Annual Conference & Exhibition 2024
Meeting the Challenges of Caring, Together!
Annual Conference & Exhibition 2024
Thursday, 19th September 2024.
Lyrath Estate, Kilkenny
Taking place in the picturesque Lyrath Estate, Kilkenny on Thursday, 19th September, this year’s conference will be focused on Meeting the Challenges of Caring, Together!
On the day, you will hear from leading experts from not just the nursing home sector, but from the wider healthcare sphere discussing matters affecting nursing home care and providers of care in Ireland today.
You can expect to engage in lively discussion on the following:
- The Important Role of the Healthcare Assistant
- Policy and Planning for Nursing Home Care
- Regional Health Areas: How will this impact Nursing Home Care
- Supporting People with Capacity Issues to Make Decisions
- The Future of Nursing Home Care
- And more…
For full bios, please click here.
We are pleased to present that our keynote speaker this year is Deborah Somorin.
Deborah, is a Qualified Chartered Accountant and Manager in EY’s People Consulting team, serving large Irish and Global clients.
Deborah is a sought-after speaker and mentor, sharing her story of triumph over adversity with audiences around the world. Her engaging and heartfelt presentations inspire individuals to overcome their own obstacles, pursue their dreams, and create positive change in their lives and communities.
Accomplished broadcaster, journalist, and author Anton Savage will be the MC for the Nursing Homes Ireland Annual Conference on September 19th at the Lyrath Estate, Co. Kilkenny.
Anton, known for hosting The Anton Savage Show, Savage Sunday, and writing for publications like The Irish Independent and The Herald, brings his wealth of communication experience to the event. As Director of the Communications Clinic, Anton has also trained top corporate leaders, athletes, and politicians.
Morning Session
Registration & Trade Exhibition
Begin your day with a warm welcome and the opportunity to connect with fellow attendees over a cup of coffee.
Welcome
Jillian van Turnhout - Welcome address, setting the tone for the conference and highlighting the importance of our theme.
Jillian is a distinguished leader with over 25 years of experience in business, public affairs, and the voluntary sector.
Jillian is the Chair of Nursing Homes Ireland and a Chartered Director with corporate governance accreditation from INSEAD. She serves on several notable boards, including the Arts Council of Ireland, the Private Security Authority and Irish Girl Guides.
Recently appointed Chair of the Online Health Taskforce, her expertise in public health is further recognised through her Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. Jillian provides consultancy services in governance to a wide range of clients.
Ministerial Address - Minister Mary Butler
Minister of State for Mental Health & Older People, Mary Butler, will address the audience on the morning of the conference.
Minister Mary Butler is the Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People in Ireland. She has been a TD for Waterford since 2016, representing Fianna Fáil. Before her political career, she managed her family’s grocery business for 17 years in Portlaw, Waterford. In 2020, Butler became the first female TD from Waterford to be appointed Minister.
We are looking forward to hearing from Minister Butler on the day, on her work related to nursing home care, home care and mental health supports.
Policy & Planning for Nursing Home Care
Laura Casey, Principal Officer, Social Care Projects, Department of Health
Laura Casey is a Principal Officer in the Social Care Division in the Department of Health with responsibility for leading a range of policy and legislative reforms including in the areas of nursing home care, adult safeguarding and protection of liberty safeguards. Laura has worked in the Department of Health since 2016, and previously worked in the Departments of Education, Energy and Finance in a range of roles.
The Important Role of the Health Care Assistant - Panel Discussion
Dr George Jacob, KPMG:
Dr. George Jacob is a senior consultant at KPMG, specialising in data models for labour force participation and economic appraisals under the Public Spending Code. With a Ph.D. in economic structural modelling from Trinity College Dublin, he has expertise in econometrics, economic modelling, and spatial analysis.
Eileen Doyle, Knockeen Nursing Home:
Eileen Doye brings extensive expertise to her role as a healthcare assistant and Advanced Healthcare Assistant Practitioner at Knockeen Nursing Home, following a 30-year career in hospitality. With a Bachelor’s degree in Management from Trinity College Dublin, a Master’s in Travel & Tourism Management from University College Dublin, and further qualifications in social care and healthcare, she is dedicated to providing personalized care and engaging activities for residents.
Paula O'Reilly, CEO, Irish Hospice Foundation:
Paula has over 15 years of experience working in diverse Irish and international healthcare and charitable organisations. Her previous roles include working in occupational therapy and mental health services. She served as CEO of Cheeverstown House for three years before transitioning to Virtue – Integrated Elder Care, where she held positions as Chief Operations Officer and most recently, Group CEO. Paula holds a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy and a Master’s in Health Service Management, both from Trinity College Dublin.
Bradley Nolan, DDLETB:
Bradley Nolan is the Head of Innovation and Research in Further Education at Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDLETB), where he leads the "Virtual Reality in Healthcare - Soft Skills in Eldercare" programme. With a strong background in strategic project management and learning and development, he has held key roles at L&DI and the L&D Skillnet Network, focusing on innovative training solutions for L&D professionals in Ireland.
Tea/Coffee Break & Exhibition
Take a break to enjoy some refreshments and engage in informal discussions with fellow attendees. This is a great opportunity to network, share ideas, and reflect on the insights gained from the morning.
Regional Health Areas & How Nursing Home Services will be Integrated in each Region
Martina Queally, REO, HSE Dublin & South East
Martina Queally has over 30 years’ health service leadership experience with particular expertise in strategic change management in public services and integrated service delivery. Since 2015, as Chief Officer in HSE Community Healthcare East, she has led the planning and delivery of all community health services in the area (South Dublin and Wicklow), a range of national programmes, and a combined HSE and voluntary workforce of nearly 4000 staff.
Martina commenced her role as Regional Executive Officer in HSE Dublin and South East on January 29th 2024. HSE Dublin and South East will serve the people of Carlow, Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford, East Wicklow and parts of South Dublin.
The NHSS/Fair Deal - Where to from here?
Fiona Walsh, Head of Contracts & Strategy, NTPF
Working in the health sector throughout her career, Fiona is experienced in navigating the complexities of the healthcare industry. She is currently working as Head of Contracts & Strategy in the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF). With a background in contract negotiations and through her work as a policy specialist Fiona has contributed to several policy discussions helping to shape the future of LTRC services in Ireland.
Supporting People with Capacity Issues to Make Decisions
Aine Flynn, CEO, Decision Support Service
Áine Flynn is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin. She is a solicitor and former senior partner in Dublin firm KOD Lyons where she practised public interest law, including mental health and capacity law. She was on the panel of legal representatives of the Mental Health Tribunal and the Mental Health (Criminal Law) Review Board from their inception in 2006. She holds an advanced diploma in Quasi-Judicial Decision-Making from the Kings Inns.
She is the current Vice Chair of the Human Rights and Equality Committee of the Law Society of Ireland. In 2023, she was named Irish Healthcare Person of the Year.
In October 2017, Áine commenced in post as the first Director of the Decision Support Service under the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 and she has been involved in extensive communications and stakeholder engagement to promote understanding of the Act in diverse sectors.
Lunch and Exhibition
Enjoy a delicious lunch and take the time to connect with colleagues and new acquaintances. This break provides an excellent opportunity to continue discussions, exchange ideas, and build relationships that will help us meet the challenges of caring, together.
Afternoon Session
Safeguarding - The Vital Role for Nursing Homes
Tim Hanly (General Manager - National Safeguarding Office)
Tim Hanly studied as a Social Science undergraduate at UCC and qualified as a social worker from the University of Warwick in 1991. He completed a MA at Warwick University with a dissertation on the self- organisation of people with Disabilities. Tim worked as a social worker in Glasgow between 1991 and 1995 as part of a Community Care Team. Since returning to Ireland in 1995 Tim has occupied various management positions within Child Care services in both the North East and Mid-West Areas.
Tim has a particular interest in the foster care and after care provision and would have played a key role in developing practice and policy within the HSE and TUSLA in these areas. Tim commenced as Principal Social Worker in HSE National Safeguarding Office in September 2015 and is currently General Manager of the Office. He played a key role in supporting the implementation of the HSE Safeguarding Vulnerable Persons at Risk of Abuse policy. Tim has recently completed an MSc in Quality & Safety in Healthcare Management from the RCSI where he completed a dissertation on advancing a strengths based approach in adult safeguarding via adopting the Making Safeguarding Personal (MSP) initiative.
Keynote Speaker - From Adversity to Triumph-Resilience - Deborah Somorin
Deborah Somorin is a Qualified Chartered Accountant, serving large Irish and Global clients. Deborah is also a published author of two books, an autobiography called Believing in Me and a children’s book called I Believe in You.
Deborah is a sought-after speaker and mentor, sharing her story of triumph over adversity with audiences around the world. Her engaging and heartfelt presentations inspire individuals to overcome their own obstacles, pursue their dreams, and create positive change in their lives and communities.
Full Bio: https://www.speakersolutions.ie/browse/deborah-somorin.476.html
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborah-somorin-aca-989b11109/
Conference Close
As we wrap up the NHI Annual Conference, join us for the closing remarks by Tadhg Daly, CEO of NHI.
Mr. Daly will reflect on the key insights and takeaways from our discussions, celebrate our collective achievements, and outline the next steps as we continue to address the challenges of caring together. This will be an inspiring conclusion to a day of learning, collaboration, and forward-thinking.
Tadhg Daly is Chief Executive of Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI), the representative organization for the private and voluntary nursing homes sector.
Tadhg was formerly CEO of the Irish Nursing Homes Organisation (INHO) and was one of the key figures that led to the establishment of Nursing Homes Ireland in January 2008.
Prior to joining INHO in 2005 Tadhg worked with the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children in a number of senior management positions.
Tadhg is a passionate advocate in care of the older person, outlining that as a Society we need to celebrate the fact that people are living longer, develop a continuum of care and ambitious policy for the care of our ageing demographic.
Evening
Networking Reception
Continue the conversation and build on the day's connections at our networking reception.
Enjoy light refreshments while discussing the day's themes and forging new partnerships. This is a perfect opportunity to reflect on the conference, share your experiences, and collaborate on future initiatives in a relaxed and informal setting.
Reception Ends
NHI wish to acknowledge the support of our partners and exhibitors at the NHI Annual Conference. We would ask our members to support these companies.
