HOMELESS SERVICES
COPE provide emergency accommodation and support services for people who are experiencing homelessness in Galway City and County. These services include:
- COPE Galway Fairgreen Hostel for men
- COPE Galway Osterley Lodge hostel for women
- COPE Galway Ruislip Manor "Towards Independents Project"
- COPE GALWAY Resettlement Service
COPE Galway Fairgreen Hostel
COPE Galway Fairgeen Hostel provides emergency accommodation and a range of support services for men experiencing homelessness at our Forster St hostel in Galway City. The hostel provides accommodation and day centre services for the residents and other men experiencing homelessness. The day services include meals, access to washing and laundry facilities and also advice and resettlement services.
COPE Galway Fairgreen Hostel has provided this vital service to those experiencing homelessness in Galway since 1983. The purpose built hostel, which accommodates up to thirty people and is equipped with day centre facilities, was opened in October 1997. The hostel has a resettlement service to help address the underlying problems which those who are habitually homeless experience and it provides the necessary training and support to help them have their own home.
COPE GALWAY Fairgreen Hostel Aims to
- Ensure good quality accommodation and support services are provided for men experiencing homelessness.
- Provide a client centered service that is dedicated to the needs of the clients and those requiring emergency shelter.
- Undertake resettlement and outreach work.
- Offer practical, personal and social skills support (including budgeting, home management and life skills) which will enable men experiencing homelessness to cope with independent living.
- Assist those experiencing homelessness in securing accommodation.
- Lobby and highlight the needs of those experiencing homelessness and work alongside other services in developing strategies in response to housing needs.
COPE Galway Osterley Lodge
COPE Galway Osterley Lodge, located in Lower Salthill Galway, provides emergency accommodation for single women experiencing homelessness and support services for women at-risk of homelessness. Accommodation is provided for up to 13 women. A family room is available for women with children. In 2007, over 100 women used the Service.
Referrals to COPE Galway Osterley Lodge can be made by phone or in person at the Service. Referrals can be made by either the person wishing to use the service, or by someone acting on the person's behalf, such as a family member, doctor, social worker or another service.
- Provide an accessible and high quality emergency accommodation service to women experiencing homelessness in a safe and secure environment
- Provide a range of client-centred services which are appropriate to the needs of women experiencing homelessness, supporting and empowering women to address issues such as accommodation, health, budgeting, education, employment, advice on social welfare benefits
- Assist and support women experiencing homelessness in addressing the causes of homelessness and in finding move-on accommodation
- Ensure that users of the service have access to accurate and clear information
- Advocate for women in order that service-users are able to access services within the community
Accommodation Sessions:
Accommodation sessions are held each Wednesday afternoon. Assistance is provided in finding private rented accommodation in Galway City. Support is also offered with applying for deposits, obtaining Rent Allowance, and accessing a Community Welfare Officer.
Day Services:
COPE Galway Osterley Lodge offers additional support to women who have moved from the service, to women who may be experiencing difficulties with accommodation and to women who may be at-risk of homelessness. Services provided include a laundry service, meals, telephone service, information and assistance with social welfare benefits and assistance with finding accommodation.
COPE Galway Ruislip Manor "Towards Independence Project"
Background
The "Towards Independence project" is a joint initiative between Cope Galway and Galway City Council and operates under the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS). The aim of the project is to provide step down accommodation for single men who are homeless in emergency accommodation in COPE Galway Fairgreen Hostel. The project is focused on moving people onto independent living in as short a time frame as possible with referrals accepted based on a level of motivation and capability to live independently. The allocation of a bedspace in the project is conditional on participation in a programme focused on preparation for independent living and the active pursuit of independent accommodation.
The project commenced in September 2007 and is based in a six bedroom bungalow, COPE Galway Ruislip Manor, set in the countryside two miles from Galway City.
COPE Galway Ruislip Manor is a low support environment and provides an opportunity for residents to live more independently. Residents are encouraged and supported to relearn independent living skills such as budgeting, shopping and cooking for themselves.
Residents are encouraged to identify and address the root causes of their homelessness through key working, care planning and regular case reviews which involve the Galway City Council social worker. Residents put supports in place to help them to maintain the changes they have made in their lives. Examples of supports include addiction counselling, Psychiatric support, social supports, AA meetings, CE schemes, and Resettlement support. Residents are also encouraged to explore training, education and employment options.
Residents generally move from the project into their own independent accommodation after a period of 3-4 months at which point they are offered ongoing support by the COPE Galway Resettlement team.
COPE Galway Resettlement Service:
The COPE Galway Resettlement Service provides structured support to men and women moving from the Fairgreen, Osterley and Ruislip services to private rented or local authority accommodation with the overall aim being to assist them to maintain that accommodation and break the cycle of homelessness.
This is achieved through:
- Liaison with hostel staff and client prior to securing accommodation in order to identify move on needs and address any practical issues which may hinder the process of securing accommodation.
- Providing practical support in settling into the accommodation and local area
- Ongoing structured support to enable the management and maintenance of the tenancy
- Advocating on behalf of clients for access to specialised services which would assist them in addressing issues which led to their homelessness e.g. addiction services, mental health services, counselling services etc
- Exploring with and referring clients onto education, training and employment services
- Intervention to prevent homelessness if tenancy under threat
