Northside Partnership is pleased to introduce our Participant and Community Charter which is for the individuals and community groups that we work with. The Charter outlines:

• What we do
• What you can expect from us
• How you can communicate with us

We are committed to improving our service and we will review the Charter on an annual basis.

About Northside Partnership

Founded in 1992, Northside Partnership is a Local Development company, limited by guarantee with charitable status. Originally established to address long term unemployment in disadvantaged areas of North Dublin our primary remit has since expanded in recognition of the social, cultural and economic inequalities that contribute to poverty and social exclusion.

Governed by a voluntary Board, Northside Partnership implements a number of significant Government Contracts including the Local Employment Service (LES), Tús Community Work Placement Programme, the Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme (SICAP) and an Area Based Childhood (ABC) programme (Preparing for Life).

Northside Partnership works with an ethos of Partnership in collaboration with key stakeholders at local, regional and national level to address social exclusion.

Our programmes are shaped by the people who participate in them and we prioritise opportunities that help people gain access to:

• Education
• Training
• Employment
• Enterprise
• Health supports
• Family supports
• Youth programmes

Our Values

We provide integrated supports that are guided by the following values:

• We lead by example in promoting a culture of dignity and respect with a generosity of spirit
• Working in partnership, we deliver and advocate for quality services
• We are accountable to the individuals and communities we serve and our funders

Services

What Services does Northside Partnership Provide?

Northside Partnership provides a range of services and supports including:

• General information on training, education and employment options
• A personal career path planning service tailored to meet the needs of the individual
• Links to local state and voluntary services for specific training, education and job information
• One to one support to assist unemployed people in their search for suitable work
• Personal development and skills training for individuals
• Work placement opportunities for long term unemployed individuals
• A service for employers matching their recruitment needs with our job seeker participants who are known individually by local staff
• An aftercare support service to employers and successful job seekers
• Support in accessing further education and training grants
• Enterprise development supports for those seeking to establish their own business
• Supports to local community groups including governance and funding support
• Coordinating with local community groups for collective action

Our Service Commitments

We will:

• Offer a free, friendly and confidential service
• Listen to you and make every effort to understand and respond to your needs
• Treat you with courtesy and respect
• Be open, honest and helpful
• Be contactable by telephone, email, mail and in person
• Respond quickly to your requests for information
• Use plain English and present information in appropriate formats
• Inform you of your rights, responsibilities and entitlements
• Treat your complaints or feedback seriously

We will also:

• Admit our mistakes, learn from and rectify them
• Remain calm and objective when dealing with difficult situations
• Consult with our service users to provide a responsive and informed service
• Use fair, open and unbiased decision making processes
• Keep up to date information

Our Service Standards

If you telephone us, or contact us in person we will:

• Answer your enquiries promptly during normal business hours
• Respond promptly to your messages and requests for information

If the information is not readily available, we will get back to you within a reasonable amount of time. We will resolve your telephone or in person enquiries or concerns within five working days.

If you write, fax or email us we will:

• Reply to other written correspondence within fourteen working days
• In our reply, give you the name and contact details of a person who can give you further help.

Information

We will give you information that is easy to understand, reliable and helpful.

You can help us by:

• Treating our staff courteously
• Giving us accurate information
• Giving feed back on our services.

Rights and Responsibilities

Northside Partnership Service User Rights and Responsibilities

You have a right to:

• Access our service without discrimination
• Receive a service that meets your needs
• Be informed about available services and choose from available alternatives
• Expect that we will exercise a duty of care when providing information to assist you in making decisions and choices
• Be treated with respect, dignity and protection of your privacy
• Pursue a complaint about our service without fear of retribution

You have a responsibility to:

• Respect the worth and dignity of Northside Partnership staff and other users of our service
• Accept the results of decisions made by you as a result of information provided by the service

Northside Partnership Responsibilities

Northside Partnership has a responsibility to:

• Provide information in a manner that respects the individual service users needs and goals
• Advise service users of available options so that informed decisions can be made
• Provide information that will assist the service user to maintain their independence and dignity
• Respect the privacy and confidentiality of service users
• Deal with complaints about the service fairly, promptly and without retribution
• Take into account service users views when planning, managing and evaluating service provision
• Be responsive to diverse cultural, social and physical needs of service users and provide information in appropriate ways.

Feedback and Complaints

Service User Complaints Procedure

Service users have the right to complain and will be:

Made aware of their right to complain

Given assistance to understand the complaints procedure

Advised of the right to complain without the fear of retribution or a reduction in service

Advised their complaints will be dealt with promptly and within an agreed time frame

Complaints

We are committed to ensuring that complaints from participants are dealt with in a professional, trustworthy and confidential manner. Should you have a complaint with regard to Northside Partnership’s services and supports and would like to have the matter addressed please follow the complaints process as outlined below.

Complaints Process

Service users are encouraged to raise their complaints with the staff member involved in the first instance. If this is not possible or the outcome is not satisfactory the service user should use Northside Partnership’s complaints process as outlined below.

Online Form:     Send your complaint securely through the online feedback form which is available on our website https://northsidepartnership.ie/feedback

If you prefer, you can make your complaint:

In Person    Talk to any member of Northside Partnership staff, manager or complaints officer.

By Letter    Send a letter to

HR Manager,
Northside Partnership,
Coolock Development Centre,
Bunratty Drive,
Coolock,
Dublin 17

Ring us    Call our Complaints Officer on 01 848 5630

What information to include in your complaint

A written complaint should include:

• Your name, address, email and phone number
• Name (and/or role) of staff member involved
• An account of what happened

What will happen next?

• We will acknowledge a written complaint within 5 working days (if contact details are provided).
• A verbal complaint will be acknowledged as soon as possible by the relevant staff member.

How long will it take to review my complaint?

• The complaints officer will look into your complaint within 20 working days of the date when it was acknowledged.

What if I am not happy with the outcome of the review?

You will be advised in the response to your complaint of the process for requesting a review.

Service Feedback

Northside Partnership strives to provide you with an excellent service. Your feedback, including compliments, suggestions and complaints, provides a valuable source of information by which service delivery standards can be monitored and reviewed by the organisation.

Should you have a compliment, comment or suggestion, please give your feedback in the form below. This will be shared with relevant staff and their manager(s).

Feedback Process

Online Form:     Send your feedback securely through the online feedback form which is available on our website https://northsidepartnership.ie/feedback

If you prefer, you can give feedback:

In Person    Talk to any member of Northside Partnership staff, manager or Communications officer.

By Letter    Send a letter to

HR Manager
Northside Partnership,
Coolock Development Centre,
Bunratty Drive,
Coolock,
Dublin 17

Ring us    Call our HR Manager on 01 848 5630

Confidentiality and Data Protection

Service User Confidentiality

Northside Partnership provides a confidential service.

We will only give your information to another person when we have your oral and written agreement.

We will undertake to treat with confidentiality personal and sensitive information given by all service users.  However all service users are advised that the right of children to be protected from harm will override considerations of confidentiality in line with the Childcare Act, 1991 and Childcare Amendment Act 2015.

The Data Protection Act (2018) also protects your privacy.

Where do we keep your information?

We store your information securely on Northside Partnership’s protected database and in written form. If you are a Participant of one of the core government funded programmes delivered by Northside Partnership your information may also be stored on a separate database which we are required to use by our funders. This may include:

• Local Employment Services (Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection)
• Tús Community Work Placement Programme (Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection)
• Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (Department of Rural and Community Development)

This will be explained to you when you register with Northside Partnership and in completing the data consent form.

What do we do with your information?

We keep your information to help you:

• get employment
• get education and training opportunities
• get work placement opportunities
• with any social welfare rights queries

What happens when I am finished with the Northside Partnership?

Subject to the programme under which you received supports from Northside Partnership your information may be kept for a period of 5 to 10 years.

If you are a Participant of the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme your information will remain on a Department of Rural and Community Development data base. This information contains your name, address and details on how you benefited from the programme.

If you are a Participant of our Local Employment Services Your details will remain on the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection data base. This information contains your name, address, PPS number and your Social Welfare status, and case notes.

If you are a Participant of our Tús Community Work Placement Programme your details will remain on the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection Data Base managed by Pobal. This information contains your name, address, PPS number.

If you have any questions about your rights please ask any member of our reception team.