Address: No. 7 Ashe Street, Tralee, Co. Kerry

Telephone Number: (066) 7180190

Fax Number: (066) 7129562

Web Site: www.partnershiptrali.com

Email: mail@partnershiptrali.com

Manager: Seamus O’ Hara

Contact Details: (066) 7180190

The Partnership is managed by a Board of Directors and delegates responsibility to four Sub-Committees who are responsible for assisting the delivery of different elements of development and inclusion work. These committees are:

Services to the Unemployed Supports
Community Development Supports
Community Based Youth Supports

The Officers responsible for each measure report to the Manager and the Sub-Committee. One member of the Sub-committee (normally the chairperson) convenes with the Board on a monthly basis.

Partnership Trá Lí works with individuals and communities who in a prosperous society, continue to experience disadvantage. The Partnership will empower people to identify and dismantle the barriers, which prevent them from participating fully and equally in the economic, social, cultural and political life.

Stimulating community, voluntary and statutory organisations to work together to solve problems

Influencing agencies to focus their policies and working practices more on people experiencing disadvantage, so improving their access to opportunities they are presently excluded from.

Helping local people to become involved in community life, so they can have a say in decisions made about their neighbourhood

Sharing the learning gained from successful schemes with other areas and government departments.

The role of Partnership Trá Lí is to support local communities to develop their strengths, to get local agencies to work together on behalf of local people and to influence government to use examples of successful approaches in forming their policies.

Community Development

To enhance the capacity of local communities to participate fully in local development and to counter social exclusion

Services for the Unemployed

To improve the prospects of the long-term unemployed and those most distanced from the labour market to access suitable, gainful and sustained employment through education/training, work experience, job placement, enterprise and the social economy.

Community Based Youth Initiative

Community Based Youth Initiatives are committed to preventing and addressing educational disadvantage and underachievement. It aims to provide support and progression routes for all young people wishing to engage in formal or non-formal education. It aims to provide a focus on Education & training from pre-school to third level. Within the initiative we support and enhance childcare provision by a variety of methods.

Tralee Local Employment Services Network

The aim of Tralee LES is to assist those distanced from the labour market by supporting clients to enter suitable employment by providing a confidential, professional and quality service.

Community Development

Deliver Information on Community Development
Provide Technical assistance in setting up and running a project or group
Offer ongoing support to community groups
Promote Community Development issues through discussion and negotiation
Financial assistance to support groups and projects
Networking and sharing information with other groups

Services to the Unemployed

Enterprise Development

Facilitate the Back To Work Enterprise Allowance Scheme
Offer Start up business advice and support
Organise and Coordinate business training and mentoring
Financial assistance to small business in the form of small grants

Community Enterprise

Promote the development of the social economy through advice and support to Community Organisations/Enterprises
Identify and source financial supports for Community & Voluntary Organisations
Develop a Low Income Farm Household Strategy in the area
Develop an Enterprise and Employers Forum

Adult Education & Training

Advice and information on funding for training programmes
Raising awareness and promoting various training courses and provide advice on grants or fee reduction schemes
Work with community/voluntary groups on assessing their training needs and planning and implementing suitable training.

Community Based Youth Initiatives

Target actions at young people still within the education system but who are identified as being at risk of early school leaving.
Promote a multi agency approach to combat educational disadvantage
Develop and support relevant network systems to work on behalf of agency and groups.
Promote equal access to participation in educational opportunities
Support and enhance childcare provision.

Childcare

Offer certified training to all in the childcare profession in conjunction with FÁS
Support applicants applying for funding under the Dept. Justice, Equality and Law Reform
Provide information and awareness at local level.
Support and facilitate the Tralee Childcare Network.

Local Development Social Inclusion Programme (1996-1999)

Partnership Trá Lí was established in 1996 to manage the Local Development Programme in the Greater Tralee Area under The Operational Programme for Local Urban and Rural Development (OPLURD)

Local Development Social Inclusion Programme (2000-2006)

In the transition phase between the Operational Programme for Local Urban and Rural Development (OPLURD) 1996-1999 and the Social Inclusion Programme 2000-2006, Partnership Trá Lí felt it timely to reflect on its progress and learning to date. In addition to the ongoing review of activities implemented as part of the 1996-1999 Area Action Plan, all key stakeholders in the Partnership process were included in a four-month process of Strategic Review. The overall aim was to identify areas of achievement to be built upon, as well as the community’s ideas for improvements. The Company consulted client groups and individuals, voluntary and community organisations, statutory agencies, Partnership staff and Sub-Committee members via questionnaires, interviews and focus groups.

It was recognised by Partnership staff that a Strategic Review exercise in itself constituted a community development process. The decision to include all key stakeholders was therefore based on the principle of inclusiveness that underpins the Local Development Programme and indeed any credible community development initiative.

The Strategic Review provided a valuable learning experience, producing outcomes which had important implications for both operational and strategic planning for the Company. The views expressed provided valuable messages to Partnership Trá Lí in its task of planning the content and strategy to be adopted in the 2000-2006 Programme

Tralee Local Employment Services (1999 to date)

The Tralee Local Employment Services Network (LESN) was established in 1999. The LESN is core funded by FÁS and is under the management of Partnership Trá Lí. It is seen as a crucial element of the dual-stranded National Employment Service, and is constantly improving the synergies between the two agencies.

LINKS Project (2001-2004)

A Community Education Programme for Disadvantaged women to encourage them to return to education, training employment and volunteering. The budget for this programme funded under the Equality For Women Measure (Dept. Justice Equality and Law Reform) was approximately €229,000.

Millennium Fund (2001 – to date)

Administration of the Millennium Fund for the Tralee Area. The Millennium Fund was established to provide educational grants to people from low-income families.

Tralee Refugee Support Service (2001 to date)

Tralee Refugee Support Service was set up by Partnership Trá Lí in 2001 to provide information advice and advocacy to Refugee and Asylum Seekers moving to Tralee.

Tralee Learning Together Network (2003 to date)

Involves 5 groups involved in after school study support in the Tralee area. TLTN meets monthly to provide support, information and collectively look at the issues relating to the provision to after school study support programmes. The network is co-ordinated by Partnership Trá Lí. Decisions are made unanimously at each meeting. Each member of the TLTN adheres to the management and decision making processes of their individual organisations. The network does not have a budget. Partnership Trá Lí covers the cost of facilitating the network. Each of the groups draws down funding on an individual basis. All financial transactions are cleared by the network and administrated by Partnership Trá Lí

Community Application of Information Technology Initiative

Partnership Trá Lí secured funding of over €100,000 to develop a Community Access to IT project within a RAPID area of Tralee.

Overseas Work Experience Programme for Community Employment Participants (2001)

In 2001 18 participants completed a 16-week training programme which included 8 weeks work experience in the USA. The programme managed by Partnership Trá Lí and funded by FAS resulted in 15 participants going into full or part-time employment

Innovative employment and enterprise Training initiatives

Partnership Trá Lí has developed a number of Enterprise Training Programmes for start up businesses

Drugs
The National Drugs Task Force Strategy funds a drugs and Substance Abuse in Partnership Trá Lí.

Social Inclusion Measures (SIMs) Working Group of the Kerry County Development Board

The purpose of the SIMs Working Group is to develop mutual support and engage in collaboration where appropriate for the benefit of those most marginalised in society.

The Group has evolved on a continuum of engagement, from information sharing through to collaborative projects involving high levels of co-ordination resulting in enhanced services for local communities being delivered

Kerry County Childcare Committee

Partnership Trá Lí is represented on the County Childcare Committee, and was crucial in the development phase of the Committee. Indeed the organisation was one of the first partnership companies to identify childcare as an issue crucial to inclusion and local development, and to put a childcare worker in place in 1998.

RAPID (Revitalising Areas By Planning Investment and Development)

Partnership Trá Lí is represented on the RAPID Area Implementation Team for the Tralee Area. Three Areas were designated disadvantage under RAPID II in 2002.

Partnership Trá Lí coordinated the Area Based Profile for the three areas and is currently providing development support to 1 of the Designated areas.

Through its Community Development and Community Enterprise Officer, Partnership Trá Lí provides ongoing support to all Community and Voluntary Organisations within the RAPID areas.

Shanakill Family Resource Centre and St. Brigid’s Community Centre are based within two RAPID Areas in Tralee

Rapid fund one Part-time staff member in our Community Development Team.

PLANET

Partnership Trá Lí is represented on the PLANET Network. PLANET is the network of 38 Partnership Companies in Ireland

Kerry Local Sports Partnership

Partnership Trá Lí is represented on the Board of the Kerry Local Sports Partnership

Kerry Community Transport Ltd.

Partnership Trá Lí Ltd. was a founding member of Kerry Community Transport Ltd.; a Rural Transport Company set up to deliver accessible transport throughout the County. The Company secured funding under the Rural Transport Initiative and has become a leading Community Transport Company in the Country.

Kerry Awareness of Re-usable Energy (KARE) – Funded under the ALTENER Programme

Partnership Trá Lí in conjunction with a number of other relevant organisations successfully participated in the European ALTENER Programme. The overall aim of the programme was to increase awareness of the importance and application of renewable energy sources in designated areas within the county.

Networking

Networking and working in Partnership with the local community, statutory and non-statutory agencies on the development of social inclusion and community development initiatives

1 Coordinator
5 Mediators
An Employer Liaison Officer
Outreach officer
3 Clerical / administration staff

3.5 Board of Directors

3.4 Executive Members

In order to achieve equality in its work, Partnership Trá Lí implements the following strategies:

Raising awareness and promoting attitudinal change to reduce intolerance on the nine grounds cited in the Employment Equality Act 1998: for example, by provision of equality training for staff, Board, Sub-committees and local community groups; engaging with mainstream service providers in terms of creating awareness and influencing the policy agenda to include equal opportunities as a core value.

Disseminating information, targeting and creating alternative progression options for people who are discriminated against: for example, bursaries to enable women experiencing economic disadvantage to access third level studies

Promoting the concept and practice of accessibility to services for people with disabilities: for example, by supporting the training of sign language interpreters.

From January 2003 Partnership Trá Lí has acted on behalf of 15 specific client groups. Although very different from each other in many ways, they are all disadvantaged in terms of their economic, social and/or environmental circumstances.

The 15 groups comprise:
Long-term unemployed people
People with Disabilities
One-parent families
Young people at risk
Disadvantaged women
Ethnic minorities
Travellers
Substance mis-users

Homeless people
Low income households
Asylum Seekers
Disadvantaged communities
Older people
Low income farm households
Ex-prisoners

SECTION 7. HOW THE COMPANY’S PERFORMANCE IS MEASURED

The Research & Evaluation Unit documents projected targets from each Measure at the beginning of each year. Unit staff then collect outcomes on a quarterly basis. These are submitted to ADM and are also used by the Company as a management tool.

Funding available to Partnership Trá Lí includes both direct and indirect funding. ‘Direct’ funding refers to funding secured as income by the Company from other organisations, having an impact on the implementation of the LDSIP plan. This direct funding passes through Company accounts. In contrast, ‘indirect’ funding refers to funding sourced for LDSIP-generated activity but which does not pass through Company accounts. Indirect funding is funding levered from other organisations based primarily on Partnership Trá Lí’s work and/or funding contributions.