CARL Research Reports 2024
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Item ‘Wounded Healers’: a collaborative exploration of trauma exposure with the Kerry Travellers Health and Community Development Project(Community-Academic Research Links, University College Cork, 2024) Quilligan , Anne Marie; Kelleher, Sara; Civil Society OrganizationThis study, conducted in collaboration with the Kerry Travellers Health Community Development Project (KTHCDP), explores the trauma exposure among Irish Traveller staff within their professional roles, focusing on its impact on their personal and professional lives. Employing a phenomenological approach through Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR), the research involved conducting six semi-structured interviews to gather in-depth insights. The findings reveal significant exposure to both primary and secondary trauma among the participants, characterised by direct interactions with distressed individuals and emotional burdens from community-based crises, notably including high incidences of suicide. The study highlights a complex interplay of resilience and vicarious trauma within the community, illustrating how personal experiences with trauma influence professional engagements and advocacy efforts. The results underscore the need for tailored support systems for Traveller staff, emphasising professional recognition and the integration of trauma-informed care. Recommendations for enhancing organisational support and developing targeted interventions to mitigate the impact of trauma exposure are discussed, aiming to contribute to better mental health outcomes and sustained advocacy efforts within the Traveller community.Item What impact can living in a family hub as a form of emergency accommodation have on children; a primary research study, from a professional’s perspective(Community-Academic Research Links, University College Cork, 2024) McCarthy, Roisin; Mintern, Brigette; Civil Society OrganizationChild and family homelessness is a growing social issue in Ireland. The reality is that over four thousand children live in emergency accommodation, and this number continues to grow year on year. Family hubs were opened as a form of supported temporary accommodation to help address the needs of homeless families. This research was part of a Community-Academic Research Links (CARL) initiative, which was carried out in collaboration with Good Shepherd Cork. This organisation is a voluntary organisation that has provided accommodation and support to vulnerable women and children for 50 years. The collaborative research examined if living in a family hub impacts a child's day-today life and the support provided by staff to mitigate these effects. This was achieved by conducting six semi-structured interviews with staff working for Good Shepherd Cork’s family hub. The staff identified issues such as stigma, shame, loss, isolation and the lack of privacy as some of the problems experienced by the children. The staff expressed how they support children overcome the experience and discussed the child-centred and child-led approach they use when working with the children residing in the family hub. Recommendations were identified from the findings and analysis. There were both government and policy-level recommendations, as well as service level recommendations. The study concludes by stating that a home is a fundamental human need and can give a person both physical security and can contribute towards psychological well-being. More action is needed to meet the needs of homeless children in Ireland.Item Professional perspectives on women "doing well" in addiction recovery(Community-Academic Research Links, University College Cork, 2024) Harnett, Sarah; Mintern, Brigette; Civil Society OrganizationThis study is a primary research project undertaken alongside Coolmine Therapeutic Community. This project is a (CARL) Community Academic Research Links project at University College Cork. This project aimed to obtain the opinions of Coolmine professionals regarding how to help women “do well” and succeed in recovering from substance addiction. The focus of this research is to understand what resources in recovery enable women to “do well”, and opposing this what barriers prevent them from achieving this. Data for this study was collected using semi-structured, one-to-one interviews with the Coolmine staff. Seven Coolmine key workers were interviewed. Following this, the data obtained was examined using a thematic analysis. Predominant themes explored within this research were Motherhood and childcare, Abstinent and Non- Abstinent recovery, Emotional Regulation in Addiction recovery and finding purpose in recovery. Key findings were: the need for women in recovery to have access to childcare provisions, the importance of supporting women with their recovery and the comorbidity of issues they may be experiencing and the importance of community and purpose in “doing well” in recovery. Understanding how to support women through or within substance addiction is necessary.Item An exploration of the Wellsprings Residential Service - an evaluation of the residential staff approach towards helping young women(Community-Academic Research Links, University College Cork, 2024) Lyng , Cian; Daniels, Maria; Civil Society OrganizationThis study explores the Wellsprings residential service and its staff approach towards service delivery. Wellsprings is a charity organisation based in the heart of Cork city. Wellsprings consists of two services; a residential service and an outreach service. Wellsprings supports young women between the ages of 16-23 by providing short to medium term placements through its residential service, and offers outreach support to all the young women who come into its service. One previous research study (Morrissey, 2022) has been completed on the Wellsprings Outreach service, however there still remains a dearth of research on other areas of Wellsprings, such as the residential service. This study aims to explore the Wellsprings residential service and examine the staff approach towards helping the young women within Wellsprings. A social constructionist epistemological position was incorporated in the study, along with an ethics of care (Noddings, 1984) viewpoint to provide a theoretical lens to examine the research findings. This dissertation was completed as part of the UCC Community-Academic Research Links Initiative (CARL). Primary qualitative research was conducted in this research through one focus group containing members of the residential social care staff team and an interview consisting of a member of the Wellsprings residential management team. The common themes identified from the focus group include; Wellsprings Ethos and staff impact, Therapeutic Support, Relationships. Themes identified from the interview include; Wellsprings Ethos, Staff Culture, Care Environment and Location.Item An exploration into the educational experience of children with autism spectrum disorder in mainstream schools in Ireland from a parent's perspective(Community-Academic Research Links, University College Cork, 2024) Doyle, Áine Jane; Kelleher, Sara; Civil Society OrganizationThis primary research project was carried out in collaboration with the Rainbow Club Cork Centre for Autism and the CARL project initiative in UCC. The research investigated the experiences of autistic students in mainstream primary and secondary schools, drawing on the parents' perspective. Qualitative research was used in the form of individual semi-structured interviews, of which six participants were interviewed. Participants had to be parents of an autistic child or young person who is or has in the past attended a mainstream primary or secondary school and is a service user of the Rainbow Club Cork Centre for Autism. An epistemological approach of social constructivism was used to gain an understanding of the lived experiences of participants. Following the six interviews, thematic analysis was used to identify five key themes within the data set, which are as follows; The effects of mainstream school attendance on autistic students’ mental health, Difficulty in making friends in mainstream school, Bullying and Social Exclusion, Difficulty accessing alternatives to mainstream school and Importance of a flexible approach in schools. The research findings highlight the overwhelming challenges and difficulties that autistic students face attending mainstream schools. Particular difficulties involving mental health, bullying, and making friends were highlighted by almost all participants.