Strategic Plan 2019-2021 - The Loft 'Supporting you in your community' - Senator Mary Fitzpatrick
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The Loft (Local Outreach Family Therapies) Strategic Plan 2019–2021 ‘Supporting you in your community’ CABRA RESOURCE CENTRE CLG
T H E L O F T S T R AT E G I C P L A N 2 0 1 9 – 2 0 2 1
Contents
Welcome Letter 1
Message from the Team Leader 2
Background and Purpose 3
Service Overview 4
Vision, Mission and Values 5
Board of Management 6
The Strategy 2019-2021 and the Process
of Putting it in Place. 7
Partners & Stakeholders 10
2T H E L O F T S T R AT E G I C P L A N 2 0 1 9 – 2 0 2 1
The Loft (Local Outreach
Family Therapies)
DRAFT STRATEGIC PLAN 2019-2021
“TIME WE FALL” – Confucius
The board and staff of The Loft, formally known as the Cabra’s Resource Center, are
pleased to present our strategic plan for the delivery of community led family support
services 2019-2021.
From time to time, life presents us all with challenges some great and some small.
Challenges with drugs, alcohol, substance abuse and addiction are amongst the great-
est challenges many of us will ever face. Families of individuals struggling with these
challenges share the pain and burden of those struggles.
The Loft is a professional community led service dedicated to supporting, in an inclu-
sive non-judgmental way, individuals and their families to confront, tackle and rise
above those challenges.
At the Loft we aim to provide a safe space, support recovery and help individuals and
families to rise again after we fall.
We invite anyone struggling personally or concerned for a family member to call into
to us. You are not alone, we are here to help you rise up after a fall.
There are no strangers at the Loft, just friends you haven’t met yet.
Mary Fitzpatrick
Director
1T H E L O F T S T R AT E G I C P L A N 2 0 1 9 – 2 0 2 1
Message from the
Team Leader
Hi and welcome to our strategic plan 2019/21.
Since our re-launch in 2015 we continued to develop and grow as we provided our
community with a much needed service.
Our project continues to face many struggles and we are no different to the many
projects that face enormous challenges to continue to provide services to those in
our communities. Our strategic plan will give the reader a sense of our consolidation
as a project and also our aspirations and ambitions in terms of development.
Our Counselling Service, Groups and programmes go from strength to strength and
Thanks to skilled workers and funding we are able to offer our service users opportu-
nities to develop in personal growth/ skills. This strategic plan is about consolidation
and development as we continued to listen to the community and work very closely
with our partners and stakeholders to keep abreast of their needs.
Many of our service users progress to counselling, rehabilitation programmes, resi-
dential treatment, aftercare and further education. Some service users have found new
accommodation and some have been reunited with their families. We are lucky to
have a highly committed staff team and remarkable service users who trust us with
their struggles. We look forward to continuing our work with the community through-
out the life of our strategic plan.
We sincerely hope services like The Loft (Local Outreach Family Therapies) will con-
tinue to secure the resources and support they need to continue to provide a vital
service in the community.
Liz O’Driscoll
2T H E L O F T S T R AT E G I C P L A N 2 0 1 9 – 2 0 2 1
Background and Purpose
The LOFT is a community based project Principal activities
responding to the needs of young people
The principal activities of the Company
(aged 16 and over) and families in Cabra
are;
affected by alcohol and substance misuse.
It provides a therapeutic support/ • to provide services and therapeutic
Intervention service to anyone in the com- interventions for individuals and
munity that has been affected directly or groups in the Cabra catchment area
indirectly by such misuse.
• to raise community awareness,
The LOFT, which is the trading name of • to identify local needs,
The Cabra Resource Centre, a Company
• to create partnerships with all relevant
Limited by Guarantee (CLG) and a
stake- holders in the Cabra area.
Registered Charity, is the only recovery
focused project in a catchment area
approximately 27,000 people.
The service was originally established by
a group of residents in Cabra in 1999, with
support from the Finglas Cabra Drugs Task
Force, in response to the increasing con-
cern about the growing drug problem in
the community. The project was
originally known as the Cabra Resource
Centre and within a short time of time of
its establishment it had developed a series
of programmes which were delivered from
67, Dowth Avenue, where it has remained
ever since.
3T H E L O F T S T R AT E G I C P L A N 2 0 1 9 – 2 0 2 1
Service Overview
The Cabra Resource Centre Company Limited by Guarantee, T/A The LOFT (Local
Outreach Family Therapies) is the only recovery focused project in the area. Cabra
D7 has a catchment area approximately 27000 people. We provide a therapeutic
support/Intervention service to anyone in the community that has been affected
directly or indirectly by substance/alcohol mis-use. This includes our work with young
people who historically have needed to be referred to projects in other areas.
The services we provide are:
• One-one Counselling- Addiction and Generic
• Aftercare/Recovery Group and One-one
• Self-Development Programmes including Mental Health, Mindfulness,
Stress Reduction, Emotional Regulation etc.
• Youth Intervention,16+ Outreach and One-one
• Key working
• Case-management
• Referrals
• Holistic/alternative treatments
• Family Intervention/Family Therapy
Group and One-one
The LOFT is a community based project responding to young people 16+ and
families in Cabra affected by alcohol and substance misuse.
4T H E L O F T S T R AT E G I C P L A N 2 0 1 9 – 2 0 2 1
Vision
It is our vision that through the Provision of an easily accessible,
community-based support-service no member or family in the
community is without support in regard to substance misuse
including alcohol.
Mission
Our mission is to support the community in understanding and
addressing the consequences of substance misuse. We provide
this with an accessible community based service where our ap-
proach is therapeutic, inclusive and client-centered, always with
a view to empowering both the individual and the community.
Values
Respect, Dignity, Integrity and Inclusiveness. Provision of a
quality, transparent and collaborative service.
5T H E L O F T S T R AT E G I C P L A N 2 0 1 9 – 2 0 2 1
Board of Management
Chris Bolton Staff Sessional Staff
Chair/Director Liz O’Driscoll Carole Doherty
Niall Counihan Team leader Mindfulness Teacher
Secretary/Director Fergal Murphy Mark Costello
Michael Finnegan Aftercare/ Youth Aftercare Group Facilitator
Treasurer/Director Intervention
Marian Scullion Volunteers
Mark Finn
Board member Counsellor/ Family
Dee O’Keefe
Intervention
Counsellor
Kim Shortt
Board member Amanda Hanley
Connor Cahill
Administrator
Counsellor
Mary Fitzpatrick
Board member
6T H E L O F T S T R AT E G I C P L A N 2 0 1 9 – 2 0 2 1
The Strategy 2019-2021
and the Process of Putting
it in Place.
The Board of the Loft decided in early-2018 that the time was opportune to plan for
a period of three years to give it a focus on its future priorities and possibilities. With
the support of the Dublin North West Area Partnership and external consultant was
recruited to co-ordinate and lead the development of the Strategy.
The Process
The process of preparing the Strategy was under- taken in the summer and autumn of
2018 and included;
• Interviews with staff of the main funders, the HSE, the Drugs and Alcohol Task
Force,
• A confidential on-line SWOT analysis with the Board and key external stakeholders,
• Two working sessions with the members the Board at the second of which an
initial draft of the Strategy was considered
• Conversations with the Team leader and members of staff
• Two meetings with a group of service users and family members
• A small street survey of random local residents, and
• Background reading on historical records of the Company.
Throughout these stages notes were taken and were relied on in drafting the strategy
in such a way as to reflect the many opinions and ideas of everybody who took part
being mindful of not presenting the information where the input of any individual
could be identified. In addition the consultant brought experience of best practice in
organisational development and advocacy with not-for-profit organisations to interpret
and add value to the learning from the different stages of the consultation.
7T H E L O F T S T R AT E G I C P L A N 2 0 1 9 – 2 0 2 1
Overview of Findings/ Introduction to Strategy
Arising from the above processes there is a definite sense that the Loft, as currently
operating, has developed significantly since its re-launch in 2015. This was reflected
in the opinions of a wide range of stakeholders. It was exampled in numerous ways
such as quick responses after initial contacts, the manner in which the clients are
supported when they do engage and the ability of the service to link clients with other
services which might be a more appropriate to their individual needs. Other stake-
holders pointed to the physical improvements in the building.
The quality of the service and the approaches adopted by the staff are highly appre-
ciated by those who engage with the Loft both by service users and personnel in other
service agencies.
As reflected in the priorities The Cabra Resource Centre t/a The Loft is currently “On
the journey” in regard to full compliance with Governence.ie & the charities
regulator.
Supporting you in the community
Strategic Priorities
The feedback combined with and an analysis of the resource levels available, and likely
to be available, to the organisation over the next few years points more to a phase of
consolidation and internal strengthening, rather than an ambitious plan to further expand
the range of services and serve more clients.
The tasks to be undertaken in the delivery of this Strategy in 2019 and 2020 will posi-
tion the organisation to look at expanding its resources towards the end of this period
so as to provide more pro- gramme options to benefit even more residents of the
Cabra area in the following years. Any rush to expansion in the short term might dilute
the focus of the services in the short term.
Arising from the above the following priorities are set out for the period 2019 to 2021.
8T H E L O F T S T R AT E G I C P L A N 2 0 1 9 – 2 0 2 1
Strategy One
Designing and Delivering consistently high-impact programmes .
Feedback and external analysis on the content, approach and impact of all programs
offered will be the corner-stone of the work of the Loft over the next three years.
Quantitative and qualitative analysis will strengthen the capacity of the organisation
to both modify its work practices in the short term and to expand funding in the future;
The following actions will be undertaken.
a) Random sample questionnaires and interviews of clients during and after their inter-
action will be undertaken by an independent suitably skilled person to assess the
effectiveness of all programmes and services. This will commence by mid -2019 and
will be reported to the Board to inform programme modifications immediately and
funding negotiations to enable expansion for 2021 and beyond.
b) External Data analysis will be undertaken in relation to the number of service users;
presenting issues, age, gender, educational levels, local electoral area and previous
addiction service engagements so that The Loft can continue to develop services as
per vision and mission.
Strategy Two
Developing the range of services options;
The following actions will be undertaken.
a) A new long-term lease on the current premises will be negotiated by the end of
2019 or failing this a move into new premises with a minimum of a ten year option
will be achieved by the end of 2020.
b) Providing additional services through the formalizing of reciprocal arrangements
with other appropriate service providers outside the catchment area.
9T H E L O F T S T R AT E G I C P L A N 2 0 1 9 – 2 0 2 1
Strategy Three
Developing the Organisation (Governance)
1. The Constitution, the standing orders and the composition of the Board will be
reviewed during 2019 with a view to putting clearer terms of office and skills based
recruitment practices in place to create a board of 7-9 directors with at least two
positions being retained for individuals from outside the catchment area.
2. Members of the Board, other than the Chair, will be responsible for supporting the
staff in the implementation of each of the three stands of this Strategy and will
present a report to the Board at least three times per annum on progress. Where
deemed necessary, or appropriate, committee(s) will be established to support this
work. Each committee will be given clear terms of reference and will consist of
between 4 and 6 members including at least one Board member together with
non-board members who bring specific skills and experience from within and
outside the catchment area.
3. A communications plan/policy will be developed during 2020 to bring an aware-
ness of the organisations work to a wider audience of the local population. This
will include the presentation of annual audited figures and activity reports.
4. A Patron Programme will be put in place where the designated person of a range
of local organisations will agree to be named as Patrons on all relevant public
information produced by the organisation. Their role will be to promote the organ-
isation and its work with all of their contacts.
5. A priority option for use of funds will be to relieve the Team Leader of administration
duties and therefore relieve the administrator ( of general project work) who is
responsible for all matters relating to the building, finances, administration, external
reporting, and servicing the Board and committees. This could be a part time project
worker or CE scheme worker
10T H E L O F T S T R AT E G I C P L A N 2 0 1 9 – 2 0 2 1
6. The name Cabra Resource Centre will only be used as required in formal legal
documents so as to remove name confusion. A bye-line regarding service delivery
will be developed to better explain the nature of the organisations work.
7. Staff development opportunities will be put in place in the context of a Performance
Management Development Scheme.
8. Our volunteer policy and process will be reviewed and further developed to support
the recruitment of people to a variety of roles including individuals to provide spe-
cialist administrative and technical inputs, sit on committees and ultimately to
consider becoming members of the Board.
11T H E L O F T S T R AT E G I C P L A N 2 0 1 9 – 2 0 2 1
Partners & Stakeholders
Our Funders.
and our partners.
Cabra4Youth
Kinsella Mitchell and Associates (Auditors), The Cabra Community, Our Volunteers
Special Thanks to Senan Turnbull
THANK YOU!
12T H E L O F T S T R AT E G I C P L A N 2 0 1 9 – 2 0 2 1
13T H E L O F T S T R AT E G I C P L A N 2 0 1 9 – 2 0 2 1
The Loft (Local Outreach Family Therapies)
67 Dowth Avenue, Cabra Dublin 7.
Ph: 01 838 4377
M: 085 767 2169
Email: info@theloft.ie
Web: www.theloft.ie
Company Reg No 344352 Charity No 20101473
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