The Supporting People project is funded by the Birmingham City Council's Supporting People initiative. It offers vulnerable people the opportunity to improve the quality of life by providing positive services, which enable them to have greater independence and control in making choices within their lives.

The purpose of this project is to enable people to remain, regain or retain independence and to be supported by frequent intensive visits by a named Support worker. This is designed to rebuild or develop living skills, confidence, dexterity, contacts, and self-esteem. As part of the project we also provide Pastoral Support to help with spiritual support and maybe forming new links with a person's beliefs or local Church.

Irish Welfare aims to provide a Culturally Sensitive service to the Irish community by offering them help to become independent and fully integrated into the community of Birmingham. The supporting people project have the capacity to deal with 50 clients at any one time, with a long waiting list of clients who are in need of the service we provide.

Many clients are living in very poor accommodation, mainly bedsits in the inner city areas where they feel very isolated and vulnerable and it's a daily struggle to maintain a standard of living and in turn maintaining their tenancy's. Some of these people will have been living in the same property for 30 years or more.

These people will in the main been overlooked by society and struggle to survive. It is not uncommon for new clients to the project to have never seen a doctor, dentist or in the extreme other people for many years. Many are living day to day unaware of the services available to them and the financial benefits they may be entitled to.

The Supporting people project employ's staff that can specifically engage with these people and also have an in depth understanding of the problems and issues facing Irish people living in Birmingham. The outreach workers are skilled and trained to develop a relationship built on trust and compassion.

If you think you or someone you know could benefit from this service please do not hesitate to contact the team.