HSE Community Inclusion Hub opens in Cleveragh
Inclusion (CI) Connect Hub has been set up in Cleveragh as part of Sligo-Leitrim CI Training Services.
Currently, there are 18 young adults using the service that helps them tailor a pathway to employment or to develop skills, new interests and hobbies.
One user of this service,
Barry Leonard, spoke of his experience of the programme and what he enjoys the most.
“We have a new App that I use to plan my life goals. The App is great because I can plan on the go, I am in control and I blog a lot.” The programme’s participants showcased a video they made to highlight their experience of the Hub and that of their family members. It included testimonials on work experience, personal development, community mapping and independent living skills.
One family member, Marion Brick said: “From an early stage it was clear that staff in the Hub recognised the importance of meaningful engagement and for my son it’s his love of the arts, media and entertainment.
“CI Connect gives my son a sense of purpose and he now has a meaningful job in the Hawks Well Theatre because of the work in in the Hub.” Performing the official opening, Head of Service Disability Services, CH CDLMS Edel Quinn said “I am delighted to be here today to officially open this Hub.
“It is an excellent example of what a New Directions type service is all about.
“The programme in CI Connect is a catalyst not just for community inclusion, but real active participation, enabling and promoting active citizenship within the local community.
“The next decade will see a growth in school leavers with disabilities and we need to plan ahead for the provision of similar type hubs across the service. ”