A new evaluation has shown that the eCASS client care and staff management system – developed by Irish IT charity Enclude, led by Kerryman Eamon Stack, in partnership with fellow charity Quality Matters – is generating savings in staff and management time for drug addiction services worth almost €50,000 per year on average or 285 working days per year. Together with average savings on top quality software licences of up to €18,000 per organisation, the evaluation shows that over €4.5 million annually in additional resourcing can be used on frontline addiction services.
The findings of the evaluation – undertaken this summer amongst 45 addiction services – were presented by Enclude CEO, Eamon Stack (a native of Tralee), at an event to mark its 10th Anniversary. The event was also addressed by Senator Joan Freeman (founder of Pieta House), Dr Suzi Lyons (Health Research Board) and Ruairi McKiernan (Member of Council of State and Award-Winning Social Entrepreneur).
Enclude is a specialist award-winning Irish technology charity – the largest of its kind in Europe – that works to bring technology donations and customised solutions to fellow Irish charities so that they can reduce what they are spending on IT and concentrate on maximising their impact.
Mr Stack said that in addition to the time and cost savings, eCASS contributed significant improvements in terms of the quality of data available to manage interactions with clients as well as that available to meet funders’ reporting requirements.
“eCASS has brought huge benefits as a way to record and report on actual contact time, outcomes and progression of clients from a service perspective feeding into a larger statistical gathering exercise providing timely and relevant information to funders and policy makers.”
Other sectors are using similar customised case and staff management systems developed by Enclude to improve their work.
Miriam McKenna from Rural Transport provider, Flexibus Local link, explains how Enclude’s systems have significantly helped their work.
“Our service has been transformed by the system Enclude developed for us. Flexibus can now reach more old people living alone in Louth, Meath and Fingal who have no car and no access to public transport or a lift from family or neighbours. We offer a weekly transport to town, collect them from their door, help them in with the shopping and if they don’t answer the door when we call Enclude’s systems enable us to easily contact their next of kin.”
At 10th Anniversary Event for IT charity Enclude founded by Kerryman, Eamon Stack were from left:
Sylvester Murphy, Co-Founder and Deputy CEO Enclude and Eamon Stack, Co-F
