CEO getting to grips with the Partnership’s scale and range

THE scale and range of work that South Dublin County Partnership engages in, is something that new CEO Simon Monds is getting to grips with.

Monds took over from previous long-serving CEO Larry O’Neill a month ago but is still finding his bearings in a non-profit that is deeply embedded in community development, working with partner organisations in everything from poverty, to enterprise, to children and family supports.

He arrives from a service delivery background, having worked with Citizens Information Service and many years back with Tallaght Homeless Advice Unit, where he would have had some interaction with the Partnership via community advisory groups.

“But it is only when you come in and see the breadth and range of the organisation, that you have to get your head around the scope,” said Monds.

“Sometimes people know the service but don’t know it’s the Partnership [that provides it]. It’s like a complex web in the organisation, but it’s been a lot of fun.”

Monds was motivated to get involved in service delivery because of the “good” it does in communities, and although he has moved into senior management roles over the years, that essence is still part of his day-to-day work.

“I grew up in Lucan and have worked in Tallaght for over 20 years, so I know a huge amount of areas that need services.

“It is great to be able to be part of that and lead, which was part of the attraction in coming here and being involved in one of the key organisations in the South Dublin County region.”

The partnership employs over 100 people but also has a lot of volunteers who help out on many projects.

“Volunteer work depends on the service. Some are staff led such as healthy eating programmes which have to be because they are expertise-led.

“We are looking to identify and fill gaps where services don’t exist, and our role is to be what other services aren’t, and does it fit with our values. Everything we do has a positive impact and we want to see people flourish,” said Monds.

The Partnership is a separate entity to South Dublin County Council but works closely with it in a lot of areas.

“We have a really good relationship with SDCC and they are very supportive. Larry spent a lot of time building a relationship with the local authority. We do have different remits but a lot of work they can deliver is through us,” explained Monds.

Teaching good skills and working with Tus and CE schemes are also a “big part” of the Partnership’s support for other community organsiations.

Like his predecessor, Monds and the Partnership are particularly proud about two major projects they are involved with at the moment – Mayor Alan Edge’s Migration and Integration project and Connect 4.

“Connect 4 sits under the Drugs Task Force. The work they are doing is with young people who are not engaging with services. Street work, you kind of need permission to go into their space.”

Funding for the project is for two years, and as both Monds, and Grace Hill, coordinator Tallaght Drugs Taskforce Project said at this week’s JPC Policing meeting, the hope is that project will run nationwide.

Monds says the migration and integration work is “very important” in terms of separating “fact from fiction.”

“There was 8,500 new volunteers registered on the national database last year and 5,500 were non-Irish.”