Project Aims and Objectives

Mission Statement and Objectives

The SAOL project is a person-centred, community based programme for women in treatment for drug addiction. It aims to create positive meaningful change in the women’s lives through an integrated programme of education, rehabilitation, advocacy, childcare provision (with a focus on early childhood education), progression and aftercare supports. The project’s ethos is informed by respect for the dignity of each woman.

Participant Objectives

to provide a range of educational programmes, including FETAC accredited modules, to enhance participants' stability, self esteem, social and material prospects.
to enable women of the north inner city with drug misuse problems to access education and a range of other psycho/social supports to assist in their better integration into their communities and wider society.
to develop gender specific educational inputs that empower participants to address the personal, social and economic inequalities which impact on their daily lives.
to help reduce the risk behaviour associated with relapse to drug and alcohol instability, and to assist in reducing the harm caused by drug misuse to individuals, families and communities.
to encourage reducing dependency on drugs and alcohol and to support improving overall health and social well-being, while promoting the aim of leading a drug-free lifestyle.
to work towards meaningful and satisfying outcomes including personal, developmental, health and vocational gains.
to positively impact on any offending behaviours of participants, reduce re-offending and assist in reintegration into the community for those who have been in prison.
to develop participant centred, individualised Care Plans with set goals and targets.
to provide structured one-to-one support and advocacy service with the aim of addressing personal, family and structural barriers to progression.
to provide specific cocaine and crack cocaine interventions to assist participants, their families and the wider community to reduce and/or stop the use of these drugs.

Inter-agency Objectives

to develop strategic working relationships with relevant agencies on the participant’s behalf.
to promote the meaningful inclusion of participants in developing social, health and economic policies in the community.
to liaise with other agencies to facilitate progression routes for the participants.

Strategic Objectives

to support participants into decision making roles in their communities.
to create and maintain realistic and valid measures for evaluating outcomes in keeping with the projects ethos.
to actively engage in local and national fora to ensure the prioritisation of gender and equality issues which impact on women drug users.
to develop responses to the increasing prevalence of cocaine and crack cocaine use in the North Inner City of Dublin.
to maintain regular periodic reviews of the programme.

Childcare Objectives

to provide early childhood education to the participants' children.
to use a proactive partnership approach in developing a relationship with the whole family.
to centralise the child’s individuality, strengths, rights and needs in the provision of quality early childhood experiences.
to promote and maintain the physical environment of the Children’s Centre in order to maximise the child’s learning and development.
to respect diversity, and ensure that all children and families have their individual, personal, cultural and linguistic identity validated.
to promote equality and to respond to the individual needs and abilities of each child.
to form responsive, sensitive, consistent and reciprocal relationships between the childcare team and children.
to adhere to all relevant Irish and International early years legislation and guidelines.
to work towards achieving the NCNA All Ireland Centre of Excellence Award.

Aftercare Objectives

To provide a follow-on educational programme (including FETAC accredited modules) that will further enhance participants' stability, self-esteem, social and material prospects after they have taken part in initial treatment and recovery programmes.
To enable women of the north inner city in recovery from past and newer substances to access education and a range of other psycho/social supports to assist in their better integration into their communities and wider society.
To enable women of the north inner city in active poly-drug use and recovery from drug addiction to access education, training and employment.
To develop gender specific educational inputs that empower participants to address the personal, social and economic inequalities which impact on their daily lives.
To help reduce the risk behaviour associated with relapse to drug and alcohol instability, and to assist in reducing the harm caused by drug misuse to individuals, families and communities.
To encourage reducing dependency on drugs and alcohol and to support improving overall health and social well-being, while promoting the aim of leading a drug-free lifestyle.
To work towards meaningful and satisfying outcomes including personal, developmental, health and vocational gains.
To positively impact on any offending behaviours of participants, reduce re-offending and assist in reintegration into the community for those who have been in prison.
To develop participant centred, individualised 'AfterCare' Plans with achieveable goals and targets.
To provide structured one-to-one support and advocacy service with the aim of addressing personal, family and structural barriers to progression.
To provide specific cocaine and crack cocaine interventions to assist participants, their families and the wider community to reduce and/or stop the use of these drugs.