Transcript Childhood Development Initiative

2013
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Established 2007;
One of the three Prevention and Early Intervention Programme
Initiatives;
“We were set up with the objective of testing innovative ways of
delivering services and early interventions for children and young
people, including the wider family and community settings”. (DCYA,
2011)
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Funding partnership between DCYA and The AP;
Strategy and services designed on identified need;
Seven evidence-informed interventions identified following three
years of consultation;
Developed a coherent, community informed, integrated response to
children's needs.
Eight independent evaluations undertaken.
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Two year early years service (2-4 year olds);
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Doodle Den literacy for 5-6 year old children;
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Early Intervention Speech and Language (3 – 6 year olds) ;
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Healthy Schools Programme (4 -12 year olds);
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Mate-Tricks Pro-Social Behaviour Programme (9 – 10 year
olds);
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Community Safety Initiative;
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Restorative Practice.
3 Randomised
Controlled Trials
Community Safety Initiative –
(NUIG)
Restorative Practice – (NUIG)
Overall Process Evaluation –
(NUIG)
ECCE – (DIT)
Doodle Den – (QUB)
Mate Tricks – (QUB)
3 Process
Evaluations
Quasi-Experimental
Study
Retrospective
Impact Study
Healthy School’s
Programme – (TCD)
Speech &
Language Therapy
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Investment has been made in evaluating evidence
informed programmes, to identify what works and what
doesn’t;
There is a growing body of Irish evidence and experience
which informs our knowledge of what does and doesn't
work to improve outcomes for children;
Shifting service delivery towards evidenced models of
practice requires leadership: what do we STOP doing to
create space to take on new ways of working?
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How we assess the rigour of evaluations?
How do we incrementally replace those programmes which
have no evidence, or have negative findings, with those
which have been demonstrated as achieving the outcomes
they set out to achieve?
How do we assess the efficacy of existing services within
the current resource constrictions?
CDI will share their learning and experiences to
date regarding programmes and processes in order to
inform future policy and practice in detail through:
 Provision of Evaluation Reports and Executive Summaries;
 Provision of policy papers, articles, presentations;
 Meeting with our funders DCYA & AP and key stakeholders;
 Presentation to specific audiences e.g. Government;
professional bodies;
 Presenting at seminars and training events.
In relation to Early Years Training:
 All early years practitioners, teachers and related professionals should
receive appropriate training in the support of speech and language
development, and information regarding local service provision. We
propose including a speech and language needs awareness module
in all Early Years practitioner training, and developing models of multiagency delivery to roll out more on-site speech and language therapy;
 We propose that parent training is delivered as part of an integrated
Early Years programme. As this has a positive effect on the home
learning environment and highlights the importance for parent training
programmes of an evidence-based, manualised programme that is
strongly supported by a well-trained and accessible mentor.
In relation to Teacher Training
 Health promotion and mechanisms to support inter-agency
collaboration should be included as part of training and continuous
professional development for teachers and related professionals.
This will help ensure appropriate sharing of information, and aid
professionals to make evidence-informed decisions;
 We propose that RP training modules be included in all teacher
training courses in order to build the capacity of teachers to deliver
on the objectives of the School Self-Evaluation: Guidelines for
Primary and Post-Primary Schools (Department of Education and
Skills, 2012);
 Pre-service training for professionals working with children should
include mandatory modules on engaging parents.
In relation to Community Development Training:
 We propose that a community engagement module be
developed for delivery to both managers and front-line
staff on an interagency and cross disciplinary basis for
those organisations whose work requires engagement
with residents, particularly in areas of disadvantage.
This would include local authorities, Gardaí, probation
and youth services.
In General:
 Key training and supports should be provided to
appropriate structures to ensure fidelity of intervention
delivery, and so ensure the potential for positive
outcomes;
 Managers in all state funded organisations working with
children should receive training in logic modelling,
utilising evidence to inform planning and assessing
outcomes.
 CPD points to be accepted by organisations for training
on the CDI programmes.