What does the Project do?

The work of The Social and Health Education Project is focused on capacity building at a number of different levels. 

Through its Training and Development Services, SHEP offers a wide range of courses aimed at helping people to be effective in their personal lives, in their family relationships and in their communities.  It also trains people to become group-facilitators.  Many of these use the skills they learn with the Project in their professional work or in their work in the community.  Others undergo advanced training in order to play specialist roles with the Project, working either as Community Tutors or as Organisational Mentors.  Community Tutors deliver a number of introductory courses in personal development through SHEP's Community Training Programme, while Organisational Mentors provide support and guidance for organisations operating in the community and voluntary sector through the Project's Community Governance Enhancement Programme.    

Through its Therapeutic Support Services, SHEP provides a variety of supports for people whose wellbeing and healthy development is blocked by specific obstacles.  These supports include one-to-one and group counselling (SHEP operates the Coisceim Counselling Programme), advocacy (SHEP operates the Cork Older People's Advocacy Service), psychotherapist-supported training courses and support group facilitation.  Consultation services are also provided for agencies whose work involves responding to those in need of therapeutic support, and professional supervision services are provided for professionals working in therapeutic roles.

SHEP is linked to organisations in other parts of the world that share its commitment to fostering personal and social transformation.  It has a formal programme partnership with the Nepalese organisation, Sahakarmi Samaj.