Call to protect “whistle blowers” in the Health, Social and Homeless Services

To protect all vulnerable people including children, the elderly and people who are homeless, we must protect whistle blowers. Must end dehumanizing management culture in Health, Social and Homeless Services also being pressed on voluntary sector.
Alice Leahy, Director & Co-Founder, TRUST
(Addressing special event to mark 800th Anniversary of Founding of the Franciscans)

Alice Leahy, Director and Co-Founder of TRUST, has called for new legislation to protect whistleblowers, and under lined the urgency of creating a culture where speaking out is the responsibility of everyone in the health, homeless and social services. All vulnerable people, including children, the elderly and people who are homeless are in danger of institutional abuse unless action is taken to introduce human rights based management approaches in all areas in the state and voluntary sectors, Alice Leahy said, reminding her audience that for evil to triumph it only requires good people to remain silent.

We must not see human rights as legalistic concepts but a very practical way of ensuring that everyone is treated with dignity and respect, Alice Leahy said, emphasizing that if we want to change the nature of society we are going to have to stand up for peoples’ rights in our communities, work places and in all areas of society. “If we see everyone as unique and entitled as of right to be treated with dignity and respect we would change the nature of society overnight. Therefore, when we talk about human rights based management approaches these are simply ways of gauranteeing that those responsible for running services ensure that everyone, especially the most vulnerable, are treated with dignity and respect. And if we want a different kind of Ireland we have to protest when we witness any person’s rights being violated.”

Describing her own experience in working with people who are homeless, Alice Leahy said that anytime she sought to expose problems on behalf of people who could not speak up for themselves she was seen as the problem. “In Ireland the management culture works assiduously against the ‘whistle blower’ to ensure that anyone who speaks out knows that will be fatal in career terms. All the more reason that we must pass strong legislation to protect and support those with the courage to act,” she said.

The only protection against child abuse, and to avoid a repetition of the brutal crimes against children as exposed so comprehensibly in the recent Ryan Report, is to encourage a culture where speaking out against breeches of basic rights is not only actively encouraged, but seen as a primary responsibility for everyone, which is not the case today, ALICE LEAHY said.

Addressing a special event at the Franciscan Abbey in Multyfarnham to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the founding of the Franciscan Order, Alice Leahy went on: “We must end the culture in the management of the health, social and homeless services which appears to suggest that the institutions exist to serve those who manage them rather than the people they are supposed to serve. Worst still, and the reason for real concern, is the fact that the same kind of performance indicators and benchmarks, more suitable for a manufacturing environment that have helped to make the services so unfriendly, especially towards the vulnerable, are now being imposed on the voluntary sector that accept state funds. We must stop this dehumanizing management culture before it is too late. And there is only one way that a real culture of caring can be adopted, and that is by adopting human rights based management approaches which must be made mandatory in all sections of the state and voluntary services.”

Human rights should be of concern to everyone, Alice Leahy said and deplored the way in which these concerns have been allowed to become almost elitist and something only lawyers are supposed to comment about. In that sense, we have all failed she said, and accepted that as a member of the Irish Human Rights Commission a lot of work has to be done if it wanted to be taken seriously as a real force in protecting and advancing rights in Ireland, especially of the most vulnerable.

Alice Leahy Director of TRUST first to scoop overall National Health Literacy Award

Alice Leahy, Director and Co-Founder of TRUST, the first overall winner of theCrystal Clear MSD Health Literacy Awards 2009 with the other award winners at the presentation ceremony in Dublin.

Healthcare professionals acknowledged for their efforts to address health literacy problems

Press Release issued by Crystal Clear MSD Health Literacy Awards 2009

Dublin, Monday 20th April 2009: Alice Leahy, Director of TRUST, was the first ‘Overall Winner’ at the Crystal Clear MSD Health Literacy Awards 2009 today for her life’s work in combating social exclusion and providing medical related services for people who are homeless. Alice, who was appointed to the Irish Human Rights Commission in 2006, was awarded at a ceremony in Dublin. Six other organisations were also recognised for their efforts to communicate clearly with the public. Alice won the prestigious overall award for her impressive work with the charity TRUST, a non-judgmental, befriending, social and health service for people who are homeless, which she co-founded in 1975.

“Alice’s work embodies the ethos of health literacy,” said Dr. Gerardine Doyle, UCD Business Schools and chairperson of the Crystal Clear Awards judging panel. “She empowers those who are sleeping on the streets of Dublin, who have varying literacy levels, to access the services they need. The judges felt her willingness to communicate in non-conventional ways through personal contact, paintings, poems, uplifting magazines and books is inspirational and we honour her for her ongoing dedication to a person-centred model of care.”

The Crystal Clear Awards are part of the MSD/NALA Health Literacy Initiative, which is a collaborative project between the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) and Merck Sharp & Dohme Ireland (Human Health) Ltd. Over 135 entries were received this year, each one focusing on health literacy, which is a person’s ability to make sound health decisions in the context of everyday life.

Ms. Inez Bailey, Director of the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA), said:

“Every patient has the right to basic health information that is easy to access and understand. All the projects shortlisted for the Crystal Clear Awards should be commended for taking a patient-focused approach to communicating health matters. With over 1 in 4 Irish adults affected in some way by literacy difficulties, it is crucial that healthcare professionals communicate more clearly with their patients in order to help them to effectively manage their own health.”

Commenting at the awards lunch on behalf of the awards sponsor Dr. Neil Boyle, Managing Director, Merck Sharp & Dohme Ireland (Human Health) Ltd. said:

“Following on from the success of the first Crystal Clear Awards last year, we’re delighted to see an increase in the number of entries this year. We feel the response reflects the growing awareness among healthcare professionals of the need to think about health literacy when communicating with patients on matters concerning their health. We hope that the MSD/NALA health literacy campaign will help lead to better informed and more empowered patients.”

Some of the awards in various categories included: St. Mary’s Hospital for the ‘Lifestory Project,’ designed to help those who find it difficult to communicate due to depression or dementia, Ana Liffey Drug Project for the ‘Duck, Dive and Survive’ series of information leaflets, The Women’s Health Council for the booklet ‘Menopause: A Guide,’ St Michael’s House for the ‘Live and Let Die’ Bereavement and Loss Programme, the Irish Society for Quality and Safety in Healthcare for the ‘Let’s Talk Medication Safety’ educational booklet and the HSE Health Promotion Service for their ‘3-Week Menu Plan’ for pre-school services.

For further information on the MSD/NALA Health Literacy Initiative or the Crystal Clear MSD Health Literacy Awards log onto www.healthliteracy.ie

Nomination Speech by Dr Maurice Guéret, Chairperson of TRUST, for Alice Leahy at Crystal Clear MSD Health Literacy Awards

Delivered by Dr Maurice Guéret, Chairperson of TRUST at the Crystal Clear Health Literacy Awards at Presentation Ceremony in Dublin on Monday, April 20, 2009.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to stand before you today and nominate for a Health Literacy Award, a person whose work I have known and admired for many years.

Alice Leahy trained as a nurse at the old Baggot Street Hospital and she was instrumental in setting up the first Intensive Care Unit at that hospital.

As Alice nursed those with serious illness, she also found time to pursue voluntary work for the less fortunate in Dublin.

In the mid-1970s, she co-founded a remarkable organisation called Trust, which for the last four decades has provided companionship and care for the outsiders in our community – those who have lost their homes, their loved ones, their sanity, their freedom and often their human dignity.

In short, Trust provides a different sort of intensive care – intensive care to those in our society who need it most.

Alice’s working week is quite extraordinary. There is tea and warmth for all visitors to Trust. There are dressings to be done. Feet to be bathed. Clothes to be mended. Illnesses to be healed. Entitlements to be arranged. There are letters to be written. There are voices to be heard.

Alice attends funerals where the numbers present would hardly fill one pew. She visits hospitals and prisons chatting to those for whom visitors are few. Alice’s life is a constant battle for the human rights and needs of the most vulnerable in our society.

Alice listens, she provokes and she inspires so many people who come into contact with her.

I nominated Alice Leahy for this award for a remarkable book she published last year with Trust and their friends.

It is called ‘Wasting Time With People’

One chapter was written by Ronald, a friend of Alice who lives in a public park in Dublin. I will quote the final paragraph of Ronald’s piece.

“I wander the canal and watch the world go by. Some of my friends will be there, and the people I know going to work or walking their dogs will stop and have a chat. People are very good. I suppose I am not like normal people. I just love out, that’s my life. I hope it doesn’t rain. Someone robbed my umbrella.”

Alice and her small team at Trust have spent 35 years of their time with people like Ronald. They provide an umbrella like no other.

We are so proud of you Alice.

Thank you.