HSE Donegal Disability Services host Safeguarding Awareness Event

13 November 2023

HSE Media Release

Community Healthcare Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan, Sligo

HSE Donegal Disability Services host Safeguarding Awareness Event

Donegal Disability Services held a safeguarding awareness event in the Raddison Blu Hotel in Letterkenny on Friday last, 10 November 2023.

The event was run to mark national Adult Safeguarding Day. An initiative of Safeguarding Ireland, supported by the HSE, the aims of the national Adult Safeguarding Day are to raise a greater understanding of adult abuse and safeguarding and empower people to protect themselves. These aims were reflected at the Donegal Disability Services event and provided adults with an intellectual disability the opportunity to speak with other services, to get advice or be signposted to other relevant services.

The event was an interagency initiative organised by Donegal Disability Services and attended by staff, including social workers, from Disability Services, the Adult Safeguarding & Protection Team, an Garda Síochana, Department of Social Protection, Cara House, Donegal Domestic Violence Service and the Credit Union.

Head of Service for Disability Services in the Community Healthcare area, Edel Quinn, noted that she was pleased to support the safeguarding awareness event and thanked staff for organising this event. Ms Quinn stated “Safeguarding means putting measures in place to uphold our rights, to support our health and wellbeing, to reduce our risk of harm and to empower us to protect ourselves. This can be challenging for any adult but when an adult has vulnerabilities, safeguarding often involves the adults, their families, services and professionals all working together to prevent and respond to adult abuse, neglect or coercive control.”

The Donegal Disability Services safeguarding awareness event was a great success with over 200 people in attendance including adults with disabilities, their families, staff from other services and members of the public attending on the day. The feedback from attendees and services was positive and it was noted that the event was an example of the importance of promoting the rights of the individual.

Donegal Disability Services would like to thank anyone who attended for supporting the event and promoting the safeguarding and protection of vulnerable adults.

Anyone with concerns regarding adult abuse and who wants further information on safeguarding can visit the Safeguarding Ireland website on www.safeguardingireland.com