additional premises that will enable us bring everyone back to day services on a full-time basis.
The four schools under the Patronage of Ability West, St. Josephs’ Special School in the City, St. Oliver’s in Tuam, St. Teresa’s in Ballinalsoe and Tigh Nan Dooley in Carraroe, were also closed for this period. We commend the Principals, Teachers, SNAs and back office teams for supporting families during the closures and for sharing creative and engaging ideas to try different ways of home schooling.
Essential residential services continued throughout the pandemic, where focus very quickly shifted to keeping everyone safe and healthy. Residents were asked to stay home all day every day. Staff were asked to leave their families to come to work. Some staff were asked to work in new teams. It was a very unsettling time particularly at the start of the pandemic when PPE was in very limited supply. We reached out through our online community for any help that might be available to access PPE and were blown away by the responses we received; so many individuals, non-profit organisations and companies linked in with us to generously donate much needed PPE and we remain forever grateful to them. It is impossible to name everyone but be assured that we know who you are!
Essential and emergency supports have remained available this year including respite, home sharing and community support teams. I commend the resilience of these services, who have endured significant limitations in capacity to support and have changed how supports are offered in an effort to reach as many people in need of supports as possible.
This year our fundraising plans came to an abrupt halt like so many other charities. All unrestricted monies raised for Ability West are utilised for our ongoing capital programme, i.e. buildings, buses and specialised equipment. Notwithstanding the pandemic, through funds raised we have been able to respond to some capital requirements which ensures that quality services are maintained. Where possible we seek to support our local business community and endeavour to give back as we have received so generously.
We are grateful to our many volunteers, who play such an important role in Ability West. We have a fantastic and growing team of volunteers from across the community, including Best Buddies in GMIT and NUIG who really enrich the experience of people supported by Ability West. When usual activities were discontinued, our fantastic volunteers took to more creative solutions such as yoga on Zoom, which has now nearly become the norm! Volunteers hugely augment our services and bring many additional benefits to children and adults with intellectual disability for which we would otherwise be unable to support. We thank you for staying connected and cannot wait to welcome you all back in safer times. In the meantime, zoom sessions will have to do.
I would like to acknowledge and thank the HSE and in particular our colleagues locally in Community Healthcare West and in Public Health. Their support has been phenomenal through these past months.
We also wish to acknowledge Ability West’s Board of Directors, who continued to meet throughout the year and provided unwavering support in our response to the pandemic, and ensured that our ongoing compliance and regulatory obligations were met.
I would like to give a final acknowledgement and sincerest ‘thank you’ to our superb staff team – to all our frontline teams who stood up and were counted during the anxious and stressful periods of this pandemic which we know never goes away even when cases are low; to our fantastic back office and multidisciplinary support teams who responded in every way possible to support individuals and families, and their colleagues at the frontline of service provision.
We are honoured to continue providing essential services and supports and are so grateful for the extraordinary efforts of the Ability West team and the community of Galway. Wishing you and yours a very happy Christmas and a healthy and peaceful 2021.
Go raibh míle maith agat.
Audrey Pidgeon
Chief Executive
Another fabulous work of art completed as part of Galway City Council 'Christmas Creations' initiative. James Fleming, a local Artist, linked with our Croílar and Sean Mulvoy Hubs to help us develop some ideas for the project, and James also helped us with some of the manual labour involved! There was huge input from everyone in the hubs, and we really got into the festive spirit. We created a video to track our progress – we hope you enjoy it! Many thanks to James and both teams involved.
You can view our tree in Galway City Museum Ireland.
Happy Christmas everyone! 🎄🎅☃️
December 3rd, is the internationally recognised day for people with disabilities. This year’s theme is all about not judging a disability by its visibility. More information is available here: https://idpwd.org/. Let's raise the roof! #IDPWD20 #PurpleLights20
We want to sincerely thank our dedicated Board of Directors, all of whom are volunteers that give so willingly of their time to help us achieve our mission to enable people with disabilities to live self-directed lives in an equal and inclusive society. #trusteesweekIrl #thanks
Today is World Kindness Day. In a world where you can be anything, be kind.
Maintenance Assistant
Maintenance Assistants are a hugely valued part of the Ability West Team. The role involves general maintenance, carrying out painting, basic repairs, grass cutting & grounds maintenance across our sites in Galway city. Must have clean driving licence & be a car owner (Travel Expenses will be paid). Hours of work are 19.5 hours per week. Training to develop your career will be provided, including Ability West internal training. This role might suit someone who is interested in becoming a school/college caretaker in the future.
Please contact Breda Kerans on 087 675 1415 or email bredak@abilitywest.ie if interested. #CES-2160239, closing 28/10/2020 (Garda Vetting required)
Domestic Aid
The Domestic Aid will be based in Snipe Day Service, Liosban Industrial Estate and is a very valuable member of the team there. General duties include sweeping, cleaning & polishing. Generally maintaining a clean and bright working environment in the building. Working together as part of the team in the resource centre. Hours of work are 19.5 hours per week. Training to develop your career will be provided, including Ability West internal training. This role might suit someone who is interested in working in a health care or school setting in the future.
If you'd like to learn more about the position please call Breda Kerans CE Supervisor on 087 675 1415 or email bredak@abilitywest.ie if interested. Closing date: 28/10/2020 (Garda Vetting required)
The CE Scheme is highly valued by Ability West. The work is hugely rewarding and can provide you with an opportunity to begin a career in this sector. In order to be eligible you must be in receipt of a social welfare payment for 12 months. You must have a clean driving licence and Garda Vetting is required for the position.
Ability West is very pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Audrey Pidgeon as Chief Executive. Audrey joined Ability West in 2018 as Director of Client Services and has more recently held the appointment of Interim Chief Executive since January 2020, successfully leading the organisation through a challenging period brought about by the global pandemic. Audrey is an experienced professional in the disability sector, having worked for organisations in Ireland and the UK in clinical, social care and education services and roles. On the academic front Audrey holds a number of educational awards which notably include a PhD in Psychological Science from Maynooth University.
We wish Audrey every success in her new role.
We held our AGM 2020 on 20th July hosted from our Snipe Resource Centre with online attendees. Many thanks to our members and guests who attended in person and on-line. Thanks to Dermot Callanan, FCC Chartered Accountants & Registered Auditors for his attendance, and thanks also to Atlantic Audio Ltd for managing the sound and video requirements on the night.
Our 2019 Annual Report and Audited Accounts are available.
Kevin Newell, Chairman, Ability West, and Audrey Pidgeon, Interim Chief Executive
Dermot Callanan, Director, FCC Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditors, and Audrey Pidgeon, Interim Chief Executive, Ability West
John McHugo, Director of Finance, Ability West, and Dermot O’Neill, Director, Ability West
l-r: John McHugo, Director of Finance, Audrey Pidgeon, Interim Chief Executive, Kevin Newell, Chairman, Ability West
Young people with disabilities from 15 – 20 years of age are invited to answer some questions for a research project about decision making.
Easy Read Information Details on Questionnaire
Information Details on Questionnaire
Who can take part?
People with disabilities aged between 15 and 20 years of age can take part. The project is looking for young people with all kinds of disabilities and experiences.
This includes experience of
physical disability (wheelchair user, limited mobility or people whose arms or legs don’t work in the same way as other people)
sensory disability including blind, low vision, deaf or hard of hearing
intellectual disability,
learning disability (dyslexia, dyscalculia etc.),
neurodiversity (Autism, DCD/Dyspraxia, ADD, ADHD),
psycho-social disability or experience of the mental health services.
What will people taking part have to do?
People taking part in this research will have to answer questions about a good experience of decision making or a time they felt listened to, a bad experience or a time they were not listened to or supported and what helps them make decisions. They will have to be happy for Clíona to use this information in her research.
These questions will be on a form that Clíona will send to you by email. You can answer the questions online using Microsoft Forms or by filling in a Microsoft Word document and sending it to Clíona by email. Clíona can also help you fill in the form.
How much time will this take?
Filling in the questionnaire should only take around 20 - 30 minutes. It might take longer for some people depending on the support they need. Before filling in the form, Clíona will talk to you (phone call, video call with interpretation if needed, email etc.,) about what you need to do and explain the project and the consent form. At the end you can decide if you would like to hear more about the project or if you would be interested in being contacted about more research.
Accessibility
It is important to Clíona that young people with disabilities who are interested in the research can be involved or simply have easy ways to contact her to find out more. Please let me know what would help you to take part. You can contact me by phone, email, text and information about the project is available in multiple formats – plain language, EasyRead, large text etc. Please also let me know if you would need sign language interpretation or other supports to take part.
How can I find out more?
For more information or if you would like to take part contact Clíona at c.debhailis1@nuigalway.ie or on 086-6032755 or visit itsmyliferesearch.com
Clíona de Bhailís
PhD Candidate
Irish Research Council Scholar
Centre for Disability Law and Policy | An tIonad um Dhlí agus Beartas Míchumais
Institute for Lifecourse and Society | An Institiúid Cúrsa Saoil agus Sochaí
NUI Galway | OÉ Gaillimh
Important guidelines for the use of face coverings.
Latest news from our Brooklodge Nursery: We can plant window boxes, pots and hanging baskets for you or you can come and buy a range of bedding plants, organic herbs and seedlings.We have trailing petunia, geraniums, fuchsia, pansies, poppies, marigolds, nepeta, baccopa, osteospermum and more.🎍🌺
Organic herbs: mint, chives, thyme, parsley, dill. Organic tomato plants, courgette plants and cucumber plants. 🍅🥒
We also have colourful handmade garden ornaments, bird baths and nest boxes for sale.🐦
Contact: 093 41456 or brooklodgenursery@abilitywest.ie
TWO PEOPLE ADMITTED AT ANY ONE TIME #socialdistance
OPENING HOURS:
Friday, 1 May - 10am - 3pm
Saturday, 2 May - Closed
Sunday, 3 May - Closed
Monday, 4 May - Closed
Re-opening - 10am, Tuesday, 5 May
NORMAL OPENING HOURS: 10am and 3pm - Mon-Fri
A poem written by the mother of a child availing of our services.
Given the very difficult times we find ourselves in we just wanted to acknowledge everyone’s support of the measures we have taken to protect the vulnerable children and adults availing of our services. Our frontline teams are to be commended for their commitment and hard work, as are our back office teams who are assisting with the critical daily logistics to get us through this crisis, not only for service users and their families, but for our staff and volunteers. As we know, our ‘normal’ is out the window and we have to plan and adapt for this ‘new normal.’ By working together and following public health guidance we will get through this.
We are acutely aware of the challenging times many of our colleagues, neighbours and local businesses are facing and we just wanted to say that we stand with you and will support you into the future.
Thank you in advance for your support in the weeks ahead and we hope you all keep well. #COVID-19 #HandHygiene #SocialDistance #Together #TeamWork
