My Working Day: Denise Donlonwas recently appointed to the post of disability care co-ordinator with the HSE West, the first position of its kind within the HSE
As disability case co-ordinator, I am effectively the central point of contact for a person with a physical or sensory disability or their family.
I accept appropriate referrals from or on behalf of people with these disabilities, residing in the community, up to the age of 65.
Once I have established the needs of the service user in consultation with my colleagues, I collaborate with professionals from the HSE and other services to ensure that our service users and their families have access to a person-centred service from all the different agencies.
I advocate on behalf of service users and their families and respond to inquiries and representations from and on behalf of people requesting services.
Sometimes I work with individuals and their families for a defined amount of time, while others require longer term supports.
Although the job is officially 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday, there are occasions when I will work out of hours to suit an individual client where it is requested.
Although most people have no difficulties in accessing services, there are occasions when it is easier for a person with a disability and their families to have one contact person who can work on their behalf - this is why the HSE West felt it was important to establish such a role.
The advantage for the service user and their family is that they can liaise with one key individual who will assist them to negotiate the various services that they may require and provide them with any information they may need.
In my experience, both the individual and their family generally find the system we operate in within the HSE difficult to navigate.
By availing of case co-ordination, the individual and/or their family no longer have to focus their efforts and attention on seeking services and information.
While a large part of my work involves working with internal HSE departments, I do operate on a needs basis. Therefore, any of the voluntary agencies could be involved. Depending on the needs of the person, I can find myself engaging with commercial providers also. "Whatever it takes" is our motto.
I find my new role very fulfilling. The variety of people and needs I encounter and the matters arising result in no two days being the same.
I get an opportunity to get involved in people's lives at their invitation and it's always rewarding to see what can be done when people work together towards a desired end.
In conversation with Michelle McDonagh