Renowned Dutch team visits Charleville for international learning exchange

BALLYHOURA Development welcomed colleagues from the Municipality of Heerlen, Netherlands, to Charleville for a four-day study visit as part of the Interreg Europe CITICESS – Citizen-Centred Social Services project.

The visit marked an important milestone in the development of 'The Ballyhoura Breakthrough,' a pilot action that adapts Heerlen’s renowned Breakthrough Method to support vulnerable families living in the northside estates of Charleville. The programme also supported Ballyhoura’s work in finalising its regional policy improvement under CITICESS, which focuses on strengthening multi-agency collaboration and holistic, family-centred support.

The visit began with an informal welcome dinner at the Charleville Park Hotel, providing an opportunity for Ballyhoura staff, local stakeholders, and Heerlen partners to connect ahead of three days of learning and exchange.

The delegation visited Hillview Drive and Batt Donegan Place in Charleville, the designated pilot area for the Ballyhoura Breakthrough. The morning included a guided walk-through of the estates, followed by a working session on applying the Breakthrough Method to real-life family circumstances, and—where possible—meeting families engaged in the project.

READ MORE: Community childrens' winter party set to take place in Limerick on Monday

In the afternoon, the team prepared for the following day’s stakeholder event and participated in a dedicated discussion on Heerlen’s Social Safety Approach. This interdisciplinary model has strongly influenced Ballyhoura’s work on community cohesion, wrap-around supports, and coordinated responses to complex family needs.

The central event of the visit took place on Wednesday, November 26 at the Charleville Park Hotel. 'Social Service Systems in Practice: Ireland and the Netherlands' brought together policy makers, practitioners, and community organisations to explore different approaches to the design and delivery of citizen-centred services.

The programme included: Public Service Delivery in Ireland – Dr. Maura Adshead, University of Limerick, the Breakthrough Method – Maurice Veders, Municipality of Heerlen and a panel discussion with Deirdre Kelly (Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht), Anne Rizzo (Limerick City and County Council), David Parslow (Respond), Damien Landy (Tusla), and Padraig Casey (Ballyhoura Development CLG).

An afternoon workshop, 'A Day in the Life of a Heerlen Family Coach,' led by Mike Hennen, gave participants first-hand insight into the everyday challenges and methodologies involved in long-term family coaching. An interactive group exercise followed, exploring family scenarios from both Irish and Dutch perspectives. 

The final morning focused on reviewing the learning from the visit, reflecting on progress to date, and agreeing concrete next steps as the Ballyhoura Breakthrough moves towards implementation in 2026. Both teams reaffirmed the value of continued partnership and knowledge exchange.

Reflecting on the visit, Eileen O’Keeffe, Ballyhoura Development, highlighted the importance of sustained collaboration with European partners: “The exchange with Heerlen continues to shape how we design and deliver supports for families facing complex challenges. Their Breakthrough Method and Social Safety Approach offer practical, proven models that we are now adapting for Charleville. This study visit has been an important step in strengthening our pilot action and ensuring that our services truly meet the needs of families and communities.”

Maurice Veders, Municipality of Heerlen, Coordinator of the Social Safety Approach and Chairperson of the Breakthrough Team, added: “This exchange shows the value of international cooperation in improving social services. By combining Ballyhoura’s community-driven approach with Heerlen’s Breakthrough Method, Social Safety Approach, and family coaching, we can develop even stronger, more citizen-centred supports for families. What we began this week will continue to grow in the months ahead.”

The CITICESS Project brings together regions across Europe to improve social-service policy through peer learning, study visits, and pilot-action development. Ballyhoura Development will continue to work closely with Heerlen and other partners as implementation of the Ballyhoura Breakthrough progresses in 2026.