Kare

What Kare does

Kare: Promoting Inclusion for People with Intellectual Disabilities is an Irish registered charity (Charity Revenue Number CHY 5907; Registered Charity Number 20009700) that delivers community-based supports to children and adults with intellectual disabilities across Mid/South Kildare, East Offaly, West Wicklow, and North East Carlow. Service users access day services, residential accommodation, clinical supports, outreach, employment pathways and short breaks/respite, with eligibility gated on intellectual disability as primary disability, age 18+ for adult services, and residence within the defined catchment. The organisation operates from Kare Central Services in Newbridge (Athgarvan Road, W12 Y497) and a network of community locations including Athy, Edenderry, Kilcullen, Naas, Prosperous and Clane, with affiliated special schools (St Anne's School, St Mark's School) under its FOI disclosure remit.

Operationally, Kare layers workforce-development and digital infrastructure on top of service delivery. LEAP (Learning Education Activity Platform) is a Moodle-based online training and learning platform hosted by Enovation at leap.kare.ie, supporting online courses, assessments, training-completion records and live online events for staff and service users, with OpenID Connect SSO authentication. The KWETB-funded Local Training Initiative delivers a 52-week QQI Level 5 Major Award in Intellectual Disabilities Practice at the McMahon Centre in Kilcullen, and the Department of Social Protection co-funds two Community Employment Schemes (Adult Supports and Childcare) at 19.5 hours/week, reporting an 80% progression-to-employment rate. Service-user voice is institutionally embedded through the Voice for Kare advocacy committee chaired by David Leigh.

Kare's business model is non-commercial: the Health Service Executive is the largest single provider of funding under block-grant commissioning, supplemented by donations, corporate Community Champion partnerships (Amazon SNN5, Team905 Cycling Club), events such as the Pat Jones Memorial Cycle and Dublin Marathon participation, and grant income. Kare pays staff on HSE-aligned pay scales and is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Matthew Behan, with Margaret O'Neill serving as CEO following her appointment in late 2025. The organisation holds Gold Certification in the NSAI Excellence Through People standard (awarded early 2026) and publishes quarterly FOI disclosures, an annual report cycle covering 2007–2025, and a Strategic Plan covering 2021–2025.

Name

Kare

Legal name

Kare: Promoting Inclusion for People with Intellectual Disabilities

Website

https://kare.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Kare is an Irish registered charity delivering community-based day, residential, clinical, outreach, employment, and respite supports to children and adults with intellectual disabilities across Kildare, East Offaly, West Wicklow, and North East Carlow, primarily funded by the HSE.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Support Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (62321), Child and Youth Services (62411), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG), Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM), Special Education Staffing & Contracted Providers (Paras, Therapists, Specialists) (EDAJAKAL)

Keywords

• Disability support services
• Community social care
• Intellectual disability services
• Vocational training programmes
• Residential day services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kildare

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. HSE Service Funding: The Health Service Executive (HSE) is the largest single provider of funding to Kare, supporting the delivery of community-based services to people with intellectual disabilities. This forms the core operational funding base.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Supplemented by fundraising activities (events such as the Pat Jones Memorial Cycle, individual giving, corporate Community Champion partnerships e.g., Amazon) and grant funding as it becomes available. Kare is a registered charity (CHY 5907, Charity Number 20009700).
3. KWETB-Funded Training Programmes: The Local Training Initiative (LTI) in Intellectual Disabilities Practice is fully funded by the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB), with participants eligible to transfer from social welfare benefits to a training allowance.
4. Department of Social Protection CE Scheme Funding: Community Employment (CE) Schemes run with the Department of Social Protection provide part-time temporary placements (19.5 hours/week) with training funded through the scheme.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Kare delivers community-based disability supports to children and adults with intellectual disabilities across Kildare, East Offaly, West Wicklow and North East Carlow, including day services, residential, clinical, outreach, employment and respite services. It also runs workforce-development programmes such as the QQI-accredited Local Training Initiative and Department of Social Protection Community Employment Schemes, funded primarily by the HSE with supplementary donations and grants.

Product overview

Kare operates a portfolio of community-based social-care services for people with intellectual disabilities across Ireland, rather than a single unified software product. Its core offering is delivered through the Adult Services (day, residential, clinical, outreach, employment, and respite) and Children's Services, supplemented by the Young Adults Team (a sub-brand operating at yatdublinmidlands.ie) and Clinical Supports. Layered on top of the service delivery, Kare runs workforce and skills-development programmes, including the LEAP Learning Education Activity Platform (a Moodle-based LMS built and hosted by Enovation with OpenID Connect SSO), the QQI-accredited Local Training Initiative (LTI), and Community Employment (CE) Schemes run with the Department of Social Protection. Voice for Kare is the service-user advocacy group that feeds directly into governance and strategic planning. Kare does not offer a traditional commercial software product; instead it provides a coordinated platform of disability supports plus internal digital infrastructure (LEAP, policies library, FOI scheme) for staff and service users.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LEAP (Kare's Learning Education Activity Platform): Moodle-based online training platform used by Kare staff and service users to complete courses, assessments and live online events (leap.kare.ie).
• Voice for Kare

Products and services

• Adult Services Range of community-based supports for adults (18+) with intellectual disabilities across Kildare, East Offaly, West Wicklow and North East Carlow, comprising day services, residential, clinical, outreach, employment and respite supports.
• Children's Services Community-based supports for children with intellectual disabilities and their families, including a dedicated children's respite house in Athy that has been the focus of recent improvement projects with corporate partners.
• Clinical Supports Clinical services delivered to adults and children supported by Kare, covering health and therapeutic needs associated with intellectual disabilities.
• Young Adults Team (YAT) Young adults service operated under a separate web property (yatdublinmidlands.ie), focused on supporting young adults with intellectual disabilities in the Dublin Midlands area during transition from children's to adult services.
• Local Training Initiative (LTI) in Intellectual Disabilities Practice Fully-funded 52-week QQI-accredited Level 5 Major Award in Intellectual Disabilities Practice delivered at Kare's McMahon Centre in Kilcullen, with work experience across Kare's catchment area. Funded by Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB).
• Community Employment (CE) Schemes Two CE Schemes (Adult Supports and Childcare) run with the Department of Social Protection, providing 19.5 hours/week part-time placements in frontline services, childcare, clerical, reception, accounts, catering and caretaker/maintenance roles. 80% of completers reportedly progress to employment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 46 staff members interviewed and four days of on-site evaluation during Gold Excellence Through People (NSAI) certification in late 2025
• +6 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered recurring flagship, minor / project-based, flagship / community champion tier, event sponsor, network / referrer, network / advocacy, network / representative body, network / adjacent body, core technology vendor, core governance partner and programme partner.

• Team905 Cycling Clubrecurring flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 June 2026Team905 Cycling Club in Edenderry has selected Kare as its charity partner for the Pat Jones Memorial Cycle for the third year in a row. The annual cycle (held on Saturday, 18 April) offers 40km and 92km routes, attracts more than 200 cyclists, and has raised over €56K for local charities over the past 11 years. The 2026 cycle raised €4,000 for Kare.
• Crooked House Theatre Companyminor / project-basedStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2026Crooked House Theatre Company delivered weekly drama workshops for a group of 14 Kare service users from January 2026, leading to a showcase performance at Ryston Sports and Social Club in Newbridge and supporting participants to achieve a QQI Level 3 Drama Award. The project was funded by Kare's Local Impact Fund.
• Amazon (SNN5 fulfilment centre)flagship / community champion tierStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2026Amazon SNN5 in Baldonnell is Kare's newest Community Champion partner. Volunteers led by Site Lead Marcus Mallon and Area Manager Chris McGlinchey carried out a multi-month volunteering and improvement project at Kare's children's respite house in Athy, including painting, sensory lighting fitting and outdoor play facilities installation. Amazon SNN5 also made a €5,000 financial donation. Both organisations committed to continued collaboration through future volunteering projects.
• FBD Hotels and Resorts (Killashee House Hotel)event sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 November 2025FBD Hotels and Resorts sponsored Voice for Kare's 'Beyond Barriers: Inclusion, Rights, Action' conference by providing the venue, catering and support at Killashee House Hotel, Naas, on 5 November. The conference attracted more than 100 people with intellectual disabilities.
• Children's Disability Network Teams CHO7 (cho7cdnt.ie)network / referrerOthersCross-referenced as a related network serving children with disabilities in the same CHO7 area, listed in Kare's Useful Links as a partner / collaborator.
• Disability Federation of Irelandnetwork / advocacyOthersNational umbrella body representing disability organisations; listed as a collaborator / Useful Link from Kare's website.
• National Federation of Voluntary Service Providers (FedVol)network / representative bodyOthersNational representative body for voluntary disability service providers; listed in Kare's Useful Links.
• Inclusion Irelandnetwork / advocacyOthersNational association for people with an intellectual disability in Ireland; listed as a Useful Link / collaborator from Kare's website.
• Family Carers Irelandnetwork / referrerOthersListed in Kare's Useful Links as a provider of Assisted Decision Making legal guides for family carers, supporting families connected to Kare.
• St Anne's School, The Curraghnetwork / adjacent bodyOthersListed as an agency / body under Kare's remit via the FoI disclosure scheme. A special school serving students with intellectual disabilities in the Curragh area.
• St Mark's School, Newbridgenetwork / adjacent bodyOthersListed as an agency / body under Kare's remit via the FoI disclosure scheme. A special school in Newbridge serving students with intellectual disabilities.
• Enovation (Moodle hosting partner)core technology vendorTechnology or IntegrationEnovation powers the LEAP Learning Education Activity Platform that Kare uses to deliver online training, assessments and live online events to staff and service users.
• Wix.comcore technology vendorTechnology or IntegrationWix hosts Kare's public website (kare.ie) and stores user data on secure servers behind a firewall as part of Kare's website platform.
• Voice for Kare (service-user advocacy committee)core governance partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerVoice for Kare is Kare's internal service-user advocacy committee, chaired by David Leigh. It played a central role in organising the 'Beyond Barriers: Inclusion, Rights, Action' conference, reviewed all presentations in advance, and provided feedback on accessibility. Its discussions will help shape Kare's next Strategic Plan.
• Gaisce - The President's Awardprogramme partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerKare supports service users to pursue the President's Award through two of Kare's President's Award Leaders (PALs), Frieda Bent and Helen Farrell. Two Kare community members received Gold Gaisce Awards from President Catherine Connolly in December 2025.
• LOETB (Longford and Westmeath Education and Training Board)programme partnerOthersLOETB delivered further education and training courses to individuals in the Edenderry day service; Kare CEO Margaret O'Neill presented certificates at the 2026 Pat Jones Cycle event.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Peamount Healthcare: Voluntary provider of disability, rehabilitation and older-person services on a Dublin campus, delivering residential, day, clinical and respite supports — overlapping clinical and residential delivery with Kare.
• Brothers of Charity Services Ireland: Ireland's largest network of voluntary intellectual-disability service providers delivering community-based day, residential, respite and clinical supports across multiple regions — the closest national scale comparable to Kare's service mix.
• Western Care Association: Mayo-based voluntary provider of community-based day, residential, respite and supported-employment services for adults and children with intellectual disabilities — closely comparable to Kare's service mix and Irish voluntary-sector structure.
• Cheshire Ireland: National voluntary disability provider delivering person-centred community residential, day and outreach supports to people with physical and intellectual disabilities — overlapping target population and service portfolio with Kare.
• SOS Kilkenny: Kilkenny-based voluntary organisation providing community supports, residential, day and respite services primarily to people with intellectual disabilities — a regional direct peer with a comparable community-anchored delivery model.
• Camphill Communities of Ireland: Provider of residential and day community supports for people with intellectual disabilities, organised around intentional community settings — comparable population and community-anchored model, with a different delivery philosophy.
• Ability West: Galway-based intellectual-disability services provider offering day, residential, respite, clinical and supported-employment services — directly comparable to Kare's whole-of-life model.
• Stewarts Care: Large Dublin-based voluntary disability services provider delivering day, residential, clinical and respite supports to adults and children with intellectual disabilities — directly comparable operating model and HSE funding base to Kare.

Regional players

• Acquired Brain Injury Ireland (ABI Ireland): National voluntary provider of community-based neurorehabilitation and supported living for people with acquired brain injury — overlaps with Kare's person-centred community delivery but addresses a different disability cohort.

Broad incumbents

• Rehab Group: Large Irish national NGO delivering disability, training, employment and social-care services (including National Learning Network and Rehab Enterprises) — overlaps with Kare on training-to-employment pathways but operates at much greater scale and breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@kare_irl
• Facebookfacebook.com/KAREpage
• LinkedInie.linkedin.com/company/kare-inclusion
• Instagraminstagram.com/kare_irl

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kare