Cope Foundation: A career helping people reach their goals
Patrice Madden, Ann-Marie Leahy, and Lisa O’Brien at one of Cope Foundation’s hubs in Cork city. Cope has over 1,200 staff, providing services and supports across its city and county network and seeks to recruit new colleagues regularly throughout the year.
Cope Foundation is one of the largest providers of services and supports to people with intellectual disabilities and/or autism in Ireland.
Today, the Cork-based organisation supports 2,800 people to live ‘Your Life, Your Way’. Cope Foundation services and supports are delivered through its growing network of 70+ locations dotted across Cork city and county.
Voted Best Workplace 2020 and 2021 in the Cork’s 96FM Best of Cork Awards, Cope Foundation is firmly positioned as one of Cork’s most established and respected employers.
The organisation currently has a team of over 1,200 staff, providing services and supports across its city and county network and seeks to recruit new colleagues regularly throughout the year. Cope Foundation provides a broad range of services and supports and as such, its staff team is wide ranging in discipline and expertise. Colleagues are involved in areas of work such as:
- Nursing;
- Patient and Client Care;
- Health and Social Care Professionals;
- Management and Administration;
- General Support.
Cope Foundation is a Section 38 organisation funded by the HSE, meaning employees are entitled to benefits such as:
- Payment in line with the consolidated salary scales from the Department of Health and Children;
- Membership of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme;
- Sick leave paid in line with the public sector sick pay scheme;
- Paid Maternity Leave/Paternity Leave;
- In-service staff training;
- Employee Assistance Programme, provided by VHI;
- Staff Health and Wellbeing information in line with HSE Healthy Ireland;
- Facility to join a Health Insurance Scheme and a salary deduction scheme;
- Cycle to work scheme Policies for flexible work arrangements;
- Regular updates on our internal communication tool — Vivo.
It is an exciting time for Cope Foundation right now as the organisation is transforming, in line with progressive legislative and regulatory requirements in the disabilities sector.
Sean Abbott, chief executive of Cope Foundation, explains: “We have worked in the Cork community for over 60 years providing much-needed services and supports to thousands of people. It is an absolute privilege to work so closely with people, their families and their local communities.
"Right now, our organisation is on a journey of transformation and change, in response to legislation and regulation which, essentially, gives people we serve more power and control over their lives. It is an exciting time as we work side by side with people to understand how best to support them and to empower them to realise and reach their horizons.
"As a team, we are working hard to move from the more traditional congregated settings to more inclusive; person-led and person-centred services and supports within communities right across Cork city and county. We have already achieved so much and we know the journey we are on will ultimately benefit the people we support now and into the future. We need the best people with us on this journey and I have no doubt we will continue to attract people who share our vision for a more inclusive, accessible and understanding society where people with disabilities can take their rightful place in our communities.”
At the core of this Cork organisation is a belief that every person should be ambitious about their lives, and with the right supports, every person can reach their horizon. Every day, Cope Foundation employees help to make this happen.
Cope Foundation’s open roles are available to view at:
