Meet with staff from Focus Ireland to find out more about their Graduate Programme
This is a paid Graduate Programme although referred to as Community Service Volunteers
Open to: Final Year Students & Recent Graduates
Disciplines Required: Social Science/Psychology/Sociology/Youth & Community Work
Focus Ireland aims to advance the right of people who are homeless to live in a place they can call home, through quality services, research and advocacy.
Focus Ireland operates a graduate recruitment programme, known internally as "The Community Service Volunteer Programme". This programme offers opportunities to college graduates to develop their skills and expertise in the area of social and community work. The programme has been in operation for over 20 years and entails the following:
· 12 months full time experience as a team member in one of the participating projects in Dublin, Limerick,
Cork, Waterford or Sligo developing skills & expertise in the area of social and community work, aiding
access to the Masters in Social Work.
· Participation in a well-established, unique and innovative model of practice enabling participants to
contribute skills in a structured, supervised & supported way for the benefit of disadvantaged and
marginalized people including people out of home or at risk of becoming homeless. The extent of the
commitment, involvement and responsibility that CSVs have exceeds that of an ordinary volunteer.
· Living allowance of €12,500 per annum
· Full access to professional supervision and support from allocated CSV supervisor
· Full access to Employee Assistance Programme
· Same policy entitlements as employees
· Many seminars and work groups organized throughout the year – talks from internal & external experts
· Bespoke training programme to include courses in: Child Protection, First Aid, Therapeutic Crisis
Intervention, Understanding Addiction, Parents Plus, Losses in Life & Bereavement, Mental Health, Stress
Management, Motivational Interviewing, LGBT Homelessness and Traveller Culture.
· Site visits arranged to other services that Focus Ireland would liaise with such as prisons and drug
treatment centres.
The CSV programme runs from September to August every year and we offer places to 15 graduates. Focus Ireland is an equal opportunities employer and volunteer involving organization.
The closing date for applications for the 2017/2018 programme is 24th February 2015.
Applications can be sent to HR Volunteer Co-coordinator, Focus Ireland, 9–12 High Street, Dublin 8 or email to [email protected]