Brendan Cummins, Deputy CEO Familibase, Fiona Kearney Braiden CEO Familibase, Caitlin Cruise, AsIAm Training and Accreditation Manager
Familbase scoop third award of year
Ballyfermot non-profit organisation Familibase scooped up a third award of the year as they were given accreditation as an autism friendly service – the first youth work service in Ireland to achieve this.
The accreditation was awarded to the Ballyfermot centre for children, families and young people by autism charity AsIAm on Saturday.
The latest award comes only days after Familibase members were the recipients of the Child and Youth Participation Award – one of eight groups to receive the award hosted by Tusla.
Let’s Get Ballyer Talking at Familibase received a BelongTo Rainbow award for their work as an over 18s LGBTQ+ group.
Familibase CEO Fiona Kearney Braiden described how the team achieved the distinction of being marked as an autism-friendly service.
The CEO said: “They have an accreditation process that you have to go through. It’s pretty detailed – you have to take on a lot of feedback, make a lot of changes and that can be your lighting, your furniture, your space. It can be the design of your building…
“…Not just specifically to have an autism group, which we do, but we know lots of young people with autism and parents with autism and children with autism.
“They’re just coming into our centre every day and sometimes we don’t know if there’s a diagnosis…so, look, we made the changes, took on the recommendations of AsIAm and we got the accreditation.”
The autism-friendly accreditation is valid for a year and Kearney Braiden noted that it is an “ongoing process” that must be kept on top of to continue to have that status.
Three days earlier, Familibase members received a Child and Youth Participation Award from Tusla for their work as a youth service.
The award was given to participants of the Young Person Support Programme after their work to improve the programme’s slate.
Members of Familbase after receive the award
Improvements included the lengthening of the programme as well as the introduction of off-site activities such as ice skating.
The award is based off of Lundy’s Model of Participation, which highlights space, voice, audience and influence as factors that can help young people express themselves.
“Familibase is really about that, in terms of everything we do, listening to young people…the [members of the] young person support programme basically gave us a number of ideas on how to improve that programme…
“…Since then, they have got a much longer programme, a programme of multiple activities and much more voice.”
The CEO commended the staff at Familibase for going the extra mile this year as more and more work comes their way.
Kearney Braiden even made it to Leinster House in October to discuss Recovery Month from their vantage point and the importance of looking after children affected by drug-related issues.
“People can go into recovery, and that’s brilliant, but sometimes people don’t, and then children still need support.”
The Familibase head emphasised that the Ballyfermot centre is for everyone, no matter the background.
All members of the local community are welcome at the local centre, with the awards won throughout 2025 underlining the importance of Familibase for many in the area.
“This centre is for everybody and everybody in the community, because the community is so diverse.”
