We are delighted to have brought on board our new Active Retirement group coordinator; Amy Elbay. Amy is Santry born and bred. She graduated from All Hallows with a B.A in Theology and English Literature with a Postgraduate Certificate in Dementia care from Trinity College. and a Masters in Chaplaincy studies from D.C.U.
In Amy’s words; “I’ve been working in providing activities and pastoral care for older people for the past eight years and have loved every minute of it. I’m really enjoying the role so far and I consider it a privilege to work for such a fantastic organisation.”
After such a long wait, we are delighted that the Active Retirement Group are back in the centre. Over the last few weeks, they took part in their usual activities like bingo and darts with new a few new ones thrown in like a virtual concert as well as trips to the Botanic Gardens and the Henrietta Street Museum.
Ozanam House is a community resource centre run by the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. It is located on the site of the original clothing and furniture warehouse in a building that has also been used by the Society for a variety of purposes for over 100 years. Since our opening in September 2002 we have continued to develop various programmes and projects aimed at addressing the issue of social exclusion as well as the many needs of the local community in Dublin’s north inner city. The centre now offers over 600 programme places to more than 500 people per week where our youngest member is 2 and our eldest is 96. We also engage 75 active volunteers who share their time and skills each week for the benefit of others.
One of the programmes referred to above is our Youth Programmes. Within our youth programmes we run a grinds club offering academic support and advice to young people who are preparing for Junior Cert and Leaving Cert exams
Overview of the Volunteer Role
Our Volunteers not only support the children and young people but also each other. This support means volunteers are able to share their learning in the role and to benefit from each other’s experience, sharing knowledge and skills.
To reach our full potential and to achieve our goals in the group, we are constantly seeking new volunteers to support the youth co-ordinator deliver a quality and professional programme to the children and young people ensuring a standard level of safety and fun environment within each group.
Tasks
Attend the Child Protection Training session
Attend team planning meetings each term
Help prepare for the groups
Take part in activities and spend time with the children and young people
Be a role model for the children and young people and help them with their activities
Supervise the group together with other volunteers
Attend outings and trips to provide support to co-ordinator, if requested and if available
Attend and contribute to debriefings after the classes with other volunteers
Work as part of a volunteer team within a really supportive environment where everybody helps each other, giving and taking ongoing feedback and support between all volunteers
Attend team meetings every term to assist the co-ordinator with planning, organising, developing and running the programme
Support the implementation of restorative practice as a procedure for conflict resolution in the group
Volunteers with talents, skills and qualifications in specific activities are encouraged to teach classes if comfortable doing so, with the support and guidance of the coordinator
To attend meetings and training days if/when applicable
To follow the policies and procedures of Ozanam House which can be found in the induction pack or in the office
Other general responsibilities in the context of the role as agreed with the co-ordinator
Time commitment
The group takes place on the following days:
Leaving Cert Grinds Thursday 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Junior Cert Grinds Tuesday 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Our expectation is that volunteers commit to one group on one day – 1.5 hours each week. The volunteer should commit to a minimum period of nine months – September to End of May. If the volunteer knows in advance that he or she can only commit to a shorter period of time, the volunteer should let the coordinator know.
Other volunteers In addition, we welcome applications from potential volunteers who have specific expertise or skills which they can contribute. For example, volunteers in the past have delivered training in specific areas such as arts and crafts, cooking, film making, graffiti art or in sports. The time commitment for these volunteers will vary and be agreed in advance with the co-ordinator.
Skills, Experience & Qualities
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to establish good relationships with children and young people
Strong commitment and enthusiasm to children and young people and an understanding of the factors affecting their lives
Interest and commitment to developing the capacity to provide reliable support to children and young people in times of stress and act with integrity, respect and support
Good organizational skills
Good level of energy and good commitment to having fun
An accepting and non-authoritarian approach
Ability to work independently and as part of a team
Reliability, patience, resilience and flexibility
Ability to treat children and young people’s concerns with respect, tact and sensitivity
Ability to be aware of own limits, to admit it and to ask for support
An openness to learning and developing further good practices when working and supporting young people
Previous experience is desirable but not essential
Training & Induction
The volunteer will receive an induction/information night in the centre prior to his/her first inset and will get a general information pack to become familiar with the centre and our procedures
The volunteer will have an initial meeting with the co-ordinator to receive a role-specific induction and to agree a timetable and schedule of duties in line with the volunteer role description.
At this meeting the volunteer will have a support volunteer appointed to them. This person will have been working with the group for some time and will provide initial guidance, advice and support to the new volunteer
Child Protection Training will be provided within the first few weeks. This training is compulsory and will inform the volunteer of the protection and welfare of children under the Children’s Act 1997 and best practices when working with children and young people.
Team meetings take place each term, as well as individual training programmes that will be provided if/where necessary
Support & Supervision
The co-ordinator will be responsible for the supervision of the volunteer. Volunteers will meet with their co-ordinator either in one-to-one meetings, or in larger group meetings to discuss ongoing progress and any issues arising.
General volunteer meetings, for all volunteers, will take place twice a year, in May and November. Furthermore there will be a specific volunteer information session for the youth groups in January and September. Aim of this session is to get together, set an outline for the following period and explain the expectations for the volunteers in detail.
Benefits
General happiness and satisfaction
Personal and professional development in terms of confidence, patience, adaptability
Learn new skills (e.g decision-making and finding alternatives, leadership skills, communication skills, organizational skills, behavioural competencies)
The chance to contribute towards the development of children and young people to enhance their sense of self-worth and belief
To make a difference in young people’s lives
Opportunity to use and develop skills and talents
Opportunity to bring ideas on board and develop the centre
Opportunity to work in a relaxed atmosphere
Opportunity to develop friendships and meaningful relationships with like-minded peers
Opportunity to build up valuable work experience
Tea and coffee will be provided for all volunteers
We are delighted to announce that our Adult Education Classes will be returning on the week of the 4th of October. Our 8-week programmes will start with Arts & Crafts (Wednesday/Thursday 9.30/11.00am), Sewing & Dressmaking (Tuesday/Thursday 6-7pm) and Yoga (Monday 6.15-7.15pm and 7.30-8.30pm).
We will be taking registrations this coming Wednesday the 22th of September here in Ozanam House from 10am.
37.5 HRS PER WEEK to be based in it’s Community Resource Centre in
Ozanam House, Mountjoy Square, Dublin 1.
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Youth Worker to oversee all aspects of our youth programmes in Ozanam House and to continue to develop a quality youth service in the centre to meet the needs and interests of young people from the North East Inner City.
Applicants should possess the following:
A third level qualification in Youth & Community work or an equivalent professional qualification or relevant degree.
At least two years experience of working with young people in a youth work setting.
Experience of programme development in a youth work setting
Experience in coordinating programmes for young people in a similar setting
Experience working with Volunteers
Proven organisation and planning skills and the ability to work well under pressure
Proven communication skills and leadership skills
Experience of working in the community/voluntary sector would be an advantage
Interested candidates can avail of an application form and full job description by visiting www.svp.ie/jobs . The closing date for all applications is Thursday 1st July 2021.
All appointments are subject to satisfactory references and Garda Vetting
St. Vincent de Paul is an Equal Opportunities Employer
March brings in the first signs of Spring and with it the optimism that the days are getting longer and the weather getting better. See how our Active Retirement Group have been staying active below:
We have a Newsletter from our Men’s Group Coordinator, Glenn. The document contains a number of activities to keep you occupied. The theme of this newsletter is “this shall pass“. That’s important to remember. We are all doing our best during difficult circumstances, but it will be worth it when we all meet up again. Stay safe.
The introduction of Level 5 measures will mean changes for everybody, and Ozanam House is no different. Each programme is affected differently and each will have its own updates. All these plans are still subject to some changes. We thank you for your patience during this time and, as always, we will continue to support our service members and the community as best we can.
Childcare – Our Childcare Centre falls into the category of essential services and as such will remain open. Very little will change day-to-day. We continue to ensure the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 by strictly adhering to the guidelines and our protocols.
Youth Groups – Our Youth Groups are deemed an essential service and will remain open however they will now have a reduced capacity for the 6 weeks and will only allow a maximum of 4-5 people per group. The older age groups will now be offered a drop-in service while the younger groups will be no longer able to attend in-house services, but we will be posting out activity packs and organizing competitions and online events for all. Most in-house music classes will be cancelled for the coming few weeks. However, some of them will now be online.
Adult Education – All in-house Adult Education classes are unfortunately cancelled during Level 5, but many will have an online alternative. Our Cookery and Art Classes are available through video tutorial and the Yoga Classes will continue on Zoom.
Senior Programmes – Our Senior Programmes will continue in much the same way they have since the middle of March. Activities will be provided both online and through post. Glenn and Jenna will continue to be in contact with the members supporting all of them throughout this time.
As we begin Level 5 measures today, it is important to know what our programmes and groups will be doing during this period. Below is the Men’s Group schedule for the next 6 weeks. We will be updating information as the situation develops on this blog.
We are starting adult classes on a phased basis. All classes are 90 minutes or less and start and finish times are staggered. We have increased cleaning before and after classes and throughout the building. Our class numbers are reduced in line with social distancing measures. All students and teachers will be required to wear face coverings in class and throughout the building.
Men’s Group
The lads are doing well. I’m calling them once a week and sending them out puzzles and quizzes to keep them occupied. Obviously, social isolation is not good for people’s mental health, so below are a number of helpful pointers if you feel you are struggling.
Our youth services are commencing back in phased bases where we see our youngest groups start back up from the week of 28th of September, our senior services the week of 5th of October with most of our music groups coming back on 3rd of October for Dance and Piano classes and 10th of October for Violin classes.
We would like to say a huge welcome back to all the children, young people and volunteers to the centre. It was so great to see so many familiar faces back in the centre again and doing what we do best, supporting each other and our service users in times when it’s needed the most.
October is Mental Health Awareness Month and every year we spend few sessions doing mental health workshops, this year is going to be no different and maybe even more important as we will be exploring the anxiety and stress of lockdown and the new ways of going about our lives in schools and clubs. This year we will be concentrating on finding ways to relax and take a break when things get a little bit too much for us. This is one of the posters one of our senior groups made last year for Mental Health Awareness month with some great suggestions.
