Alice Leahy, renowned advocate for the homeless, lectured to 60 healthcare professionals taking the Institute’s MSc in Leadership and Management Development programme on Wednesday, 27 January.

Alice, who is formerly a nurse-midwife, is the co-dounder and Director of Trust Ireland, a non-judgmental be-friending, social and health care service for people who are homeless.

Formerly, the Chairperson of the Sentence Review Committee, Alice is also a member of the Irish Human Rights Commission. She has published three books highlighting the situation of outsiders in our society and is the recipient of numerous awards for her work on behalf of the poor and marginalised. Alice is also an honorary fellow of RCSI.

The theme of the day was the importance of creating the appropriate culture in our organisations, particularly in healthcare organisations. We need to ensure that our mission and strategy is informed by a clear set of values that reflect the uniqueness and dignity both of those for whom services are provided and of those who provide services.