Fórsa members on the front line
by Róisín McKane
 
“I needed to lead by example and show my fellow colleagues that Fórsa members will step up to the plate when needed," said Roland Kennedy.
“I needed to lead by example and show my fellow colleagues that Fórsa members will step up to the plate when needed," said Roland Kennedy.

Fórsa member and social care worker Roland Kennedy featured in Fórsa’s 'hidden heroes’ social media campaign earlier this week. The campaign highlights the work of our members who are tackling the corona-crisis.

 

Roland works in residential care at St John of Gods Hospital in Dublin. But when a coronavirus case emerged in one of the psychiatric hospital’s residential units, the long-time social care worker was dispatched to work with the affected service users.

 

For the duration of the pandemic Roland will work with service users who have tested positive for the virus.

 

“A Covid-19 diagnosis is worrying and stressful for all involved,” he says. “In a residential care environment, it’s a time of great anxiety for the person who has received the diagnosis and for the service-users sharing the residential unit. And, of course, for the staff.”

 

He described what happened when the first case emerged in the unit. “We immediately went into lockdown and all service-users in the residential facility were isolated. It was a very unsettling time. Tensions were running high, but we had to be proactive, acting quickly and efficiently.”

 

Roland described the circumstances in which he came to work with Covid-affected service users. “I have worked here for more than 20 years. I’m familiar with a lot of the service-users and, on that basis, it was decided that I would migrate across and work with the affected unit.”

 

“It’s important that those affected see a familiar face during this scary time. Although I’m not sure how familiar I looked wearing all that PPE,” he joked.

 

As a Fórsa activist and local rep, Roland felt it was important that he took on the difficult task. “As the local rep on the ground in St John of Gods, it was important that I stepped into this role and led form the front,” he said. “I couldn’t sit on the side lines.”

 

“I needed to lead by example and show my fellow colleagues that Fórsa members will step up to the plate when needed.”

 

Roland praised the support he received from Fórsa during this time. “The union was fantastic,” he said. “The help and assistance I received from my official, Sean McElhinney and his team was really reassuring. Not to mention the support from the Dublin Care Services branch. It must be commended.”

 

Roland, whose wife also works on the front line, was all too aware of the risks that this work posed to his health, and the health of his family.

 

“There are lots of questions and worry when a situation like this arises,” he said. “I was definitely concerned about my family and the potential risks that they would be exposed to. But I suppose I just had to get on with it while being as safe as possible given the circumstances,” he says.

 

Stressing the unquestionable importance of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the battle against Covid-19, Roland emphasised the need for a practical and welfare-led attitude towards health and safety procedures.

 

“The availability and correct use of PPE is vital in the fight against this virus,” said Roland. “It is so important that we are proactive in our attitudes towards PPE, rather than reactive. Front-line workers must have the necessary safety equipment to ensure their own health and welfare is safeguarded, while they continue to help others,” he said.

 

For more information on the 'hidden heroes’ campaign click HERE.

 

To follow the campaign on twitter click HERE.

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