Our clients range from people with a mild/moderate disability to those with profound disabilities.

SHS is an adult service; therefore, all our clients are aged 18 and over.

Yes, SHS provides respite in three locations - Bray, Shankill and Arklow. The length of stay varies from a usual stay of a few days, up to one week at a time.

Yes, clients can apply to transfer within an SHS service or to another external disability service. This is handled through SHS’s Referrals Committee.

SHS does offer residential services throughout Wicklow.

SHS does provide a range of day services throughout County Wicklow.

SHS is obliged under the RSSMAC (Residential Support Services Maintenance and Accommodation Contributions) rules to charge clients in residential and respite care.

SHS is committed to providing a quality service for those supported within our services, their families, guardians and advocates. SHS’s Complaints Policy was developed in line with the Health Service Executive (HSE) National Healthcare Charter ‘Your Service, Your Say’ to meet SHS’s responsibilities of ensuring that people who use the service, their families, and members of the public are aware of their right to make a complaint and their rights throughout the complaint process. Complaints can be made: • In person; • By telephone; • By letter; • By email; • By making a video recording; • By making a voice recording. In line with our policy, in most instances, complaints are managed by the Client Services Manager (CSM) in charge of your family member’s service. However, in certain circumstances, it may be necessary to bring a complaint to the Senior Service Manager in that area. SHS operates a ‘No wrong door’ approach to complaints management. This means that a complaint can be disclosed to any SHS staff member the complainant chooses to make their complaint to. All SHS staff are trained to receive, report and respond to complaints when they are disclosed.

Each location/centre has a Client Services Manager (CSM). They would be happy to meet with you to discuss any questions you may have around your family member’s service. Should you not be able to find the answer to a query at this level, the matter can be escalated to the Senior Services Manager (SSM) for the area.

Yes, the Client Services Manager (CSM) of the centre/ location can arrange for yourself and your family member/ advocate to visit at a date/time of your convenience. Most of our houses are shared with other clients, and their privacy needs must be respected when arranging visits.

All HIQA reports for residential and respite centres are uploaded to the internet and are freely available on the HIQA website: https://www.hiqa.ie/reports-andpublications/ inspection-reports. Simply type in the name of respite or residential centre into the ‘Search by Keywords’ section and the latest reports will be shown.

All donations are gratefully received. There is a ‘Donate’ button on our website, www.sunbeam.ie, through which a person can make a donation. For anyone wishing to fundraise, please contact SHS’s Chief Executive Officer to receive permission and advice. Any donations, or monies received from fundraising, are utilised for special projects which are not covered by HSE funding.

SHS always needs general volunteers, and in addition there are a number of committees that family members take part in such as our Quality Assurance Risk and Safety (QARS) Committee. Those interested in volunteering can email the Volunteer Coordinator in SHS at volunteers@ sunbeam.ie. There are volunteer family members on the Board of Directors. Applications for Board membership should be submitted directly to the Board of Directors at bodshs@sunbeam.ie. All volunteers in SHS will be Garda vetted, trained and reference-checked.