Family centre busier than ever helping
SOUTH WEST WEXFORD Family Resource Centre (SWWFRC) in Ramsgrange is back offering an expanded range of services, having provided essential supports to people within the community during ‘ lockdown’.
Since March 12 SWWFRC staff have had to find innovative ways to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic and to support the children and families they work with. Manager Jane McWilliams said: ‘Moving forward we will continue to identify ways to meet the needs of individuals, children and families within our local communities.’
Among the services provided by the centre are home delivery of weekly food hampers to up to 20 families in the catchment area. Last week a presentation of 20 food hampers was made to Ms McWilliams by Fresh Today, food which was distributed to families in the community.
The centre’s staff provided the following services, truly going above and beyond for the community: home delivery of self-care packs to vulnerable adults, support for Early Years children with free allocated activity packs and ongoing support and communications with parents and children of The Sugradh Childcare Centre, personalised home delivery of cocooning packs for older people in the community and telephone befriending with those cocooning, personalised home delivery of TEEN activity and self care information packs to members of FUSION Youth Café.
Continued provision of the centre’s high need adolescent and adult counselling service, both in-house and remotely, along with family wellbeing and telephone support for families.
SWWFRC staff also linked in with other family resource centres and local organisations and groups, along with TUSLA to share information and resources.
‘We offered telephone advice and information, printing services through our community collection point at the centre. We maintained our website and all our social media platforms with advice, information and guidance during the pandemic for families and children,’ Ms McWilliams said.
Remote IT support for people for Zoom, Skype, online shopping etc was provided, as was blended and remote learning supports for learners to complete their accredited QQI training at Ramsgrange Education and Training Centre.
The centre itself was redesigned during Covid.
‘Everything in the public areas at the Ramsgrange centre over the last 12 weeks has been reconsidered and moved, changed, cleaned, painted, knocked down, put back up, replaced, redesigned and cleaned again to meet both Covid-19 and fire safety regulatory compliance.’
Strict rules remain in place at the centre, including social distancing and all staff have undertaken a Covid 19 induction session.
Sugradh Childcare Centre reopened on July 6 to the delight of parents, children and staff.
The reception services are open to the public for printing, photocopying and Internet access from 10 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. daily and other times by appointment with staff.
Counselling and family support services are available by remote telephone/email supports or appointment as necessary. Call Emma on 087 3605595 for more information.
The Community Cafe, Fusion Cafe and our Education and Training Services will open gradually in the next phase of our Return to Work Plan.