Making client dreams come true

After telling his case manager of his ambition to meet the President of Ireland, Siobhan McSweeney resolved to make this possible for her client Alex. 

Here, Siobhan, CEO of MCS Case Management Ireland, tells us how this helps to show the lengths and effort she and the team will go to for their clients, to make the seemingly impossible possible

When Alex was asked what his ultimate goal was, he was certainly aiming high. 

“He said he wanted to meet the President of Ireland – I said you’re not looking for much,” says Siobhan McSweeney, CEO of MCS Case Management.

“It was a big ask, but we’ll always do absolutely everything we can for our clients.

“We knew what this would mean to Alex. And that’s what it’s about, making goals and ambitions come true.”

Siobhan – whose business is one of the only case management companies in Ireland, and who is credited with blazing a trail for the profession in the country – had not been working with 17-year-old Alex, who has autism, for long when he disclosed his ambition. 

Being tasked with supporting Alex and his family with the practicalities of living their lives to the full through her role as a case manager, Siobhan was determined to make this particular dream come true. 

Writing to the office of Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland, Siobhan explained Alex’s wishes and asked whether it may be possible to facilitate a meeting. 

“You hope, but you never really can be sure. It’s the President, after all, and I’m sure he receives so many requests every day,” says Siobhan. 

But following her appeal, Siobhan was delighted to receive a response inviting Alex to a Garden Party at Áras an Uachtaráin, the official residence of Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabina. 

“He was absolutely thrilled, he and his family were delighted,” says Siobhan. 

“He went along with his mum and a friend, and I was also invited, which was absolutely fantastic. Alex was overwhelmed. It was one of the best days of his life, and it was for me too. It was amazing.”

And while enjoying the sumptuous hospitality of the event in Dublin, Alex was also able to fulfil his wish of meeting the President himself. 

“It was fantastic. We had a photo taken and I also asked the President for his autograph – I was told that was a breach of protocol, but it’s not every day you meet someone like that,” says Siobhan. 

The fact that Alex’s wish was able to come true, and was not discounted in favour of him naming something more achievable, is an indication of the ethos and determination of MCS Case Management in supporting their clients. 

“Nothing is impossible, things should never be seen as being impossible,” says Siobhan. 

“We want to make things happen for our clients. We are absolutely committed to them and to making their lives better wherever we can.” 

For more information, visit https://mcscasemanagement.ie/