A healthcare sector recruitment initiative, which will create more than 300 support roles nationwide for committed and enthusiastic individuals with a passion for care, has recently launched.
Nua Healthcare Services, a leading private-sector provider of intellectual disability and mental health services in Ireland, is inviting people to come and talk to them about the various types of jobs on offer. These range from assistant support workers and social care workers to occupational therapists, psychologists and psychiatric nurses. New roles are open to everyone – from graduates in social care to those seeking a new chapter in their career path who would like to join a responsive and innovative team working diligently and collaboratively to deliver safe and quality led services for the people they are privileged to support.
“Nua’s mission, vision and values relate not only to the people who use our services, but also to all of us who work within them,” says chief operating officer Shane Kenny.
New roles within frontline services are suited to those wishing to work in the community in truly rewarding positions, actively supporting individuals to pursue meaningful and fulfilling lives. Nua supports individuals to build positivity upon their sense of identity, to look beyond diagnosis and perceived disabilities and to focus instead on their unique abilities.
Many of our new team members joined Nua because of the impact the pandemic had on their sectors
Nua Healthcare Services already directly employs 2,000 highly dedicated and motivated people and indirectly supports the employment of another 500 subcontractors nationally within more than 80 individual services.
“We value and respect every staff member, regardless of their specific job, as we understand the importance of teamwork in the pursuit and delivery of service excellence,” says Kenny. “Many of our new team members joined Nua because of the impact the pandemic had on their sectors. For example, we have team members who originally worked in the hospitality, retail, construction, public sectors and other medical professions. Some of our current team members rejoined the workforce after a career break.”
If you are considering a career in Nua but feel you may not have relevant qualifications, please contact us as you may have the experience and passion for care. If so, Nua’s innovative “Educate to Employ” programme could be the pathway for you. This in-house initiative provides additional training and education for new employees, especially to those with limited or, in some cases, no prior healthcare sector experience, and is popular with people changing career paths and those who already have relevant life experiences. Working with Nua is especially attractive to those interested in making a positive contribution to their communities and those who enjoy helping others.
“Healthcare and especially social and rehabilitative care is incredibly rewarding,” says Kenny, “and our team takes great pride in making true differences to the lives of the people we support. Not only do we listen, but we understand. Nua invests in its people and encourages career advancement within the service. Pay rates and salary packages are competitive and employee supports have long been a significant area of investment for the service.”
According to Nua, a core reason for success stems from continually training and developing staff teams. “You don’t have to know everything,” Kenny adds, “but being a caring and understanding person is a wonderful attribute and a great start.”
If you believe you have some of the skills required, are caring by nature and have a deep level of empathy for others, Educate to Employ is ideal and will ultimately enable your success in the healthcare sector.
Nua Healthcare Services delivers a diverse range of care and support services for men, women and children diagnosed with intellectual disabilities and/or mental health conditions. Services provided include residential, supported living, day and community outreach.
Proud to offer its high standards of service and care, Nua is renowned for offering some of the best facilities in the country. Residential accommodation combines modern facilities with beautiful outdoor environments; its tailored day care programmes encompass a variety of stimulating and enjoyable activities.
New service
Among the recent developments in Nua Healthcare is a new mental health service (approved centre), currently under construction in Co Meath. Tearmann House will employ more than 170 local and regional roles in areas such as psychiatric nursing, clinical psychology, occupational therapy, pharmacology, social work, healthcare assistants and auxiliary staffing such as maintenance, security, and kitchen staff.
This new service, expected to open in 2023, will be consultant-led and provide care and treatment (to include all associated multidisciplinary team inputs) for individuals with enduring mental health and neurodevelopment disorders. The Tearmann House approved centre forms part of Nua’s overall plan to bring much-needed specialist service capacity to the Irish mental health sector. It also expands upon the existing care pathway – common terminology used to what Nua Healthcare Services does and how.
The first phase of this exciting new service will welcome visitors from across mental health and related services by the beginning of 2023, and the development will be completed shortly thereafter, in quarter two of 2023. Care and treatment within this new service will be provided by a core specialist multidisciplinary team with experience in intellectual disabilities and rehabilitation psychiatry.
At a recent sod turning ceremony at Tearmann House, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said: “This is a hugely welcome development, which will provide appropriate care and support for users of this facility when it opens in Gormanston, Co Meath. It will be a crucial piece of infrastructure in the overall State mental health treatment sector and will provide excellent specialist care for persons with mental health or neurodevelopment disorders.”
Says Noel Dunne, Nua Healthcare chief executive: “We are committed to understanding and responding to what our customers want, to developing our facilities and our teams to better care for, treat and support the men and women who most need us in a truly person-centred, dignified and respectful way. It is our belief that these new services, which are ideally positioned from an accessibility perspective, will both support and complement the already established provision and will serve as a catalyst for new specialist capacity across the country for the many individuals in need.”
About Nua
Founded in 2004, Nua Healthcare Services was first established in Co Kildare. It focuses on supporting clients with a range of intellectual disabilities (autism spectrum disorders) within a tranquil semi-rural setting that offers many therapeutic benefits. Most importantly, these include a low arousal setting where clients could, with minimal distraction, focus on understanding their disabilities and learn the necessary skills to enable them to ultimately take part in their communities – and, in so doing, gain greater independence.
Due to Nua’s proven track record in supporting and improving the lives of thousands of people, services now operate nationally, caring for individuals within a full range of intellectual disabilities and/or mental health services, to include community outreach, day services and residential care facilities.
Nua Healthcare Services is widely acknowledged within the healthcare sector as the expert/leading provider of residential care programmes for individuals with autism, intellectual disabilities, mental health conditions and behavioural difficulties in Ireland. Residential care for persons with intellectual disabilities and/or mental health conditions is a highly regulated space in Ireland. Every disability residential care service is required to be registered with Hiqa and every mental health community residence, must be registered with and/or notified to the Mental Health Commission.
All services are inspected regularly against the corresponding National Standards for Residential Services. These standards cover a vast array of areas, including leadership, governance and management, quality, health and safety policies, procedures, and practices, the suitability of facilities / environment.
Nua Healthcare Services is a critical part of the Irish health service system. We provide our services directly to the HSE, Tusla and in some instances to private individuals. We have strong links with the judicial system and provide some services to vulnerable individuals under the direction of court services.