Welcome to Kaleidoscope - Guiding Family Carers Back to Paid Employment

Supported by Pobal and the Department of Social Protection, the course was managed remotely by a Project Coordinator, Lisa Dunne. 

Cohort 1 ran from May to July 2021, Cohort 2 from September to December 2021 and Cohort 3 took place between January and April 2022. In total, 63 people accessed the Kaleidoscope course. 

Course participants attended a 12 week part-time course, with the aim of preparing them for paid employment. They had access to life coaches, a job brokerage service and mental health supports.

The interim report (February 2022) points towards material and sustained improvements in participants’ employment opportunities, employment readiness, wellbeing and overall life satisfaction. Data from the second and third cohort of participants (July 2022) suggests that the intervention is at least as effective as that reported by the first cohort. 

In April 2022 a Care Aware seminar was delivered to employers.

19 of the 64 participants have secured paid employment, whilst others have returned to education. This was a key objective of the project and its funders.

With a level of confidence, we can therefore say that this project exceeded its goals.

This project was approved by Government with support from the Dormant Accounts Fund.