Minister gives his backing to local intervention unit
A LOCAL unit, that provides intervention services and support for children with special needs, developmental delays and disabilities, has been given a commitment by the Minister for Disability that future funding applications would be supported.
Shona Kavanagh King, one of the founders of the Collective Sensory Unit, met with Minister Finian McGrath in Leinster House recently, in the company of local TD James Browne and other officials, to discuss the future of the service offered out of the unit’s base in Westlands, Wexford town.
Shona explained that she had presented an outline of the service and how it had developed since its opening in 2015, building up relationships with the main health agencies in Ireland, including the Child and Adolescent Mental Health System and TUSLA. She told the Minister that they had worked hard to ensure that the standard of services and practice was to the same standard offered by funded agencies, all of whom, she pointed out, had supported the unit’s decision to seek funding.
‘Since 2016, when we became a company, we have helped over 400 families in Wexford. We have one full time staff member but everyone else is a volunteer. As it stands, we are funded by the decency and commitment of our local community and we’re forever grateful to people for that support.’
She remarked that the level of need in Wexford was very high, adding that supports and services were not being provided.
‘The government is failing in its duty of care to families in Wexford. It’s being left at our door and we need help to take it on.’
She said the Minister had been very impressed by the level of support given through the unit and made a commitment to support their future funding applications. The cost of running the unit for a year is €75,000 and Shona said this would cover everything, adding that even to get a fraction of that would ease the pressure and allow them to support more families.
‘We do have the constant worry of ‘do we have enough money to support people?’ and that’s not fair when we’re trying to do the right thing.’
She said they had applied for funding in the past but found that something had always knocked them off course: ‘This time, we hope it pays off and that it will be our turn.’
The Collective Sensory Unit was set up by two parents, Shona, and Siobhan McMahon, who were fed up waiting for services for their own children. It started as a small multi-sensory room in the Faythe National School and has grown since then.
‘It was faster for us to provide the services ourselves. Watching our kids regress when we could do nothing for them was very distressing. The system is so hard to navigate as well - a huge part of what we do is supporting parents on that journey, on top of providing intervention therapies.’
She pointed out that it was better for parents to be educated, confident and empowered in supoprting their children.