Wolfe Tone Square Community Integration

Description

Wolfe Tone Square Community Integration by Community Safety Wardens. The new Community Safety wardens have been directly engaging with the older persons’ community in Wolfe Tone Square in a collaborated effort (North Inner City Local Community Safety Partnership and Dublin Town) to re-energise the community members and revitalise the neighbourhood working to ensure that both are in harmony and can reach their full potential, while striving for overall wellbeing and positive ageing. Strong community engagement is key for the Safety Wardens through their commitment, engagement and pro-active community response they continue to validate and reassure the community that Wolfe Tone Square is a safe, attractive place to live and enjoy.
Key locations were identified for optimum meeting points for the Wardens and community including the local park and The Church Bar (local supporting business). These recognisable venues resonated well with the community and further enhanced their sense of safety within their environment. The Church Bar offered beverages and treats and gave an extra warm welcome to the older persons who they value within the neighbourhood.
From the outset, the Wardens were clear in delivering their roles and are open to questions and suggestions allowing for an exciting new collaboration between older persons and the wardens and allowing for a greater scope of empowerment among the older persons.
Over the course of the last few months, both LCSP and Dublin Town have facilitated many flexible schedules which has informed optimum event schedules. The attendance at the gatherings are growing month on month which is a concrete measure of the positive effect the Wardens are having on the community.
The older persons have benefited this far from the commitment and encouragement from the key stakeholders in providing regular engagement and safety within their community as well as a recent a recent visit from the HSE Mobile Health Unit, An Garda Siochána Community bus, and they are looking forward to the history talk by local Historian in Resident for the Central Area Elizabeth Kehoe. In aim of empowering the older persons in the community, the project lead and the Community Safety Wardens linked in with relevant resources targeted towards the older members of the community- the Older Persons Council and the programme manager for the North Inner City Central Area, as it is important for their issues to be voiced and heard. The ultimate aim of the wardens is to empower the community to embrace their best selves and live their best lives within their community. This can only be achieved through buy-in from everyone and LCSP and Dublin Town pride themselves on their vision and commitment to the community in Wolfe Tone Square. We look forward to maintaining and building on future relationships to create a vibrant, sustainable, positive ageing community for all those who live here.

Aim of Initiative

To reach the vulnerable and older persons within this strong community and open up a community safety platform that is user friendly, inclusive, visible and people focused.

Who is it aimed at

Those in the community who at present may not be aware of the service and also those who are reluctant to engage with the key stakeholders/members of the community.

3 Steps critical to success

1. Identify vulnerable older adults and build relations with them through active listening and consultation.
2. Identify their safety needs and health concerns and priorities accordingly.
3. Organise regular monthly gatherings with professional guest speakers relating to the concerns they have, Inc. HSE, AGS and other speakers of local interest.

3 Challenges in Planning / Delivery

1. Access to venue: the older persons have limited access to venue.
2. It was a slow start, the group participation varied, so days and times were reviewed and an agreeable day and time to suit all was identified. This was a great learning for us and increased drive to deliver.
3. Some of the activities were weather depending, this challenge was overcome through support from local businesses providing an accessible space for the events.

3 Outcomes / Benefits

1. Safety & Health Concerns of the community were identified.
2. Valuable information from key professionals was delivered in an informal setting to the community providing a better understanding, knowledge and reassurance around health and safety for older persons. Linked in with relevant resources targeted towards the older members of the community- the Older Persons Council and the programme manager for the North Inner City Central Area.
3. A growing sense of pride, support, encouragement and community among the older persons was a key deliverable of the initial implementation of the Community Safety Wardens.