We were thrilled to welcome Dr Paul Quinn to our team in August as Senior Clinical Psychologist. Paul’s wealth of experience in AON assessments and creative arts therapies has made our team all the stronger. The client feedback we received regarding Paul’s work has been the subject of many, many positive outcome stories in 2022. Paul maintains a firm eye on clinical standards in Key Assets and his reflective and enriching contribution to service development in 2022 is just the beginning of what we hope will be a flourishing journey ahead!
In November, we were equally thrilled to welcome Emma Douglas as Senior Occupational Therapist. Emma had worked with us previously in a part time capacity as a consultant, and so we had confidence that her breadth of clinical experience and her specialisms in sensory-related difficulties and working with children impacted by trauma would be a tremendous asset for our team and the children and families we serve.
Having developed the foundations for the clinical staff team in 2022, KAC ended the year in a better position, ready to grow its assessment and support services, particularly for families affected by children’s disabilities and autism. We are excited about the possibilities that lie ahead and are committed to continuing to improve outcomes for children and families in the long term.
Equally, we successfully navigated changes in our support services team and welcomed Brid, Aoife and Amy on board our Referrals and Quality Assurance teams. Having strong administration and quality assurance staff is the backbone to running efficient services and KAC was no doubt strengthened by the care and diligence shown by its new support staff.
KAC’s consulting team also grew in parallel with its full-time staff team which further supported the development of clinic-based services. In 2022, KAC inducted 4 new consulting psychologists, 3 new speech and language therapists and 1 new occupational therapist. Thanks to the right blended skillset, positive attitude, and a dedication among all staff and clinicians to giving their absolute best to each child, KAC saw tremendous growth in the numbers of private children and families supported in 2022. Compared to 2021, numbers of private (non Tusla or HSE referrals) grew by 115%!
With public and private wait lists for children at an all-time high we at KAC are committed to doing all we can to reach more and more children and families. KAC is privileged to play a role in helping children and families better understand their needs, overcome setbacks and refocus on strengths. We are proud of the progress KAC made in 2022 and are excited about the future. KAC remains committed to providing high-quality, multidisciplinary services that make a real difference in the lives of children and families.