Working Together to Achieve More

Management of Community Enterprise Services including consultancy:

Management Services ensures CCOs and our CVSIPs are managed in line with Legislation, Regulation and Quality Standards, as well as, ensuring policies and procedures meet the requirements of relevant funding agencies. In doing this, CRANN provides:

• Good Governance: Meetings are held with Individual Board of Directors (BODs) bi-monthly, steering groups and management committees as required. CRANN supports each Board of Directors in the day to day operational management of member CCOs and directly manages their CVSIPs.
• Management Support: CRANN supports each Manager/Coordinator in their responsibility for the day to day operation of CCOs and CVSIPs including supervision of senior staff and staff members in line with the strategic direction of the organisation or project.
• Advisory consultancy services: Member CCOs and our CVSIPs are provided with advice and support when they are setting up or changing the direction of services in the local community, in line with identified and changing needs and funding requirements.
• Shared business services: Leading out on shared business processes to benefit organisations and projects when promoting efficiency and effectiveness of shared services.
• Funding: Sourcing and completing applications for funding.
• Networking and Advocacy: Representing CCOs and CVSIPs at national and local forums.

Such as DCYA, TUSLA, NFFSC, CYSPC, National Collaborative Forum for the Early Years Care and Education Sector including Early Years Forum for the Professionalisation of the Early Years Sector, National Childhood Network (NCN), National Community Childcare Forum (NCCF), the Workforce Development Plan, Together for Early Years and County Childcare Committees (CCCs). Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP). Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD) Department of Justice and Equality (DJE) for local Youth Justice Projects.

Human Resource Management

Human Resource Management provides support to CCOs and CVSIPs ensuring the organisations and projects are compliant with employment legislation. In addition, other CVSIPs are supported who require Human Resource (HR) support on an adhoc basis as requested. As part of HR function, CRANN ensures:

• Recruitment – Development of the workforce within CCOs and CVSIPs; advertising job postings, sourcing candidates, screening applicants, conducting preliminary interviews, and  coordinating hiring with the Managers and Boards of Directors of the independent CCOs and their CVSIPs
• Safety – Supporting individual CCOs and our CVSIPs to be compliant with the Health, Safety and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and to increase awareness of their obligation to provide a safe working environment for employees.
• Employee Relations – Supporting CCOs and our CVSIPs with strengthening the employer-employee relationship through, employee engagement, performance management and workplace conflict management.
• Compensation and Benefits – Supporting CCOs and our CVSIPs to develop benefit policies that are both tangible and in-tangible
• Compliance – Actively ensuing that CCOs and our CVSIPs are compliant with employment laws (staff handbook) and are prepared at any time for an inspection from the Workplace Relations In addition, the HR function supports CCOs and our CVSIPs to ensure their staff handbook and employment contracts are up to date.
• Training and Development – Support CCOs and our  CVSIPs by providing supervisors and managers with training on topics such as performance management, grievance, and disciplinary procedures and how to handle employee relations matters.

Finance Management: preparation of accounts to audit stage

The Accounts Department offers a tailored book-keeping service to CCOs and CVSIPs. It prepares accounts to audit stage and specialise in the administration of financial returns for funding received. CRANN ensures finance sustainability and good governance for member CCOs and our CVSIPs including;

• Administration of accounts: Administration of accounts to audit stage (Posting of Financial transactions, Journal entries, Ledgers, Trial Balance Period, and Reporting Period with Financial Reporting and Auditing).
• Budgeting: Income and Expenditure. Implement, develop, and monitor Including preparation of departmental returns.
• Finance Compliance: Evaluate the compliance of financial systems, policies, and processes in conjunction with accounting principles and the Company’s Financial Procedure
• Finance Analysis: Conduct financial analyses quarterly and on an ad hoc basis. Help guide significant adjustments to affect savings and profit opportunities.
• Grant/funding: Preparation of data for funding applications and reporting on funding spend.
• Payroll: Ensuring all staff members are paid in line with the requirements of revenue.
• Purchasing: Managing, monitoring, and developing systems for purchasing products as required by Member CCOs and our CVSIPs.
• Risk Management: Identify and analyse risks and opportunities. Identifying cost cutting measures in order to remain sustainable.

Education and Training

The dedicated Training Department ensures CRANNs commitment to working with CCOs and our CVSIPs to ensure high quality standards are met in all areas of service provision. As part of the Education and Training function, CRANN ensures a skilled workforce is in place:

• Childcare: Staff members are qualified to deliver childcare at QQI standards, Level 5 and 6. Staff are supported in a bursary fund to access Level 7.
• Social Inclusion Projects: Staff members are supported to access qualifications at QQI standards, Level 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 appropriate to their role.
• In-service training: Staff members have ongoing in- service training according to identified In addition, staff participate in an In-Service Training Day bi-annually organised by CRANN.
• Health and Safety: Staff members are skilled in their ongoing responsibilities in dealing with child protection through Children First training, first aid and manual handling. Managers and supervisors are skilled in their responsibilities under health and safety acts.
• Supervision and Governance: The Board and Managers are skilled in Governance and Supervisory Management.
• Sourcing external training which cannot be provided in-house.

Procurement Management

Centralising buying reduces the cost per unit for products and services. This creates efficiencies reducing how much CCOs and our CVSIPs pay in the long run for supplies and products and ensures sustainability. As part procurement management function, CRANN ensures:

• Central buying prices for goods e.g. food, cleaning products, office, and stationary products.
• Central buying of utilities such as energy, heating, waste disposal.
• Central buying of services such as accountants, auditors, and solicitors.
• Central buying of equipment such as toys and childcare related furnishing.

Facilities Management

The Maintenance Team provide non-specialised maintenance services to CCOs and CVSIPs. As part of facilities management function, CRANN ensures:

• Custom built childcare equipment is manufactured in a cost-effective way.
• Grounds maintenance: Grounds are maintained through appropriate horticulture
• Premises Cleaning and Hygiene standards: Premises are clean and hygienic.
• Premises Standards: Premises are altered according to new and changing needs of the facility that is cost effective.
• Premises Maintenance: Premises are well maintained through general up-keep, painting and decorating.

CRANN staff through our experience and expertise have developed a service focused on enabling staff of Community Organisations to achieve higher performance and develop themselves personally.  This is facilitated through the implementation of the following practices:

Mentoring is the transfer of knowledge, skill and know who from an experienced practitioner in Service Management to a person who is new in their role and/or can benefit from further development in their role.

Coaching is where a person trained in coaching skills works with a staff member(s) to build their ability to deal with specific aspects of work/career/life in general.

Support & Supervision is the practice of managers meeting with their staff individually on a regular basis to discuss how they are performing in their job and how they can benefit from development.

Benefits of Mentoring & Coaching for an Organisation

• Improved employee and operational performance.
• Transfer of Knowledge, Skill & Know-how to key members of the organisation
• Embedded organisational principles, competencies and skills across the organisation.
• Increased employee motivation and work satisfaction
• Reduced staff turnover

CRANN Mentoring Service

• The CRANN Mentoring service is primarily for individual Childcare Centre Managers and Community Project Managers who could benefit from the guidance, advice and support of an experienced, competent person.
• The Mentor is normally not directly connected to the organisation of the person being mentored.

CRANN Support & Supervision Practice

• Support & Supervision is carried out with all staff of Member Organisations from the CEO down to front line staff.
• Managers are trained in the application of the Support and Supervision Practice.
• Managers are also trained in Mentoring & Coaching skills to improve the effectiveness of the Support & Supervision practice.
• A Support & Supervision Form is used for each meeting and a record kept. Meetings are held bimonthly. At the end of the year the bimonthly assessments are collated to assess the overall performance and development of a staff member.