Streetline is a charity set up by James Halpin and Derek Shortall to provide care and support to children who cannot live at home and are deemed to be ‘At Risk’ by TULSA social workers. We enjoy a good relationship with Tulsa both in respect to direct work with the young people and service level arrangements.
Our Vision:
To provide a service where a young person can come into our care and leave with the healing and skills needed to become active members of society through healing, education, family work, social and life skills needed for adulthood.
Principles of Service:
Streetline is committed to working with TULSA, families, educationalists and other muti-disciplinary professionals to ensure that the time we have with the young people is focused to meeting their identified needs. The Peter McVerry Trust have continued to provide Streetline with on-going practical and professional support over the years as ‘Associate Members.’ In addition, Streetline is an active member of YPAR and community response to meeting the needs of young people at risk. Below are links to the two respective organisations mentioned.
YPAR
McVerry Trust
Our Board:
Streetline’s Board of Directors have a wide variety of skills and experience and are drawn from business, legal and not for profit sectors.
Management:
Governance:
Streetline is committed to developing and maintaining the highest standards of Corporate Governance. Read more about this on our Corporate Governance page.
Any Other Information:
If you are interested in any aspect of our work or would like to support our work in anyway, please contact Maeve Geraghty: maeve@streetline.ie or phone 01 8550367.
Staff:
The most important part of the organisation and its beating heart, is the staff that we have.We are very fortunate to have some of the best in the business and would be delighted to introduce them to you:
Manager
Maeve Geraghty has been the manager since 2000 and remains passionate in her approach to helping young people whom have had difficult beginnings. Three Streetline services form part of the Streetline Community ensuring both staff and residents feel they belong. Maeve has been working in child homelessness services for the past 30 years and has a passion for education – she wants to see every child educated to ensure better prospects for the young person and importunately, future families. She has worked in 1st and 2nd World settings in England and South Africa. Maeve’s interest lies particularly in primary & secondary trauma. She brings her knowledge and awareness of these subjects to her work with the staff here as well as the young people, their families and other professionals. Maeve respects the lads, their uniqueness and their individuality. She always has time for them and has a great sense of fun. She loves Streetline as a project which is a real part of its community.
Claire, Social Care Worker
Auntie Clare always has a smile on her face; she is a real ray of sunshine in the house. She worked with children all over the world including Romania and the US before coming home to her native Dublin. After working in various areas of Dublin including Ballymun, Tallaght and North William Street she settled in Streetline and has been here with us now for almost as long as Streetline has existed. What Clare loves about Streetline is the family-like atmosphere – as a relatively small unit where young people can live for up to eight years it’s possible for everyone to really get to know one another, to respect each other while still building treasured relationships. When Clare started in Streetline she noticed a lot of young people who had left at 18 were coming back. Sometimes they came back to visit and catch up, but sometimes they needed help navigating the adult world. There was a clear need for a new kind of project – an After Care project. One which would help young people aged 18 and over to establish their new, adult lives. Eight years ago the house next door became available and with a lot of help and hard work we were lucky enough to be able to turn it into a home for this project. Today the Streetline Aftercare Project is the only one of its kind in Ireland. Clare, as its manager, oversees the four young people as they go through various challenges as well as start college, undertake apprenticeships and begin employment – ensuring they have a steady foundation on which to build their futures.
Aoife, Social Care Worker
Aoife is our Galway girl, she's a true optimist and keeps us all in good spirits as well as being naturally gifted at her work. She has been with us since 2009, taking a 2 year sabbatical to travel which ended in 2015 and Aoife says that coming back to Streetline felt like returning home. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Social Studies and Social Care from ITB Blanchardstown. Before coming to Streetline Aoife worked with another residential unit caring for teenage boys. Aoife feels Streetline is special because the team is more than just a staff, they are individual characters who are very much real with the lads and who bring their personality into the work they do.
Paul, Social Care Worker
It was while volunteering with the East Wall Water Sports Project that Paul heard of an opportunity with Streetline. Since his youth Paul has been involved in East Wall which has encouraged thousands of young people across Dublin to become active in water sports. On the project’s behalf Paul received a Lord Mayor’s Award for their admirable work. In addition to this Paul received an Honorary Fellowship from the National University of Ireland recognising his commitment to voluntary work. Paul has been with us now since 2000 and is the backbone of our team. While continuing to volunteer with East Wall Paul also leads The Boroimhe Project, a collection of musicians and singers from across Ireland who came together through a shared love of music and history. Paul brings these outside interests to his work with Streetline and builds bonds with the young people through them. Holding a degree in Social Care from DIT, Paul acknowledges Streetline for enabling the team to bring their individual strengths to their work. In addition he appreciates that the team is full of people from different disciplines.
Kate, Social Care Worker
Kate is a positive force in the house, she is a strong role model for the lads. After completing her Social Care degree in Sligo IT Kate worked for 9 years in Dublin residential units. Kate started with Streetline as part of the relief team in 2012 and soon joined us as a full-time member of staff. Kate has a great sense of adventure and enjoys doing activities with the lads. She loves that you can be yourself in Streetline and have a genuine relationship with the lads. Kate also appreciates the homely feel of the house and that although we may be one of the poorest projects the quality of the work put in by the staff goes above and beyond.
Mick, Social Worker
You won’t find anyone more reliable than Mick, he’s solid as a rock. Another long-time member of Streetline, Mick started working here a few years into Streetline’s existence. He realised his passion while volunteering in a summer camp in the US for children with physical and mental disabilities. He entered the residential field while still in the US and then continued when he came home to Ireland, working in Drogheda and Clontarf before settling in Streetline. Mick appreciates the non-hierarchical structure of Streetline; everyone’s input and opinion is valued and encouraged. In addition, Mick says that being a small unit means the lads get more attention and focus on their individual needs. The lads are included in lots of decisions and it promotes a feeling of respect and compromise in the house.
Louise or “Granny”, Social Care Worker
Louise has been 20 years in the field working all over Dublin and with Streetline since the year 2000. As well as her strong residential experience she draws on her own natural strengths and life-experience to bring a real mother’s touch to the house. In fact she has earned the nickname “Granny” here from the boys; just like a real grandmother she takes care of all of us - boys and staff alike - while making sure we behave ourselves. Granny says it’s the young people who make Streetline special, they work together with each other and the staff to achieve their goals. What’s more, they never really leave, as they move on in life they come back to visit with their partners and families of their own.
Jana, Social Care Worker
Jana is a whirlwind of activity in the house, she keeps us all organised and on top of everything. Originally from Germany, Jana has been happily living in Ireland for 10 years now. From a young age Jana worked with children as a babysitter, in summer camps and then as a licensed sports coach. When she came to Ireland first she worked as an au pair but wanted an even bigger challenge. Jana obtained a degree in Social Care from DIT and a Masters in Therapeutic Child Care from Carlow College and has been working in the field since 2007. Jana feels that at Streetline everyone is accepted and appreciated for who they are, differences are valued as essential to being an individual and the team have a strong bond and a "never-give-up" attitude.
Phil – Social Care Worker
Phil has been part of the team for seven years; he began his journey in social care by completing a Fetac Level 5 course in Drogheda. Part of this was to work in an organisation for two weeks work experience in which he chose Streetline. From there he continued to do voluntary and relief work with Streetline and continued with his journey of social care by completing a degree in social care in Dundalk IT. During that time through college Phil fulfilled his college work placements with an organisation in Navan for families needing supports and a High Support Unit for teenagers, while continuing to be part of the Streetline family. After graduating in 2012 Phil has become a full time member of the staff team. Phil has a deep understanding of the diverse nature of the young people he works with and the intrinsic role he has to play within Streetline. Phil is also a bit of a book worm so at present he is back in college (DIT) on a part time basis completing his honours degree.
Eddie – Social Care Worker
Throughout his life Eddie has always volunteered in his home town of Dundalk, the importance of helping others was instilled in him in childhood. While running his own business in Dundalk he travelled back and forth to Romania for over 6 years, visiting orphanages in extreme poverty in order to supply them with desperately needed facilities. When the economic downturn came Eddie’s experiences abroad motivated him to leave the business world behind. He obtained his degree in Social Care Dundalk IT and gained a range of experience, working in a high support unit, a juvenile detention centre, and an order for young people with challenging behaviour and a high-support secure unit. This along with years of volunteering with the homeless, those with addiction difficulties under the addiction counsellor Sister Kathrain in Navan and his aid-work overseas makes Eddie a valued member of our team. He continues to improve his skill-set - currently undertaking training in Drug & Alcohol Addiction Counselling in UCD. Eddie has been with us since 2013 and loves the small size of the unit as it gives our house a real feeling of community. After seeing people struggle with homelessness Eddie also is very appreciative of our AfterCare unit, something he would like to see replicated throughout the country.