Ms Colette Cahill:

From our perspective in Crann and as Deputy Canney rightly said, there are many different types of disability. "Disability" is one word but there are many different types of disability, so the one solution does not fit all. Our model of care in Crann is about looking at people with a neuro-physical disability and how with our wraparound service we bring all the family into that situation and ask what its goal and plan are for the future. Fundamentally, with the families we meet, what is really of concern to them is around what happens in the future if something happens to them. We look at that from a whole family perspective and support the family around that. We also look at the needs of the person with the disability and the needs of the family. Then with our model and our wraparound services, we build towards giving them skills to achieving those goals.

One of the key areas for us in our service offerings is an independent living module and that develops those life skills from a very young age. Often people with disabilities may have been over protected as a young child. Then when they get to the age of transitioning on to third level or on to further education, they do not have the life skills. Suddenly they are looking to live independently but they do not have the basic skills. We work with the family from a very young age in bringing on those skills. We look at adaptations that need to be made, so they can achieve the successes and the goals they want in life. Another big part of that, and a part of what we do in our model, is around researching that and evidencing that. I will let our colleagues in Ascend or Mr. Pádraig Mallon speak to that.