Our
Team
Senior Management
St. Bernard’s is fortunate to have a highly qualified management team, with most having over 20 years of service with St. Bernards.
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Róisín Stewart
Director of Services
Róisín Stewart is a qualified Organisational Consultant who has worked in the social care field for the past 28 years, 15 of which as the Director of St Bernard’s. In her leadership role, Róisín is acutely aware of the complexities of the task facing health and social care teams in their work with children and families.
Róisín’s qualifications include:
- BSc Applied Psychology, University of Ulster, Jordanstown. June 1996
- MA (Hons) Therapeutic Child Care, St. Patrick’s College, Carlow. June 2006
- MA Consulting and leading in organisations: Psychodynamic and Systemic Approaches, Tavistock and Portman, London. July 2019
- Tavistock Qualification in Consultation, Tavistock and Portman, London. June 2021
- Diploma in Business and Executive Coaching. May 2022
- Professional Doctorate: Advanced practice and research: consultation and the organisation, Tavistock and Portman, London (Current/pending)
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Eilish Barrett
Deputy Director of Services
Eilish has over 35 years’ experience in leading and managing in social care, 25 of which has been championing the implementation of therapeutic child care. Eilish has a particular interest in staff development and in promoting reflective practice. Her qualifications include:
- B. Soc Science, NUI
- Cert. in Supervision and Counselling Skills, C.I.T.
- M.A. in Therapeutic Child Care, HETAC
Eilish also has received specialist training in management, change management and attachment.
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Mairéad Morrissey
Social Care Manager
Mairéad is the Social Care Manager for St. Bernard’s therapeutic Children’s Residential Service, Sacré Coeur. Mairéad has over 40 years’ experience in the social care field and has provided consistent management for Sacré Coeur since it opened in 1997 and has overseen significant changes in service provision and development in her long standing career. Her qualifications include:
- National Diploma in Childcare
- Child Attachment Interviews, Anna Freud clinic, London
- Diploma in Leadership and Management, UCD. Jan 2023
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Andrew Kennedy
Social Care Manager
Andrew Kennedy is currently the manager of St. Bernard’s Childrens’ Services Fostering Support Service. He has been a practicing residential social care worker since 1999, with experience of working with children from a therapeutic community and psychodynamic perspective.
He has practiced in a therapeutic high support unit for children under 12 with insecure attachments, with adolescents in a medium-term unit, as well as managing a medium term unit. He has managed the Fostering Support Service since 2014.
His qualifications include:
- BA (Hons) in Applied Social Studies in Social Care
- MA in Therapeutic Child Care.
Andrew is a certified TCI trainer. Andrew has a special interest in reflective practice and the impact of adverse childhood experiences on children and young people and the adults who care for them. Andrew has co-authored published journal articles on topics related to reflective practice in social care practice and disruption and loss in fostering.
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Tara Moloney
Deputy Social Care Manager
Tara Moloney is the Deputy Manager in Sacre Coeur. She has worked with children in care for the past twenty years in both residential and fostering support services.
Her qualifications include:
- Level 8 QQI in Social Care, D.I.T.
- MA in Therapeutic Childcare, Carlow College.
Tara has presented workshops at Carlow College’s Certificate in Therapeutic Foster Care, Social Care Ireland National Conference, and Irish Foster Carers Association National Conference. Tara is author of Therapeutic story “Tess feels a Mess”.
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Samantha O’Doherty
Social Care Manager
Samantha O’Doherty is the Social Care Manager in Grianán. Samantha has over 25 years of experience working with children in both the residential therapeutic community and in foster homes as part of the therapeutic fostering support team, providing and facilitating a therapeutic community and psychodynamic approach.
Her qualifications include:
- National Diploma in Applied Social Studies in Social Care, WIT
- Diploma in Youth and Community Work, UCC
- MA in Leadership in Therapeutic Child and Social Care, Carlow College
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Wayne Jacob
Deputy Social Care Manager
Wayne is the Deputy Manager in Grianán. He has worked with children in care for the past eight years.
His qualifications include:
- BA (HONS) in Applied Social Studies in Social Care, WIT
- MA in Leadership in Therapeutic Child and Social Care, Carlow College.
Teams
St. Bernard’s social care teams are extremely competent in the provision of a high standard of care to children and families.
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Therapeutic Residential Care
Sacre Care and Grianán comprise of a large team of fully qualified social care staff. Each team consists of
- Social Care Manager
- Deputy Social Care Manager
- 4 Social Care Leaders
- Social Care Workers (Full/Part-time/Night)
- Relief Social Care Workers
- Domestic Staff
They are supported in their task by the administrative team based in the main office on campus.
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Therapeutic Fostering Support
Fostering Support Service comprises of a small team of fully qualified Social Care staff
- Social Care Manager
- 5 Social Care Leaders/Social Care Workers
- Domestic Staff
Trustees
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Noel Howard
A retired social care manager who has worked with young people in the juvenile justice system for nearly 40 years. He is a founder member of Social Care Ireland and edits the association’s publications. He is chair of Care Leavers Ireland, a charity which offers assistance and support to young people leaving the care system in Ireland who are pursuing an education or career path.
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Tom Duggan
A retired member of An Garda Siochana. Tom was a Superintendent in the local district. He has over thirty years’ experience in serving the community and protecting the state.
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Maire McMahon
Practising Solicitor. Máire qualified as a solicitor in 2001. She holds a Masters in Family Law and Family Policy, she specialises in family law. Since January 2018 Máire is a member of the board of the Charities Regulatory Authority.
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Catherine Corcoran
Lecturer. She currently leads on the BA in Social and Community Studies at LIT Tipperary. Catherine’s academic and practitioner career focuses on the management, implementation and design of humanitarian and development programmes in a variety of contexts.
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Anne Cuffe
30+ years experience in healthcare, charitable and global medical devise organisations. She holds qualifications in Nursing, Health Management and an MA in Drug and Alcohol Policy.
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Christy Grassick
Manager, Coolmore Stud Farm, Fethard. Christy is the current Chairman of the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders' Association.
Careers
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