TY - GEN CY - London ID - ndc27143 UR - http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/27143/ A1 - Smedslund, Geir A1 - Wollscheid, Sabine A1 - Fang, Lin A1 - Nilsen, Wendy A1 - Steiro, Asbjørn A1 - Larun, Lillebeth Y1 - 2017/04// N2 - Background: Young people?s risky use of alcohol or recreational drugs, such as cannabis, remains a significant public health issue. Many countries have made substantial efforts to minimize the long-term consequences of alcohol and/or cannabis use at multiple levels, ranging from government policy initiatives to primary health care services. In this review, we focused on the effects of brief interventions, provided by electronic devices (computerized brief interventions). A brief intervention is defined as any preventive or therapeutic activity delivered by a health worker, psychologist, social worker, or volunteer worker, and given within a maximum of four structured therapy sessions each lasting between five and ten minutes with a maximum total time of one hour. Brief interventions may work by making the clients think differently about their alcohol/cannabis use, and by providing them with skills to change their behavior if they are motivated to change. A computerized brief intervention, in contrast, is not directly delivered by a human being, but may be delivered through online and offline electronic devices. Such interventions can reach large audiences at a low cost and can simultaneously simulate an ?interpersonal therapeutic component? by targeting recipients? feedback. Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of early, computerized brief interventions on alcohol and cannabis use by young people aged 15 to 25 years who are high or risky consumers of either one or both of these substances by synthesizing data from randomized controlled trials. Search methods: We searched 11 electronic databases including MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Cinahl and The Cochrane Library in April 2016 for published, unpublished and ongoing studies using adapted subject headings and a comprehensive list of free-text terms. Additionally, we searched the reference lists of the included studies. We also have set up an EBSCO host alert notification (EPAlerts@EPNET.COM ) that continuously surveys the Cochrane Library (including CENTRAL), Medline and Embase. We receive updated searches via email. This search is up to date as of May 2016. Selection criteria: We included all randomized or quasi-randomized controlled trials of any computerized brief intervention used as a stand-alone treatment aimed at reducing alcohol and/or cannabis consumption. Eligible comparators included no intervention, waiting list control or an alternative brief intervention (computerized or non-computerized). Participants were young people between 15 and 25 years of age who were defined as risky consumers of alcohol or cannabis, or both. Data collection and analysis: Two researchers independently screened titles and abstracts against the inclusion criteria. Two researchers independently assessed the full texts of all included articles. We used standard methodological procedures expected by the Campbell Collaboration. Results: We included 60 studies that had randomized 33,316 participants in this review. Study characteristics: The studies were mostly from the United States and targeted high and risky alcohol use among university students. Bias/quality assessment: Some of the studies lacked clear descriptions of how the randomization sequence was generated and concealed. Many of the studies did not blind the participants. Some of the studies suffered from high loss to follow-up, and few studies had a pre-registered protocol. Findings: For alcohol, we found moderate quality evidence that multi-dose assessment and feedback was more effective than a single-dose assessment. We found low quality evidence that assessment and feedback might be more effective than no intervention. Assessment and feedback might also be more effective than assessment alone (low quality evidence). Short-term effects (< 6 months) were mostly larger than long-term (?6 months) effects. For cannabis, we found that assessment and feedback might slightly reduce short-term consumption compared to no intervention. Adding feedback to assessment may have little or no effect on short-term cannabis consumption. Moreover, there may be little or no difference between assessment plus feedback and education on short-term and long-term cannabis consumption. Adverse effects: We did not find evidence of any adverse effects of the interventions. Implications for policy, practice and research: Computerized brief interventions are easy to administer, and the evidence from this review indicates that such brief interventions might reduce drinking for several months after the intervention. Additionally, there is no evidence for adverse effects. This means that brief, computerized interventions could be feasible ways of dealing with risky alcohol use among young people. The evidence on cannabis consumption is scarcer, suggesting the need for more research. PB - The Campbell Collaboration SN - 1891-1803 TI - Effect of early, brief computerized interventions on risky alcohol and cannabis use among young people. AV - public EP - 216 p. ER - TY - GEN CY - London ID - ndc26887 UR - http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/26887/ Y1 - 2017/02// PB - National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence TI - Drug misuse prevention: targeted interventions. EP - 50 p. AV - public ER - TY - GEN CY - Vienna N1 - Minor editorial amendments have been made to this publication, however the content remains the same as the earlier version, first published in 2013. ID - ndc19481 UR - http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/prevention/prevention-standards.html Y1 - 2015/08// N2 - Prevention strategies based on scientific evidence working with families, schools, and communities can ensure that children and youth, especially the most marginalized and poor, grow and stay healthy and safe into adulthood and old age. For every dollar spent on prevention, at least ten can be saved in future health, social and crime costs. These global International Standards summarize the currently available scientific evidence, describing interventions and policies that have been found to result in positive prevention outcomes and their characteristics. Concurrently, the global International Standards identify the major components and features of an effective national drug prevention system. It is our hope that the International Standards will assist policy makers worldwide to develop programmes, policies and systems that are a truly effective investment in the future of children, youth, families and communities. This work builds on and recognizes the work of many other organizations (e.g. EMCDDA, CCSA, CICAD, Mentor, NIDA, WHO) which have previously developed standards and guidelines on various aspects of drug prevention. [For appendices, click on website link above] PB - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime TI - International standards on drug use prevention. AV - public EP - 48 p. ER - TY - JOUR ID - ndc24235 UR - http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24235/ A1 - Keane, Martin Y1 - 2015/07// PB - Health Research Board JF - Drugnet Ireland VL - Issue 54, Summer 2015 TI - Evaluation of a mental health early-intervention programme for young people. SP - 21 AV - public EP - 22 ER - TY - JOUR ID - ndc23291 UR - http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/23291/ IS - Special issue 01: youth mental health A1 - O?Keeffe, L A1 - O'Reilly, A A1 - O?Brien, G A1 - Buckley, R A1 - Illback, RJ Y1 - 2015/01// N2 - Objectives: Jigsaw is an early intervention mental health service developed by Headstrong which provides support to young people, aged 12?25 years, in 10 communities across Ireland. This study aimed to profile young people who availed of Jigsaw, in one calendar year, and to provide evidence that Jigsaw?s model facilitates the reduction of psychological distress. Methods: Participants were 2420 young people who received support, directly or indirectly, from Jigsaw. Demographic details, including age, gender, presenting issues and referral pathways, captured on the Jigsaw Data System were described and psychological distress was assessed using the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (CORE) questionnaires. Results: A gender balance was almost observed and the majority of participants were between 15 and 17 years old. The most common presenting issue was anxiety and the most common referral sources were self, parent, general practitioner, school and Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS). Participants reported high levels of psychological distress pre-intervention and levels were significantly lower post intervention. Conclusions: Although a lack of control group limits interpretation of the study findings, this study provides emerging evidence that Jigsaw is an accessible and effective service which plays a key role in the continuum of mental health care for young people in Ireland. PB - Medmedia Group JF - Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine VL - 32 SN - 0790-9667 TI - Description and outcome evaluation of Jigsaw: an emergent Irish mental health early intervention programme for young people. SP - 71 AV - none EP - 77 ER - TY - GEN CY - London ID - ndc24069 UR - http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24069/ Y1 - 2014/09// N2 - This briefing paper is aimed at informing teachers and practitioners involved in the delivery of alcohol and drug education and prevention. In the paper we set out the importance of Early Intervention as a preventative measure that offers children and young people the necessary social and emotional skills to help them make more positive and informed life choices. PB - Mentor ADEPSIS TI - Early intervention and prevention. AV - public EP - 7 p. ER - TY - RPRT CY - Dublin ID - ndc21773 UR - http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/21773/ Y1 - 2014/04// PB - Stationery Office M1 - other TI - Better outcomes brighter futures. The national policy framework for children & young people 2014 - 2020. EP - 168 p. AV - public ER - TY - JOUR ID - ndc21868 UR - http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/21868/ IS - 3 A1 - Apantaku-Olajide, Tunde A1 - James, Philip A1 - Smyth, Bobby P Y1 - 2014/// N2 - This study explores substance use, psychosocial problems, and the relationships to educational status in 193 adolescents (school dropouts, 63; alternative education, 46; mainstream students, 84) who attended a substance abuse treatment facility in Dublin, Ireland. The study found that the 3 groups exhibited statistically significant differences in their substance use problems, with the school dropouts displaying significantly more problems. The need for early detection and intervention of at-risk students, and collaborative interagency work aimed at addressing substance use, cannot be overemphasized as strategies to ultimately prevent school dropout. PB - Taylor & Francis JF - Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse VL - 23 SN - 1067-828X TI - Association of educational attainment and adolescent substance use disorder in a clinical sample. SP - 169 AV - none EP - 176 ER - TY - RPRT CY - Dublin ID - ndc27958 UR - http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/27958/ A1 - Darcy, Clay Y1 - 2014/// PB - Bray Youth Service & Bray Drugs Awareness Forum TI - School based drug education and prevention programme (S.B.D.E.P.P) for 6th class pupils. Resource manual for youth workers. EP - 20 p. AV - public ER - TY - GEN CY - Dublin ID - ndc24411 UR - http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24411/ A1 - Rochford, S A1 - Doherty, N A1 - Owens, S Y1 - 2014/// PB - Centre for Effective Services SN - 978-0-9926269-1-4 TI - Prevention and early intervention in children and young people?s services: ten years of learning. AV - public EP - 42 p. ER - TY - RPRT CY - Cork ID - ndc18165 UR - http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/18165/ Y1 - 2012/07// N2 - The National Standards for the Protection and Welfare of Children have been developed by the Health Information and Quality Authority (the Authority) to support continuous improvements in the care and protection of children in receipt of HSE child protection and welfare services. These outcome-based Standards provide a framework for the development of child-centred services in Ireland that protect children and promote their welfare. The Health Act 2007 establishes a statutory function for the setting of standards by the Authority. The Standards are designed to follow a child?s journey within the child protection system to ensure that his/her safety and welfare is being protected. Along that journey children will need to be supported through the provision of accessible information, access to services, screening of referrals, assessment to ensure that appropriate services are made available, and the taking of timely action to protect children at risk of harm. This is underpinned by child-focused planning and review and monitoring processes. It requires a systematic approach involving good leadership, interagency cooperation, skilled and experienced staff, and the effective management and deployment of resources ? with the child always at the centre of everything that is done. The Standards: Theme 1: Child-centred Services Theme 2: Safe and Effective Services Theme 3: Leadership, Governance and Management Theme 4: Use of Resources Theme 5: Workforce Theme 6: Use of Information PB - Health Information and Quality Authority M1 - other TI - National standards for the protection and welfare of children. For Health Service Executive children and family services. AV - public EP - 68 p. ER - TY - RPRT CY - Dublin ID - ndc18164 UR - http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/18164/ A1 - Shannon, Geoffrey Y1 - 2012/07// N2 - Section 1: Child Protection and Developments in International Law Section 2: Child Protection Developments in the United Kingdom Section 3: Criminal Justice System Section 4: A Re-Evaluation of Mandatory Reporting and Other Miscellaneous Issues PB - Department of Children and Youth Affairs M1 - other TI - Fifth report of the Special Rapporteur on Child Protection. A report submitted to the Oireachtas. AV - public EP - 246 p. ER - TY - RPRT CY - Dublin ID - ndc18121 UR - http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/18121/ Y1 - 2012/// N2 - Numerous investigation reports have documented how fragmented services have failed to meet the needs of children. It is crucial that certain services for children are now realigned from across a number of agencies into a single comprehensive, integrated and accountable agency for children and families, the Child and Family Support Agency (CFSA). The Task Force?s vision for the Child and Family Support Agency is that it will, under the direction of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, provide leadership to relevant statutory and non-statutory agencies, to ensure that the conditions needed for children?s well-being and development are fulfilled. The Task Force?s ?vision for a quality Irish childhood? is relevant to and intended to encompass all organisations, agencies and sectors that provide services to children, young people and their families. Key reforms to be progressed by the Agency include: ? The creation of multidisciplinary local teams. ? The streamlining of local services under one local manager. ? The establishment of a single, consistent mechanism for assessment, referrals and tracking supported by a new child protection notification system. PB - Stationery Office SN - 978-1-4064-2699-1 M1 - government_publication TI - Report on the Taskforce on the Child and Family Support Agency. AV - public EP - xviii, ER - TY - GEN ID - ndc17209 UR - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD008225.pub2/abstract A1 - Furlong, Mairead A1 - McGilloway, Sinead A1 - Bywater, T A1 - Hutchings, J A1 - Smith, SM A1 - Donnelly, M Y1 - 2012/// N2 - To assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of behavioural and cognitive-behavioural group-based parenting programmes for improving child conduct problems, parental mental health and parenting skills. Parenting programmes that are delivered in group settings have the potential to help parents develop parenting skills that improve the behaviour of their young children. This review provides evidence that group-based parenting programmes improve childhood behaviour problems and the development of positive parenting skills in the short-term, whilst also reducing parental anxiety, stress and depression. Evidence for the longer-term effects of these programmes is unavailable. These group-based parenting programmes achieve good results at a cost of approximately $2500 (£1712 or ?2217) per family. These costs are modest when compared with the long-term social, educational and legal costs associated with childhood conduct problems. PB - John Wiley & Sons, Ltd SN - ISSN: 1469-493X TI - Behavioural and cognitive-behavioural group-based parenting programmes for early-onset conduct problems in children aged 3 to 12 years. AV - none ER - TY - RPRT CY - Dublin ID - ndc19353 UR - http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/19353/ A1 - Share, Michelle A1 - McCarthy, Sandra A1 - Greene, Sheila Y1 - 2011/11// N2 - This study is a synthesis of the key findings from a two-year evaluation (2009-2011) of the National College of Ireland?s Early Learning Initiative. The study also relied on data from interviews with stakeholders and parents, and from an end of evaluation consultation with the ELI team. The aim of the study is to provide a guide to the ELI in the future development of its programme. The Early Learning Initiative (ELI) is a community-based educational initiative aimed at improving educational outcomes for children in the Dublin Docklands. The initiative provides support and training to parents, families and educators through a series of programmes and activities. The ELI operates as part of the National College of Ireland (NCI) and has been delivering educational programmes in the Docklands since 2006. PB - Children's Research Centre M1 - other TI - Baseline evaluation of Early Learning Initiative. Final report. AV - public EP - 76 p. ER - TY - RPRT CY - Dublin ID - ndc19355 UR - http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/19355/ A1 - Share, Michelle A1 - Doyle, Erika A1 - Callahan, Amy A1 - Greene, Sheila A1 - Wachtler, Margaret A1 - Boyd, Eimear Y1 - 2011/11// N2 - The PCHP home visiting programme aims to improve school readiness of children at risk of educational disadvantage. A trained Home Visitor calls to a parent and child twice a week over two years. Each week the Home Visitors interact with the children, using the books and toys provided, and model oral language, reading and play. Parents are encouraged to continue this practice between visits. The Dublin Docklands PCHP, operating in four Liffeyside parishes, commenced in autumn 2007, based on a model developed in the United States. Unlike the US PCHP, the Docklands programme is delivered by local women, all mothers, rather than professionals. This was important to programme success: if not accepted locally it would have had difficulty reaching its goals. This study evaluated programme implementation and outcomes for the developmental phase (2009-2011) of the Parent Child Home Programme (PCHP) in three domains: the programme, the Home Visitors, and children and their parents. PB - Children's Research Centre M1 - other TI - Baseline evaluation of the Dublin Docklands Parent Child Home Programme. AV - public EP - 124 p. ER - TY - RPRT CY - Dublin ID - ndc19354 UR - http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/19354/ A1 - Share, Michelle A1 - McCarthy, Sandra Y1 - 2011/11// N2 - The ELI Stretch to Learn programme aims to promote better educational outcomes for children and young people in the Docklands. It operates in seven local primary schools. A range of educational supports and activities are provided to students in-class and at the National College of Ireland (NCI). These include literacy, numeracy and educational guidance programmes, activities that celebrate student achievement and initiatives that aim to enhance parental involvement in children?s learning. This study provides baseline data on the schools, students and parents involved in Stretch to Learn to inform the future direction of the programme. It will also support future evaluation. The baseline data provides the educational and social context in which Stretch to Learn operates. It provides socio-demographic information about the students and parents who participate in the programme, attitudes to education and key educational performance indicators of 2nd and 6th class children. PB - Children's Research Centre M1 - other TI - The Early Learning Initiative?s Stretch to Learn Programme: baseline evaluation in primary schools in the Dublin Docklands. AV - public EP - 76 p. ER - TY - RPRT CY - Dublin ID - ndc14605 UR - http://www.childrensrights.ie/index.php?q=whats-new/report-card-2011 Y1 - 2011/// N2 - This is the third edition of the Children?s Rights Alliance?s annual report card series, which presents the Alliance's assessment of how the Government is delivering on its commitments to children in the areas of education, health, material wellbeing,and safeguarding childhood. PB - Children's Rights Alliance SN - 0-9553005-5-X M1 - other TI - Report card 2011. AV - public EP - 70 p. ER - TY - GEN CY - London ID - ndc14881 UR - http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/14881/ A1 - Walker, Janet A1 - Donaldson, Cam Y1 - 2011/// N2 - Concerns about the number of young people who fail to reach their potential at school, or get into trouble, or are not in education, employment or training (NEET), underpin the continuing commitment to end child poverty in the UK by 2020, and the Coalition Government?s pledge to increase the focus on supporting the neediest families and those with multiple problems. A strong policy commitment to improving the life chances of vulnerable young people has in recent years led to the testing of a number of initiatives. This review sought to identify: the common barriers to the effective implementation of new initiatives; elements of effective practice in the delivery of multi-agency services for vulnerable young people and their families; the costs associated with integrated service delivery; the outcomes that can be achieved; and whether fewer and more targeted initiatives might offer better value for money, particularly during a period of fiscal reform. Includes: ?Introduction to the Review ?Identifying and Assessing Vulnerable Young People ?Multi-Agency Working: Innovations in the Delivery of Support Services ?Delivering Interventions and Improving Outcomes for Young People ?Assessing Value for Money in Interventions To Improve Outcomes for Young People ?Looking to the Future: Defining Elements of Effective Practice PB - Department of Education TI - Intervening to improve outcomes for vulnerable young people: a review of the evidence. AV - public EP - 110 p. ER - TY - RPRT CY - Sligo ID - ndc18115 UR - http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/18115/ A1 - Forkan, Cormac A1 - Landy, Fergal Y1 - 2011/// N2 - Since the introduction of the Child Care Act some 20 years ago in Ireland, there has been considerable expansion and development in child and family services. Despite this positive move, some of the primary criticisms of service provision have been that there is an uncoordinated, incoherent strategy for integrated working, resulting in a failure to deliver timely support to families, a lack of clarity concerning roles, bureaucratic delay and inappropriate interagency referral. The development and subsequent piloting of the Identification of Need (ION) model in Sligo/Leitrim and Donegal has occurred against this backdrop. It was designed to respond to many of these key inadequacies in existing service provision. Given this, the overarching aim of this evaluation study was ?to assess the effectiveness of ION as a model of early intervention for children and families and to capture the learning from the pilot phase?. The ION model is a multi-agency, early intervention process for children, young people and families. It enables parents and children, assisted by practitioners, to identify their own needs. It seeks to build on and formalise current practice. Practitioners in any agency are capable of undertaking an ION (identification of need). The essential quality is not professional training, but a helpful and respectful relationship with the family. It was intended at the outset that the ION be adopted by all agencies working with children and families. As a new way of engaging families ?pre-social work front door?, the ION provides a vital element in the continuum of support available to children and families. The ION was developed as a pilot initiative in the HSE Local Health Office Areas of Donegal and Sligo/Leitrim/West Cavan from January 2009 ? December 2010. In June 2010, the Child and Family Research Centre, NUI Galway, was appointed as the external evaluator of the pilot phase of the ION process. The central finding of this evaluation is that there is unequivocal support from stakeholders for the ION and for its continuation in the future. Families and agencies across the range of statutory, community and voluntary sectors warmly welcomed the key features of the ION, such as parental control over the process, its informal approach, multi-agency intervention and the emphasis on trusting relationships and practical support. The evaluation findings demonstrate the potential of the ION as a key player along the continuum of support and care provided to children and families, one which enhances and maximises the benefits and potential of both interagency cooperation and the effective timely functioning of key agencies. The simplicity of the concept, combined with the structured formalisation of committed interagency working, establishes the ION as a user-friendly effective model that has already established considerable uptake in its pilot phase and is well placed to expand and develop in the future. PB - Sligo Social Services Council M1 - other TI - An evaluation of the Identification of Need (ION) process in Sligo/Leitrim and Donegal. AV - public EP - 111 p. ER - TY - RPRT CY - Letterkenny ID - ndc16250 UR - http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/16250/ A1 - Hope, Ann Y1 - 2011/// N2 - This family and alcohol research study was developed by NWAF Ltd in partnership with existing structures within the NW Regional Drugs Task Force area. The findings of this research will provide valuable new evidence on the extent of the problem, establish baseline measures against which future activities can be measured and help inform the development of appropriate support family mechanisms in the North West area and also nationally. Contents 1. North West Alcohol Forum Ltd 2. Aim of the research project p.1 2.1 Background 2.2 Aim of the research project 2.3 Conceptual base of study 3. Review of Literature p.3 4. Research Design p.5 4.1 Methodology 4.2 Data sources 4.3 Framework for analysis 5. Results p.9 5.1 Adults as role models- risky drinking patterns Ireland 5.2 Children?s exposure to risk within families 5.3 Community awareness of risk to children 5.4 Children?s experience of neglect and abuse 5.5 Child abuse and the involvement of alcohol 5.5.1 National Protection Data Results 5.5.2 RAISE data 5.5.3 Hospitalisations for child abuse in the North West 6. Views of frontline staff working in Family Support Services p.29 6.1 Binge Drinking - the drinking norm in Ireland 6.2 Youth doing what they see 6.3 Parental responsibility for youth drinking 6.4 Parental alcohol problems 6.5 Parental drinking - consequences for children 6.6 Intervention ? when? 6.7 Ways of working with families 6.8 The meaning of Binge Drinking 7. Family support services p.33 7.1 Strengthening Families Programme - Donegal 7.2 Springboard Resource House Project - Sligo 8. Summary and Conclusions p.35 9. Recommendations p.40 PB - North West Alcohol Forum SN - 978-0-9570670-0-4 M1 - other TI - Hidden realities: children's exposure to risks from parental drinking in Ireland. AV - public EP - 47 p. ER - TY - RPRT CY - Dublin ID - ndc15522 UR - http://www.dcya.gov.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=1589 Y1 - 2011/// N2 - Children First is National Guidance that promotes the protection of children from abuse and neglect. It states what organisations need to do to keep children safe, and what different bodies, and the general public should do if they are concerned about a child?s safety and welfare. The Guidance sets out specific protocols for HSE social workers, Gardaí and other front line staff in dealing with suspected abuse and neglect. Minister Fitzgerald acknowledged and commended all those who work so hard to make sure that every child they interact with is cared for, cherished, supported and protected. She said ?These are the practitioners in the professional and voluntary sectors, medical professionals, Gardai, youth workers, teachers, and coaches all over Ireland who already passionately employ best practice in child protection. These people already implement Children First in full, understand their duties and do not need legislation to keep children safe.? Unfortunately, this is not always the case and referring to the publication of the Cloyne report earlier in the week and other reports already published, Minister Fitzgerald said their publication ?cumulatively shine a light on horrific episodes from our past; and indeed from our very recent past; where as a state and society we failed in our moral duty to cherish and protect our nation?s children. My role as Minster is to seek that never again will these evils be countenanced.? Minister Fitzgerald referred to non compliance with child protection guidelines in the past, particularly where compliance was on a voluntary basis. She indicated her intention to bring forward legislation to require, for the first time, statutory compliance with Children First. The legislation will provide that all organisations will have a duty to comply with Children First, to share relevant information and to cooperate with other relevant services in the best interest of the child. The legislation will provide for a strong system of inspection and oversight and the need to provide demonstrable evidence that the guidance is being implemented correctly across all sectors. Children First was first published in 1999. The principle and substance of this document (2011) are unchanged. The Guidance has been updated to reflect new policy, legislation and organisation ? the establishment of the HSE, HIQA, and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. It incorporates lessons from investigations, reviews and inspections over the past decade. This document reflects the growing awareness of the impact of ongoing neglect on children in its guidance. It also includes bullying as a feature of abuse. Its publication was a commitment in the Programme for Government. Minister Fitzgerald also said ?I want the message to go out that it is absolutely critical that if somebody has, on good faith, reasonable concerns over the abuse or neglect child then those concerns must be reported to the relevant authorities and to this end statutory reporting requirements will be addressed as one aspect of the proposed new Children First legislation.? PB - Government Publications SN - 978-1-4064-2589-5 M1 - government_publication TI - Children First: National guidance for the protection and welfare of children. AV - public EP - 108 p. ER - TY - RPRT CY - Galway N1 - Prepared by the Child and Family Research Centre, NUI Galway for the Health Service Executive ID - ndc18116 UR - http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/18116/ A1 - Landy, Fergal A1 - Forkan, Cormac A1 - Canavan, John Y1 - 2011/// N2 - The North Dublin Differential Response Model (DRM) was developed in the aftermath of a seminar held by the then Children?s Act Advisory Board in May 2008. This seminar involved a series of presentations, including presentations on the Minnesota differential response model and a presentation on the Foyle Trust ?New Beginnings? model. Following this seminar a series of meetings and communications took place which led to the decision to pilot the differential response model in North Dublin. This report is the first of three reports that will be produced on the pilot of the DRM in North Dublin. There will also be an interim and final report. At an overall level, the evaluation has two aims: first, to describe the development of the model and its implementation; and second, to establish whether the intended outcomes from the implementation of the model have been achieved. This report contains an introduction with background to the project, the methodological approach and the structure of this report. Chapter 2 contains some brief information on the Minnesota approach and detailed information on the design and development of the North Dublin DRM. Chapter 3 sets out the findings including data from the baseline survey on staff?s expectations for the project and successes, challenges and improvements that relate to organisational issues, the model itself, practice developments and partnership between agencies. Chapter 4 includes an update on measures taken to address early challenges as well as a set of areas identified by the evaluators as requiring ongoing attention for the development of the project. PB - Child and Family Research Centre M1 - other TI - North Dublin Differential Response Model. early implementation report. AV - public EP - 61 p. ER - TY - RPRT CY - Dublin ID - ndc15654 UR - http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/15654/ A1 - McEvoy, Olivia A1 - Smith, Martine Y1 - 2011/// N2 - During 2010, the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (OMCYA) conducted a consultation process with children living in the care of the State. The project was called Listen to our voices! Hearing children and young people living in the care of the State. In the Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (2009), Justice Ryan recommends that ?children in care should be able to communicate without fear?. The Government?s Implementation Plan, brought out in response to the recommendations in the Ryan Report, committed the OMCYA to conducting a consultation process with children in the care of the State and to publishing the findings. The objectives of the consultation process were to seek the views of children and young people in the care of the State, in detention and in residential services for children with a disability on the issues that matter to them, to explore existing mechanisms for children and young people to express their views and to make recommendations on future structures to be established for children and young people?s voices to be heard. Advised and assisted by an Oversight Committee that included the HSE and a number of organisations that work with children and young people living in the care of the State, the OMCYA also worked with a Youth Advisory Group to help establish and support the consultation process. The key questions posed to ascertain the views of young people in care were: ? What are the most important issues for young people in care? ? What services and supports are in place for young people in care and, of those, what works well and what does not work well? ? What recommendations do young people have on the way the systems and supports should work and on ways that young people in care should have their voices heard? The aims and objectives of the consultations were: ? to seek the views of children and young people in the care of the State on the issues that really matter to them and on which they would like to be heard; ? to explore existing mechanisms for children and young people to express their views; ? to make recommendations on future structures to be established for children and young people to express their views. A significant challenge in organising the consultations was accessing young people in care, especially in foster care. It must be noted that, despite a number of strong interventions by senior HSE personnel in support of the consultation process, a very disappointing number of children in foster care were informed about the consultations. Due to the absence of a comprehensive database of young people in care, the only mechanism for contacting such young people was via their social workers. Since not every young person is receptive to information coming from their social worker, alternative routes had to be found to contact young people directly and encourage them to participate. A number of non-statutory agencies, working with and advocating for young people in care, were enlisted and assisted in the promotion of the consultations and the recruitment of young people. Thus, following an arduous recruitment process, a total of 211 children and young people took part in the consultations between January and July 2010. Young participants included those in the care of the State living in foster care (some long-term) and residential centres, children and young people detained in St. Patrick?s Institution and in detention schools, and children and young people in residential units because of a disability. Young people who had recently left the care system also participated in the consultations. The difficulty in accessing children and young people in foster care resulted in a disproportionate number of young people in residential care and detention facilities taking part in the consultations. However, as this was a consultation process and not a research study, the views of all the children and young people who took part are valid and add strong value to the provision of a better understanding of the care experience for children and young people. Fifteen consultations were held in Cork, Dublin, Galway and Sligo. A separate parallel process for young people with moderate to severe disabilities was also conducted, with consultations taking place in Dublin, Meath and Galway. The consultations were run in an informal, open and safe manner. Creative methodologies were devised to cater for the diverse cohorts of participants so that they could be empowered to express their views, depending on their level of ability and interest. The participants were very open and articulate in expressing their views on a myriad of issues pertaining to care. Despite their diversity, there was a remarkable consistency in the common themes and issues identified during the consultations as important to the participants. Among these themes and issues were: ? the complexity and importance of regular access to birth parents and siblings; ? being treated as ?one of the family? in foster care; ? the importance of assessment and vetting of foster families, as well as their compulsory training; ? the lack of information available to young people in care, particularly on aftercare services, which are not consistent in all locations; ? the impact of disruption and multiplicity of placements experienced by young people; ? the importance of having even one person or agency who will listen and ?be there? to support a young person in care; ? issues about confidentiality, privacy, constant record-keeping and the difficulties in gaining consent for relatively normal activities. The strongest criticisms coming from participants concerned social work services and care plan reviews. Having identified their key concerns and issues, the young participants made recommendations on how to improve the lives of children in the care of the State and how to ensure that their voices are heard. These included: ? a review of social work services, which would ideally lead to social workers having more manageable caseloads and more time to better engage with the young people on that caseload; ? a re-examination of care plan reviews, which would result in a system that would better allow young people to express themselves in a less intimidating environment and have an input on decisions impacting their lives in care; ? improved assessment and vetting of foster families; ? compulsory training for foster families; ? increased information on a variety of issues, such as the care system itself, organisations that support young people in care and aftercare services; ? availability of counselling. When asked about the mechanisms available to them to ?express their views? or what allowed them to ?have their voice heard?, it was apparent that this notion was alien to many participants. They reported that they are rarely asked for their views or feedback, and that the current mechanisms in place to seek those views are not working for them. This report recommends that the existing structures designed to ensure the voice of the child is heard are reviewed and that a culture of participation is developed in which young people are consulted on the key decisions that affect their lives on an ongoing basis. Despite struggling with the possibilities of what it might mean to ?have your voice heard?, the participants formulated a number of very practical key recommendations on future structures to better enable young people to express their views and have their voices heard. These recommendations included: ? an official ?forum? made up of young people from a variety of care settings, which would work towards positive change for young people in care; ? regular peer support meetings of young people in care at regional level; ? a dedicated support telephone line; ? a ?mentor? for each young person in care. The young people in detention schools and in St. Patrick?s Institution also identified a number of issues of importance to them. These included the significant role that alcohol and drugs play in their lives, as well as the lack of freedom, privacy, facilities and services available to them in detention settings. The lack of respect from staff was also of considerable concern to young people in detention. These participants also made recommendations for the future of young people in detention settings, almost all of which pertained to their practical needs, such as improved facilities, freedom and privacy. However, in relation to having their voices heard, they suggested: ? being treated like human beings (St. Patrick?s Institution) and being respected by staff; ? having a representative group to bring the views of young people to management; ? having someone to talk to who does not work in the detention setting; ? having a visit from the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to discuss relevant issues. The report concludes that the agencies responsible for children in the care of the State must listen to the voices of the consultation participants and, more importantly, heed their recommendations. PB - Government Publications SN - 978-1-4064-2596-3 M1 - government_publication TI - Listen to our voices. Hearing children and young people living in the care of the State. AV - public EP - 120 p. ER - TY - JOUR ID - ndc15231 UR - http://www.imj.ie//ViewArticleDetails.aspx?ArticleID=6266 IS - 4 A1 - McNicholas, Fiona A1 - O'Connor, N A1 - Bandyopadhyay, G A1 - Doyle, P A1 - O'Donovan, A A1 - Belton, M Y1 - 2011/// N2 - Children in care in Ireland have increased by 27% in the last decade. This population is recognized to be among the most vulnerable. This study aims to describe their placement histories, service use and mental health needs. Data was obtained on 174 children (56.5% of eligible sample) with a mean age of 10.83 (SD = 5.04). 114 (65.5%) were in care for three years or more. 29 (16.7%) did not have a SW and 49 (37.7%) had no GP. 50 (28.7%) were attending CAMHS. Long term care, frequent placement changes and residential setting were significantly related with poorer outcomes and increased MH contact. Given the increase in numbers in care and the overall decrease in resource allocation to health and social care, individual care planning and prioritizing of resources are essential. PB - Irish Medical Organisation JF - Irish Medical Journal VL - 104 SN - 0332-3102 TI - Looked after children in Dublin and their mental health needs. SP - 105 AV - none EP - 108 ER - TY - GEN CY - London ID - ndc15227 UR - http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/15227/ TI - Supporting information for the development of joint local protocols between drug and alcohol partnerships, children and family services. Y1 - 2011/// N2 - The purpose of this document is to support local partnerships to develop joint local protocols between the drug and alcohol partnerships and children and family services. The supporting information further develops the previously published ?Joint guidance on development of local protocols between drug and alcohol treatment services and local safeguarding and family services'. PB - National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse AV - public ER - TY - RPRT CY - Dublin ID - ndc19356 UR - http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/19356/ A1 - Share, Michelle A1 - Kerrins, Liz A1 - Greene, Sheila Y1 - 2011/// N2 - From 2007 to 2010, the Early Learning Initiative (ELI) at the National College of Ireland (NCI) supported 24 early years practitioners from 11 community childcare centres located in Dublin?s Docklands to undertake training in Pen Green?s methodology to develop partnerships with parents to support their child?s learning - Parental Involvement in Children?s Learning (PICL). This report describes an evaluation of the implementation of the PICL framework in a sample of five of these childcare centres. Specifically the evaluation sought to identify and analyse: ? What does parental involvement mean in childcare settings where staff have undergone PICL training? ? How have these childcare centres implemented the PICL training? ? To what extent has awareness been raised amongst childcare practitioners about parental involvement in children?s learning? ? How do parents who use the centres regard parental involvement in the childcare centres? ? Which elements of the PICL training worked best, and for which groups? ? What are the barriers and facilitators to parental involvement in the early years settings; and ? Are any future training and resources required to encourage parental involvement in the childcare centres? This report also discusses the sustainability of the use of the Pen Green approach in the Docklands childcare centres and the future role of the ELI in supporting continuous professional development (CPD) and parental involvement. PB - Children's Research Centre M1 - other TI - Developing early years professionalism. Evaluation of the Early Learning Initiative?s Professional Development Programme in community childcare centres in the Dublin Docklands. AV - public EP - 132 p. ER - TY - RPRT CY - Dublin ID - ndc15221 UR - http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/15221/ A1 - Share, Michelle A1 - Kerrins, Liz A1 - Greene, Sheila Y1 - 2011/// N2 - The National College of Ireland (NCI) plays an active partnership role in its local community, the Dublin Docklands; and a fundamental component of this active partnership is NCI?s Early Learning Initiative (ELI). ELI is a community-based educational initiative aimed at addressing educational disadvantage through the provision of an integrated programme for children, their parents and families, and educators from early years up to third level. This report, conducted by the Children?s Research Centre, Trinity College and funded by Pobal Dormant Account Funds ? Flagship Projects, examines the implementation of one element of the Early Learning Initiative - Parental Involvement in Children?s Learning (PICL) training in community childcare centres in the Docklands. PB - Children's Research Centre M1 - other TI - Developing early years professionalism. The evaluation of the Early Learning Initiative?s professional development programme for community childcare settings in the Dublin Docklands. AV - public EP - 132 p. ER - TY - RPRT CY - Dublin ID - ndc15376 UR - http://www.iprt.ie/shifting-focus Y1 - 2010/// N2 - Crime cannot be viewed as a social problem in isolation from deeper social and economic issues. Understanding and responding to offending behaviour is a complex issue. There is no one ?cause? and no single solution; consequently one dimensional approaches are unlikely to produce results. Currently, the Irish criminal justice system is spending increasing and wasteful amounts of scarce resources with poor results in reducing crime, when modest investments in under-resourced communities would have greater positive effects in reducing offending, as well as producing wider social benefifits. In this policy document, IPRT, Barnardos and IAYPIC present the case for making the shift in resources from criminal justice to social justice, thereby creating better communities and a safer society for all. PB - Irish Penal Reform Trust; Barnardos; IAYPC M1 - other TI - Shifting focus:from criminal justice to social justice. Building better and safer communities. AV - public EP - 12 p. ER - TY - RPRT CY - Dublin ID - ndc15375 UR - http://www.iprt.ie/contents/1831 A1 - Murphy, Candy Y1 - 2010/// N2 - This report is based on a literature review, commissioned by IPRT, Barnardos and IAYPIC and carried out in late 2009 and early 2010 by Candy Murphy, CMAdvice Ltd. The three commissioning organisations are responsible for the content of the report. The commissioning of this literature review was the first stage in a joint programme of work for our three organisations which seeks to illustrate the potential for the policies and practices of prevention and early intervention identified in this report. The literature review provided a platform for our three organisations to develop a joint Position Paper, Shifting Focus: From Criminal Justice to Social Justice (published September 2010) and for a joint conference hosted by the three organisations on September 23rd 2010 in Dublin. PB - Irish Prison Reform Trust; Barnardos; IAYPIC M1 - other TI - From Justice to Welfare: the case for investment in prevention and early intervention. AV - public EP - 70 p. ER - TY - GEN CY - London ID - ndc14055 UR - http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/14055/ A1 - Bostock, Lisa Y1 - 2010/// N2 - This guide looks at how childcare professionals can make a difference to young people's experiences of foster care. Professionals play an important role by supporting caring relationships, ensuring that school is a positive experience, and promoting the self-esteem of children and young people in the foster care system. This guide unpacks the concept of resilience and provides helpful hints for practice as well as access to further resources. It is aimed at the qualifying and newly qualified childcare professional and outlines why they matter in the life of a foster child. Positive relationships, at any age in the life span, can help improve poor self-image. People who take an interest, who listen, who care and love people, make others feel better. They bolster self-esteem. PB - Social Care Institute for Excellence TI - Promoting resilience in fostered children and young people. AV - public EP - 42 p. ER -