Project Worker – Supporting Traveller Women in Prison

Why work at Barnardos?

At Barnardos we seek to ensure that we have the best people working with us to support our work with children and families. The benefits of working with Barnardos are designed to promote continual professional development and a work-life balance for the most rewarding working experience.

• Barnardos offers a competitive salary – recognising the experience you bring to the role
• Generous annual leave entitlements plus discretionary Company days
• Positive working environment with family friendly ethos and work – life balance policy
• Tax saver and bike to work schemes in operation
• Employee pension scheme with employer contribution
• Company Sick Pay Scheme
• An opportunity to help improve outcomes for vulnerable children and families by working in a trauma informed way
• Access to regular trauma informed support and supervision
• Ongoing support and access to training and professional development opportunities
• An opportunity to be part of a supportive team
• Access to the Employee Assistance Program for employees and their immediate family members
• Regular Breath, Body and mind sessions to support staff well-being

Project Location and Contact Details

Address:  22 Corduff Park, Corduff, Dublin 15, D15 EA03  – working to provide support at the Dóchas centre and the Greater Dublin area

Telephone: 01-8262434

What does our Service do?

Through research completed by the Traveller Justice Initiative and data collected through peer support work facilitated in the Dóchas Centre by the National Traveller Women’s Forum, with wider research undertaken by the Irish Penal Reform Trust, tell us that there is:

• Very high rate of mental health issues  – (estimated at 60%) occurring for women in prison with over 23% requiring psychiatric intervention(s)
• High rate of drug dependency (2010 annual report of the Dóchas Centre Visiting Committee estimated that one-quarter of prisoners are on a methadone maintenance programme).
• High rate of domestic violence (minimum of 50% of women prisoners)
• High risk of homelessness (women being particularly more at risk of homelessness on release)

These issues affect Traveller women more acutely, and they experience complex trauma and stigma and ostracization arising from their prison experience. This is exacerbated by lack of knowledge of the judicial system, literacy difficulties, cultural alienation and the impact of detention on children.

This innovative model of support will be delivered by Barnardos, in partnership with the National Traveller Women’s Forum (NTWF) and Traveller Justice Initiative (TJI).

Barnardos, Ireland’s leading children’s charity, works to give vulnerable children a better chance, believing that childhood lasts a lifetime. Barnardos works with parents to strengthen their relationships with their children and to reduce the risks and increase protective factors required to safely care for their children. Barnardos delivers evidence-informed, outcome focused services for children and/or parents/carers in their homes, schools or in one of 50 Barnardos centres based across the country.

This trauma informed flexible model of support, meets the wide range of needs of Traveller women as well as their families. The Project Worker will be employed by Barnardos to develop relationships with Traveller women in criminal justice system to identify their needs as parents. The service will then develop individual plans (short, medium and long-term) with Traveller women and their families. A Bespoke package of support will be offered at each stage of the criminal justice system (pre-sentence, probation, pre-release and post-release) and will include:

• Intensive parenting support to build parenting skills; strengthen family relationships; understand children’s needs; improve family communication; ensure meaningful access and positive family time; and supporting parental engagement in decision making relating to their child
• Practical supports including the coordination and liaison with a range of criminal justice and community-based services to create a collaborative and cohesive plan. A referral arrangement will be put in place (adding value to – rather than duplicating – existing services). A case management and inter-agency approach will be used (with interagency meetings held where required)
• Support in building and strengthening individual family and community networks to create safety and enhance outcomes

We also facilitate group work sessions for the parents in the Dóchas Centre on a weekly basis.