Find out what it's like to work at Enable Ireland from Physiotherapist Georgianna Taylor...
Georgianna Taylor is a Physiotherapist with Enable Ireland where she has worked for three and a half years. Georgianna started her career with our service in Bray. Now she is the Senior Physiotherapist at Mid-Kildare Children’s Services. Here, she shares what it’s like to work at Enable Ireland…
"There is no typical day working at Enable Ireland, every day is a little bit different. In my role, I mostly work with children aged from zero to ten. The children I work with have varying physical disabilities, like muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, cerebral palsy and other conditions. Every child has different needs so a person-centred approach is key. I work with children here at our centre in Kildare but will also go out to schools or make home visits.
Most days tend to start with a meeting, either in individual disciplines or with the whole interdisciplinary team where we review cases. We have a brilliant team here. We work closely across the different disciplines. For instance, if I’ve done a home visit the week before and believe a child needs support from an Occupational Therapist, I will bring that to the meeting to ensure that the child receives the therapy required. And vice versa, I’m there if someone needs input from physio. Whether it's just to cast an eye over a child they're working with or whether we need to do a broader joint piece.
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Recently, I have been working with toddler and baby groups with our Speech and Language Therapists. The group will be five or six children with their parents or carers. They’re in for an hour at a time and all work on the same thing. We’ll do activities to progress gross motor skills and develop their communication skills. We’ll also show parents things that they can do at home with their child. These group sessions are a great opportunity for parents to meet other parents and talk. They get to see other children with similar additional needs to their child, so they don’t feel so alone. Parents and carers can talk about the benefits and challenges of having a child with a disability. It also gives the child the chance to make friends and some arrange playdates outside of our sessions.
These group sessions take part in our gym room or our sensory room, both of which are excellent facilities. The sensory room is a useful space for both group and individual sessions where we can do specific exercise work. It’s a fully matted room, so for physio, it's great because the child can challenge their walking or work on unstable surfaces, with the safety of something soft to fall into. There are stairs and slides and things to go up and down on. We use the room as a space to release energy or to increase physical workload, depending on the child’s needs.
Every child’s needs are unique and so are their physio requirements. I have to find different ways to motivate each child to do their exercises.
"Early in my career, I worked with a child who was fascinated by trains. So every movement was based around trains. I love being able to find a way to engage the child in their physio through their interests. In my office, I have a big Gen 8 Pokemon board and at one time I had to learn a lot about dinosaurs too!
At Enable Ireland, we work not just for the child but for the whole family. I’m fortunate I’m in a position where I can empower children and their families. As Physio, I show them exercises and techniques that they can take home and work on together. These are practical exercises that support the child’s everyday movements. This includes going to school or activities they want to do on the weekend or out in their community.
I love the family-centred approach. For the last couple of years, we have organised a ‘super-hero’ triathlon at the centre in collaboration with the Kildare Sports Partnership. It’s really inclusive as you have children who attend the service taking part and then siblings or cousins who don’t use the service joining too. The distances of the different events are up to the child and how much they think they can do. Every child then gets a certificate with the distances they have achieved at the end of the day."
"I feel very privileged to be in my role at Enable Ireland and I am very passionate about our ethos. There’s a focus on doing work that’s important for the child’s day-to-day life, ensuring that you’re not just helping children and families when they come to your centre. You go beyond that, to make sure what you’re doing supports families in all aspects of life, at home and in their communities too."
Enable Ireland makes a real difference in the lives of thousands of children and adults with disabilities. In 2022, we were voted one of Ireland’s best 150 Employers in a Sunday Independent survey. A progressive and flexible organisation; we have a strong culture of children and family first. We provide a supportive environment for our employees, excellent training opportunities, and pathways to continued professional development and career progression.
Right now, we have a variety of clinical, therapy and support job opportunities nationwide.
