by Sarah Quinn and Leonie Boland
Volunteer Ireland worked with occupational therapists Sarah Quinn and Leonie Boland on a project that combined knowledge of people experiencing homelessness and students studying occupational therapy. The project has just won an Ann Beckett Award, which honours “practical projects which showcase active engagement in meaningful activity, and demonstrate creative ideas which involve clients and inspire colleagues.”
We are occupational therapists – Leonie works in a Health Service Executive (HSE) mental health service for people with experiences of homelessness. Sarah works as a lecturer in Trinity College Dublin.
Our project was conceived in response to a perceived need for opportunities to volunteer in a environment that met a person’s capacities while addressing their need to contribute to their communities. It was thought that Sarah’s occupational therapy students, as part of their community-engaged learning module, would be ideally positioned to support Leonie’s service users (people with experience of homelessness) while at the same time developing a reciprocal relationship based on mutual learning through and doing practical things together.
Following much input from peer researchers in Focus Ireland, the project got off the ground. Students and service users formed pairs and were given training; Volunteer Ireland sourced their volunteering opportunities in Vision Ireland and in Oct 2022 six pairs set about volunteering together in six city charity shops.
Changes we made launching the project again in Oct 2023 was to extend the period of volunteering in the shop from six weeks to four months so that the habit of volunteering could become embedded in the individual’s weekly routines and the pairs had more time to build their relationships. Maintaining strong links with the community organisation (Vision Ireland) was important for communication; ensuring staff members, such as Leonie and her colleague Mairead, were available to support the service users while Sarah, and her colleague Eilish, provided debrief for students was also essential to smooth running of the project. The involvement of Volunteer Ireland normalised the project, removing it from a clinical sphere and increasing its capacity to build towards the aim of community inclusion.
Recognition that both the student and service user were learning together and supporting each other reinforced their equal status and was a key advantage of this project. Students’ learning was rich – service user experience was productive – the shops were delighted to support community inclusion and participation.
Service users valued having a partner who provided a sense of ease when starting their volunteering: “I wasn’t confident about it; was good to have a support person there”. Having support help build a sense of confidence “the next week I went in, I said ‘I can do the steaming’”. Students commented: “like it was amazing to see like how different it is for me to see him from the beginning to now… he has come out of himself so much”.
“I learned more about how important volunteering is. It gives people a sense or purpose and productivity within their lives”.
Many thanks for the commitment and efforts of Pauleen Byrne, Volunteer Coordinator in Vision Ireland, Stuart and Zsé in Volunteer Ireland and the research teams in Focus Ireland.
Congratulations on the Ann Beckett Award, Sarah and Leonie, and we appreciate your expertise and collaboration!
