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Support Persons with a disability to access a wide range of community based services and opportunities to meet their individual needs
Community Access Facilitators
Ref: 100758
Permanent Full-Time / Permanent Part-Time / Part time evenings only (fixed term contract) and Relief posts
Cork City, suburbs and West Cork areas (Bandon / Upton, Innishannon)
Day Service Summary:
Community based specialist services for adults with a disability are provided in partnership with persons with disabilities, with their nominated circles of support, their carers, with locally based organisations and with statutory and non-statutory organisations.
These services seek to enable each individual with a disability to achieve his / her full potential, in accordance with their wishes. The services are progressive, needs-led, person-centred and underpinned by the principle of equity.
Part of community-based specialist services for adults with a disability is the provision of Day Services. Day Services provide social, rehabilitative and life-skill-building activities for adults with disabilities. Day Services are aimed at adults whose lives would be improved from receiving educational activities that enhance choice, independence, personal and social development and improving clients wellbeing.
Day Services includes: social and recreational activities; rehabilitative training; health monitoring; personal care. All programs are person-centered, meaning activities are tailored to individual goals, interests, and preferences to promote independence and community inclusion.
Day Services supports help to promote advocacy, communication skills and provide opportunity for social and community inclusion. It provides opportunities for increased community participation, education development and identifying employment and training needs.
A Human Rights Based Approach is used with regular reporting on rights outcomes.
Day Services aims to follow the New Directions policy approach. This outlines that services should be person-centred and set up to suit adults with disabilities needs while supporting community inclusion. Further details on New Directions can be found here
THE ROLE
The Community Access Facilitator will take a lead role in supporting people within the framework of New Directions.
The Community Access Facilitator will work autonomously under the general supervision of their manager.
The Community Access Facilitator will:
- Empower people to live full and meaningful lives. To build their confidence and autonomy and explore/progress their career and life goals.
- Enable adults with a disability to gain and maintain valued social roles (student, employee, volunteer, neighbour, friend) and to be recognised as equal citizens.
- Work with adults with a disability, key staff, their nominated circles of support, and multidisciplinary team members through a person-centred approach towards the values of New Directions: person centred; community inclusion; active citizenship and quality services.
- Provide supports within the framework of New Directions, guided by Human Rights Based Approach principles of participation, accountability, non-discrimination, empowerment, legality and an outcomes-based individualised approach to services for adults with disabilities.
- Promote input and co-production of how their Day Services are planned and delivered so as to ensure that adults with disabilities shape policies and supports that affect them.
- Support participation in decision-making at both the individual and the service design/ delivery level, addressing barriers to inclusion and advocating for structural change where required.
- Respect the dignity and autonomy of the person, ensuring rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and equality legislation are central to all actions.
- Work in both group and individual settings in the community with adults with disabilities and their nominated circle of support, promoting equality of opportunity to access a wide range of community-based services and mainstream opportunities (education, work, leisure, civic participation) on the same basis as the general population to meet their individual needs.
- Promote positive risk taking, supporting individuals to make their own decisions and learn from new experiences.
The Candidates
Each candidate for the appointment must:
- Possess a Qualification in General Health and Social Care or Community and/or Youth Work, as outlined in the Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) formerly FETAC on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) of not less than QQI Level 5 (SEE APPENDIX 1 FOR LIST OF QUALIFICATIONS) Or
- Possess a relevant Health Care qualification at not less than QQI level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) Or
- An equivalent Health Care qualification from another jurisdiction.
- Six months experience of working with people with an intellectual disability, autism and challenging behaviour is desirable
- Be computer literate including proficiency in Microsoft Office and knowledge and proficiency of using information systems
- Skills / or interest in Art/Crafts, Pottery, Horticulture, Gardening, Alternative therapies, Music, Sport, would be a distinct advantage.
- Be available to work afternoons/evenings and some weekends as required
- Have a full driving licence which qualifies you to drive manual transmission vehicles on Irish roads as this is a requriement of the role.
Salary Scale: 36,291 - 52,406 per annum (HSE Consolidated Scales 1/6/26 Supervisor/Instructor Specialist Agencies Salary scale). Part-Time posts will be paid pro-rata to a full-time post
Informal enquiries please contact:
Stephen Dalton, Sector Manager, Tel: +353 21 4556243; e-mail: [email protected]
Or
Frank McNerney, Sector Manager, Tel: +353 87 3840029; e-mail: [email protected]
Or
Claire McNally, Sector Manager, Tel: +353 87 9654489, e-mail: [email protected]
A panel may be formed from this competition from which future vacancies throughout our Cork Services may be filled
The closing date for receipt of all applications is: Sunday 26th July 2026
Applications should be made online using the Apply Link Below
Corlann South is an equal opportunities employer
