Foreword

This is the third Children’s Services Plan developed by the Western Area Children and Young People's Committee. It sets out the main issues affecting children and young people regarded as vulnerable or in need and the key result areas which the Plan seeks to address. The planning process has drawn together a wide range of knowledge, skill and expertise from the voluntary, community and statutory sectors, and has gained from increasing consultation with children, young people and their parents about what makes a difference to them.

The Children and Young People’s Committees across the four Health Board areas in Northern Ireland have collaborated in addressing key policy issues that have arisen in relation to children. Common approaches to information-gathering have been designed to support the development of better inter-agency planning and delivery. The four Committees have embraced the outcomes-based approach and have developed a series of outcome statements, describing the life we would like for all children in Northern Ireland. Further discussion is being undertaken with Government Departments in an effort to include an outcomes approach in the development of strategies for children.

The Western Area Children and Young People's Committee is currently drawing up a more detailed Action Plan, describing implementation measures for 2005/2006. This Action Plan will be the basis for the reviews of the Children’s Services Plan in 06/07 and 07/08.

In the next three years, it is our hope that the planning being carried out through this Children’s Services Plan will result in better outcomes for children and young people in the Western Board area.

Western Area Children and Young People’s Committee

Prof D Burke (Chair), DSC, WHSSB	Ms S McCaul, SEO, WELB
Ms C Boyle, Derry Children’s Commission	Ms D McGuinness, Lifestart Foundation
Ms M Boyle, Derry Travellers Support Group	Mrs S McIntyre, Service Planner, WHSSB
Mr J Doherty, DSC, Foyle HSS Trust	Mr E McTernan, CSP (PSW), WHSSB
Ms P Leeson, Director, Children in Northern Ireland	Mr A O’Neill, Director, Youth Justice Agency
Insp C Mackie, Police Service NI	Mr A Rooke, ACPO, PBNI
Mr S Mackie, AM, NIHE	Ms J Ross, PSW, Westcare Business Services
Ms B Macqueen, Dry Arch Centre, Dungiven	Mr V Ryan, DCC, Sperrin Lakeland HSC Trust
Mr G Matthewson, Principal, Holy Family Primary School

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Contents

1. Introduction – ‘Regional Chapter’.........................................................................10

1.1. Outcomes for Children and Young People...............................................................10

1.2. The ‘Whole Child’ Model...........................................................................................12

1.3. The Northern Ireland Family Support Model.............................................................15

1.4. Next Steps................................................................................................................16

1.4.1. The Shape of the Children’s Services Plan..............................................................16

1.4.2. Equality and Human Rights......................................................................................17

2. The Western Area Children’s Services Plan........................................................19

2.1. Children and Young People in the Western Area – Population Data........................19

2.2. The Western Area Children and Young People’s Committee – Structure and Composition.......................................................................................................................20

2.3. Development of the Children’s Services Plan...........................................................22

2.4. Consultation on the Children’s Services Plan...........................................................23

2.5. Strategic Context......................................................................................................24

2.6. Funding the Children’s Services Plan.......................................................................25

2.7. Strategic Objectives – Western Area Children and Young People's Committee – Children’s Services Plan 2005-2008...................................................................................26

2.8. Key Result Areas......................................................................................................27

3. Building on the Strengths of Families..................................................................29

3.1. Progress to Date.......................................................................................................29

3.2. Intensive Support Strategy.......................................................................................31

3.2.1. Thresholds................................................................................................................31

3.2.2. Sperrin Lakeland HSC Trust – Strategic Objective for Intensive Support Strategy...32

3.2.3. Progress to Date – Sperrin Lakeland HSC Trust......................................................32

3.2.4. Project Plan – 200502006 - Sperrin Lakeland HSC Trust........................................33

3.2.5. Key Result Areas – 2005-2008 - Sperrin Lakeland HSC Trust.................................34

3.2.6. Foyle HSS Trust – Strategic Objective for Family Support Strategy.........................35

3.2.7. Progress to Date – Foyle HSS Trust........................................................................35

3.2.8. Key Result Areas – 2005-2008 – Foyle HSS Trust...................................................37

3.3. Preventative Strategy...............................................................................................38

3.3.1. Locality Consultation Exercise..................................................................................40

3.3.2. Strategic Objective – Family Support Preventative Group........................................45

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3.3.3. Key Result Areas 2005-2008 – Family Support Preventative Group........................46

4. Children and Young People in Public Care..........................................................50

4.1. Statistical Data..........................................................................................................50

4.2. Needs Profiling.........................................................................................................52

4.3. Residential Provision................................................................................................55

4.4. Fostering Provision...................................................................................................56

4.5. Adoption and Permanency Planning........................................................................57

4.6. Developing Support Services...................................................................................58

4.7. Strategic Objectives 2005-2008................................................................................59

4.8. Key Result Areas 2005-2008....................................................................................60

5. Disabled Children...................................................................................................62

5.1. Need – Statistical Data.............................................................................................62

5.2. The Disabled Children’s Strategy – Summary of Key Issues...................................65

5.3. Strategic Objectives 2005-2008................................................................................67

5.4. Key Result Areas 2005-2008....................................................................................68

6. Children with Emotional, Behavioural, Psychological or Psychiatric Difficulties 70

6.1. Need – Statistical Data.............................................................................................70

6.2. Key Trends...............................................................................................................72

6.3. Strategic Objective 2005-2008.................................................................................73

6.4. Key Result Areas 2005-2008....................................................................................74

7. Children in Need of Protection..............................................................................76

7.1. Need – Statistical Trends.........................................................................................76

7.2. Needs Profiling.........................................................................................................79

7.3. Thresholds (Trust Child Care Teams)......................................................................79

7.4. Information on Unmet Need......................................................................................80

7.5. Key Developments...................................................................................................80

7.5.1. Co-Operating to Safeguard Children........................................................................80

7.5.2. Regional ACPC Child Protection Policy and Procedures.........................................81

7.5.3. Lewis Report.............................................................................................................81

7.5.4. Western Education and Library Board Pre-School Service for Children with Special Educational Needs..............................................................................................................82

7.5.5. Schools Counselling Service....................................................................................82

7.5.6. Anti-Bullying Policy...................................................................................................83

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7.5.7. Multi-Agency Sex Offender Risk Assessment and Management (MASRAM)...........83

7.6. Strategic Objectives 2005-2008................................................................................83

7.7. Key Result Areas 2005-2008....................................................................................83

8. Youth Justice..........................................................................................................86

8.1. Need – Statistical Trends.........................................................................................86

8.2. Significant Developments.........................................................................................90

8.3. Strategic Objectives 2005-2008................................................................................92

8.4. Key Result Areas 2005-2008....................................................................................92

9. Homelessness – Children and Families...............................................................95

9.1. Need – Statistical Trends.........................................................................................95

9.2. Developments...........................................................................................................97

9.3. Strategic Objectives 2005-2008................................................................................99

9.4. Key Result Areas 2005-2008....................................................................................99

10. Sixteen Plus..........................................................................................................100

10.1. Need – Statistical Trends.......................................................................................100

10.1.1. Care Leaver Population: Current and Projected Numbers..............................100

10.1.2. Young People in the Age Band 16-17, who Present as Homeless..................103

10.2. Significant Developments.......................................................................................105

10.3. Strategic Objectives 2005-2008..............................................................................106

10.4. Key Result Areas 2005-2008..................................................................................106

11. The Western Area Childcare Plan.......................................................................108

11.1. Background – the Western Area Childcare Partnership.........................................108

11.2. Need – Statistical Trends.......................................................................................109

11.3. Significant Developments/Achievements................................................................111

11.4. Funding – Childcare Partnership 2004-2005..........................................................112

11.5. Sustainability..........................................................................................................113

11.6. Sure Start...............................................................................................................115

11.7. Strategic Objectives 2005-2008..............................................................................119

11.8. Key Result Areas 2005-2008..................................................................................119

12. Domestic Violence – Children and Young People.............................................121

12.1. Need – National Trends..........................................................................................121

12.2. Key Issues..............................................................................................................124

12.3. Strategic Objectives 2005-2008..............................................................................126

12.4. Key Result Areas 2005-2008..................................................................................127

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Figures

Figure 1: Main Age Groups of Children and Young People by District Council Area..........19

Figure 2: Population of 0-17 Year-Olds by Trust Years.......................................................19

Figure 3: Population Projections (Based on 2002 Mid-Year Estimates)..............................20

Figure 4: Children’s Services Planning Model for Needs Assessment................................22

Figure 5: Data of Need and Supply for Children’s Services in the Western Area................22

Figure 6: Western Area Family Support Strategy................................................................31

Figure 7: Total Number of Children in Care in WHSSB Area 1999-2005............................50

Figure 8: Total Number of Children in Care in WHSSB Area 1999-2004............................50

Figure 9: Age/Gender Breakdown of Looked After Children at 31 March 2004...................51

Figure 10: Distribution of placements by Trust as at March 2005.......................................52

Figure 11: Current Provision of Differentiated Residential Places in Foyle Trust – March 2005..................................................................................................................................55

Figure 12: Planned Provision of Differentiated Places in Foyle Trust 2005/2006................55

Figure 13: Current Provision of Differentiated Residential Places in Sperrin Lakeland Trust - March 2005.........................................................................................................................56

Figure 14: Planned Provision of Differentiated Places in Sperrin Lakeland Trust...............56

Figure 15: Children Accommodated in Foster Care, WHSSB 1999-2005...........................57

Figure 16: Children Accommodated in Foster Care in WHSSB 1999-2005........................57

Figure 17: Adoption and Permanency Planning during 2003/2004.....................................57

Figure 18: Module V, WHSSB Child Health Surveillance System – Analysis by Council Area..........................................................................................................................................62

Figure 19: Number of Disabled Children per 1,000 of Population 0-19 as at 31 March 2004..........................................................................................................................................63

Figure 20: Children and Young People recorded on the Child Health Surveillance System by type of disability (Module V)...........................................................................................64

Figure 21: Pupils Statemented by the WELB, August 2004................................................65

Figure 22: Referrals to Trust Child and Adolescent Mental Health Teams 2002-2004........70

Figure 23: Young People aged below 20 years referred to Community Mental Health Teams..........................................................................................................................................71

Figure 24: Young People under 20 years who are current clients of Community Mental Health Teams 2002-2004....................................................................................................71

Figure 25: Children and Young People Admitted to Hospital (Adult Wards) 2002-2004.....71

Figure 26: Number of Children on Child Protection Register in WHSSB Trusts at 31 March, 1996-2004...........................................................................................................................76

Figure 27: Number of Child Care Referrals which Progress to (a) Investigation and (b) Initial Case Conference 1999-2004..............................................................................................77

Figure 28: Number of Child Care Referrals in the WHSSB Area 1998-2004.......................77

Figure 29: Child Protection Investigations in the WHSSB Area 1998-2004.........................78

Figure 30: Number Referred to Case Conference in WHSSB Area 1998-2004..................78

Figure 31: Number of Children on Child Protection Register in the WHSSB Area 1996-2004..........................................................................................................................................78

Figure 32: Referrals to Juvenile Liaison 2001-2003 by District Command Unit...................86

Figure 33: Referral to Juvenile Liaison by District Council Area, by % of 10-16 Year-Old Offending............................................................................................................................87

Figure 34: Prosecutions and Pending Prosecutions in the West 2001 - 2003.....................87

Figure 35: Reasons for Referral to Juvenile Liaison at 01-02..............................................88

Figure 36: Homeless Presenters/Acceptances 1999-2004 WHSSB Area...........................95

Figure 37: Homeless Presenters/Acceptances April 2003 - March 2004 WHSSB Area......96

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1. Introduction – ‘Regional Chapter’

There are four Children and Young People’s Committees in Northern Ireland. These Committees bring together senior representatives from Statutory, Voluntary and Community organisations, so that they can plan services for vulnerable children and young people. In each area the work of the Committee is carried out by a range of sub groups, which are also made up of representatives from Statutory, Voluntary and Community Organisations. Each Sub Group works on a different aspect of children’s lives, for example, disability, young people and crime, children in care.

All four Committees have worked together on the plans for 2005-2008. This chapter, which has been written by all four Committees, describes how planning has been approached in the same way. The later chapters reflect local strategies and targets.

The Committees have been involved in Children’s Services Planning for six years, have learnt a great deal from their experience of multi-agency collaboration and have brought this experience into this Plan. There are three common, regional themes

�� Outcomes based on needs and rights

�� The ‘Whole Child’

�� Supporting Families.

1.1. Outcomes for Children and Young People

The aim of the four Children’s Services Plans 2005-08 is to improve the well being of vulnerable children and young people.

In order to help achieve this aim, the four Children and Young People’s Committees have together draw up nine statements which describe the life we would like for all children in Northern Ireland. Everyone in Northern Ireland, from the Government to people in communities can play a part in helping to reach these goals.

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Thinking about outcomes has been influenced by the British Government’s 2003 Green Paper (draft paper for proposed new law), setting out proposals for the re-organisation of services following the death of Victoria Climbié. The paper proposed that five broad objectives should drive services for children and young people:

�� Being Healthy

�� Staying Safe

�� Enjoying and Achieving

�� Making a Positive Contribution

�� Economic Well-being

At the same time, the Children and Young People’s Committees became aware of the results of work on outcome measurement undertaken in the USA – particularly in the State of Vermont. Both of these influences, together with a focus on the requirements of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, have resulted in the following set of proposals for outcome measures for Children and Young People in Northern Ireland.

1. All children and young people have a stable upbringing.

2. All children and families live in safe, supportive communities.

3. All children and young people live free from poverty.

4. All pregnant women, new parents and babies thrive.

5. All children are ready for learning and school.

6. All children and young people enjoy and succeed during school years.

7. All children and young people are involved in decisions that affect them.

8. All children and young people make a positive contribution that is valued.

9. All children and young people make a safe transition to adulthood.

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These Outcome Statements are not written as statistical targets – but they are Statements of Common Purpose, of aspiration and intent.

It is proposed that each Outcome will be informed by a cluster of Key Statistical Indicators (‘Feeder’ Indicators) which are drawn from all of the agencies whose work contributes to that Outcome. Thus, for example, the outcome statement that “All Children Enjoy and Succeed during school years” could draw on a range of feeder indicators which come from education, health, social services and youth justice.

The overall objective is to maximise the co-ordination of different agencies and sectors by achieving agreement on common statements of purpose. In this way each agency can make its unique contribution to the statistical profile which describes the overall state of health and well being of children and young people. Agencies, rather than measuring only their own activity, will measure their activity as a contribution to the whole.

1.2. The ‘Whole Child’ Model

In order for everyone to see the role they have to play in achieving the above outcomes for children it is vital to have a way of understanding children’s lives in the fullest possible way.

The ‘Whole Child’ Model is an attempt to establish a common way of thinking which can be agreed between agencies, between sectors (voluntary, community and statutory) and between Departments of Governments – for understanding the way in which society can impact on children, and on how children can impact on society.

Children are not passive recipients, but are active participants, and the Model maps out the influences which must all be considered when attempting to connect with the world of any child.

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�� The relationships between these close environments. This is the experience which is precious and unique to each child – it will typically feature a complex and sensitive ‘mix’ of elements;

�� Social settings that can affect the child, but in which the child does not participate directly. Some examples are local services such as health, housing, social services, community and voluntary playgroups etc;

�� The culture and society in which the child lives. This affects the child through beliefs, attitudes and traditions. Sectarianism is an obvious example in the Northern Ireland context.

The United Nations’ Convention of Rights of the Child establishes children’s rights within the framework of participation, protection and provision. The model addresses these areas as follows:

�� Participation: The model points up the areas of the child’s life in which children and young people must be involved in the planning of services;

�� Protection: This model maps all the relevant settings for a universal model of child protection, - for example, school, play area, Early Years Group, neighbourhood, friends, leisure activities – protection needs to permeate every aspect of the child’s life;

�� Provision: The UNCRC sets out rights such as the right to education. However, in order to ensure that all children can exercise their rights, services need to be carefully planned. This is particularly important where services have to engage with children who have additional needs, and such services become part of their everyday experience. For example, the delivery of education to children whose experience has led them to reject school requires a different design from that offered in mainstream schools.

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1.4.2. Equality and Human Rights

Such a set of outcomes apply to ALL children and young people, but some young people will need specific assistance to reach these outcomes. For instance, for black and minority ethnic children and young people to enjoy and achieve during school years, they must be free from racial bullying and have sufficient support to address their language and identity needs.

The measurement of outcomes requires information systems to record key indicators of success broken down into the categories of Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act. Any indicator would need to be broken down into, for example, racial categories and disabled/non-disabled children and young people.

A valuable aspect of such an approach is that it shows how all children and young people are doing, but also enables planners to address the needs of children and young people with additional needs, such as disabled children and young people, alongside and not separately from the development of mainstream services.

The process of developing an outcome-based approach will take a number of years to fully develop and will better integrate the work of the Children's Services Plan. A number of stages have been identified:

Next steps;-

�� Widespread agreement on high level outcome indicators, based on rights and needs.

�� Agreement on first phase of core ‘feeder’ indicators

�� Base-line measurements established by core ‘feeder’ indicators

�� Trends in core indicators tracked, evaluated and fed back into all agencies and local communities.

�� Putting in place actions and strategies to achieve improvement, through Children's Services Planning sub groups and other inter-agency planning.

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2. The Western Area Children’s Services Plan

2.1. Children and Young People in the Western Area – Population Data

There are currently 81,219 children and young people in the Western Area aged under 18 years.

Figure 1: Main Age Groups of Children and Young People by District Council Area

Figure 2: Population of 0-17 Year-Olds by Trust Years

Age Band	Derry	Limavady	Fermanagh	Strabane	Omagh	Total
0 - 4	7817	2460	3766	2691	3511	20,245
5 - 9	8,469	2,638	4,157	3,068	3,915	22,247
10 - 14	9,107	2,717	4,531	3,077	3,903	23,335
15 - 17	6,011	1,634	3,030	2,085	2,632	15,392
Total	31,404	9,449	15,484	10,921	13,961	81,219

0-4		5-9		10-14		15-17		0-17 Years
Foyle	12,071		13,152		13,875		9,035	48,133
Sperrin Lakeland	8,174		9,095		9,460		6,357	33,086
WHSSB	20,245		22,247		23,335		15,392	81,219

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Figure 3: Population Projections (Based on 2002 Mid-Year Estimates)

2.2. The Western Area Children and Young People’s Committee – Structure and Composition

The objectives set out in the Children’s Services Plan have been identified through the work of a number of Sub-Committees of the Western Area Children and Young People’s Committee (WACYPC). The current range of Sub-Committees is described below. Each of the Sub-Committees is inter-disciplinary in composition, containing relevant representation from both the statutory and voluntary sectors. Chairpersons are drawn from the agency with the lead responsibility for each theme.

The Western Area Children and Young People's Committee is a central, co-ordinating mechanism. The Committee draws its composition from the following constituencies (number of places in brackets):

�� Chair – Director of Social Care, Western Health and Social Services Board (WHSSB)

�� Healthcare (1) – WHSSB

�� Training (1) – Social Services Training Team, Westcare

�� Voluntary Sector (3) – currently Children in Northern Ireland, LifeStart, one vacancy

Children/Young people Aged 0-17
Area/Year	2002	2005	2010	2015	2017
Limavady	9,453	9,217	8,770	8,501	8,422
Derry	31,834	30,080	27,727	26,472	26,194
North Strabane	7,388	7,089	6,820	6,710	6,640
Foyle Trust	48,675	46,386	43,317	41,683	41,256
Omagh	14,055	13,724	13,646	13,662	13,735
Fermanagh	15,672	14,855	14,148	14,154	14,219
South Strabane	3,694	3,545	3,410	3,355	3,320
Sperrin Lakeland	33,421	32,124	31,204	31,171	31,274
WHSSB	82,096	78,510	74,521	72,854	72,530

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2.3. Development of the Children’s Services Plan

Children’s Services Planning is planning for vulnerable children and young people on the basis of assessment of need. There are four components to understanding need, and the Plan has attempted to draw information from each area (Figure 4).

There has been good progress in the development of an inter-agency information system in the Western area. A database containing:

�� Needs Indicators

�� Information on supply of services

is in place, and is updated regularly. The database can provide information at electoral ward level, and is available publicly on the Children’s Services Planning website (Figure 5).

The work on user-involvement continues to make progress. The Western Area Children and Young People's Committee has placed particular emphasis on the participation of

Figure 4: Children’s Services Planning Model for Needs Assessment

�� Technical Data – Inter-Agency Information System

�� User Involvement

�� Community Knowledge – Information from local people and from professionals who work in localities

�� Research Evidence

Figure 5: Data of Need and Supply for Children’s Services in the Western Area

www.wacy-pc.org

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children and young people. Much valuable work has been undertaken over the past two years by the Young People’s Steering Group (‘Making a Difference Today’ or ‘MAD2DAY’), and funding has now been obtained from Inter-Reg, in partnership with the Health Service Executive North-West in the Republic of Ireland, to develop a major project in youth participation and planning – which will enable each of the Sub-Committees to relate to a supported and co-ordinated, peer-led framework for young people.

Work with young children is still at an early stage, and has been taken forward through work mandated by the Western Area Childcare Partnership.

The views of parents have been accessed through a number of sources. The Western Area Childcare Partnership has developed forums in each District Council area. Whilst direct parental representation in other Children’s Services Planning Sub-Committees remains low, Sub-Committees have been able to draw on other resources – such as specific consultations (focus groups etc), as well as published material, in order to maintain this focus. The Western Area Children and Young People's Committee will continue to work with all available resources in order to strengthen this aspect of its work.

The position in relation to community knowledge has improved considerably. A feature of the past year has been the community consultation process carried out in each of the six localities throughout the Western area in order to identify priorities in the Family Support Strategy. Linkages between the planning process and operational professionals however need to be improved.

Access to research evidence is a continual feature of the work of the Sub-Committees.

2.4. Consultation on the Children’s Services Plan

This Children’s Services Plan 2005-2008, presented by the Western Area Children and Young People's Committee, has been prepared after a period of consultation involving:

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• Consultation events during March 2005 in both Foyle Trust and Sperrin Lakeland Trust areas;

• Consultation with young people carried out by Opportunity Youth; and

• Comments received from a range of individuals and organisations.

2.5. Strategic Context

The 2005-2008 Children’s Services Plan has been written against the background of the continued suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly. The importance of local representation and local knowledge in respect of services for children and young people has been previously noted by the Western Area Children and Young People's Committee. The Review of Public Administration is now imminent, and the Committee looks forward to proposals which will achieve coherent and child-centred planning and delivery of services, and which will lead to improved outcomes for children and young people in Northern Ireland. The ten-year strategy for children, Making it r wrld 2, led by the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister, has just completed the consultation phase, and the Committee looks forward to taking forward its work as part of a determined and focused regional strategy. The Children’s Rights movement continues to gather pace, supported by the work of the Northern Ireland Children’s Commissioner.

It is evident that the financial environment across all Departments will be very tight over the next three years. However, proposals for the future development of the DHSSPS Strategy for Children are anticipated in the near future. The themes of service integration, needs-led planning and user-participation are strongly articulated in the DHSSPS 20-Year Strategy. The Review of Children First, which sets out the strategic context for the Western Area Child Care Partnership – is also eagerly awaited. The implementation of the Leaving Care Act is now set for September 2005, with a number of outstanding issues still to be resolved. The new Special Education Needs legislation (SENDO) strengthens the rights of children with special needs to be educated in mainstream schools where parents require it and where the interests of other children can be protected. It also places a duty on schools not to treat pupils who have a disability less favourably, and to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that such pupils are not disadvantaged. The Northern Ireland Housing Executive’s ‘Supporting People’ strategy has yielded some very positive examples of inter-agency

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planning for young people, including care leavers. In the field of youth justice, the continuing debate about policing has impacted on Community Safety Partnerships achieving their full potential. The Youth Justice Agency is developing services alongside those provided to young people at risk of offending by PBNI, voluntary and community organisations. Informal providers, such as Community Restorative Justice, continue to be significant players in some areas and work on protocols to include them in the formal system continues. Finally, it is particularly encouraging to note that an inter-departmental, and inter-agency forum on Domestic Violence has now been formed to take forward the regional strategy.

2.6. Funding the Children’s Services Plan

The implementation of the Children’s Services Plans in Northern Ireland has been based on:

�� The influence which the Plans have exerted on external funding and commissioning bodies, on the basis of integrated strategic planning;

�� Access by the Children and Young People's Committees to funding streams which they can influence directly.

The Plan depends, therefore, on delivery through a mix of funding sources, some direct and some indirect.

Current direct funding sources accessed by the Western Area Children and Young People's Committee include:

�� The commissioning processes of each constituent agency;

�� The Executive Programme Fund for children and young people;

�� Funding from the Northern Ireland Office for Youth Justice projects;

�� The commissioning role of the Western Area Childcare Partnership in relation to Early Years services.

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2.8. Key Result Areas

The priority areas for development in respect of the Children’s Services Plan 2005-2008 will be as follows:

�� Improved Outcomes for Children and Young People who are Vulnerable or in Need

The key objective will be to demonstrate that a performance management framework has been put in place which will enable the Western Area Children and Young People's Committee to track critical outcomes from vulnerable children and young people.

�� Children’s Rights

It will be a key objective of the Committee to promote the articles of the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child through an integrated planning process, to demonstrate that progress has been achieved with reference to the UNCRC throughout the timescale of the Plan

�� Commissioning and Resource Targeting

The key objective will be to demonstrate that the Committee has increased its ability to influence the deployment of resources of Children’s Services, in accordance with the priorities in the Plan. Of particular importance would be the creation of opportunities for a joint commissioning.

�� User Participation

It will be a key objective of the Committee to continue to demonstrate that its frameworks for user participation, involving children, parents and young people, have been strengthened throughout the timescale of the Plan.

�� Early Intervention

The key objective will be to demonstrate that, in each of the planning areas, proposals for preventative or diversionary initiatives have been developed, and that these have been pursued in parallel with those services that are necessary to meet current needs.

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3. Building on the Strengths of Families

3.1. Progress to Date

The development of a coordinated and strategic approach to Family Support has been one of the core Children’s Services Planning objectives since the inception of Children’s Services Planning in April 1999.

A considerable amount of work has been undertaken in the Western area to bring this project to its present state of development:

�� Inter-agency and inter-disciplinary cooperation has been advanced through collaboration within Children’s Services Planning, and also through other major initiatives, such as Investing for Health, the Western Health Action Zone, the development of Local Health and Social Care Groups etc.

�� Progress has been achieved in relation to locality-sensitive data collection, relating to both need and supply of services, and the Children’s Services database, which can now map need and supply at electoral ward level is publicly available, and is widely used.

�� Policy emphasis on partnership working has resulted in many positive experiences of the design and implementation of creative, community-based projects.

Family Support Strategy

�� To develop Family Support as the preferred method of intervention in meeting the needs of children, by building on the strengths of families and carers

�� To provide an information base which will enable participating agencies to plan strategically for the development of Family Support services

�� To develop a comprehensive range of services which can meet the needs of children and their families in a supportive way

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�� The concept of integrated, locally-based provision with outreach as a key element is clearly recognised following an extensive locality consultation process about Family Support carried out in June/July 2004.

�� The critical issue of clarity in relation to child protection and its location within a Family Support agenda has been advanced through the development of the ‘New Beginnings’ programmes undertaken by both Community Trusts.

�� The issues related to race and culture have been embedded in all current programmes through: a) section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act; and b) the emerging profile of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

�� The principle of user-involvement has been established, and there are examples of progress in this area – but it is recognised that more needs to be done.

The Northern Ireland Family Support Model has been described in Chapter 1 of this Plan. In the Western area, planning for Family Support has been developed through a co-ordinated, ‘parallel’ approach:

�� the Intensive Support Strategy, which is led by Community Trusts, and which seeks to develop a range of Family Support Services which can meet the needs of children and families where there are typically complex problems or difficulties, and where statutory intervention by Trust Child Care services is usually a feature. These are the children and families positioned at Levels 3 and 4 of the Northern Ireland Family Support Model; and

�� the Preventative Strategy, which is being developed by a group representing the statutory, voluntary and community sectors, but led by the voluntary sector, in close collaboration with the Western Area Childcare Partnership, seeks to co-ordinate planning, based on assessed need, for children and families with low to medium levels of need and who do not meet the threshold criteria for access to Trust Child Care services.

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In April 2003, the WHSSB, in conjunction with Foyle and Sperrin Lakeland Trusts, issued a guidance document entitled Family and Child Care – Thresholds for Intervention Model, which provides detailed operational guidance on a range of factors to be taken into consideration when children and families present for access to Trust Child Care services. This document is based on models developed in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk Social Services, and has been quality assured by both Local Authorities, as well as by a regional Quality Assurance Group. The standards in relation to assessment contained in Co-Operating to Safeguard Children will be fully implemented in the Western area, following the publication of the regional Area Child Protection Committee Guidelines in March 2005, and the Plan recognises the responsibilities of the WHSSB, Trusts, the Area Child Protection Committee, and the Family Support Strategy Group to monitor closely and quality assure all activity in this area.

3.2.2. Sperrin Lakeland HSC Trust – Strategic Objective for Intensive Support Strategy

“To create an appropriately-skilled infrastructure which will enable the Trust’s Child Care Programme to target its services at children and families in greatest need; to promote a ‘whole systems’ approach; to focus on the strength of families, maintain children in their own families where possible, and to make Family Support as the preferred method of intervention; and ensure that children in need of protection are viewed as part of the continuum of children in need.”

3.2.3. Progress to Date – Sperrin Lakeland HSC Trust

Sperrin Lakeland Trust instigated a project management approach to the task of developing a plan for improving child care services to children and families who require intensive support, at the beginning of 2004. A number of working groups have been taking forward key elements of the preparatory work, in order to enable a strategy to be agreed and implemented from early 2005 onwards. Work to date has focused on:

�� Administration and business support

�� Family Support

�� Recruitment, retention and support

�� Thresholds and intake

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�� Workload management

�� Roles, responsibilities and structure

�� Placement

�� Clinical and Social Care governance

3.2.4. Project Plan – 2005-2006 - Sperrin Lakeland HSC Trust

Sperrin Lakeland Trust reviewed the ‘New Beginnings’ project plan in February 2005 and priorities for 2005-2006 were agreed. These priorities are grouped into four areas:

Quality Standards

The aim is to:

�� identify and specify what Family and Child Care quality standards are, or should be;

�� develop performance indicators; and

�� agree monitoring mechanisms for core services.

Business Support/Information and Communication Technology

The focus is on:

�� addressing current Information and Communication Technology deficiencies within Family and Child Care;

�� improving information to professionals/managers for service management and service development; and

�� ensuring administrative support and accommodation is appropriate to the needs of the service.

Organisation

The work will address:

�� offering a staff induction programme;

�� ensuring supervision is a supportive and learning experience;

�� building on health and well-being at work initiative;

�� clarifying Key Worker role and responsibility;

�� strengthening interface between all teams including Looked After Children and Child Protection;

�� realigning Child Protection teams to complement work of Duty and Assessment Team; and

�� using exit interview to learn about staff experiences.

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Service Re-Design

This will consider:

�� Early Years service;

�� Family Centre service;

�� Family Support Workers;

�� Family Support priorities;

�� New Duty and Assessment Team; and

�� Foster parent recruitment.

3.2.5. Key Result Areas – 2005-2008 - Sperrin Lakeland HSC Trust

The Key Result Areas are based on work already carried out, or currently in progress, or identified as priorities to be taken forward. A feature of the Key Result Areas is that they link into the central elements of the WHSSB Prevention Strategy.

�� The operation of a single point of contact Duty and Assessment Team.

�� The application of the Threshold for Intervention Model following all initial assessments.

�� Ensuring that social work and other staff have the necessary skills and are supported to empower and strengthen families.

�� Cultural shift towards partnership with children and families.

�� The full development of Intensive Family Support services which are able to support children in situations of risk, disadvantage, illness, disability, emotional/psychiatric difficulties.

�� Support for families in their own homes, in their own locality, at all times as required.

�� Quality standards at the centre of the Trust’s work and services.

�� Ensuring that good communication, multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working underpin the Family Support approach.

�� Ensuring that information systems are in place to record, monitor and assess Family Support services and their impact.

�� Having a service that protects children, supports families and improves the lives of children.

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3.2.6. Foyle HSS Trust – Strategic Objective for Family Support Strategy

New Beginning’s Strategic Objective is “to ensure that all children are raised within their families or communities”. The Project aims to meet this objective by developing creative Family Support services, which build on the strengths of families. It aims to meet children’s needs including, but not limited to, the need for protection. It recognises that children have a right to be involved as people with their own views and feelings. The Trust’s Family & Child Care Strategic Direction is rooted in a vision of delivering a service that expresses Family Support principles and style and where all decisions in relation to children is based on outputs and outcomes.

3.2.7. Progress to Date – Foyle HSS Trust

Achievements

The Trust began by reorganising its Family and Child Care structure to allow for specialist teams, ensuring more effective delivery of services. This was undertaken in September 2003 - however it has taken approximately until September 2004 for staff and families to grow accustomed to their new roles.

The following is a list of achievements to date since the beginning of the Project. Foyle Trust has:

�� established a new centralised Duty and Assessment Team, which offers a single point of contact for all new referrals, and offers initial detailed assessment of all appropriate enquiries prior to allocation;

�� agreed and developed a ‘Threshold for Intervention Model’, which is applied once the initial assessment process has been completed;

�� created both a Family Support Panel and a Children Resource Panel to enable it to allocate resources from a central base, in order to direct services to those at greatest need;

�� begun the process of establishing a Family Support Panel for children with disabilities;

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�� employed a Family Worker Co-ordinator and family workers including sessional family workers;

�� established an Independent Chairing Process, for Looked After Children and for children on the Child Protection Register. These posts also have a monitoring and quality control role;

�� appointed two full-time Family Group Conference Co-ordinators on a non-recurring basis and has piloted a Family Group Conference service;

�� begun the process of appointing Senior Practitioners in its service;

�� begun ‘Target Setting’ with each team to help raise standards and agree ‘Key Indicators’ which can be measured in relation to the overall strategic direction;

�� developed data systems and information system to enable it to make more informed decisions;

�� established ‘Learning Sets’ for its managers to allow them to discuss the ‘change’ process in a safe environment;

�� (in conjunction with the Social Services Training Team) developed a training strategy to help staff develop the necessary skills and tools to empower families, build resilience and strengthen families;

�� begun a management development programme and is beginning an induction course for new managers;

�� developed a cultural induction programme for all new Foyle Trust Social Workers;

�� recently engaged National University of Ireland, Galway to undertake an evaluation of the project.

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Current Issues

�� After implementing the Threshold model it has become obvious that safer and better quality practice would occur by every appropriate enquiry receiving a full initial assessment. This has resulted in detailed assessments being carried out on all cases. However the capacity of the Duty and Assessment Team has been seriously compromised due to this extra volume of work. The Trust will be seeking to develop extra resources in this area.

�� The Panels are beginning to identify and collect information about unmet need to inform future planning. Social Care staff are reporting that the centralised Panel system ensures the equitable distribution of resources, and facilitates immediate responses when necessary.

�� Whilst the new structure is viewed as creating a more consistent means of managing the volume of work, problems relating to capacity are still evident – particularly in Duty and Assessment, Independent Chairing, and Family Intervention Service, and Early Years.

�� The process of evaluation will identify other issues that will be taken into consideration.

�� Other trends that are emerging include the role of Residential Care in offering outreach Family Support, and the role of the Leaving and Aftercare Team in relation to the new leaving Care legislation and undertaking statutory responsibility.

3.2.8. Key Result Areas – 2005-2008 – Foyle HSS Trust

The identification of Key Result Areas for the Foyle project will be determined as a result of the pending evaluation. However at this stage a number of key themes have emerged; including:

�� The application of Training to practice;

�� The completion of multi-disciplinary assessments;

�� The continued development of Family Group Conferencing;

�� The positive results of Family Group Conferencing;

�� The change of culture within the organisation towards Partnership and Family Support;

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�� The ability to assess all new cases according to the timescales laid down in ‘Co-operating to Safeguard’;

�� The ability to ensure that all early years statutory functions are adhered to;

�� The full implementation of the Leaving Care legislation ensuring that every young person gets access to a quality service;

�� Participation & inclusion of children, young people & Families.

3.3. Preventative Strategy

The Planning Group which has been developing the Preventative Strategy over the past twelve months has been led by the voluntary sector (NCH) and has included the following membership:

Derry Travellers

CedarFoundation

NCH

Sperrin Lakeland Trust (Family & Childcare)

Foyle Trust Family & Childcare

NIPPA

Homestart

Lifestart

Parents Advice Centre

MENCAP

WELB

Barnardos

Derry Children’s Commission

WesternHAZ

NEWPIN

ExternWest

Foyle Women’sAid

WHSSB: Children’s Services Planning

Healthcare: Young People & Women’s Health

Childcare Partnership

Community Development

Information Services

NSPCC

NIHE

Northern Local Health and Social Care Group

Derry LSP

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3.3.1. Locality Consultation Exercise

The key patterns (as at June 2004) and priority recommendations in each locality are summarised in the table below:

Locality Profile – Assessment of Need – Geographical Data

Summary

Recommendations

Priorities

Derry/ Londonderry West

Population/Deprivation

• 19,922 children and young people aged < 18 live on the Westbank

• 8,574 (43%) dependants on Income support or Job Seekers Allowance

• 6,303 (32%) dependants within lone parent families

• The three most deprived wards in N Ireland for child poverty are based in cityside of Derry Council.

Child Health

• Almost 1,000 new births at year ending March 2003

• 100 children born to teenage mothers

• 74 children born with a low birth weight

• 435 children with a disability (Aged 0-18)

Referral to Social Services/Mental Health

• 234 children/young referred to mental health services

• 930 referrals to Social Services

• 157 children in care

• 68 on child protection register

Education/Homelessness/Offenders

• 619 suspensions from school (Cityside & Waterside)359 families designated as homeless

• 685 juveniles referred to Juvenile Liaison (Cityside & Waterside)Domestic Violence

• 1,491 Domestic Incidents Attended (Cityside & Waterside)

• 685 Incidents with Domestic Violence Attended (Cityside & Waterside)

Children from Ethnic Minority Groups 355 children from an ethnic background (Cityside & Waterside)

1. Provision of services for adolescent’s educational programmes spanning health education and social care- citizenship programmes.

2. Self esteem building through peer group education.

3. Services re sexual health. Alcohol/drugs misuse.

4. Access mental health services young people.

5. Accessible out of hours holistic family support services i.e. wraparound services.

6. Provision of contact centre.

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Locality Profile – Assessment of Need – Geographical Data

Summary

Recommendations

Priorities

Derry/

Londonderry East

Population/Deprivation

• 12,264 children and young people aged < 18 live in the Eastbank area of Derry Council

• 2,855 dependants on Income support or Job Seekers Allowance (23%)

• 1,987 dependants within lone parent families

• Derry Council Area is the third most deprived council in Northern Ireland (out of 26 councils). Based on rank of average of ward score

Child Health

• Almost 593 new births at year ending March 2003

• 40 children born to teenage mothers

• 31 children born with a low birth weight

• 260 children with a disability (Aged 0-18)

Referral to Social Services/Mental Health

• 138 children/young people (aged 0-19) referred to mental health services

• 547 referrals to Social Services

• 101 children in care

• 43 on child protection register

Education/Homelessness/Offenders

• 619 suspensions from school (Cityside & Waterside)107 families designated as homeless

• 685 juveniles referred to Juvenile Liaison (Cityside & Waterside)Domestic Violence

• 1,491 Domestic Incidents Attended (Cityside & Waterside)685 Incidents with Domestic Violence Attended (Cityside & Waterside)

Children from Ethnic Minority Groups 355 children from an ethnic background (Cityside & Waterside)

1. Holistic family focused model of support. One stop centre with childcare facilities multi-purpose with a range of resources and leisure facilities.

2. Non-crises generated parenting courses facilities.

3. Improved partnership between parents and schools i.e. school based initiatives.

4. Parenting peer support.

5. Integration of welfare system to support families.

6. Transitional citizenship awareness/training

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Locality Profile – Assessment of Need – Geographical Data

Summary

Recommendations

Priorities

Fermanagh

Population/Deprivation

• 15,672 children and young people aged < 18 live in Fermanagh

• 2,816 dependants on Income support or Job Seekers Allowance

• 1,510 dependants within lone parent families

• Fermanagh Council Area is the 11th most deprived council in Northern Ireland (out of 26 councils). Based on rank of average of ward scores.

Child Health

• 782 new births at year ending March 2003

• 33 children born to teenage mothers

• 51 children born with a low birth weight

• 520 children with a disability (Aged 0-18)

Referral to Social Services/Mental Health

• 254 children/young people (aged 0-19) referred to mental health services

• 1,629 referrals to Social Services

• 62 children in care

• 74 on child protection register

Education/Homelessness/Offenders

• 167 suspensions from school.

• 146 families designated as homeless

• 402 juveniles referred to Juvenile Liaison

Domestic Violence

• 473 Domestic Incidents Attended

• 321 Incidents with Domestic Violence Attended

Children from Ethnic Minority Groups 116 children from an ethnic minority background

1. Support services for parents.

2. Preventative family support and parenting programmes –

3. Services for children within autistic spectrum.

4. Courses teaching citizenship.

5. Affordable accessible child care sensitive to individual needs.

6. A range of services for teenagers re bullying mental health services, personal development programmes.

7. A one- stop shop.

8. The nurturing school concept.

9. ‘Building local infrastructure’ building community capacity in rural areas. Transport

10. Services for young carers.

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Locality Profile – Assessment of Need – Geographical Data

Summary

Recommendations

Priorities

Omagh

Population/Deprivation

• 14,055 children and young people aged < 18 live in Omagh

• 2,892 dependants on Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance

• 1,620 dependants within lone parent families

• Omagh Council Area is the seventh most deprived council in Northern Ireland (out of 26 councils). Based on rank of average of ward scores.

Child Health

• 688 new births at year ending March 2003

• 30 children born to teenage mothers

• 55 children born with a low birth weight

• 316 children with a disability (Aged 0-18)

Referral to Social Services/Mental Health

• 200 children/young people (aged 0-19) referred to mental health services

• 1,222 referrals to Social Services

• 53 children in care

• 76 on child protection register

Education/Homelessness/Offenders

• 245 suspensions from school

• 51 families designated as homeless

• 76 juveniles referred to Juvenile Liaison

Domestic Violence

• 580 Domestic Incidents Attended

• 330 Incidents with Domestic Violence Attended

Children from Ethnic Minority Groups 102 children from an ethnic minority background

1. Mentoring and befriending services within schools/programmes on citizenship.

2. Preventative mental health and well being strategies focused on positive emotional health for young people.

3. Community network to promote self help “to care for carers”

4. One stop shop.

5. Specialist centres offer support and advise re alcohol and drug misuse.

6. Improved Transport infrastructure

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Locality Profile – Assessment of Need – Geographical Data

Summary

Recommendations

Priorities

Limavady

Population/Deprivation

• 9,453 children and young people aged < 18 live in Limavady

• 1,865 dependants on Income support or Job Seekers Allowance

• 995 dependants within lone parent families

• Limavady Council Area is the 8th most deprived council in N Ireland (out of 26 councils). Based on rank of average of ward scores.

Child Health

• 448 new births at year ending March 2003

• 29 children born to teenage mothers

• 15 children born with a low birth weight

• 169 children with a disability (Aged 0-18)

Referral to Social Services/Mental Health

• 110 children/young people (aged 0-19) referred to mental health services

• 481 referrals to Social Services

• 66 children in care

• 26 on child protection register

Education/Homelessness/Offenders

• 184 suspensions from school

• 64 families designated as homeless

• 215 juveniles referred to Juvenile Liaison

Domestic Violence

• 359 Domestic Incidents Attended

• 168 Incidents with Domestic Violence Attended

Children from Ethnic Minority Groups

• 75 children from an ethnic minority background.

1. Home based family support services delivering parenting programmes etc.

2. Expand the provision and remit of respite care and Wraparound childcare services.

3. Development of social educational programmes greater integration school home health and Social care.

4. Services for children young people with disabilities.

5. Increased access to non- stigmatising mental health services for both children and young people.

6. Build on short intensive crises interventions all ready existing.

7. Need for listening ear type services and 24 hour help line.

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Locality Profile – Assessment of Need – Geographical Data

Summary

Recommendations

Priorities

Strabane

Population/Deprivation

• 11,082 children and young people aged < 18 live in Strabane

• 3,248 dependants on Income support or Job Seekers Allowance

• 1,915 dependants within lone parent families

• Strabane Council Area is ranked as the most deprived in N Ireland. Noble, 2001. Based on rank of average of ward scores.

Child Health

• 527 new births at year ending March 2003

• 39 children born to teenage mothers

• 36 children born with a low birth weight

• 282 children with a disability (Aged 0-18)

Referral to Social Services/Mental Health

• 142 children/young people (aged 0-19) referred to mental health services

• 373 referrals to Social Services

• 47 children in care

• 53 on child protection register

Education/Homelessness/Offenders

• 122 suspensions from school.

• 69 families designated as homeless

• 390 juveniles referred to Juvenile Liaison

Domestic Violence

• 408 Domestic Incidents Attended

• 241 Incidents with Domestic Violence Attended

Children from Ethnic Minority Groups

• 81 children from an ethnic background from Strabane Council Area

1. Flexible home based services focus on parenting programmes.

2. Greater emphasis on linkages between school & home.

3. One stop shop of family support and a wide range of health educational and social services. Including range of statutory and voluntary agencies.

4. Pre-school primary care services affordable accessible childcare services.

5. Lack of social planning for leisure and recreational facilities.

6. Affordable transport deficit of infrastructure.

3.3.2. Strategic Objective – Family Support Preventative Group

The overarching strategic objective of the Preventative group continues to be:

to focus on promoting access to a better range of accessible, relevant, affordable, preventative services at an early stage in families’ lives as the preferred method of Family Support in the WHSSB area.

‘Reinforcing Prevention’ as the way forward is to be progressed by the group in the following ways:

�� Dissemination of key messages about the strategy and the emerging priority themes for service planning and delivery to all stakeholders. These include the community,

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relevant professional and other groups and organisations, funders, policy-makers and strategic planners at Departmental level;

�� On the basis of findings from local research/consultation a number of short and long-term objectives for each locality area is to be refined and prioritised with general outline proposals for proceeding with planning, funding, implementation and review/evaluation of agreed priorities;

�� Better links are to be forged with referral/access points for Social Care services to determine appropriate information strategies and onward service pathways for children and families requiring support at Level 2.

3.3.3. Key Result Areas 2005-2008 – Family Support Preventative Group

�� Locality-Based, Early Intervention Services

A strong emerging theme emanating from the consultation in each locality area is the need to strengthen existing locality based, early intervention services where possible and develop new services where necessary in both urban and rural areas.

Key messages are clear about the need for these services to be relevant, accessible, affordable and responsive to local need and culture. The creation and profiling of a menu of child and family-friendly services through a locally-based, wrap around/’one-stop-shop’ approach delivered through better integrated working between families, professionals and other service providers is the preferred way forward.

Recommendations from the Preventative group will be underpinned by this ethos.

�� Home-Based Services

The development of a range of appropriate, practical, home-based services at different levels to support child care and parenting emerges as another strongly predominant theme.

The required ‘type’ of service development at Level 2 requires further analysis in each locality area and needs to be measured against any existing provision in both urban and rural communities.

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This service development area will form part of the short and long-term objectives for each area as appropriate.

�� Participation of Children, Young People and Parents

A more proactive approach to developing a culture of participation, and inclusion of young people and their parents in the planning design and evaluation of Family Support Services also emerges as an important service development for the strategy to consider.

The Preventative group is keen to build on existing good practice and to promote as standard practice across the sectors, a culture where there is meaningful inclusion of service users, a requirement for service providers to demonstrate inclusion, and an accessible toolkit to assist services in creating more effective participation.

Linked to this is the need also to explore how within the context of the overall strategy we might improve services in terms of Advocacy for children and families in a general sense.

�� Utilising Existing Community Infrastructure

The need to strengthen existing services and make use of existing community infrastructure and facilities to enhance the development of a preventative approach has been reflected strongly in the local research/consultations.

The Preventative group endorse this view and will advocate for better links with primary care developments, council facilities and housing providers, as well as the need to promote more proactive involvement with schools as part of the community infrastructure for providing support to young people and families.

Exploring the potential for development of the ‘extended school’ idea is identified as an important priority in shaping the way forward.

A major challenge in the context of community infrastructure is the vulnerability of existing provision dependent on fixed-term funding. The need to evaluate, to consider the impact of loss of service and to safeguard, where appropriate, is an immediate requirement.

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It is considered to be important that opportunities are taken to promote existing services supporting families in local areas, possibly through ‘showcasing’ the range of services and highlighting best practice.

�� Improving Quality

Throughout its lifespan so far the Preventative group has highlighted the importance of quality assurance in Family Support and the need to drive the agenda for improving and demonstrating quality in the delivery of services. This is consistent with current legislation and policy as part of the wider health and social care modernisation and governance agenda and is consistent with the principles of good family support and child protection practice. As such it includes ensuring that services which we provide and promote are safe, transparent, well integrated and linked to positive outcomes for children and their parents as well as being value for money. It also includes ensuring that the workforce is recruited as safely as possible and that staff development and training is high profile.

Within Family Support the development of proposed baseline family support standards as the bench mark for quality, endorsed by the WACYPC and linked to access to funding and appropriate training is an important piece of work which needs to be driven jointly by the preventative strategy group and the intensive support strategy and other stakeholders in the immediate future.

�� Funding Strategy

The development of a funding strategy is key to progressing the recommendations for development of preventative services. For each locality area this requires specific identification of the funding priorities as seen by the group both on a short and long term basis taking account of maintenance needs for existing services as appropriate and development of new services where needed and possible.

At a general level the preventative group will be engaging proactively with funding bodies to disseminate the findings of local research and communicate our recommendations/ agreed priorities for developments which are locality based as well as centralised services which may also require development.

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4. Children and Young People in Public Care

4.1. Statistical Data

There are currently 473 children who are in public care in the Western Board area – 351 in Foyle Trust and 122 in Sperrin Lakeland Trust. The term ‘Looked After’ is a legal term used in the Children (NI) Order – a child is ‘Looked After’ by a Trust if he or she is provided with accommodation for a continuous period of more than 24 hours by the Trust in the exercise of its statutory functions.

Over the past five years, there has been an increase in the number of Looked After Children within the Western Board area from 446 in March 1999 to 473 in March 2005 (6% increase). Foyle Trust has increased from 309 to 351 children in this period, while Sperrin Lakeland has experienced a reduction from 137 to 122.

Figure 7: Total Number of Children in Care in WHSSB Area 1999-2005

Figure 8: Total Number of Children in Care in WHSSB Area 1999-2004

Total Number of Children in care in WHSSB Area 1999 - 20050100200300400500600200020012002200320042005FoyleSperrin LakelandTotal WHSSB

Trust	Mar-99	Mar-00	Mar-01	Mar-02	Mar-03	Mar-04	Mar-05
Foyle	309	345	360	374	373	376	351
Sperrin Lakeland	137	139	140	115	115	125	122
Total WHSSB	446	484	500	489	488	501	473

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The figure for Looked After Children in Foyle Trust (75.4 per 10,000 population at 31 March 2002) is amongst the highest in Northern Ireland, exceeding the Northern Ireland average of 54.3 per 10,000. In Sperrin Lakeland Trust, the equivalent figures (34.5 per 10,000) are significantly lower than the Foyle and Northern Ireland rates. The highest rates in Northern Ireland are in North and West Belfast Trust (82.5 per 10,000) followed by Foyle Trust. The lowest rates are in Craigavon and Banbridge Trust (25.6 per 10,000) and Sperrin Lakeland Trust. This compares with a figure of 52.3 per 10,000 in England.

The gender and age breakdown of the Looked After population at 31 March 2004 is as follows:

Figure 9: Age/Gender Breakdown of Looked After Children at 31 March 2005

The majority of Looked After Children are accommodated in Foster Care – 61% in Foyle Trust and 61% in Sperrin Lakeland Trust. A significant number of Looked After Children are cared for within their family of origin – 19% in Foyle Trust and 16% in Sperrin Lakeland Trust.

Age	Foyle Trust				Sperrin Lakeland Trust
	Boys	Girls		Boys		Girls
< 1 Year	2		7		3		2
1-4	15		20		5		9
5-11	58		75		20		20
12-15	62		49		21		18
16+	26		31		10		10
Total	163		182		59		59
Source : LA2 (provisional figures)

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Population Characteristics

�� 52% of the Looked After population are males

�� 37% of the Looked After population are aged 5-11, 32% are aged 12-15, and 19% are aged 16 years and over

�� 49% of children are from Protestant backgrounds, and 48% from Catholic backgrounds

�� 1,608 of the 1,679 population of children come from a white ethnic background

Disability

�� 11% of the children were disabled

Placement Change

�� 22% of the Looked After Children had changed placement in the year ending 30 October 2002 (5% had three placement changes, 4% had two placement changes and 12% had one placement change)

Education

�� 81% of Looked After Children were of school age, and of these 22% had a Statement of Special Educational Needs – compared with 3% of the total school population within Northern Ireland

�� 26 (2%) of Looked After Children of school age were expelled in 2001/2002 – significantly higher than the rate amongst the total school population in Northern Ireland (0.02%)

�� Over 1 in 10 (11%) Looked After Children of school age were suspended from school in 2001/2002, compared with 1.5% of the total school population in Northern Ireland

�� 14% of children Looked After for at least twelve months missed 29 or more days of schooling in 2001/2002

�� The levels of educational achievement for Looked After Children compared very badly with those of all children in Northern Ireland, with the gap widening between Key Stage 1 and GCSE

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Cautions/Convictions

�� 158 (15%) of the 1,076 Looked After Children aged 10 and over were cautioned and convicted in 2001/2002, compared with 1% of all children in Northern Ireland. Of those convicted almost two-thirds were boys

�� Looked After Children aged 10 and over are 15 times more likely to have been cautioned or convicted, compared to the general population of children in this age group

Health

�� Returns in relation to developmental assessments (98%), six-monthly assessments (85%), annual health assessments (86%) and immunisations (90%) are relatively positive

�� 90% of Looked After Children had their teeth checked by a dentist in the preceding year

Further Education/Training

�� At the end of school Year 12, 33% of Looked After Children remained in full-time education, 25% were employed, and 17% were in full-time training

The trends outlined above refer to the regional population of Looked After Children. These figures will be available for the population of Looked After Children and Young People in the Western area in the near future, and will contribute to a needs profile database. However there are additional areas that require to be built into the profile – for example indicators relating to a range of health outcomes, including psychological and emotional health. The

Qualification	Percentages %	Percentages %
Qualification	Looked After Children in Northern Ireland	Total School Population in Northern Ireland
Level 2 or above in Key Stage 1	60	95
Level 4 or above in Key Stage 2	23	74
Level 5 or above in Key Stage 3	17	71
At least 1 GCSE at grades A* - G	52	94
At least 5 GCSE at grades A* - C	9	59

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establishment of the health profile database will be one of the key target areas for the forthcoming planning period.

4.3. Residential Provision

In August 2000 the DHSSPS, following the publication of the ‘Children Matter’ report, established a Children Matter Task Force, in order to develop a regional strategy to reconfigure and improve residential care provision. The current position in relation to planning and provision in the Western area is as follows:

Figure 11: Current Provision of Differentiated Residential Places in Foyle Trust – March 2005

Figure 12: Planned Provision of Differentiated Places in Foyle Trust 2005/2006

The new Foyle Trust Intensive Support Unit is planned for 2006/2007 providing six places. These places will replace those currently used in Glenmona (three) and Brindley House (three).

Unit	Type		Places
84, Chapel Road	Short-Medium Term		4
103, Chapel Road	Long-Stay		8
23, Racecourse Road	Long-Stay		8
Upper Galliagh Road	Medium Stay		8
Scroggy Road	Medium Stay		8
Rossneal	Assessment		8
Cottage	Long-Stay		3
TOTAL		47

Unit	Type		Places
84, Chapel Road	Semi-Independent		4
103, Chapel Road	Long-Stay		8
23, Racecourse Road	Long-Stay		8
Upper Galliagh Road	Medium Stay		8
Scroggy Road	Medium Stay		8
Rossneal	Assessment/Short-Stay		8
Cottage	Complex Needs Long-Stay		6
TOTAL		50

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Figure 13: Current Provision of Differentiated Residential Places in Sperrin Lakeland Trust - March 2005

Coneywarren is unusual in that is presently occupied by a sibling group. The Trust requires both foster and residential places for these children. It is planned that Coneywarren will close in 2005 and the new home in Enniskillen (Beechlea) will open.

Figure 14: Planned Provision of Differentiated Places in Sperrin Lakeland Trust

Sperrin Lakeland Trust plan to provide a six-place, intensive support unit for 2006/2007.

In relation to specialist provision, the WHSSB currently has access to six specialist places at Glenmona Resource Centre in Belfast. A further five specialist places are available at Brindley House, Co. Fermanagh.

Four secure accommodation places are available to the WHSSB at the Lakewood Centre in Bangor.

4.4. Fostering Provision

There are currently 235 foster homes across both Trusts, with a total capacity of 445 foster places. One hundred and forty-three foster homes (248 places) are available in Foyle Trust, with 92 foster homes (a capacity for 197 places) available in Sperrin Lakeland Trust.

The table below demonstrates that the number of Looked After Children accommodated in foster care has increased in Foyle Trust from 176 in March 1999 to 250 in March 2004, but has dropped in Sperrin Lakeland Trust from 104 in March 1999 to 75 in March 2004.

Unit	Type		Places
Woodlands	Short-Medium Term		8
Coneywarren		5
TOTAL		13

Unit	Type		Places
Woodlands	Short-Medium Term		8
Beechlea	Short-Medium Term		8
TOTAL		16

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Figure 15: Children Accommodated in Foster Care, WHSSB 1999-2005

Figure 16: Children Accommodated in Foster Care in WHSSB 1999-2005

Children Accommodated in Foster Care in WHSSB, 1999 - 20050501001502002503001999200020012002200320042005Foyle TrustSperrin LakelandTrust

4.5. Adoption and Permanency Planning

Figure 17: Adoption and Permanency Planning during 2003/2004

Whilst working to achieve the PFA target of increasing the rate of children adopted to 7% of the Children Looked After population by 31 March 2006 both Trusts have experienced difficulty in improving performance in this area. One of the major issues for Family &

Trust	Mar-99	Mar-00	Mar-01	Mar-02	Mar-03	Mar-04	Mar-05
Foyle Trust	176	244	246	255	266	250	234
Sperrin Lakeland Trust	104	103	101	80	79	75	72
TOTAL WHSSB	280	347	347	335	345	325	306

No. of ‘Best Interests’ recommendations	13
No. of these without Parental Agreement	11
No. of children placed for adoption	14
No. of children matched & placed with approved prospective adopters	5
No. of children matched & placed with foster carers who became approved prospective adopters	5
No. of approved prospective adopters awaiting domestic placement at 31 March 2004	10

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Childcare Teams has been the competing demands on current resources. So far as Sperrin Lakeland Trust is concerned this has been further compounded by the difficulty in recruiting & retaining Social Work staff. The Regional Adoption Policy & Procedures which are currently being finalised include a permanence policy in relation to adoption and arrangements are in place to develop a permanence policy for children's services. Both Trusts are making determined efforts to guard against delay in planning for children and will continue to explore every avenue towards achieving this goal.

4.6. Developing Support Services

As illustrated above, the range of needs presented by children and young people who are Looked After is highly complex. The WHSSB now has a range of small differentiated units, which require access to a menu of services in order to enable them to adopt flexible and creative responses to the assessed needs of children, and to maximise their potential. The majority of children are accommodated in foster families, where the range of needs will vary from those required to help with integration into local communities (services at Hardiker Level 1 such as access to sport/leisure facilities, youth clubs etc), to the more intensive specialised services. The following services have been identified as part of a range which needs to be consolidated or developed:

�� The interface between Mental Health services and services for Looked After Children is of critical importance to this population characterised by multiple emotional and psychological needs. Progress has been made in making additional resources available to child and adolescent Mental Health teams which will be dedicated to Looked After Children. However, more work, aimed at creating a focused, multi-systemic service, requires to be undertaken;

�� Over the last number of years, Looked After Children in the Western area have had access to a number of programmes provided by Extern West. These are high-intensity diversionary services (for example ‘Time Out’, Youth Support and Passport). This level of provision requires to be consolidated. The Janus programme established in 2002 in Foyle Trust, in order to provide intensive response to young people in care who were at the high risk of conflict with the law, has been particularly successful. Further Janus

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programmes have more recently been established in Limavady, and in Strabane. These programmes need to be mainstreamed;

�� Educational programme to improve educational outcomes for Looked After Children needs to be taken forward. Progress has been made, in collaboration the WELB to develop a joint protocol for Looked After Children, with the use of a Personal Education Plan in order to promote more integrated working between schools and Social Workers. This process needs to be enhanced, with dedicated services provided within Trusts;

�� Improved health outcomes for Looked After Children need to be achieved via dedicated programmes to promote positive health within residential units, and in foster homes;

�� The development of an Independent Visitor Service requires to be enhanced. A service needs to be established in Sperrin Lakeland Trust;

�� There needs to be improved access to a range of community-based services (Levels 1 and 2) to facilitate the reintegration of children and young people, for example, recreation and leisure, youth services, individual/family counselling and support agencies, health promotion and advice, drugs/alcohol awareness;

�� A key component of the Regional Fostering Strategy will involve enhanced training and support for foster carers, increased recruitment campaigns and a review of the financial support to foster carers.

4.7. Strategic Objectives 2005-2008

“To develop a range of services for children and young people in public care which will increase the capacity of the WHSSB and Trusts to comprehensively assess their needs, in collaboration with other agencies, and ensure that Care Plans can draw upon appropriate placements and other support and treatment services.”

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4.8. Key Result Areas 2005-2008

�� Baseline data on Need

The key objective will be to have established the baseline data in respect of the needs of Looked After Children, and to have tracked initial progress over the timescale of the Plan.

�� Educational Outcomes

The key objective will be to have shown that the joint WELB/WHSSB education protocol document is fully operational, and to have an agreed system for sharing data which is capable of demonstrating its impact on the educational performance of Looked After Children.

�� Health Outcomes

The key objective will be to have demonstrated the key deficits in respect of health outcomes for Looked After Children, and to have agreed on the design for a dedicated health resource.

�� Quality of Care Planning

The key objective will be to have shown the extent to which Care Planning for Looked After Children meets the standards set out in Children Order Regulations and Guidance, and to have identified areas of unmet need in respect of service provision to support Care Planning.

�� Permanency Planning

The key objective will be to have demonstrated the extent to which Priorities for Action targets for children subject of Permanency have been met, and to have identified services, processes, practice developments or policy issues which could lead to improvement.

_________________________________________________________________________ �� Fostering Strategy

The key objective will be to have demonstrated how inter-agency planning and initiatives have supported the implementation plan for the Northern Ireland Fostering Strategy, and to have provided feedback, from an inter-agency perspective on its initial impact on children.

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5. Disabled Children

5.1. Need – Statistical Data

At 31 March 2004 a total of 2,148 children and young people aged between 0-19 years were registered as disabled according to figures recorded on the WHSSB Child Health Surveillance System. The highest numbers are in Derry Council area (751) and in Fermanagh Council area (560).

Figure 18: Module V, WHSSB Child Health Surveillance System – Analysis by Council Area

An analysis at electoral ward level, however, reveals that the local areas which have the highest rates of disabled children and young people per 1,000 of the population are in Fermanagh and Omagh District Council areas. The attached map (Figure 19) demonstrates the distribution throughout the Western area.

Council Area	No on Register	Population 0-19	Rate per 1000
Council Area	No on Register	Population 0-19	Rate per 1000	Fermanagh	560	17,291	32.4
Derry	751	35,089	21.4
Limavady	179	10,469	17.1
Omagh	354	15,479	22.9
Strabane	304	12,048	25.2
Total	2,148	90,376	23.8

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Figure 20 provides details of the types of disability. It should be noted that a single child may have several disabilities so that there may be a significant degree of overlap between the categories of disability.

Figure 20: Children and Young People recorded on the Child Health Surveillance System by type of disability (Module V)

A second source of core data is information from the Western Education and Library Board (WELB), in relation to the numbers of children with special educational needs. There may appear to be some discrepancies in the statistical information provided by WELB, and that provided by the WHSSB. This is accounted for by the fact that, within education legislation, the term Special Educational Needs is an all-embracing term which refers to those children who may have learning difficulties, whether or not these difficulties arise from a learning disability, however defined. In reality, whilst most of the children with a learning disability will have Special Educational Needs, some may not. Alternatively, some children who have Special Educational Needs, e.g. ADHD and some on the autistic spectrum, may not come within the definition of disability. This Module V includes all children with a statement of educational needs as well as other children with disabilities.

The number of children subject to Statements of Special Educational Need by WELB in August 2004 was 1,944. The areas of Special Educational Needs are described below.

Type	Number	Type	Number
Mobility	546	Behaviour	946
Hearing	258	Learning	1,563
Vision	314	Self Care	1,142
Fine Motor	926	Physical	622
Communications		1,249

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Figure 21: Pupils Statemented by the WELB, August 2004

5.2. The Disabled Children’s Strategy – Summary of Key Issues

The Disabled Children’s Sub-Committee has recently updated the document entitled A Strategy for Children and Young People with a Disability which was first written in 2001 in order to take forward planning for all Disabled Children in the Western area. The (updated) assessment of areas of need is summarised as follows:

Children and Young People

�� Life-limited children

�� Disabled children who are vulnerable or at risk (e.g. who are in Care or in need of protection)

�� Numbers of children on the autistic spectrum

�� Numbers of children with learning disabilities who are not on the Informal Register

SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEED	NO. OF PUPILS
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)	14
Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)	123
Developmental Delay	174
Downs Syndrome	95
Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties (EBD)	223
Hearing Impaired	68
Language	133
Learning Difficulties	138
Medical Condition	243
Moderate Learning Difficulties	464
Physical Condition	103
Severe Learning Difficulties	75
Specific Learning Difficulties	40
Visually Impaired	51
TOTAL	1,944

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�� Participation of children and young people in both the planning and monitoring/evaluation of service delivery

Service Structure

�� Equality of access to services on the basis of geography

�� Access to Family Support Services

�� Inconsistent thresholds between similar services

Healthcare

�� Waiting times for assessments

�� Community Health input to Special Schools (e.g. scarcity of Speech and Language Therapists and lack of sufficient Occupational Therapists, and Physiotherapists are issues strongly emphasised by parents/carers)

�� Technology-dependent children

�� Specialist equipment

Mental Health

�� Inpatient facilities

�� Waiting lists

Social Care

�� Social Work support for families

�� Short-break provision

�� Residential provision

�� Foster care

�� After-School provision

Education

�� Promoting inclusion

�� Accessibility: curricular and physical accessibility

�� In-service training and continuing professional development for teachers/learning support staff

�� Role of technology/ICT

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Transition Planning

�� Co-ordination and resources

�� Work placement

�� Joint WHSSB/WELB commissioning

Training

�� Awareness training for staff

Housing

�� Disability awareness

�� Co-ordination with other services

Transport

�� Affordable and appropriate means of accessible transport

Acute Hospital

�� Social Work services

�� Allied Health Professional services

�� Assessment and planning for disability

�� Education provision

�� Use of technology

�� Staff training

5.3. Strategic Objectives 2005-2008

“To develop a range of services in the Western area, which build on children’s strengths, provide integrated and linked services, involve those who use the services, support families and carers, and promote the rights of disabled children and young people.”

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5.4. Key Result Areas 2005-2008

�� Transition Planning

The key objective will be to have ensured that every child has a Personal Care Plan and to have demonstrated that appropriate support is available to ensure a seamless and co-ordinated passage between services – particularly in the period leading into adult services.

�� Common Assessment Framework

The key objective will be to have demonstrated that a case planning framework has been put in place which is child-centred, is based on agreed principles of multi-disciplinary working and assessment, and is carried out with consistency across agencies and sectors.

�� Integrated Service Provision

The key objective will be to have demonstrated that:

�� access to multi-disciplinary assessment, treatment and support for disabled children across agencies and sectors in the WHSSB/WELB area is equitable (examples of areas to be developed include a Child Development clinic in Sperrin Lakeland Trust; new special School and Resource centre in Strabane; palliative care services for technology-dependent children; services for children with brain injury; Allied Health Professional (AHP) services; rehabilitation services; and

�� there is evidence of better coordinated services for disabled children, parents and carers across agencies and sectors (building on the Key Worker Pilot Project in Foyle Trust).

�� Information

The key objective will be to have:

o developed a strategy to ensure the development and dissemination of information for disabled children, parents and carers. Information should be relevant, accessible (including available in different formats), accurate, timely, up-to-date, and delivered in a format suitable for whoever wants to use it; and

o evidenced the early implementation of the Strategy.

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�� Awareness Training

The key objective will be to have audited current Disability Awareness training in the WHSSB/WELB area, and to have put in place a training framework based on the audit recommendations. Awareness training should be holistic, and include, in a systematic way, those who use services in its planning and delivery.

�� Young People’s Participation

The key objective will be to have shown that the business of the Sub-Committee has been influenced by the participation of young people. The Sub-Committee will seek to measure the impact of participation of young people on (a) its conduct of its business, and (b) the outcomes from its work.

�� Short-Term Support

The key objective will be to have:

�� completed a position paper on the range and type of short-term support services that are needed for disabled children, families and carers; and

�� begun to commission short-term services, subject to resource availability

�� Resources

The key objective will be to have:

�� established the current financial resource baseline for disabled children’s services in the WHSSB/WELB area;

�� considered service redesign proposals and priorities; and

�� highlighted needs and key resources deficits, which will support the Boards (WHSSB and WELB) to seek improved resourcing.

�� Assistive Technology

The key objective will be to have shown that the potential of assistive technology has been fully understood and made available to improve the lives of disabled children, their parents and carers.

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6. Children with Emotional, Behavioural, Psychological or Psychiatric Difficulties

6.1. Need – Statistical Data

A total of 865 young people were referred to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Teams in the Western Area in 2003/2004. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Teams (known as Child and Family Teams) provide a range of services for children and young people up to 16 years of age, and their families.

Figure 22: Referrals to Trust Child and Adolescent Mental Health Teams 2002-2004

Referrals to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Teams have been subject to waiting lists. In Foyle Trust, the number on the waiting list at September 2004 was 150. 59 (39%) of these clients had been waiting for more than 12 months. In Sperrin Lakeland Trust, 82 clients were on the waiting list. 22 (27%) had been waiting for more than 12 months.

Three hundred and forty-three young people aged 16-19 years were referred to the adult Community Mental Health Teams in 2003/2004 (Figure 23). One hundred and seventeen young people aged 16-19 years were current clients of Adult Community Mental Health Teams at 31 March 2004 (Figure 24). Ninety-four young people under 20 years of age were admitted to adult wards during the year ended 31 March 2004 (Figure 25).

2002/2003		2003/2004
Foyle Trust	405		463
Sperrin Lakeland Trust	411		402
WHSSB Total	816		865

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Figure 23: Young People aged below 20 years referred to Community Mental Health Teams

Figure 24: Young People under 20 years who are current clients of Community Mental Health Teams 2002-2004

Figure 25: Children and Young People Admitted to Hospital (Adult Wards) 2002-2004

The Western Education and Library Board provide a wide range of services to provide guidance and support for schools. Many of these services are accessed through the five-stage WELB Code of Practice for Assessing Special Educational Needs.

Whilst there is considerable co-operation in relation to meeting the needs of children on a case-by-case basis, information systems have not yet been established to record the number of children who received services from both the WHSSB and WELB services.

2002/2003		2003/2004
Foyle Trust	166		164
Sperrin Lakeland Trust	129		179
WHSSB Total	295		343

2002/2003		2003/2004
Foyle Trust	104		77
Sperrin Lakeland Trust	61		40
WHSSB Total	165		117

2002/2003		2003/2004
Foyle Trust	39		39
Sperrin Lakeland Trust	32		55
WHSSB Total	71		94

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The statistical data provided by the Western Education and Library Board in relation to pupils Statements of Special Educational Needs at August 2004 is contained on page 64, in the chapter on Disabled Children.

6.2. Key Trends

The Sub-Committee for Children with Emotional, Behavioural, Psychiatric and Psychological Difficulties has identified a number of issues, based on its ongoing assessment of the needs of children and young people. Key areas for development include:

�� Improving the co-ordination between Child Care and Mental Health Services (reference is made to the Social Care Institute for Excellence Report, Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Problems: Working with Families, June 2003);

�� Developing and piloting the concept of ‘extended’ or ‘full service’ schools – in other words, the delivery within schools of a range of support services for children and young people;

�� Improving therapeutic services for Looked After Children, based on a multi-systemic approach (major conferences – ‘Working Therapeutically with Children and Young People’ - convened by Dr Anne Murray, Consultant Psychiatrist, from Foyle Child and Adolescent Mental Health Team, were held in Limavady in May 2004, and in Derry in October 2004);

�� Developing and commissioning a dedicated Mental Health Service for young people aged 16-19 years of age (a multi-agency workshop was facilitated in March 2004 by Young Minds, in order to develop a consensus on which to take forward planning). This development will address the range of needs, service delivery and accessibility issues and will be undertaken in consultation with young people;

�� Developing specialist residential and fostering facilities to support children and young people who have complex needs, in accordance with the Children Matter Task Force and the Northern Ireland Fostering Strategy;

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�� Consolidating the development of the new Early Intervention service led by PAPA for children on the autistic spectrum, establishing an integrated assessment process in Sperrin Lakeland Trust, developing the multi-disciplinary team in Foyle Trust and reducing the waiting time for assessment;

�� Developing a co-ordinated response to address the increasing demand on all services as a result of the numbers of children presenting with emotional and behavioural difficulties;

�� Supporting the development of an Eating Disorder service in the Western area, based on local assessment of need, regional research and planning;

�� Developing a range of initiatives to support school-based work to improve self-esteem, provide counselling, advance personal development and address the consequences of bullying;

�� Supporting the promotion of the Mental Health Promotion Strategy and Action Plan 2003-2008 in relation to children and young people;

�� Developing a range of preventative services (Level 2*) which can enhance community-based options, and which can be appropriately linked to a multi-systemic framework, which also spans intensive support (Level 3*) services;

�� Consolidating and influencing, where possible, the regional strategy to increase the number of specialist in-patient beds.

*see Chapter 1, Page 15 – Northern Ireland Family Support Model

6.3. Strategic Objective 2005-2008

The Strategic Objective of the Sub-Committee for Children with Emotional, Behavioural, Psychiatric and Psychological Difficulties will be “to achieve better outcomes for children and young people with emotional, psychological, psychiatric and behavioural problems, through better collaborative planning and practice by the key agencies, and with particular emphasis on prevention”.

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This Objective will be taken forward on the basis of the closest possible co-ordination with the Youth Participation Project, and will be measured through a base-line of Key Performance Indicators, linked to the Outcomes framework for the Children’s Services Plan.

6.4. Key Result Areas 2005-2008

�� Supporting Schools

A key aim will be to develop the concept of the ‘extended’ or ‘full service’ school, with a view to considering how schools could be best supported by other systems, in order to deliver the best possible quality of emotional and psychological care for children. The key objective will be to have driven at least one pilot project during the timescale of the plan.

�� 16-19 Year-Old Mental Health Service

The key objective will be to have drawn up a specification for a 16-19 year-old Mental Health service, in collaboration with all key stakeholders including young people, and to have demonstrated that elements of such a service have been implemented during the timescale of the Plan.

�� Looked After Children

The key objective will be to have demonstrated that operational frameworks, protocols and training programmes have been developed which ensure better, multi-systemic responses to the multiple emotional and psychological needs of children and young people who are Looked After.

�� Autism

The key objective will be to have high-quality, co-ordinated, inter-disciplinary assessment processes in place throughout the Western area, and to have extended and consolidated direct services to children and families, including Family Support Services.

�� Eating Disorders

The key objective will be to have demonstrated that work led by Eating Disorder West has resulted in the creation of a range of dedicated services.

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7. Children in Need of Protection

7.1. Need – Statistical Trends

There were 276 children and young people on the Child Protection Register of the WHSSB Trusts on 31 March 2004. From March 2002 to March 2004, the number of children on the Child Protection Register has decreased by 50 or 15.3%. At 31 March 2002, the rate of children per 10,000 registered in the WHSSB area, at 39.3 per 10,000, was the second highest of the four Board areas, against a Northern Ireland average rate of 33.9 per 10,000 and also higher than the England average of 23.1 per 10,000. Reflecting the urban/rural differential, Foyle Trust is grouped with the Trusts (North and West Belfast, South East Belfast, Ulster, Down and Lisburn) which have the highest regional rates. Amongst those Trusts with predominantly rural populations, the rate in Sperrin Lakeland is among the highest at 23.4 per 10,000.

Figure 26: Number of Children on Child Protection Register in WHSSB Trusts at 31 March, 1996-2004

Trust	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004
Foyle HSS Trust	196	174	148	195	178	189	248	181	145
Sperrin Lakeland HSC Trust	117	74	61	73	88	77	78	149	131
WHSSB	313	248	209	268	266	266	326	330	276

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Figure 27: Number of Child Care Referrals which Progress to (a) Investigation and (b) Initial Case Conference 1999-2004

Figure 28: Number of Child Care Referrals in the WHSSB Area 1998-2004

01000200030004000500060001998-19991999-20002000-20012001-20022002-20032003-2004Foyle Sperrin LakelandWHSSB

Year	Trust		Child Care Referrals		Child Protection Investigations		Referred to Case Conference
								1998-1999	Foyle	2,530	373	77
Sperrin Lakeland		1,121		187		68
WHSSB		3,651		560		145
1999-2000	Foyle		2,715		259		84
Sperrin Lakeland		2,389		114		60
WHSSB		5,104		373		144
2000-2001	Foyle		2,485		328		88
Sperrin Lakeland		2,434		126		25
WHSSB		4,919		454		113
2001-2002	Foyle		2,628		544		81
Sperrin Lakeland		2,052		79		21
WHSSB		4,680		623		102
2002-2003	Foyle		2,229		215		49
Sperrin Lakeland		2,283		74		52
WHSSB		4,512		289		101
2003-2004	Foyle		1,654		249		55
Sperrin Lakeland		2,181		122		50
WHSSB		3,835		371		105
Source: Western ACPC Annual Report

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�� The number of Child Care Referrals have declined steadily from a peak of 5,104 during 1999/2000 to 3,835 during 2003/2004, a decrease of 1,269 or 25%. There were 32% more referrals in Sperrin Lakeland Trust than in Foyle Trust during 2003/2004;

�� The number of formal Child Protection Investigations shows an increase of 28.4% between 2002/2003 and 2003/2004. This increase was more marked in Sperrin Lakeland Trust at 65% compared to 10% in Foyle Trust;

�� Whilst the number of investigations has increased, the number of referrals to Child Protection Case Conferences remained relatively constant between 2002/2003 and 2003/2004.

7.2. Needs Profiling

The WHSSB Information Department has now put in place a Needs Profiling Database for children and young people who are the subject of Child Protection Case Conferences. The objective of this database is to record the aggregated needs of children and young people subject of child protection proceedings, as measured by different agencies and services. Preliminary information suggests that some 2% of all children subject of Child Protection proceedings have been referred to the PSNI; 10% have been referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, and a further 29% to other therapeutic services; the immunisation rate is in the region of 83%; 8% of children have a disability; of school-age children, at least 36% have Statements of Special Educational Needs, whilst average school attendance is approximately 91%.

7.3. Thresholds (Trust Child Care Teams)

Both community Trusts in the WHSSB area have continued to experience difficulties in meeting the standards for responses to new referrals as laid out in the guidance Co-Operating to Safeguard Children, and it will be a key objective to make progress in this area.

The operational criteria for assessing and prioritising new referrals by Child Care Teams has been set out in the document entitled: Family and Child Care – Thresholds for

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Intervention Model, April 2003, issued by the WHSSB and Trusts in order to bring about consistency of standards across the Board area. This approach was based on models based in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk, and both authorities quality-assured the document.

The Model was introduced in Foyle Trust on 8 September 2003, and is currently used by the Trust’s centralised Duty and Assessment Team. Sperrin Lakeland Trust is in the process of designing a similar Duty and Assessment Team, in order to implement the Model in 2005.

As part of a Plan to address the issue of unallocated cases, the WHSSB will seek to develop a dedicated information system to ensure that ‘front door’ systems in both Trusts are operating as efficiently and safely as possible.

7.4. Information on Unmet Need

In addition to the close monitoring of unallocated cases, work is also under way to profile the needs of children and families who do not meet the criteria for referral to Trust Child Care Teams. This approach features analysis of the services required by children and families at Levels 2 and 3 of the Thresholds for Intervention Model which have not been provided, with key data ‘collection’ points at:

�� the Duty and Assessment Team;

�� the Family Support Panel; and

�� Health Visitors.

7.5. Key Developments

_________________________________________________________________________ 7.5.1. Co-Operating to Safeguard Children

Co-operating to Safeguard Children was issued in May 2003 by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, replacing Volume 6 of the Children Order Guidance and Regulations, based on Co-operating to Protect Children. The new guidance sets out, in summary:

80 April 2005 ___________________________________________________________Children’s Services Plan 2005-2008

�� roles and responsibilities of all agencies, disciplines and bodies involved in Child Protection work;

�� the way in which joint working arrangements should be agreed, implemented and reviewed through the mechanism of Area Child Protection Committees;

�� the processes which should be followed when there are concerns about a child and action which should be taken;

�� guidance on child protection in specific circumstances, including abuse by young people, bullying and commercial, sexual exploitation of children;

�� the Case Management Review process which should be followed in the event of a tragedy;

�� the importance of multi-agency training for effective child protection; and

�� guidance on retention of and disclosure of child protection records.

7.5.2. Regional ACPC Child Protection Policy and Procedures

Following Co-operating to Safeguard Children, a regional group has been meeting in order to update ACPC Child Protection Policies and Procedures. This work is now completed and the new Regional Policy and Procedures were launched on 21 March 2005 with an operational date of 1 April 2005.

7.5.3. Lewis Report

The Lewis Report was commissioned in response to the deaths of twin boys, David and Samuel Briggs, in 2003. The review made 39 recommendations. Although a number of these recommendations were specific to this case, and to inter-country adoption, a number have wider application in relation to the monitoring of delegated statutory functions, pertaining to all aspects of family and child care services.

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7.5.4. Western Education and Library Board Pre-School Service for Children with Special Educational Needs

The Western Education and Library Board Child Protection Support Service recognises that pre-school children, and children with disabilities, are high-risk groups with regard to susceptibility to abuse and neglect. The Board has provided specific child protection training for its Pre-School Special Needs Teaching Service, as well as hosting the Northern Ireland Regional Pre-School Education Conference in May 2003.

7.5.5. Schools Counselling Service

The Western Education and Library Board, in partnership with the NSPCC, has continued to develop the Schools’ Counselling and Support Service in the Western area. The pilot project is currently in its second phase, involving 21 schools across all education sectors. This service provides an independent, accessible service giving children and young people the opportunity to discuss worries and concerns at an early stage. A summary of the issues presented during the school year 2003/2004 include:

�� Sectarian violence;

�� Young carers;

�� Bullying;

�� Self-esteem/self-harm;

�� Bereavement/separation and loss;

�� Health/family illness;

�� Loneliness/isolation;

�� Identity gender and sexuality;

�� Disclosure of abuse;

�� Anxiety/stress;

�� Peer relationships/teacher relationships;

�� Behavioural management;

�� School work and performance/exam pressure;

�� Family relationship difficulties/eating disorders;

�� Post Traumatic Stress.

The counselling service is adjusted to meet the individual needs of the schools, and to complement the existing pastoral care system.

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7.5.6. Anti-Bullying Policy

The Western Education and Library Board launched an Anti-Bullying Policy, and associated bus poster campaign on 3 November 2003. This is a three-year strategic plan to support schools, youth centres, children and young people in promoting an anti-bullying culture.

7.5.7. Multi-Agency Sex Offender Risk Assessment and Management (MASRAM)

The MASRAM process has now been operational for more than three years in all areas of Northern Ireland. It consists of twelve local Risk Management Committees, and a Northern Ireland-wide Strategic Management tier. The current focus remains on sex offenders who are registered, although there are exceptions where an unregistered, unadjudicated offender, whose current circumstances present serious cause for concern, can be referred to MASRAM. The three core agencies of MASRAM are the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the Probation Board of Northern Ireland and Social Services.

7.6. Strategic Objectives 2005-2008

The Strategic Objective of the Western Area Child Protection Committee for the period 2005-2008 will be “to ensure that children are protected from physical, sexual and emotional abuse and from neglect; to ensure that preventative services are co-ordinated in a way that ensures that the greatest impact and effect can be secured for the benefit of families in the Western area; to fully develop an outcomes-based approach to child protection involving all agencies.”

7.7. Key Result Areas 2005-2008

�� Policies and Procedures for Inter-Agency Work

The key objectives will be to have implemented the Child Protection Policies and Procedures and to have reviewed all aspects of the impact of implementation.

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�� Thresholds for Intervention

The key objectives will be:

o to have shown that guidance on Thresholds for implementation of responsibilities under Article 17 and Article 66 of the Children (NI) Order have taken account of the multi-professional and multi-agency contribution to child protection;

o to have shown that guidance has been implemented consistently across the WHSSB area; and

o that information on the impact on children and families has been closely monitored, particularly for those children who do not meet the Threshold criteria.

�� Development of Child Protection Panels

The key objective will be to have shown that multi-agency approaches have been improved, as evidenced by performance indicators set by the Child Protection Panels in order to monitor and evaluate how well services work together to protect children.

�� Developing Therapeutic Services

The key objective will be to have addressed the accessibility of children and young people who have been abused or who are involved in abusive behaviour to appropriate therapeutic support.

�� Communication

The key objective will be to have demonstrated the development of clear multi-professional, multi-agency communication strategies to ensure shared responsibility for protecting children and to explain how that responsibility can be fulfilled.

�� Business Planning

A key objective will be to have developed and implemented annual business plans that set out a work programme for the forthcoming year with measurable objectives, which clearly set out the responsibilities that Board members within the WHSSB and Trusts have for child protection issues.

�� Monitoring

The key objective will be to have in place a monitoring system that enables the ACPC to evaluate, on a continuous basis, how well services work together to protect children.

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Figure 33: Referral to Juvenile Liaison by District Council Area, by % of 10-16 Year-Old Offending

Omagh 404 384 76 5700 1.3% ermanagh 390 407 402 6690 6.0% Limavady 30 201 215 3815 5.6%

Note: percentage offenders based on the number of 10-16 in each of the five council areas in the Western Area.

There has been a marked decrease in the number of referrals from the Omagh DCU in the year ending 31 March 2003 with less than 5% coming from this area. The number of referrals originating from the Foyle area has consistently decreased over the past three years.

The number of referrals in the Strabane and Fermanagh areas has remained fairly consistent over the past three years while Limavady has seen a significant rise over the same time period.

�� Prosecution by PSNI

Figure 34: Prosecutions and Pending Prosecutions in the West 2001 - 2003

Source: PSNI

The trend in relation to the prosecution in the Western area over the past three years has clearly been downward. Two hundred and thirty-three juveniles were either prosecuted or awaiting prosecution at March 2001, but this had reduced to 67 at March 2003.

Mar'01Mar'02Mar'03Aged 10-16 by Council Area% of 10-16 year olds offending (Mar '03)Foyle141198068513,3565.1%Strabane38846039045968.5%

Number of prosecutions and pending prosecutions
March 2001	233
March 2002	61
March 2003	67

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At District Command Unit level both Strabane and Limavady had an increase in their levels of prosecutions and pending prosecutions since March 2001. Prosecution numbers had fallen in both the Foyle and the Omagh districts significantly by March 2003.

�� Time of Offences

A more detailed download of information provided by PSNI on juvenile offences for the year ending March 2002 has revealed that the bulk of juvenile offences (62%) took place between 3.30 pm and 12 pm in the evening. 16% occurred during the school day with 22% taking place after midnight.

�� Reason for Referrals to PSNI

This information on offences at 31 March 2002 highlighted the main types of offence that occurred over the past 12 months.

Figure 35: Reasons for Referral to Juvenile Liaison at 01-02

The highest percentage of offences (24.2%) related to assaults against adults and children. Criminal/Malicious damage made up 22.4% of all offences, theft/burglary accounted for

Reason for Referral	%
Assault	24.2
Criminal/Malicious Damage	22.4
Theft/Burglary	18.3
Motoring/Road	11.4
Alcohol/Drugs	10.2
Disorderly Behaviour	7.2
Others	6.2

Reason for Referral (March 2002)051015202530AssaultCriminal/MaliciousDamageTheft/BurglaryMotoring/RoadAlcohol/DrugsDisorderly BehaviourOthers

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18.3% of offences, while motoring/road and alcohol drugs offences accounted for just over 10% each of the total.

�� Other Outcomes (Warning and Advice, Cautions, No further Police Action)

The majority of children and young people referred to the Police were not prosecuted over the three years from March 2001 to March 2003. Most juveniles who were referred, either received, warning and advice (JLWA), a caution or no further police action (NFPA).

�� PSNI Youth Diversion Scheme – Preliminary Data

The Police Service of Northern Ireland introduced a new Youth Diversion Scheme framework to respond to Children and Young persons below 17 years, on 1 September 2003.

The scheme provides a framework within which the Police Service of Northern Ireland responds to children and young persons, below the age of 17 years, involved in offending or anti-social behaviour or at risk of doing so.

There are three disposals, which may take place following the referral of a child or young person:

�� An Informed Warning: delivered by a trained police facilitator and involves the parent(s)/guardian. A criminal record is held for 12 months although this is not a conviction.

�� A Restorative Caution: delivered by a trained police facilitator and involves the parent(s)/guardian. A criminal record is held for 2.5 years although this is not a conviction.

�� Referral to Prosecutor

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For the six months from 1/9/03 – 31/3/04 there were:

8.2. Significant Developments

�� Criminal Justice Review – Implementation Plan

The need to develop a continuum of Youth Justice services is based upon a number of recommendations which emanated from the Criminal Justice Review – Implementation Plan (2002) – which set out how government perceives the future of community safety, and by implication, the future role for agencies in diverting young people away from crime and/or anti-social behaviour. Attention is drawn, in particular, to:

Recommendation 192: The aim of the community safety strategy will be to create the conditions which promote an inclusive partnership approach in developing community safety initiatives between relevant agencies; voluntary groups; the private sector and local communities, with a view to reducing crime, the fear of crime and enhancing community safety. (CJR Plan: 97)

Recommendation 194: Specific consideration should be given to: child abuse; interventions in relation to youth offending; the needs of ethnic minority groups; drug, substance and alcohol abuse; street violence, low level neighbourhood disorder and anti-social behaviour; car crime; reducing criminality (i.e. addressing the factors that lie behind criminal behaviour). (CJR Plan: 97)

Recommendation 195: That there should be no presumption that any particular body should always take the lead in individual community safety projects. (CJR Plan: 97)

Referrals						Restorative Disposals
Total Number of Referrals		Total Offence Referrals		Total Non-Offence Referrals		Referrals to Other Agencies		Informed Warnings	Restorative Cautions
									With Victims present		Without Victims Present	Total
Foyle	462		366	96	204		131	29	26	55
Fermanagh	214		161	53	25		39	1	12	13
Limavady	239		132	107	10		37	2	9	11
Omagh	151		117	34	2		9	8	7	15
Strabane	228		168	60	5		11	1	8	9
TOTAL	1294		944	350	246		227	41	62	103

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Recommendation 203: That relevant agencies should have a clear statutory responsibility for helping to prevent crime and reduce the fear of crime and to contribute to community safety. Relevant agencies might include the Probation Services, Social Services, Education and Health Authorities, and the Public Prosecution Service. (CJR Plan: 97)

�� Community Safety

The development of a continuum of Juvenile Justice Service in the Western area therefore should have the capacity to complement the future strategy of the Community Safety needs of the population. It can be reasonably assumed that the major focus and pressure on the Community Safety Partnerships will be to tackle anti-social behaviour, low-level neighbourhood crime and similar Urban/City Centre issues, while, at the same time, seeking to introduce confidence measures that reduce the general population’s fear of crime.

�� Criminal Justice Act and Role of Youth Justice Agency

The Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Act was introduced in 2002. The Act provides for youth conferencing to provide both diversionary and sentencing options. It also creates new sentences of the Youth Court which will be supervised by the Youth Justice Agency – Reparation Orders and Community Responsibility Orders, and Custody Care Orders for 10-13 year-olds. The Youth Justice Agency will be actively developing these in the Western area over the life of the Plan alongside existing sentences of the Youth Court provided by the Probation Board and the Juvenile Justice Centre.

�� Restorative Justice

The development of Restorative Justice approaches to juvenile offenders is mandated in the Criminal Justice Review Implementation Plan (71), with the provision that such schemes relate to statutory referrals, and are accredited and inspected. The Criminal Justice Review also stipulates that police should be informed of all referrals, and that they have no role in determining the guilt or innocence of alleged offenders.

�� Role of Trust Residential Provision

Trusts, through Looked After arrangements for care for children , will have a key role in planning for children aged 10-13 years, who are found guilty of criminal offences (Custody Care Orders).

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�� Restorative Cautioning

The Police Service in Northern Ireland are developing a restorative cautioning approach for the disposal of juvenile cases without the need for prosecution, and this potentially will result in the highest proportion of restoration disposals. Voluntary/community-sector agencies are involved in innovative community restorative justice approaches, and an anticipated compromise between this approach in general and the stated Government principles, may result in recognised community schemes that will also have a need for access to a menu of programmes and services to assist with the disposal of juvenile cases.

�� Rights

The Human Rights Act, and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, have established a range of basic standards for the engagement, assessment and treatment of young people by statutory agencies.

�� Equality

Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act, established as the principal of equality of access to services, which was of particular relevance to the issue of service provision in the Western Area.

8.3. Strategic Objectives 2005-2008

“To work to prevent offending by increasing the range and coherence of services in the Western area (along the continuum from prevention to rehabilitation) which promote the social inclusion of children and young people who are at different levels of risk of offending, or who have been adjudicated on by the Courts.”

8.4. Key Result Areas 2005-2008

�� Service Model for Youth Justice

The Key objective will be to have:

�� achieved inter-agency agreement about an integrated Youth Justice Strategy for the West (currently circulated to statutory agencies - draft form);

�� agreed an action plan for implementation; and

�� reviewed the early stages of implementation.

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�� Community Safety

The key objective will be to have engaged with the Community Safety Partnerships in all five District Councils, and to have incorporated their planning into the overall Youth Justice Strategy for the West.

�� Service Provision

The key objective will be to have ensured that all services supported financially by the Sub-Committee have demonstrated:

�� a link to identified need;

�� aims and objectives which are consistent with the Youth Justice Strategy for the West;

�� financial accountability and value for money;

�� effective outcomes for children and young people; and

�� effective monitoring and review.

�� Young People’s Participation

The key objective will be to have demonstrated that the business of the Sub-Committee has been influenced by effective arrangements for the participation of young people.

�� Information and awareness of need

The key objective will be to have improved the current flow of information about the needs of children and young people who are in conflict with or at risk of conflict with the law.

�� Policy Developments

The key objective will be to have shown that the Sub-Committee has made effective responses, from a multi-agency perspective, to significant areas of policy development.

�� Informal Systems

The key objective will be to have demonstrated that interfaces between community-based informal systems for responding to children and young people involved in or at risk of offending, and the formal youth justice system, have been recognised, and that informal systems have been acknowledged and engaged as participants in the task of preventing and reducing offending.

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Figure 37: Homeless Presenters/Acceptances April 2003 - March 2004 WHSSB Area

While the largest group of presenters are single person households (54%), small and large families together with children under the age of 16 make up the largest group (49%) of those accepted under the Homeless Legislation.

A needs support analysis was undertaken of the Homeless population by the West Area Homeless Team and a gap analysis of current floating support services for the homeless which provided the base line information for a service development proposal for the expansion of support services for the homeless in the Western Board Area.

The main observations in relation to support needs among families were:

�� 70% of families had support needs

�� Of these, 40% had single support needs

�� 30% had multiple support needs

�� 15% (11 no.) of families with support needs were involved with Social Services

�� 7% (5 no.) of families with support needs were involved with Community Mental Health Teams.

Presented	%		Accepted		%
Singles	1184	54%		473	39%
Small Adult	62	3%		26	2%
Small Family	624	29%		484	40%
Large Family	172	8%		112	9%
Large Adult	11	1%		9	1%
Older Person	122	6%		104	9%
Totals	2175	100%		1208	100%

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9.2. Developments

1) The recommendations contained within the Homeless Families – Homeless Children (Simon/NIHE/WHSSB 2001) Report have been the main focus of work.

2) One of the main national drivers in relation to the development of services for homeless families is the ODPM research published in November 2003 entitled ‘The Support Needs of Homeless Households’. The research identified a wide range of needs among homeless families including:

�� Vulnerable lone parents, particularly those with no social support network

�� Women made homeless by domestic violence, with mental health emotional problems, and often experiencing repeat homelessness

�� Neighbour disputes & victims and perpetrators of anti-social behaviour

�� Drug and alcohol problems

�� Mental health problems

�� Physical health problems

�� Poverty and debt

�� Unemployment

�� Literacy and educational difficulties

�� Children’s behavioural and educational problems

�� Childhood histories of abuse and local authority care among parents in homeless families

�� A history of unsettled accommodation and repeat homelessness

�� Multiple needs combining two or more of the above.

The report goes to recommend that housing authorities should provide support plans for the homeless as part of their homeless strategies. A suggested starting point should be “a comprehensive support needs assessment” which is “most effectively undertaken by multi disciplinary teams”. These teams should include “homeless agencies, social services, health professionals, probation, education, and voluntary services”.

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3) A further driver which will impact on work over the coming three years is the Draft Consultation Document produced by the inter agency Promoting Social Inclusion Group on Homelessness in May 2004 which reflects a new approach in dealing with homelessness away from crisis response toward prevention. The Working Group state that “tackling homelessness is as much about helping people to rebuild relationships with family, address health or care and support needs, stay in education, or enter training or employment and it is about providing accommodation.”

The draft document makes recommendations for the prevention of homelessness and the improvement of services to address homelessness in Northern Ireland which includes “The provision of support at critical points such as the transition to independent living, the breakdown of a relationship or the onset of illness can be effective in preventing homelessness. The report goes on to recommend that a cross departmental strategy and implementation plan should be developed in partnership with relevant organisations, which aims to prevent homelessness and social exclusion by ensuring effective co-ordination of service providers.

4) The Homeless Families Homeless Children Sub-Committee has achieved the objectives set out under the following areas:

�� Increasing supply of single lets has enabled the reduction in the use of H.M.Os for families.

�� The floating support service development proposal for homeless families across the Western Board Area will provide housing related support for those who are vulnerable due to homelessness.

These areas will continue to be the monitored and the impact of floating support services will be evaluated.

The Sub-Committee will also focus on the development of a framework for the assessment of homeless cases with multiple needs.

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10. Sixteen Plus

10.1. Need – Statistical Trends

The work of the Sixteen Plus Sub-Committee focuses on two groupings of young people from this population who have significant additional needs:

A) young people who are Care Leavers, aged 16-21; and

B) young people in the age band 16-17, who present as homeless.

10.1.1. Care Leaver Population: Current and Projected Numbers

Entitlement to after care support is defined under Articles 35 and 36 of the Children (NI) Order 1995. Dedicated Teams are in place in each of the Trust areas to meet their statutory responsibilities to care leavers as defined within these Articles. The population of young people in after care who currently receive support is detailed below in Figure 38.

Figure 38: Current Care Leaver Population

The Children (Leaving Care) Act (NI) 2002 which is set for implementation in Northern Ireland in 2005 is designed to enhance and strengthen current support arrangements to specific categories of young people. These categories reflect additional duties and responsibilities particularly to young people aged sixteen years upwards hence expanding the population of young people who will be entitled to leaving / after care services. The categories are outlined below:

_________________________________________________________________________ • Eligible Child: a young person aged 16 or 17 who has been looked after by a HSS Trust for a period of 13 weeks since the age of 14, and is still in care.

TRUST	AGE 16-17	AGE 18-21+	WHSSB TOTAL
Foyle Trust	3	86	89
Sperrin Lakeland Trust	-	43	43
TOTAL	3	129	132

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• Relevant Child: a young person aged 16 or 17 who has left care and before leaving was an eligible child.

• Former Relevant Child: a young person aged 18 – 21 (or beyond if, being helped with education or training) who, before turning 18 was either an eligible or relevant child, or both.

• Person Qualifying for Advice and Assistance: a young person aged under 21 who, after reaching the age of 16, but whilst still under 18, was looked after by an HSS Trust, accommodated in a voluntary children’s home or privately fostered.

An analysis of the current in care and after care populations against these eligibility categories provides a reasonably accurate projection of the numbers of young people who will be entitled to Leaving / After Care Services under the new legislative framework. Figure 39 provides a synopsis of projected demand over a three-year period.

Figure 39: Projected Demand 2004-2007

Care Leaver Population: Needs

Care Leavers are amongst the most disadvantaged groups in our society. The recent bulletin on Northern Ireland Care Leavers (2002-2003) from the DHSSPS notes that research has consistently shown that young people who have been Looked After have poor educational attainment and often become unemployed on leaving care; girls are more likely than their peers to become pregnant in their teenage years, and boys to be represented among the prison population. Young Care Leavers are also more likely than others to become homeless and are at high risk of poverty and social exclusion (SEU, 2003). However, these outcomes can be avoided if young people are given the help and support they need to improve their educational achievement while in public

WHSSB	2004/2005	2005/2006	2006/2007
Eligible Young People	52	40	44
Relevant Young People	28	24	32
Former Relevant Young People	12	57	75
Qualifying Young People	124	100	70
TOTAL	216	221	221

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care (Jackson and Martin, 1998) and obtain further education, training or employment on leaving.

At a local level, initial work has been undertaken to analyse the needs of the care leaver population within the WHSSB area through the development and implementation of a needs profile database. Whilst work is ongoing to refine and improve on this information, a preliminary analysis of a population of 43 care leavers in Sperrin Lakeland and 59 care leavers in Foyle Trust, highlights the following headline themes:

�� Young people in Sperrin Lakeland experienced an average of 4.5 accommodation moves since leaving care compared with an average of 2.5 moves for the care leaver population in Foyle Trust;

�� 44% of young people in Sperrin Lakeland and 74.5% of the care leaver population in Foyle were deemed to have mental health / complex emotional difficulties;

�� 23% of young people in the respective Trust areas were young parents;

�� 13% of the Sperrin Lakeland population and 8% of Foyle’s young people were in full or part time employment;

�� 28% of Foyle’s population and 18% of Sperrin Lakeland’s were completing secondary or higher education studies;

�� 67% of Foyle’s care leavers and 46% of Sperrin Lakeland’s were dependent on welfare benefits as their primary source of income.

The main findings of the DHSSPS bulletin (OC1) on Educational Attainment and Economic Activity of Young People Aged 16 and Over Who Have Left the Care of Health and Social Services Trusts in Northern Ireland 2002-2003 are as follows:

�� the majority of young people who cease to be Looked After during the year ended 31 March 2003 were 18 years old when they left care, but 6% left before the age at

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Support NeedsGroup

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Presenters 51 71 85 Acceptances 17 38 33 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03

Figure 40: 16-17 Year-Old Presenters/Awarded 2000-2003

16-17 Year Old Presenters/Acceptances WHSSB Area - 3 Year TrendsPresentersAcceptances

Of a total population of 85 young people presenting to NIHE Offices during 2002/2003, 33 were awarded Full Duty Applicant Status (FDA). Of particular concern was the category of young people who did not receive FDA status with little known about outcomes for this category of young people.

A needs analysis was undertaken in partnership with service providers, NIHE District Offices and the Trusts under the auspices of the WHSSB Children’s Services Planning, Sixteen Plus Sub-Committee to establish more detailed and accurate information on this target group.

Key Headlines from Needs Analysis Research

�� A total of 661 16/17 year-olds presented to a range of accommodation providers in the WHSSB between April 2002 and March 2003.

�� 86% originated in Derry City, 4% in Strabane and 4% in Fermanagh.

�� 103 were known to have had social services intervention.

�� Out of the 661 young people surveyed, 168 were accommodated (25%).

�� 51% left their accommodation within the first six months.

�� 77% were assessed as presenting with high-risk behaviours.

�� 53% were assessed as not having their needs appropriately met.

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10.2. Significant Developments

The Sixteen Plus Sub-Committee has been engaged during the current planning period with the following issues, most of which will continue to be priorities during 2005-2008.

�� Implementation of the Children Leaving Care Act

Considerable work has been undertaken to establish the resourcing implications of the Act, to influence the drafting of the regulations and guidance, to develop standards, and to prepare agencies for its implications. The Act is scheduled to become law in September 2005, and will bring in to existence significant changes in services available to Care Leavers – in particular the development of Personal Advisors, and Pathways Planning.

�� 16/17 Year-Olds Who Are Homeless

Members of the Sub-Committee hosted meetings involving organisations which provide accommodation for young people aged 16/17 who are homeless, in order to develop a preliminary database on the needs of the group. This work led to a ‘Supporting People’ project for the development of a Floating Support Service, established in 2004.

�� Mental Health

Members of the Sub-Committee have been actively involved in the preliminary planning for a dedicated Mental Health Service for 16-19 year-olds (led by the EBPP Sub-Committee – see Chapter 6).

�� Rights and Participation

The issue of young people’s participation in planning and delivery of service has been highlighted by the Sub-Committee, some of whose members have been involved in designing and planning the Inter-Agency Project for Youth Participation (see Chapter 2).

�� Social Inclusion

The Sub-Committee has sought to ensure that the planning and delivery of service to Care Leavers and young people who are in Need because of homelessness fully expresses government commitments in relation to Targeting Social Need and Social Inclusion, and maximises the contribution of each agency.

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10.3. Strategic Objectives 2005-2008

“To promote the health and well-being of vulnerable young people aged 16-21 years, by strengthening multi-agency working in the planning, development and monitoring of a range of services based on assessed need.”

10.4. Key Result Areas 2005-2008

�� Children Leaving Care Act

A key objective of the Sub-Committee will be to have:

�� assisted all agencies to make preparations for the introduction of the legislation by improving co-ordination, dissemination of information, standard-setting and joint planning; and

�� provided feedback to policy-makers, from a multi-agency perspective, on the impact of legislation on meeting the needs of young Care Leavers.

�� Accommodation and Support

A key objective of the Sub-Committee will be to have shown that it has consolidated current provision through review and evaluation mechanisms, in partnership with Supporting People, and to have extended the range of suitable provision available, based on assessed need.

�� Health and Emotional Well-Being

It will be a key objective of the Sub-Committee to demonstrate that it has influenced the planning, design and implementation of a range of services which can meet the health and emotional well-being needs of vulnerable young people aged 16-21.

�� Tracking Needs and Outcomes

It will be a key objective of the Sub-Committee to have established a mainstream database which profiles and updates the needs of vulnerable young people aged 16-21 years, and to have begun to track agreed core outcome indicators.

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11. The Western Area Childcare Plan

_________________________________________________________________________ 11.1. Background – the Western Area Childcare Partnership

Since the introduction of Children First – The Northern Ireland Childcare Strategy the work of the Childcare Partnerships has increased significantly.

The Western Area Childcare Partnership is an inclusive partnership based on the principles of equality between the key stakeholders with transparent strategies and procedures. The Partnership actively promotes an integrated approach across all sectors and at all levels. Its focus remains on targeting funding streams to sustain existing childcare provision and create new places with a strong emphasis on increasing growth of interagency co-operation and promoting high quality services.

It is important to ensure that the Childcare Plan and the Children’s Services Plan are complementary. Whilst the Children’s Services Plan covers a wide range of services for children in Need and vulnerable children, the Childcare Plan continues to concentrate on universal childcare services for children from 0-14 years, and has a core role in prevention.

The plan places children and families at the centre of a process of accurate needs assessment, which informs the needs-led planning of universal and specific Family Support Services.

In the last year the Partnership has striven to integrate family support strategies into a framework, which complements multi-agency and inter-sectoral working and increases the co-ordination of all planning of early years services. The Partnership works closely with the other Children and Young People’s Committees and has supported the progress made in relation to the development of an Integrated Family Support Strategy.

The Family Policy Unit of the DHSSPS is at present reviewing Children First – The Northern Ireland Childcare Strategy. It is envisaged that the Review will be complete by mid 2005. The next three-year Childcare Partnership Plan will incorporate the

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objectives that should be identified through the evaluation process of this review. The review will provide the policy direction in relation to Early Years services and their development.

11.2. Need – Statistical Trends

�� Population of Children and Young People

The 0-14 population in the WHSSB area is currently 65,827. This is estimated to fall over the next few years from 63,763 (2005) to 61,233 (2010).

Figure 41: Population 0-14

Source: NISRA 2003 Mid-Year Estimates

2003 Population	0-4	5-9	10-14	TOTAL
Foyle Trust	12,071	13,152	13,875	39,098
Sperrin Lakeland Trust	8,174	9,095	9,460	26,729
WHSSB	20,245	22,247	23,335	65,827

Population Projections 2005 - 20170 - 14 Years of Age0100002000030000400005000060000700002005201020152017Foyle TrustSperrin Lakeland TrustWHSSB

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Source: NISRA 2002-Based Population Projections

�� Early Years Provision

The configuration of Early Years provision in the WHSSB area is broken down in Figure 42, which shows the changes which have occurred since 1999.

Figure 42: Early Years Provision, 1999 – 2004

Population Projections 0-14 Years	2005	2010	2015	2017	Change	% Change
Foyle Trust	37,637	35,527	34,201	34,287	-3,350	-9%
Sperrin Lakeland Trust	26,126	25,706	25,760	26,148	22	0%
WHSSB	63,763	61,233	59,961	60,435	-3,328	-5%

Mar-99		Mar-00		Mar-01		Mar-02		Mar-03		Mar-04		Change		% Change
Registered Day Nursery Places
Foyle Trust	325		290		345		373		427		469		144	44
Sperrin Lakeland Trust	87		207		321		225		225		490		403	463
WHSSB	412		497		666		598		652		959		547	133
Registered Playgroup Places
Foyle Trust	1,929		1,965		1,690		1,600		1,522		1,457		-472	-24
Sperrin Lakeland Trust	1,349		1,340		1,336		1,357		1,350		1,287		-62	-5
WHSSB	3,278		3,305		3,026		2,957		2,872		2,744		-534	-16
Registered Childminders
Foyle Trust	187		176		230		259		279		283		96	51
Sperrin Lakeland Trust	280		243		260		236		211		215		-65	-23
WHSSB	467		419		490		495		490		498		31	7
Registered Childminding Places
Foyle Trust	806		786		949		1,020		1043		1,014		208	26
Sperrin Lakeland Trust	879		845		937		845		857		9,57		78	9
WHSSB	1,685		1,361		1,886		1,865		1,900		1,971		286	17
Family Centre Places
Foyle Trust	522		523		427		434		N/A		491		-31	-6
Sperrin Lakeland Trust	170		155		170		130		130		130		-40	-24
WHSSB	692		678		597		564		N/A		621		-71	-10

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�� Supporting the development of the Preventative Family Support Strategy.

�� Development of WACP Sustainability Strategy Audit/Report.

�� Successful funding application secured under Childhood fund Peace II Consortium Bid- for two-year training programme across Early Years Sectors in Western Board area.

�� Development of Consultation Strategy for Children, Parents and Childcare Providers.

11.4. Funding – Childcare Partnership 2004-2005

The Partnership administers a number of streams of funding. In 2003/2004, funding streams included:

�� Childhood Fund

o Peace II

- Measure 2.5 – Investing In Childcare. A total of £2,066,765 has been allocated across 45 projects.

- Measure 2.8 – Accompanying Infrastructure – A total of £215,235 has been allocated across 38 projects.

This funding is due to complete during the 2005/2006 year.

�� Playcare - First call funded £275,295 – seven awards – nine projects benefited from two-year grants. Second call £182,604 – 12 awards – 14 projects benefited from a mixture of two- year and one-year awards. Third call £98,477 – 10 awards – 10 projects benefited from small one-year sustainability grants.

�� Early Years Development Fund - Total Budget £284,000 to WACCP.

�� Sure Start - total spend £2,175,000 inclusive of additional Sure Start funding (£200,000 for the Omagh Sure Start Centre and additional funding of £175,000).

�� New Opportunity Fund - (NOF) Building Quality Childcare - Total £1,320,000. - Endorsed NOF BQC Portfolio (28 applications £900,000).

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�� New Opportunity Fund – Out-Of-School Hours Programme 2,200,000 - NOF have funded 47 groups £2,200,000 a total of 3,011 Out-Of-School Club places created.

In 2004/2005 funding included:

�� Childhood Fund Peace II – successful Consortium Training Bid funding of £160,000, to provide free training to Early Years providers over the next two years across the Board.

�� Early Years Development Fund - approximately £293,000 to WACCP.

�� Sure Start - Allocation of £1,850,000 across six Sure Start Projects from April 2004 to March 2005.

�� Building Quality Childcare NOF – portfolio to sustain; total of: £500,000 ongoing funding.

�� DHSSPS Sustainability Funding - under Childhood Fund Measure 2.5 - £120,000 across 12 projects to June 2005.

�� DHSSPS Funding - HPSS Summer Scheme funded in July to September 2004: £15,000. This was the first successful scheme run in the Northern part of the Board.

11.5. Sustainability

The Western Area Childcare Partnership submitted their sustainability report to the DHSSPS and Childhood Fund in November 2003, and repeated the exercise in October 2004. The 2004 report encompasses the following:

�� A complete audit on the demand and supply of childcare places from the analysis of the sustainability questionnaire.

�� Key areas with regard to priorities for sustainability.

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�� A central database for compilation of all funding streams, allocations and identifies shortfalls.

�� Recommendations on the priorities and financial estimations for 2004, 2005 and 2006.

�� Reports on Equality of Opportunity as outlined in Section 75 NI Act 1998 within recommendations.

The audit was carried out via a self-completed questionnaire, which included a variety of qualitative and quantitative questions and was sent to 299 groups throughout the Western Board area, with a 55% response.

A comprehensive analysis of the audit can be accessed on the Childcare Partnership website www.childcare-west.org. The total shortfalls estimated for the sector are as follows:

Figure 43: Shortfalls per sector

The Western Area Childcare Partnership recognised that immediate financial support needs of Early Years Services are disproportionate to the funding currently available, and has drawn attention to the following consequences and recommendations:

�� The impending closure of services will have a consequential impact for children and parents. It is acknowledged that the cost of re-opening services, which have closed will be much greater than the cost of maintaining them. The closure of some services will result in staff redundancies and affect local economies.

No. of places July 2004		Projected Shortfall 05/06 £
PEAG Playgroups – Funded Non-funded	1,212 777		963,322
Non PEAG Playgroups	844		1,114,942
Out-of-School Clubs	1,283		472,145
Home-Starts	206		63,000
Lifestarts	1,081		59,613
TOTAL	5,403		2,673,022

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�� A long-term strategy to resource Early Years Services needs to be developed across the three Departments DE, DEL and DHSSPS. Northern Ireland is increasingly at variance with developments and levels of funding in England and elsewhere in the UK. These include the development of Children Centres in line with Regeneration Strategies, a proportionally greater investment in the Extended Schools Programme (New Opportunities Fund) and the Young People’s Fund; all of which demonstrate a commitment to the progression and sustainability of Early Years Services. The outcome of those initiatives should be reviewed and a decision made about the potential for their development within Northern Ireland.

�� It is important to promote and encourage the marketing of flexible Childcare services. These services should also provide incentives for parents and parental choice.

�� It is recognised that encouraging diversity of services is also a key element. Groups will be required to develop strategies with integrated approaches to local market needs.

�� The area of promoting the uptake of the Working Tax Credit and specifically the Childcare element of the Tax Credit is important when considering the wider social economy and regeneration issue.

�� The importance of influencing the ‘mainstream’ government policy is crucial to the sustainability of the community and the neighbourhood renewal agenda. This needs to be addressed by all departments in their core activities and spending plans in the future.

11.6. Sure Start

The Sure Start programme was introduces in Northern Ireland during 2000/01. In July, Ministerial approval was given for 15 programmes. In March 2001 a further eight programmes were created with a result that a total of 23 Programmes now operate, six in the Western Board area. Originally funding was allocated to Sure Start on a short-term project basis. However, since April 2004, Sure Start funding has been

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incorporated into the DHSSPS’s budget thus ensuring longer term funding for the programme.

�� Expansion Programme

In April 2003 the Board received 22% capitation of the additional Regional funding of £1,500,000 to facilitate the much needed expansion programme. This extended the projects into a number of deprived neighbouring wards. The Projects collectively cover thirty of the most deprived wards in the Western Board area at present with a total population catchment of 4,965 children of the 0-3 age group.

In September 2004, 3,400 children were registered and accessing services across the six projects.

�� Corporate Governance and Risk Management

The DHSSPS Sure Start Financial Accountability Working Group was set up in January 2003. This group have a clear remit in addressing all areas of Financial and Non-financial Governance; the key task of the group is to produce guidelines on the Roles & Responsibilities in terms of financial accountability, recording and monitoring to support Sure Start.

The following documents and papers have been compiled and are implemented to ensure standards are maintained in relation to evaluation, monitoring, accountability and probity:

o Sure Start Accountability Paper

o Standard Service Level Agreements and Service Level Contracts

o Proposals for Monitoring Sure Start Expenditure and Performance

o New Guidance Document

o Standard Business Planning templates.

An external evaluation by Capita Consultancy was completed in October 2004 on ‘Outreach home visiting services’. This evaluation can be accessed through the childcare Partnership website www.childcare-west.org.

The national longitudinal evaluation of Sure Start is ongoing and can be found under the NESS website address at www.ness.bbk.ac.uk.

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In the last year the WACP have developed new evaluation and monitoring databases, which assist the projects to download statistical data to the Partnership on an ongoing basis. This has proved extremely effective for data collection, collation and analysis.

�� Key Performance Areas

Breast-feeding

The Projects have set up support groups and a number have started peer support outreach assistance to breast-feeding mothers in a number of their areas.

Teenage Pregnancy

Projects provide a wide range of preventative sexual health services, i.e. virtual babies, Choices, SAMS Programmes, Men Matter programmes, etc.

Dental Health

Programmes all host monthly/quarterly dental health programmes. Registration with dentists for children using the Sure Start programmes has doubled since its inception. This activity relates to the performance indicators included in the long-term comparable evaluation by DHSSPS.

Equality

Two Equality Impact Assessments have been carried out across the projects evaluating the numbers of children accessing services from Section 75 populations. Projects have implemented new programmes specifically designed to address services in relation to flexible domiciliary respite for approximately 45 children. These children have complex disabilities with additional health and social needs.

Partnership Working

The projects are working in close partnership with the Trusts, their Local Strategic Partnerships, Investing for Health (HAZ) and their Local Health and Social Care Groups etc.

Reshaping and Mainstreaming

Projects are identifying how they are changing services to respond more effectively to need, by reshaping traditional statutory, voluntary/community led services. Good

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examples of these are through the speech and language programmes, outreach family support services and Sure Start led Health Visitor and Midwifery services.

The DHSSPS Priorities for Sure Start Service areas for 2005/2006 are as follows:

o Pregnancy and early post-natal

o Skill mix of Professional and lay workers

o Avoiding specialised services

o Clarifying the role of childcare, to support programmes and to offer some level of respite.

The following tables give a breakdown of numbers of children accessing services at September 2004.

Figure 44: Number of children accessing services at September 2004

Sure Start Project	No. of Children enrolled & Accessing Services at September 2004	Estimated Population of Children Aged 0-3 in Local Sure Start Area	Percentage of Local Children enrolled on & Accessing Services
Shantallow	700	1,263	55%
Ballymagroarty	365	578	63%
Dungiven	410	653	63%
Strabane	714	1,071	67%
Omagh	470	737	64%
Irvinestown	503	663	67%
Total WHSSB	3,162	4,965	64%

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�� Development of Local Early Years Strategy based on Regional Priorities

A key objective of the Partnership will be to have developed strategic priorities based on the outcomes of the Review of Children First the NI Childcare Strategy.

�� Development of Registered Childminding Across the Western Board Area

A key objective of the Partnership will be to have developed a Childminding Strategy for the Western Board area.

�� Quality of Childcare Services

A key objective of the Partnership will be to have improved quality standards across the childcare sectors and to have effectively contributed to the ongoing development of workforce planning within the childcare sector.

�� Accessibility of Early Years Services Based on Need

A key objective of the Partnership will be to have supported the sustainability of the Early Years sector and to have ensured that funding has been allocated on the basis of assessed need.

�� Integrated Family Support Services

A key objective of the Partnership will be to have actively contributed to the development of early intervention services for children and families in the Western Board area.

�� Consumer Involvement/Consultation

A key objective of the Partnership will be to have actively sought the views of service recipients to inform the planning and evaluation of childcare and Early Years services.

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12. Domestic Violence – Children and Young People

12.1. Need – National Trends

According to figures for the PSNI, police attended a total of 3,311 domestic incidents throughout the Western Board area in 2003-2004, and responded to a total of 1,745 domestic violence offences.

Figure 45: Domestic Violence Trends 2001-2004 – WHSSB

Figure 46: Domestic Violence Trends 2001-2004 – WHSSB

05001000150020002001/20022002/20032003/2004Incidents WithDomesticViolenceAttended

2001/2002	2002/2003		2003/2004
Incidents With Domestic Violence Attended	Incidents With Domestic Violence Attended		Incidents With Domestic Violence Attended
Foyle	1,021	1,391		1,491
Fermanagh	452	400		473
Limavady	303	373		359
Omagh	494	527		580
Strabane	370	353		408
TOTAL	2,640	3,044		3,311

Domestic Incidents Attended						Domestic Violence Offences					Most Serious Offence within the Domestic Violence Incident
											Murder		Attempted Murder		Rape		GBH		AOABH		Threats to Kill	Indecent Assault	Common assault	Criminal damage	Breach of orders	Harassment	Public Order	Other Offences
Foyle	1491	685	0	5	2		9	33	13	4	279	108		92		39		42		59
Fermanagh	473	321	0	0	0		3	20	8	0	137	36		91		9		11		6
Limavady	359	168	0	2	0		2	9	1	0	85	24		21		8		7		9
Omagh	580	330	0	0	0		2	31	14	2	139	33		57		13		18		21
Strabane	408	241	0	0	1		3	18	9	5	127	31		23		4		1		19
TOTAL	3311	1745	0	7	3		19	111	45	11	767	232		284		73		79		114

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The extent to which children and young people in the Western Board area have been directly affected as a result of domestic violence is difficult to quantify. The PSNI are currently developing their reporting system to include children and young people who are present during domestic incidents and domestic violence incidents where police have been involved.

Initial information has been made available from Foyle Command area for the five-month period between 1 April 2004 and 30 September 2004, and indicates that during the period:

�� Foyle Domestic Violence Unit made 152 referrals to Social Services;

�� Of the incidents referred, 382 children were present during domestic violence incidents (128 aged 0-5; 135 aged 5-10; 119 aged 10-17);

�� In 83 incidents, one or more of the adult parties was intoxicated;

�� In five incidents, one of more of the adult parties was under the influence of drugs;

�� Fifty-one of the incidents involved an assault on an adult;

�� Six of the incidents involved an assault on a child.

The Domestic Violence Sub-Committee is planning to carry out a ‘snapshot’ survey, across all agencies, to establish a baseline position in relation to the effect of domestic violence on children and young people. At present, the available statistical data refers to children who have been accommodated in Women’s Aid Refuges, and indicate that 1,112 children spent time in refuges across Northern Ireland in the course of 2002-2003. In the WHSSB area, in 2003-2004, a total of 207 children were accommodated. Statistics for Foyle, Omagh and Fermanagh Wards are reproduced below:

_________________________________________________________________________

No. Advice Calls (Helpline & Local Groups)	No. of Women Accommodated in Refuge		No. of Children Accommodated in Refuge
					Foyle-Derry, Strabane & Limavady	2,971 women & children supported	200 (Ashleywood House)	159 (Ashleywood House)
					Omagh	304	42	44
Fermanagh	3,461 (general calls, calls for information & support & calls from agencies on behalf of women)	16		4
Source :	Foyle, Omagh & Fermanagh Women's Aid

The ‘Making an Impact’ study on children and domestic violence (Hester, Pearson and Hankard) provides research evidence on the detrimental impact on children and young people.

Minimisation by Professionals

Children witnessing domestic violence has tended to be minimised by professionals, even though in some cases this may cause the child to react in ways consistent with the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Behavioural, Psychological and Physical Effects

Children might experience a wide range of behavioural, physical and psychological effects, which may be short-term and/or long-term.

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Mediating Factors – Children Will Be Effected Differently

Children’s perceptions and reactions to living with domestic violence will be influenced both in the short and longer term by factors such as age, race, economic status, gender, disability, sexuality and children’s resilience. The responses to living with domestic violence vary enormously with some children being affected far more than others. Children within the same family may be affected differently.

Pre-School

Generally, pre-school children are more likely to have physical symptoms of their anxiety.

Primary School

Primary school children are more likely to present their fears behaviourally and emotionally.

Adolescents – Escape

Adolescents try to gain relief through drugs, early marriage or pregnancy, running away or through criminal activity.

Gender

Gender can be an influencing factor in the impact of domestic violence on children, but this varies considerably and there is no single common response to the way in which boys and girls deal with their experiences of domestic violence.

Black and Ethnic Minority Children

There may be particular difficulties for black or ethnic minority children living with domestic violence.

Mother-Child Relationship

The impact on children of living with domestic violence might be affected by the relationship between mother and child, especially linked to the amount of stress experienced by the mother, and how this affects her parenting role.

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12.4. Key Result Areas 2005-2008

�� Mapping and Information

A key objective of the Sub-Committee will be to have identified a range of key information points and to link these in order to establish a reporting system which will provide continuous information on the experience of children and young people of domestic violence.

�� Early Support

The key objective will be to have influenced the development of a range of early intervention services. This will include the promotion of healthy relationships in schools and other settings, which will minimise the effect of domestic violence by equipping parents and young adults to recognise its manifestations and to evolve strategies for coping with the consequences.

�� Training

A key objective will be to have promoted training initiatives on domestic violence for all adults who work with children and young people. This should be taken forward in conjunction with the Domestic Violence Forum.

�� Unmet Need

A key objective of the Sub-Committee will be to have identified gaps in service provision based on assessment of the needs of children and young people who are victims of domestic violence, and to have influenced ways of designing and developing services.

�� Tackling Violence At Home Strategy

A key objective of the Sub-Committee will be to have:

�� assisted all agencies to make preparations for the introduction of the Strategy by improving coordination, dissemination of information, standard-setting, and joint planning; and

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13. Children and Young People in the Travelling Community

13.1. Need – National Trends

The Western Area Children and Young People's Committee has carried out, through its Ethnic Minorities Representative, an audit of the recommendations of recent reports in relation to children and young people in the Travelling Community. This audit included:

�� Connolly & Keenan Attitudes and Prejudice in Northern Ireland (2001 NISRA)

�� Key messages/definitions from:

�� Race Relations (NI) Order 1997

�� Northern Ireland Act 1998

�� Human Rights Act 1998

�� New THSN

�� Promoting Social Inclusion Working Group and Travellers 1999

�� The Experience of Black and Minority Ethnic People Living in the Western Area of Northern Ireland – WHSSB HAZ Project 2003

�� European Green Paper on Education

�� Task Force Report on the Travelling Community (Republic of Ireland, 1995)

A number of key issues arising from the reports were identified:

Training

�� Training for professionals in relation to cultural diversity and anti-discrimination

�� Accessible information for people in the Travelling Community

Education

�� Cultural diversity in all educational provision, i.e. training for teachers and Boards of Governors in schools etc

_________________________________________________________________________ �� Parental involvement in education (greater integration of Travellers in the life of schools)

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�� Communication between schools and Travellers (poor parental literacy)

�� Access to adult education for Travellers

�� Involvement of Traveller parents in school life?

�� Practical barriers, e.g. book exchange schemes; flexible enrolment dates; pupil transfer systems; school uniform grants

�� Nursery and pre-school provision in community settings

�� Use of pupil transfer records

�� Flexible post-primary curriculum

�� EOTAS schemes for young Travellers aged 14 years plus (falling out of education)

�� Community-based learning programmes amongst Travellers

Training and Employment

�� Links with training and employment social inclusion initiatives

�� Audit of training and employment needs of Travellers

Health

�� Access to services (training and cultural awareness for Health and Social Care professionals)

�� Issues of GP and dental registration and monitoring

�� Range of health/cultural issues, e.g. depression and mental health, alcohol abuse, domestic violence, accidents, anger-management, children with behavioural problems, culturally sensitive genetic counselling.

13.2. Service Proposal

The Western Area Children and Young People's Committee has drawn up a brief for an inter-agency group to develop planning of services for children and young people in the Travelling Community, which is as follows:

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Objectives

1. To develop a profile of the needs of the population of Traveller children and young people in the WHSSB area, with reference to:

a. Pre-birth, infancy and Early Years;

b. Education, school and training;

c. Health;

d. Mental Health

e. Disability;

f. Domestic Violence.

2. To consider the key messages from research and reports.

3. To draw up a service specification and business case for a dedicated service to support children and young people and their families, taking full account of all aspects of Traveller culture.

It is recommended that:

A. The service specification should consider the Family Centre Model, with a range of appropriate outreach services;

B. Services should be fully integrated at the point of delivery;

C. Service-user involvement/consultation should be a core aspect; and

D. Base-line measures should be agreed, so that outcomes for children and young people can be monitored.

Discussions are currently taking place to determine how this brief can be taken forward.

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�� Progress of Sexual Health Strategy targets relating to children, young people, maternity services and family planning, including improved access to information, skill building, and development of appropriate and accessible services.

�� The development of the Paediatric Palliative Care Forum and the review taking place within the Western Board of services in this area.

�� The provision of dental services within local communities including provision of outreach surgeries and the development of programmes and services for children and young people in areas of high deprivation.

�� Progress of the accident prevention strategies (WHSSB and DHSSPS) with a focus on home accidents to children under 5 years

�� Progress of Health Promotion initiatives to address obesity in children through implementation of the physical activity strategy, a range of nutrition programmes and piloting of a ‘Healthy Homes’ initiatives.

�� Support for under-age drinking projects.

�� Progress of work within the tobacco action plan to provide smoking prevention and cessation programmes for school children and pregnant women

�� Service improvement projects supporting Community Nursing services for children and also Sexual Health services, which incorporate the needs of young people, services and information made available to them.

�� The development of a framework for early diagnostic services for children with autism and the appointment of an Early Intervention Worker in this area.

�� Progress of work within Planning for Change in the context of maternity and paediatric services, both local and regional, including outreach and ambulatory care.

The Western Board’s Current Priorities for Children and Young People –

Health Services

�� Sustaining with safety constraints current maternity service

�� Improving the quality of maternity care

�� Auditing the number of caesarean births and other aspects of maternity care

�� Developing services for those with life-limiting conditions

�� Improving dental services and oral health

�� Implementing Investing for Health and other Health Promotion strategies and action plans including teenage pregnancy and parenthood, physical activity, accident prevention, mental health, drugs and alcohol and smoking

�� Increasing immunisation and vaccination uptake rates

�� Improving breastfeeding levels

�� Improving the quality and extent of services for children in care

�� Increasing the provision of adolescent psychiatric beds

�� Improving physical and sensory disability services including respite for children and services for disabled parents with dependent children

Under Targeting Social Need the following themes have also been identified:

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�� Smoking cessation and physical activity

�� Alcohol, drug and solvent abuse

�� The promotion of health lifestyles

�� Redressing inequalities in health and well-being among ethnic minority families

�� Countering rural isolation

14.4. Strategic Objectives 2005-2008

The strategic objective will be to improve key outcomes in relation to child health, maternal health and young people’s health, based on an integrated assessment of health needs, addressing the rights of children and young people, public expectations, workforce planning, partnership working and the strengthening of local infrastructures.

14.5. Key Result Areas 2005-2008

�� Service Planning

Service Planning should be inter-sectoral, inter-agency and integrated. It should also include cross-community working across all programmes of care and establish strategic partnerships and joint plans to improve coordination of Health Services.

�� Screening and Health Surveillance Programmes

To deliver and progress a number of screening and health surveillance programmes within maternal and child health which will include antenatal HIV screening, antenatal screening programmes, universal neonatal hearing screening, improvements to the neonatal serum screening programme and changes to the regional child health screening and surveillance programme under Hall 4. This approach should ensure that services are targeted to children and families in need and make the best use of skills of staff in home, community, school and hospital settings.

�� Service Framework for Children with Autism

To progress the development of a Board-wide service framework and early diagnostic framework for children with autism.

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�� Review of Children and Young Person’s Palliative Care Services

To take forward the recommendations set out in the Board’s Review of Children and Young Person’s Palliative Care Services including those with Life-Limiting Illnesses. This will include the enhancement of access to specialist care and the development of models for planning and delivery of care in an integrated multi-professional, inter-sectoral way. It will also seek to enhance the out-of-hour respite and nursing support to children and families.

�� Health Promotion

To ensure that the needs of children, young people and their families are clearly reflected in Health Promotion strategies and action plans and to consider available models of good practice, mapping-out needs based on available information and to put in place appropriate arrangements within agencies to take account of these needs. Key areas for development will include teenage pregnancy, dental health and oral health, breastfeeding, accident prevention, chronic disease management and lifestyle behaviour relating to childhood obesity, mental health, drugs, alcohol and smoking.

�� Maternal Health

The key objective will be to ensure that women have easy access to supportive, high-quality maternity services which are designed around their individual needs and those of their babies and that these are delivered as part of a locally-agreed and managed network of maternity and neonatal care which is appropriate and accessible for all women in the Western area. There will be a focus on the specific needs of teenage mothers

�� Children and Young People who are Ill and those with Complex Needs

A key objective will be to ensure that children and young people who are ill and those with complex needs and their families are cared for within a local system which coordinates Health, Social Care and education in a way that meets their individual needs and maximises the child or young person’s potential, addressing their health, educational and emotional needs throughout the period of their illness.

_________________________________________________________________________ 138 April 2005 ____________________________________________________________________Children’s Services Plan 2005-2008

APPENDIX 1

MEMBERSHIP OF COMMITTEES

Western Area Child Protection Committee

Position Vacant (CHAIR)

Mr Martin Quinn, PSW, WHSSB

Ms Lesley Courtney, Information Officer, WHSSB

Ms Claire McGartland, AHP Commissioner, WHSSB

Mr Tom Cassidy, Programme Manager, Foyle HSS Trust

Mrs M Harte, Asst Education Officer, WELB

Dr M McDermott, Consultant Psychiatrist, Sperrin Lakeland Trust

Ms Deirdre McGrenaghan, Sperrin Lakeland Trust

Dr D Deane, Foyle HSS Trust

Det Insp T Nicholl, PSNI

Mrs L Crumlish, Child Protection Nurse Advisor, Foyle HSS Trust

Mr T Doherty, PBNI

Dr S Hutton, Foyle HSS Trust

Mrs Paula McCourt, Bishop Street Court House, Londonderry

Ms Hilary Wells, Legal Services Directorate, CSA

Mr P Quinn, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Sperrin Lakeland Trust

Mr Mark McChrystal, Social Work Training Team

Ms Siobhan McIntyre, Service Planner, WHSSB

Mr B McElholm, Resident Magistrate, Family Proceedings Court

Mr Eamon McTernan, Children’s Services Planner, WHSSB

Mrs Karen Clarke, Personal Welfare Service IN

Mr Colm Elliott, NSPCC

Mr Tommy Doherty, Information Officer, WHSSB

Mrs Irene Duddy, Director of Nursing, Altnagelvin Hospital Trust

Ms Kathryn Minnis, Solicitor, Central Services Agency

Children with a Disability Sub-Committee

Mr Noel Quigley, Service Planner, WHSSB (CHAIR)

Mr Michael Palframan, Barnardos

Dr Sandi Hutton, Consultant Paediatrician, Foyle HSS Trust

Mr Jim Simpson, Service Planner, WHSSB

Mrs Margaret Harte, Education Officer, WELB

Mrs Pam Ferguson, APSW, Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust

Mr Paddy McLoone, APSW, Foyle HSS Trust

Mrs Sue Prenter, PAMS Manager, Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust

Awaiting nomination, Foyle Down’s Syndrome Trust

Ms Patricia Devlin, Child & Adolescent Team, Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust

Mr Brendan McKeever, (Family Information Group), Parent Representative

Ms Fiona Spence, Cedar Foundation

Ms Rosemary McNaughton, Cedar Foundation

Ms Monica McNicholl, Foyle HSS Trust

Mr Eamon McTernan, PSW, (Children Services Planning) WHSSB

_________________________________________________________________________________ 139 ____________________________________________________________________Children’s Services Plan 2005-2008

Western Area Child Care Partnership

Position Vacant (CHAIR)

Mr Eamon McTernan, Children’s Services Planner, WHSSB

Mrs Joanne Patterson, Co-ordinator, Childcare Partnership

Mr Gerry Conway, Children’s Services Planner, WHSSB

Mr Ian McKay, NICIE

Mr Seamus Gunn, District Manager, Training & Employment Agency

Mr Leslie Cubitt, Limavady Borough Council

Mrs Ann Bell, Strabane District Council

Mr Gerry Craig, Derry City Council

Vacant, Fermanagh District Council

Ms Alison McCullagh, Omagh District Council

Ms Marguerite Hunter-Blair, Playboard

Ms Jackie O’Loughlin, Playboard

Ms Martina Storey, Derry City Council Area Early Years Forum

Mr Tommy Doherty, Info Officer, WHSSB

Mrs Siobhan McIntyre, Service Planner, WHSSB

Ms Josephine Doherty, Sure Start

Ms Dorothy McWhirter, NICMA

Mr Danny Cassidy, ALTRAM

Ms Siobhan O’Hanlon, WELB

Mrs Brenda MacQueen, Limavady Early Years Forum

Ms Ingrid Canning, NIPPA

Ms Yvonne Tracey, Fermanagh Early Years Partnership Forum

Ms Muriel Bailey, Early Years Development Officer, Childcare Partnership

Mr Paddy Mackey, WELB

Mr David O’Donnell, Foyle Down’s Syndrome Trust

Ms Liz Kavanagh, Children’s Services Manager, Barnardos (representing Children in NI)

Ms Mary Quinn, Sperrin Lakeland HSC Trust

Ms Eimear McCauley, Senior Accountant, WHSSB

Ms Siobhan Fitzpatrick, NIPPA

Ms Lynn Patterson, Strabane District Early Years Forum

Ms Mary O’Reilly, Omagh Early Years Forum

Mrs Maura Mason, Training and Quality Development Officer, Childcare Partnership

Ms Veronica Baird, APSW, Social Services Training Team, Westcare

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Sub-Committee on Services for Children and Young People with Emotional / Behavioural / Psychiatric / Psychological Difficulties (EBPP)

Mr Jim Simpson, Service Planner (Mental Health), WHSSB (CHAIR)

Dr Anne Kilgallen, WHSSB

Ms Carina Boyle, NCH

Dr Anne Murray, Consultant Psychiatrist, Foyle HSS Trust

Dr Maura McDermott, Consultant Psychiatrist, Sperrin Lakeland HSC Trust

Mr Malachy O’Loane, SEO, WELB

Mr Seamus McGarvey, CSM, Sperrin Lakeland HSC Trust

Dr Vivien Dale, Community Paediatrician, Foyle HSS Trust

Mr John Duddy, Education Guidance Centre

Ms Teresa O’Doherty, NSPCC

Ms Noreen Sweeney, NEWPIN

Ms Julie Costello, Western Health Action Zone

Ms Joan Finn, Ed Psychologist, WELB

Ms Evelyn Craig, HV, Foyle HSS Trust

Mr Pat Armstrong, Foyle HSS Trust

Mr Eamon McTernan, PSW, (CSP) WHSSB

Mr Bernard McAnaney, Foyle HSS Trust

Ms Jackie Hamilton, WHSSB

Ms Marie Dunne, Health Promotion, Westcare Business Services

Ms Marie Crothers, Foyle HSS Trust

16+ Sub-Committee

Ms Deirdre Coyle, Foyle HSS Trust (CHAIR)

Ms Kathy Maguire, Council for the Homeless

Mr Kevin Miley, Sperrin Lakeland HSC Trust

Ms Sharon McGowan, DEL

Ms Donna O’Kane, Project Manager, Young Independents Group

Mr Stephen McLaughlin, Team Leader, Leaving & Aftercare Team, Foyle HSS Trust

Mrs Claire McCallion, Chez Nous

Ms Una Breslin, Social Security Agency

Ms Anne-Marie McCrory, SSW, Sperrin Lakeland Trust

Ms Wendy Kirk, NIHE

Mrs Pauline Monteith, NIHE

Mr Sean Mullin, Youth Dept, WELB

Ms Alicia Toal, VOYPIC

Ms Yvonne Halley, SSW, Sperrin Lakeland Trust

Mr Eamon McTernan, PSW (Children’s Services Planning), WHSSB

_________________________________________________________________________________ 141 ____________________________________________________________________Children’s Services Plan 2005-2008

Looked After Children Sub-Committee

Mr Godfrey Young, Sperrin Lakeland HSC Trust (CHAIR),

Ms Marion McGale, Sperrin Lakeland HSC Trust

Ms Gerarda Fitzpatrick, Sperrin Lakeland HSC Trust

Mr Pat Armstrong, Foyle HSS Trust

Dr K Sharma, Community Paediatrician, Sperrin Lakeland HSC Trust

Ms Therese Armstrong, NIFCA, Sperrin Lakeland HSC Trust

Mr Paul Sweeney, Extern West

Mr Paul Devlin, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Foyle HSS Trust

Ms Ann Hart-Henderson, WELB

Dr Erin Knowles, Community Paediatrician, Great James’ Street Health Centre

Ms Ann McDuff, SSW, Foyle HSS Trust

Ms Jackie Callan, Registration and Inspection Unit, Hilltop

Ms Lorraine Devlin, Include Youth

Ms Sharon Redmond, VOYPIC

Mr Tony McGonagle, WELB

Mr Malachy O’Loane, WELB

Mr Eamon McTernan, PSW (Children’s Services Planning), WHSSB

Training Network

Ms Brenda McQueen, Dry Arch Centre,

Ms Freda McDonald, Nurse Manager, Sperrin Lakeland HSC Trust

Ms Mary McColgan, University of Ulster, Magee

Ms Ann Hart-Henderson, WELB

Dr Erin Knowles, Associate Specialist, Foyle HSS Trust

Ms Loretta Crumlish, Child Protection Advisor, Foyle HSS Trust

Ms Wendy Kirk, Principal Housing Officer, NIHE

Mr Michael Dunne, North & West In-Service Education Consortium

Mrs Veronica Baird, Social Services Training Team

Mrs Anna Jack, Social Services Training Team

Mr Mark McChrystal, Social Services Training Team

Mr Vincent McCauley, Acting PSW, Social Services Training Team

Ms Ethel McNeill, Training Officer, Children in Northern Ireland

_________________________________________________________________________________ 142 ____________________________________________________________________Children’s Services Plan 2005-2008

Family Support Strategy Co-ordinating Group

Position Vacant (CHAIR)

Mr Gerry Conway, Children’s Services Planner, WHSSB

Mrs Joanne Patterson, Child Care Partnership Co-ordinator, WHSSB

Mr Tommy Doherty, Information Officer, WHSSB

Mrs Siobhan McIntyre, Service Planner, WHSSB

Mrs Deirdre McGrenaghan, CSM, Sperrin Lakeland Trust

Mr Tom Cassidy, Programme Manager, Foyle HSS Trust

Dr Sandi Hutton, Consultant Paediatrician, Foyle HSS Trust

Mr Martin Quinn, Community Development, Foyle HSS Trust

Dr Kusum Sharma, Consultant Community Paediatrician, Sperrin Lakeland Trust

Mr Vincent Ryan, Director Community Care, Sperrin Lakeland Trust

Mr John Doherty, Director Social Care, Foyle HSS Trust

Ms Dolores McGuinness, Lifestart Foundation

Mr Brian Baker, Assistant Director of Finance, WHSSB

Ms Carina Boyle, National Children’s Homes

Mr Derek Ballard, Sperrin Lakeland Trust

Ms Deirdre Mahon, APSW, Foyle HSS Trust

Ms Phil Mahon, Director (Health Care), Foyle HSS Trust

Ms Marian Murphy, Sperrin Lakeland Trust

Ms Mary Quinn, Sperrin Lakeland Trust

Mr Frank Britton, New Beginnings, Sperrin Lakeland Trust

Ms Philomena McDermott, Western Education and Library Board

Mr Brian Baker, Finance, WHSSB

Mr John McCosker, WHSSB

Mr Eamon McTernan, Children’s Services Planner, WHSSB

Sub-Committee for Children and Young People who are Victims of Domestic Violence

Ms Orla Conway, Women’s Aid Federation (CHAIR)

Ms Sheila McNabb, Foyle HSS Trust

Miss Nicola Topping, WELB

Mrs Connie Connolly, School Nurse, Sperrin Lakeland Trust

Ms Grainne Scott, DVO, PSNI

Ms Liz Kavanagh, Barnardos

Ms Celine Quinn, Child Protection Nurse Advisor, Sperrin Lakeland Trust

Ms Winnie O’Grady, Derry Travellers’ Support Group

Ms Lynn Patterson, Lifestart Foundation Ltd

Sgt David McKay, PSNI

Mr Milton Kerr, PSNI

T/Supt JS McCarroll, PSNI

Mr Eamon McTernan, CSP, WHSSB

Ms Margaret Gallagher, Foyle Women’s Aid

Mr Vincent Ryan, Director of Community Care, Sperrin Lakeland Trust

Ms Ann McDonald, Foyle Women’s Aid

Ms Marie Brown, Foyle Women’s Aid

Ms Eithne Gilligan, Northern Ireland Women’s Aid Federation

Ms Christine Quigley, Court Welfare Officer, Foyle HSS Trust

_________________________________________________________________________________ 143 ____________________________________________________________________Children’s Services Plan 2005-2008

Youth Justice Sub-Committee

Mr Andrew Rooke, ACPO, PBNI (CHAIR)

Ms Liz Cuddy, Extern West

Ms Deirdre Mahon, Project Manager, Foyle HSS Trust

Mr Tony McGonagle, Chief EWO, WELB

Sgt Rosie Thompson, PSNI

Mr Donnie Sweeney, NIACRO

Mr Thompson Best, Juvenile Justice Board

Mr Julian Daly, SYO, WELB

Mr Aidan Bunting, Omagh District Council

Mr Neville Armstrong, Fermanagh District Council

Ms Mary Brogan, Omagh District Council

Ms Koulla Yiasouma, Include Youth

Mr Sean Leary, Sperrin Lakeland HSC Trust

Mr Eamon McTernan, PSW (Children’s Services Planning), WHSSB

Ms Sandra Armstrong, Omagh District Council

Ms Claire Mullen, Strabane District Council

Ms Bridget McCaughan, Limavady Borough Council

Homelessness (Homeless Families: Homeless Children) Sub-Committee

Mr Eamon McTernan, Children’s Services Planner, WHSSB

Ms Carol McKeever, Clarendon Shelter

Ms Louise Clarke, NIHE

Ms Aileen Lynch, WELB

Mr Tony McGonagle, Chief EWO, WELB

Ms Wendy Kirk, NIHE

Mrs Marie Brown, Foyle Women’s Aid

Ms Kathy Kealey, NIHE

Ms Sheila McNabb, Health Visitor, Foyle HSS Trust

Ms Muriel Bailey, Early Years Development Officer, Western Area Child Care Partnership

_________________________________________________________________________________ 144 ____________________________________________________________________Children’s Services Plan 2005-2008

Family Support Preventative Strategy Group

Ms Carina Boyle, National Children’s Homes (CHAIR)

Mr Gerry Conway, Children’s Services Planner, WHSSB

Mrs Joanne Patterson, Child Care Partnership Co-ordinator, WHSSB

Mrs Siobhan McIntyre, Service Planner, WHSSB

Ms Liz Kavanagh, Barnardos

Ms Fiona Spence, Cedar Foundation

Ms Noreen Sweeney, Foyle Newpin

Mrs Julie Costello, Health Action Zone

Mr Martin Quinn, APSW, Foyle HSS Trust

Mr Colm Elliott, NSPCC

Ms Dolores McGuinness, Lifestart Foundation

Ms Margaret Boyle, Derry Travellers Support Group

Mr Derek Ballard, Sperrin Lakeland Trust

Ms Mary Quinn, Sperrin Lakeland Trust

Ms Philomena McDermott, WELB

Mr Brian Murray, Extern West

Ms Denyse Walker, Co-ordinator, Homestart Lakeland

Mrs Marie Brown, Foyle Women’s Aid

Ms Marie McGale, MENCAP

Ms Christine Carlin, Parents’ Advice Centre

Mr John Sheridan, Erne Family Centre

Ms Marie Wilson, NIPPA

Ms Sarah Grogan, Programme Manager, Foyle HSS Trust

Ms Maria Herron, Derry Children’s Commission

Integrated Child Health Forum

Mrs Siobhan McIntyre, Service Planner, WHSSB (CHAIR)

Dr S Hutton, Consultant Paediatrician, Foyle HSS Trust

Mr B Duffy, CSM, Sperrin Lakeland Trust

Mrs K Jackson, CNM, Foyle HSS Trust

Ms F Gilmore, CCN, Sperrin Lakeland Trust

Dr N Corrigan, Consultant Paediatrician, Altnagelvin Trust

Dr Kusum Sharma, Consultant Community Paediatrician, Sperrin Lakeland Trust

Mrs E Millar, CSM, Sperrin Lakeland Trust

Mrs Claire McGartland, AHP Commissioner, WHSSB

Dr G Mackin, Consultant Paediatrician, Sperrin Lakeland Trust

Mrs Phil Mahon, Director of Healthcare, Foyle trust

Mr Eamon McTernan, Service Planner, WHSSB

Miss I Duddy, Director of Nursing, Altnagelvin Trust

Mrs Kate McDaid, Altnagelvin Trust