Northside Partnership has launched the Financial Capabilities for the Intellectual Disabilities Sector handbook.

The aim of the handbook is facilitate a process whereby people with intellectual
disabilities have the opportunity to build their financial literacy, knowledge and skills and
put these skills into practice in order to build their financial capabilities. Financial Capabilities
means ‘The combination of attitude, knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy needed to make
and exercise money management decisions that best fit the circumstances of one’s life,
within an enabling environment that includes, but is not limited to, access to appropriate financial services.’ (Lajoie, 2019).

The handbook has been developed by the Money Made Sense team at Northside Partnership, with support from JP Morgan, from its experience of working with organizations supporting adults and young adults with mild-to-moderate intellectual disabilities. There are currently limited resources available to support people with intellectual disabilities with their financial skills in Ireland. It is hoped that this workbook will assist organizations, parents and carers in supporting individuals in developing the building blocks for their financial independence.

The principles and policy informing the handbook include:

• Advantaged Thinking  (Falconer, Colin, 2011) which holds that all individuals have abilities in the form of talents, gifts and strengths; and that by identifying and investing in them we can promote personal growth and development and lever their potential for individual and societal good.
• Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act is a law that establishes a new legal framework for supported decision-making in Ireland. It allows people to make legal arrangements on how they can be supported to make decisions about their welfare property and affairs. It also presupposes the capacity and right of the individual to manage their own finances and spend their own money as they choose.

The handbook includes topics such as Cash Handling; Bills and Utilities; Budgeting; Managing Spending; Food Shopping; Everyday Banking; Digital Ways to Pay; Saving; Understanding My Payslip; Understanding Entitlements; and Scams and Staying Safe Online.

If you would like to find out how we can support you or your organisation, please contact Angela Shafer: angela.shafer@nspartnership.ie