On May 7th, the ICSH hosted the latest in our series of webinars which foucsed on Housing for People with Disabilities During Covid-19. With around 30 delegates attending from around the country, there was a very positive sharing of experience and emerging best practice. Delegates heard inputs from Tony Cunningham, National Director of Services in Irish Wheelchair Association, Eimear O’Hagan, Head of Housing and Property Management in HAIL and Paul Kenny, CEO of St. Michael’s House Housing Association, providing updates on how housing and service providers to people with physical, mental health and intellectual disabilities have been responding to the unique challenges posed by the Covid-19 emergency.
We heard how AHBs have adjusted their services quickly to continue to support tenants including moving day services to an outreach model, delivering support meetings through online platforms such as Zoom, providing practical food and pharmacy deliveries and more. There were operational considerations discussed around ongoing repairs issues, the need to map a pathway out of current restrictions, how to deal with incidents of anti-social behaviour with current restrictions, and, most of all issues around PPE. The sourcing, cost of and appropriate use of PPE is an ongoing concern for members and this is an area we will endeavour to assist members in going forward.
Another topic of interest was around governance, specifically business contingency planning and managing risks and costs as we adjust to the “new normal” of Covid-19. Hearing what members are dealing with in a practical sense and what their concerns are for the future was incredibly enlightening for the ICSH and it will inform our support, policy and advocacy work in the coming months.
Thank you to all our speakers and participants for their time, engagement and willingness to share their experiences. These webinars have demonstrated time and again the power of the AHB sector working together.