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Ireland's second periodic report to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) presents the government's case that it is succeeding in protecting and promoting the rights of all children in Ireland. This article presents a critical discourse analysis of the government's Report to the CRC. Using a refined critical discourse analysis model, based on the framework proposed by Chouliaraki and Fairclough, the linguistic structure of the Report is examined alongside consideration of the wider sociopolitical context in which it exists. The Report is itself a promotional genre. It lists legislative change, strategy plans and other policy activity intended to have an impact on children's rights. This promotional genre is realised in the Report through drawing on the language necessary to sell the government as successful in implementation of the Convention, to the CRC. Through adherence to the structured language of reporting, in tandem with the careful positioning of paragraphs, the report serves to circumvent the absences of legislation and provisions that directly influence and impact on children's rights. Thus, the analysis reported in this article confirms the view that much of the discourse is rhetorical. Nevertheless, the Report generally represents the government as progressing in the field of implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This has led to an assumption that the reporting mechanisms of the CRC may allow for such rhetorical construction of reports, thus a brief linguistic textual analysis of the CRC guidelines for periodic reports is included to reveal whether there is a case for this assumption. (Contains 8 notes.)

The professionalisation of social care practice in Ireland, after a period of dormancy, has experienced rapid advancement toward statutory regulation and reform. Yet, the limited literature available in Ireland on the subject matter, almost exclusively predates these changes. This paper presents a theoretically informed commentary on the literature related to Evidence-Informed Practice (EIP) and professionalisation of social care professionals who work with children in Ireland. A key proposition of this paper is that rather than being distinct and autonomous, EIP may be most constructively understood as an integrated feature of professionalisation in social care. This is illustrated within themes identified in the body of literature related to EIP. Overall, the literature review in this paper is explicitly subjective, rather than systematic, and declared as operating broadly from a Social Constructionist orientation. The implicit Social Constructionist approach declared from the outset, is later overtly applied through a theoretical framework derived from Burr ([2015]. Social constructionism (3rd ed.). London: Routledge) and Gergin ([1985]. The social constructionist movement in modern psychology. The American Psychologist, 40(3), 266–275), to inform discussion on EIP within professionalisation of social care professionals. The intention is, that discussion will generate learning for practitioners seeking to improve practice with children in the field, by addressing some of the significant challenges and practice concerns identified in the former review. It is proposed that, because of its nature as a historically and culturally unique moment in time, intensifying professionalisation of social care in Ireland provides a valuable opportunity for practitioners seeking to improve practice with children. This opportunity lies in the potential for practitioners to use the process of professionalisation as a platform to compel higher standards for social care in Ireland, including better standards of EIP, through such measures as lobbying and advocacy work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the role parents play in supporting young people is well established, support from other caring adults also becomes important during adolescence, particularly when young people are facing problems in their lives. The goal of this paper is to reflect on youth support seeking when facing problems, exploring differences between youth who seek support from parents only and those who seek support from parents and other non-parental adults. This paper outlines the findings of a secondary analysis of data from the third wave of the Growing up in Ireland child cohort at 17/18 years, collected from primary caregivers and youth. From 6126 young people in the national sample, 91.3% answered the selective question about the type of adult support they seek. Of this cohort, 36% of young people seek support from a parent and 48% go to a parent and another adult. Comparing these groups, there are significant differences found in both their individual and contextual characteristics, with better outcomes for youth with additional non-parental adult support, including using active coping strategies, better self-esteem, and identity resolution. While the findings indicate that non-parental adults have a positive influence in different areas of youth well-being, further research is required to better understand the ways in which support from non-parental adults helps young people in their transition to adulthood.

This paper draws upon evidence captured from a parent consultation exercise conducted by Helen Dunn (author) and Paula Keenan on behalf of Children in Northern Ireland (CiNI) for the Department of Health as part of the Review of Children's Social Care led by Professor Ray Jones during 2022-23. CiNI is the regional umbrella organisation for the children's sector in Northern Ireland. This paper will be of interest to those who are keen to hear parents and carers views and their experiences of Social Work and Social Care in Northern Ireland. The Review also engaged Voice of Young People in Care (VOYPIC) a charity for children and young people with a lived experience of care in Northern Ireland. They formed an Experts by Experience Reference Group of young people who were currently in or had experience of the care system.

Domestic abuse continues to be a growing concern across the globe where the overwhelming majority of victims are women. Women also tend to experience more severe forms of violence, which includes murder. There is growing recognition that children who live in households where domestic abuse exists are directly harmed and often show psychological problems from an early age while other children present with no symptoms and appear unaffected. Domestic abuse is rife and its impact minimised and normalised by society when it occurs in intimate partner relationships. This paper highlights the complexities of domestic abuse noting its many presentations and how siloed responses from various organisations tackled to address it are inadequate. The paper will identify learning for practitioners in an effort to turn the tide and save lives.

Introduction: This paper reports on the outcomes from an analysis of 500 noncompliant regulations drawn from 1563 Early Years Services inspections that took place in Ireland between January and December 2017. Aim: The aim of this study was to consider the impact of the early years inspection process on the quality of early years services. Methodology: A two-stage approach was adopted. First, the extent to which regulatory compliance, as determined by the Early Years Inspector (EYI), was achieved at the end of the corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) process was calculated using a content analysis. Second, illustrative case studies are presented for the purpose of providing an insight into the approaches through which compliance is achieved. Results: The results show that the inspectorate successfully identifies noncompliances in respect of children's health, welfare and development, the safety and governance of the service and the premises and facilities. Following the detection of these noncompliances, it provides opportunities for early years providers to rectify the deficiencies and works in a collaborative way to achieve improvements to the services. More than eight in every 10 services (83%) make demonstrable and evidenced improvements to their service on completion of this process. A further 10% of services report improvements which the EYI will review at the next inspection. Conclusion: The results demonstrate that through responsive regulation as described by Boyne, Day, and Walker (2002), the EYIs are successful in effecting changes to the behaviour of service providers and securing improvements in the quality of the service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to inform a critical analysis of how the media portray family support in Ireland. Findings of a content analysis carried out on national and regional Irish newspapers between 2014 and 2017 are presented which describe communication about family support services provided by Tusla-Child and Family Agency. Results show that even though child protection was not used as a specific search term, news items on the Child and Family Agency and family support were usually focused on child protection and children in care. Results also show that family support activities are reported more positively in local papers compared to national papers. In the discussion, we argue that these findings are important as the media plays an important role in how the public understand, view, and engage with integrated child protection and welfare systems. We consider the implications of the research and advocate working with the media to inform their interpretation and understanding of family support. We suggest this is important as the manner in which the media communicate and frame family support as part of the overall child protection and welfare system is one of the main influences on public understandings and awareness of preventative family support and child welfare services.

It has been recognised for some time that the effects of disadvantage are in place early in a child's life, and early intervention has become an established element of efforts to alleviate such effects. This paper describes the range of interventions that exist to address disadvantage among children in the birth to six age range in Republic of Ireland (RoI). The characterisation of early childhood care and education (ECCE) in Ireland has not heretofore been inclusive of all settings for children in the birth to six age group, with a demarcation existing between school and non-school settings. Such a demarcation is not tenable in the context of progress towards a cohesive, coordinated ECCE sector in RoI. It is most noticeable in the dichotomy that exists between the concepts of care and education. While the major policy papers over the past number of years have recognised that care and education are indivisible elements in a child's life, programme implementation has not, to date, reflected this awareness. This profile brings together information on categories of provision, programme implementation, funding streams and supporting structures. Following an introduction, the involvement of community/voluntary groups in service provision is considered. This is followed by a description of interventions emanating from three government departments: the Department of Education and Science; the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform; and the Department of Health and Children. While there appears to be general agreement here on the importance of intervention in the early years of a child's life, it is less clear what constitutes effective intervention in the Irish context. Coordinating all the efforts described across both statutory and non-statutory provision can only benefit our ability to offer real opportunities to children experiencing, or at risk of, educational disadvantage, provided that coordination is informed by indigenous research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our concept of childhood is context-linked and time-specific. This paper traces the evolution of our conceptualisation of childhood in Ireland, focusing particularly on children aged four to six years of age, from 1900 to the present day. In the course of the past century, this perception has altered greatly in light of advancements in society's understanding of children. There has been a gradual transformation in the position of children in society, and the rights and interests of children now receive unprecedented attention in the public domain. These changes have been influenced, and indeed catalysed, by dramatic social, economic, familial, democratic, religious, cultural and political changes throughout the twentieth century. While there are a number of sources outlining the position of children in society, this paper focuses on documentation from the education system, particularly the content of successive primary school curricula in Ireland. Analysis of documentation provides an insight into society's view and value of children in Ireland in the twentieth century. This is traced in three distinct phases; the curriculum in the period pre-independence (1900–1922); the programme adopted upon independence and implemented for close to 50 years (1922–1971); and the revisions that took place and were adopted in the curriculum (1971–1999). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper was delivered to the 'Children (NI) Order--Fit for Purpose?' conference, November 2002. It explores the relationship between the Health and Social Services Trusts and the Courts in Northern Ireland, when dealing with matters under the Children Order. The characteristics of children who come before the courts are examined, and the rise in the use of Interim Care Orders and the increase in Court disposal time are highlighted. The article cites many of the challenges facing child care professionals today and argues that 'enhanced assessment', particularly at the 'front' of the system, be developed, supported by 'enhanced quality assurance'. Underpinning the paper, the importance of respect for each other's disciplines is stressed in order to work for the best interests of the child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term "participation" is widely used to refer to the involvement of children and young people in decision-making on issues that affect their lives. The Health and Information Quality Authority (HIQA) is the national inspectorate for social care in Ireland. HIQA monitors Tusla, Ireland's child and family agency, for compliance with national children's standards, including standards on children and young people's participation rights. This paper outlines findings of a secondary analysis of data in relation to participation standards in HIQA foster care, residential care and special care inspection reports over a two-year period from 2013 to 2015 (n = 40). The thematic analysis explores the degree to which the reports found that children in care are provided with the opportunity to influence decisions in relation to their everyday lives, to participate in child in care reviews, receive information, avail of advocacy services and have access to a complaints mechanism. While there is much evidence of good practice across all sectors, some notable differences between the realisation of participation standards in residential care and foster care were found. This baseline analysis was undertaken prior to the implementation of a comprehensive participation strategy by Tusla across the organisation and highlights areas in which practice can be improved or mainstreamed in this work programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing the participation of children and young people in matters related to their care and aftercare is regarded as international best practice. While research demonstrates that children and young people benefit from involvement in care-related processes, participation continues to pose challenges for social work practitioners. Studies to date have tended to focus on in-care engagement and, consequently, relatively little is known about the experiences of young people as they age out of care, particularly in terms of their perceived involvement and engagement in the planning-to-leave care process. This paper examines young people's experiences of the aftercare planning process in Ireland drawing on data from the first phase of a qualitative longitudinal study of young people leaving care. Sixteen participants were recruited at baseline and interviewed in-depth. The approach to interviewing was flexible and encouraged participants to talk about their experiences of care and the aftercare planning process. The findings indicate considerable diversity in how young people experience and attach meaning to the transition out of care. They also reveal complexities surrounding youth participation in the leaving care planning process and uncover a number of distinct facilitators and barriers to participation. Conclusions are drawn and the implications for practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EPIC is an independent voluntary organisation in the Republic of Ireland that advocates for the rights of children in care and young people who have care experience. One aspect of EPIC's work is the Aftercare Advocacy and Support Service, which provides confidential advice and support to young people who are preparing to leave care, those in aftercare and those who have left the care system. This paper reports on research undertaken in North Dublin with care-leavers and aftercare workers, using a survey and interviews to collect both quantitative and qualitative data, to inform EPIC's work in this area. The paper presents findings from the research along with other relevant literature and considers the implications for developing leaving-care services in the Republic of Ireland. The importance of adequate planning and access to both practical and emotional support to facilitate a gradual transition from care and the need to fully involve young people in the leaving-care process are emphasised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on children who have been internationally adopted provides many strong examples of resilience. This paper discusses what counts as resilience in intercountry adoption and includes new data from the first study in this area conducted in Ireland. As with studies conducted in other jurisdictions, the Irish data indicate a remarkable capacity for recovery from adversity in most, but not all, children after adoption and exposure to pervasive and permanent environmental change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the paper “A Fairer Deal For Legal Aid” (2005), the Department of Constitutional Affairs poses the question: Are we ensuring that system resources are used in the “most proportionate, efficient, effective and timely way to ensure the best possible outcomes for children and families?” This paper argues that the issue of effective use of system resources is equally applicable to Northern Ireland. It discusses the expectation that the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 implemented on 4 November 1996 would deliver a re-balancing of the relationship between the State and the family, with emphasis on prevention and early intervention and with less demand for crisis-orientated services. The statistical evidence generated by agencies involved in Children Order proceedings suggests that this expectation was not met. The statistics on the number and length of Care Order applications suggest the use of compulsion has increased and, it is argued here, that the result of this is that the resource demands of the legal process affecting all of the agencies that support this process have also increased. It is also argued that by continuing to direct resources toward the legal process, the availability of resources for early intervention and for the prevention of cases coming before the court in the first place is reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates responses to asylum seeker children in Ireland from a child poverty perspective and from that of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. It draws upon research undertaken in early 2001 on behalf of the Irish Refugee Council among asylum seeker families with children in Cork, Limerick and Ennis on their experiences of poverty and social exclusion. The research was primarily qualitative. Interviews with adult members of households and some children were triangulated with data on benefit entitlements and take-up, household consumption, accommodation and amenities. The research sought to ascertain levels of income poverty and material deprivation. A range of indictors of child poverty and social exclusion were also employed. The research found that asylum seeker children experienced extreme income poverty, material deprivation, housing deprivation and social exclusion in considerable part due to the imposition of a system of lesser welfare entitlements, known as "direct provision", introduced in April 2000. The paper argues that state-fostered social exclusion of asylum seeker children resulting from "direct provision" is contrary to Ireland's obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the goals of the National Children's Strategy and the goals of the National Anti-Poverty Strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disabled children experience increased risk of abuse and neglect. Concurrently, serious concerns and practical impediments persist regarding the capacity of statutory child protection and welfare services to respond adequately to their needs. Specifically, the focus in this article is on the assessment stage of the social work process within child protection and welfare teams in the Republic of Ireland. Within this, critical commentary on the literature in this article sets out barriers to professional assessment. These include those associated with interviewing children with cognitive and linguistic impairments, negotiating resource constraints, and overcoming knowledge impediments. Following a thematic overview of literature, theoretical vantage points associated with ableism and derived from the broad field of disability studies, informs concluding analysis with focus on lessons learned for future practice. The proposition is, that theoretical perspectives associated with ableism may aid practitioners in seeking to overcome knowledge, attitudinal and social equality barriers to effective child protection, that existing literature alludes to. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a comparison between child welfare and protection social work in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland by considering some key aspects of its historical development. It is argued that social work must always be understood within its specific genealogical context that provides the profession with legitimacy and space to operate. In relation to Northern Ireland, the particular way in which child welfare and social work developed over the thirty years of the 'Troubles' is considered. Similarities and differences between social work in Ireland and the rest of the UK are also presented. For the Republic of Ireland, the way in which the profession struggled to gain legitimacy and recognition within a medically dominated health board system is explored. The impact of a number of inquiries over the 1990's is also addressed. In addition to recognising the differences between social work in both jurisdictions, possibilities for recognising 'dimensions of commonality' are also considered (McDonald, et al ., 1993). The shared challenges to social work on both sides of the border at micro, mezzo and macro levels are explored. The paper concludes with some suggestions as to how we can take forward our dimensions of commonality at a time of reform and expansion of social work education in both jurisdictions. It is argued that attention must be paid, not only to our genealogical context, but also to our own archaeological construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is based on findings from an Irish study of permanence and stability outcomes for children in long-term care which involved biographical narrative interviews with 27 children, young people, parents and foster carers. The study concluded that power and power relations featured significantly in the narratives of our interviewees. To advance guidance for practice, this paper aims to build on the findings of the study reported with an emphasis on the theorisation of power and power relations to inform practice. To do this, we use illustrative quotes from children, young people and their families to demonstrate how power markedly affected their experiences. The findings are considered in the context of an adapted version of Bronfenbrenner's ecological model with a focus on the interaction between the social work system and individual social workers (exo system) the young person and their wider family (micro-meso system) as perceived by the latter. The wider impact of policy (macro system) and transitions and experiences over time (chrono system) are considered in the context of this interaction. In the discussion, the need for more explicit studies of power and power relations within the context of an ecological model to capture the complexity of layers and interactions of each child's social system is highlighted. The contribution and limitation of the research is discussed. We end with a commentary about the importance of promoting an increased voice for children and young people in the development and improvement of public child welfare services.

The professionalisation of social care practice in Ireland, after a period of dormancy, has experienced rapid advancement toward statutory regulation and reform. Yet, the limited literature available in Ireland on the subject matter, almost exclusively predates these changes. This paper presents a theoretically informed commentary on the literature related to Evidence-Informed Practice (EIP) and professionalisation of social care professionals who work with children in Ireland. A key proposition of this paper is that rather than being distinct and autonomous, EIP may be most constructively understood as an integrated feature of professionalisation in social care. This is illustrated within themes identified in the body of literature related to EIP. Overall, the literature review in this paper is explicitly subjective, rather than systematic, and declared as operating broadly from a Social Constructionist orientation. The implicit Social Constructionist approach declared from the outset, is later overtly applied through a theoretical framework derived from Burr ([2015]. "Social constructionism" (3rd ed.). London: Routledge) and Gergin ([1985]. The social constructionist movement in modern psychology. "The American Psychologist," 40(3), 266-275), to inform discussion on EIP within professionalisation of social care professionals. The intention is, that discussion will generate learning for practitioners seeking to improve practice with children in the field, by addressing some of the significant challenges and practice concerns identified in the former review. It is proposed that, because of its nature as a historically and culturally unique moment in time, intensifying professionalisation of social care in Ireland provides a valuable opportunity for practitioners seeking to improve practice with children. This opportunity lies in the potential for practitioners to use the process of professionalisation as a platform to compel higher standards for social care in Ireland, including better standards of EIP, through such measures as lobbying and advocacy work.

Implementation is the carrying out of planned, intentional activities that aim to turn evidence and ideas into policies and practices that work for people in the real world--the "how" as well as the "what" (Centre for Effective Services, 2022). Whilst partnership, relationship and trust often feature in implementation, until relatively recently it has been neglected in the research and literature. This paper focuses on the overarching learning on the role of trust and relationships drawn from a large-scale evaluation of the implementation of family support services by 36 organisations in Northern Ireland. Trust and relationships were found to be important enablers of change for services and families alike. Specific behaviours were identified that contributed to the building of trusted relationships, which, in turn, created the conditions for change to happen. This learning develops emerging work on trust among stakeholders, applying it to engagement with families as integral to the implementation of effective family support services.

Recently in Ireland attention has been placed on the importance of parental involvement in early childhood care and education settings as seen in the Síolta Quality Standards and Aistear Curriculum Framework. Yet there is little Irish empirical evidence on parental involvement in childcare settings; on the involvement models being used, or on the benefits and limitations of efforts to involve parents. This paper reports on research in five Dublin Docklands community childcare centres where practitioners had been trained in the Pen Green Parental Involvement in Children's Early Learning programme (PICL). The research aimed to understand how practitioners were able to implement new parental involvement techniques as a result of their training, how the training impacted on centres' understandings of, and approach to, parental involvement; and barriers and facilitators to the implementation of a parental involvement model from a different cultural context in community childcare settings in Dublin. A participatory research strategy involved a stakeholder reference group; documentary analysis; interviews; and focus groups conducted with childcare practitioners, and with parents. Their involvement in PICL has benefited childcare workers in a variety of ways that include: improved image as professional childcare practitioners— (they are not just “babysitters”), the validation of existing practices, the introduction of new techniques and the confidence to communicate with parents. A number of structural issues impede practitioners' efforts to involve parents in their children's early learning. These include childcare regulations, short-term staffing, police clearance, resources, and dependence upon Community Employment Scheme staff. Involving parents in their children's early learning may also be constrained by attitudes about the role of child-minders and childcare centres. While there has been considerable practice change, there is still some distance to go in the Docklands childcare centres to develop the partnerships between practitioners and parents envisaged in the PICL framework. Consistent work is required to change parental values and attitudes about the role of the childcare practitioner, and to embed the idea of parents as partners in early education amongst both practitioners and parents. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The impact of substance-use disorders on families is well documented in the literature, with families experiencing physical, emotional and psychological stress. Also documented is the perceived stigma experienced by those living alongside family members with substance-use disorders. This paper focuses on the help-seeking behaviour of those affected by substance use within their families, exploring the ways in which informal, semi-formal and formal supports are drawn on. The prohibitive factors and barriers influencing decision making by families in need is also discussed. Through a qualitative research approach this study collates the perspectives of a cohort of family members in Ireland, with a view to informing and enhancing the design and delivery of support services. While participants positively endorsed most forms of formal support, services were sought and accessed in an ad-hoc fashion, with a range of psychological, geographical and emotional barriers presenting. The availability of services and the stigma associated with having family members affected by substance-use disorders are also highlighted. The paper provides opportunities and recommendations for potential ways of overcoming such barriers in order to access Family Support at an earlier stage.

The development of a National Framework for Quality in early childhood care and education in Ireland is the main focus of the work of the Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education. A central element of the brief for this groundbreaking initiative is that it must have relevance for all settings where children aged birth to six are present. This paper discusses a key step in meeting this challenge. It outlines a process of national consultation to establish baseline perceptions among all stakeholders in relation to the core elements of the framework (defining, assessing and supporting quality). It discusses the rationale for the consultation that is premised upon a belief that the best interests of the child can only be served by policy and practice that has been informed by the consensus arising from the interface of the multiple perspectives that characterise early childhood care and education in Ireland. The findings, distilled from thematic analysis of the data collected from the series of six consultations in six locations, are presented and their implications for the development of a National Framework for Quality discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first legislative control over early education services in Ireland came into place in 1996, in the form of the Child Care (Pre-School Services) Regulations1 (Department of Health, 1996). The research hypothesis of this study was that the implementation of the Regulations would have had an impact on quality of early childhood care and education (ECCE) services in Ireland. The specific objectives of the study were: to examine a sample of pre-schools to investigate both structural and process aspects of quality; to examine the possible relationship between these elements of quality; and to interview both Supervisors of these pre-schools and a small sample of Pre-school Officers to investigate their attitudes towards the Regulations. It was acknowledged at the outset that related factors, such as increased level of investment and improved levels of training, may have affected quality of provision. The baseline data used for the purposes of this study were gathered in 1994/1995 during Phase II of the IEA2 Preprimary Project (IEA/PPP). This was a large cross-national study that investigated the quality of care and education that children from various countries received at four years of age. Full details of the Irish aspect of Phase II can be found in A Window on Early Education in Ireland: the First National Report of the IEA Preprimary Project (Hayes, O'Flaherty, & Kernan, 1997). Use of these data allowed comparison of both structural and process elements in ECCE provision before the implementation of the Regulations, and six years after their implementation in 2002. The methodology of the present study involved revisiting a subsample of the original IEA/PPP national sample, undertaking structured observations and administering questionnaires to teachers and supervisors. A number of key issues emerged from the research. First, improvements were found in the quality of the pre-school provision in the present study as compared with that of the original study, although it is not clear the extent to which these improvements relate directly to the Regulations. The results also suggest that the need for training is becoming more widely accepted in the sector in Ireland. As predicted, increased awareness of training for ECCE professionals, and increased levels of funding appear also to have had an effect on quality. A third issue emerging from this study was the changing role of the pre-school teacher. The findings of this study also provided information regarding the nature of the relationship between regulation and quality provision. Related to this was the interaction between structural and process variables in quality ECCE provision. Full details of the study can be found in O'Kane (2004a). This paper concentrates on how the findings relate to two of the themes identified: interaction between structural and process aspects of quality, and training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of adoptions of children born in the Republic of Ireland nowadays relate to children in stepfamilies. The children involved in these adoptions are the children of the natural mother and they have no blood relationship to the mother's husband. They are children of a previous non-marriage relationship as children of marriage or divorce are not eligible for stepfamily adoption. The child is adopted into the stepfamily to allow her/him equal legal status to other children of the marriage. Some children in adopting stepfamilies have no/inadequate information about their origins, despite world recognition of a child's right to knowledge of their identity and birth parents. This paper outlines the numbers of children in this situation, and the growing openness over time to allowing children such information. It explores the relevance of social work intervention in such cases. The research was carried out in 2002, on 269 confidential Adoption Board files, for a Masters thesis in social work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health and Personal Social Services are required to respond positively and effectively to complaints from service users. This paper discusses the importance of such complaints systems in upholding children's rights, and in particular Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. It outlines the nature of some of the advocacy services available to children and young people who may wish to make a complaint about their treatment within Northern Ireland Health and Personal Social Services. It then moves on to discuss some possible future developments, and in particular speculates on the potential role of the Northern Ireland Children's Commissioner in investigating complaints concerning the care and treatment of children in Northern Ireland health and personal social services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a dearth of research on the experience of motherhood within the Irish prison system. This paper considers the specific issue of facilitating contact between incarcerated mothers and their children. It is based on a study which explores the views of practitioners working directly with mothers in prison on how the mother-child relationship is accommodated and supported. Data presented are based on eight one-to-one interviews with participants from within the prison system and with participants working in an external support agency. The research findings highlight examples of good practice within the prison system with a sense that participants endeavour to support this relationship whenever possible. Suggestions for improved practice and the associated resource needs are also discussed. Internationally there are many exemplars of supportive initiatives promoting relationships between incarcerated mothers and their children. Such models and the relevant research and literature are considered in this paper. The paper concludes with reflections on the findings of this study with reference to this literature.

Aistear: The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework, was launched in Ireland in 2009. The framework is applicable in all settings where children in the 0-6-year range are present; this includes all early years settings and the first two years of primary schools, referred to as "infant classes" in the Irish context. This article shares the findings of a local research project which sought to explore the implementation of "Aistear", by Early Years Educators (EYEs) and Primary School Teachers (PSTs) in pre-schools and infant classes. This research, based on a qualitative case-study design, was primarily focused on those educators working with children who are between three and six years of age and was based in the North East region of Ireland. The study examined the implementation of Aistear and how educators adapted their existing curriculum and daily routine. Thirteen educators participated, including six EYEs and seven PSTs. The collected data was thematically analysed with the emerging story captured through five key themes: Emergent Curriculum, Social Development, Communication, Holistic Development, and Implementation of Aistear. Overall, the benefits for children's social interactions, language development and cognitive development through play in a child-led environment were discussed by participants. However, training, ratios and resources were a concern and a requirement for EYEs and PSTs. The recommendations from this study indicates that further research into the implementation of Aistear on a national scale would offer greater insight into the adaptation of the curriculum framework within pre-schools and infant classes in primary schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper utilises qualitative and quantitative findings from the Facilitating Inclusive Education and Supporting the Transition Agenda (FIESTA) project that carried out a survey of professionals and focus groups/interviews with parents and children to understand the context of transition, inclusion and collaborative working. The paper contrasts parent, professional and pupil views of different approaches to transition for pupils with additional support requirements in the partner EU countries of the FIESTA project (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, the Netherlands, Romania, Catalonia/Spain and Scotland/the United Kingdom). Transition from pre-school to primary school and from primary to secondary school is a period where professionals begin to meet and exchange knowledge. Although many significant developments have taken place, transition remains very challenging for European countries. This paper differentiates between transitions led by professionals, parents and children. It analyses transition practices in order to make recommendations on how we can move beyond rigid approaches to inclusion, shift power relations in service settings and enable more flexible, participatory and inter-relational approaches.

EPIC is an independent voluntary organisation in the Republic of Ireland that advocates for the rights of children in care and young people who have care experience. One aspect of EPIC's work is the Aftercare Advocacy and Support Service, which provides confidential advice and support to young people who are preparing to leave care, those in aftercare and those who have left the care system. This paper reports on research undertaken in North Dublin with care-leavers and aftercare workers, using a survey and interviews to collect both quantitative and qualitative data, to inform EPIC's work in this area. The paper presents findings from the research along with other relevant literature and considers the implications for developing leaving-care services in the Republic of Ireland. The importance of adequate planning and access to both practical and emotional support to facilitate a gradual transition from care and the need to fully involve young people in the leaving-care process are emphasised. (Contains 2 figures and 1 note.)

The present paper describes a developmental tool (Inclusion Analysis) that enables schools to identify how inclusive or otherwise they are in a relatively straightforward way with a minimal time commitment. The developmental background to the creation of the tool is outlined in terms of inclusion in Northern Ireland and the implementation of the Special Educational Needs and Disability (Northern Ireland) Order 2005. The benefits of using the inclusion analysis as a contributor to school improvement through the school improvement model of disability and special educational needs is described, along with its use and perceived benefits and feedback from schools that have used the tool. The paper concludes with suggestions for further work on the tool. (Contains 3 figures and 1 note.)

The present paper provides an overview of child sexual exploitation in Northern Ireland and related issues. It focuses on Barnardo's response to the problem of sexual exploitation and sets it in both a historical and a contemporary context. The paper considers the importance of recognising exploitation as child abuse and addresses specific myths associated with this. It makes use of recent research and campaigning by Barnardo's to challenge and change public perception. The paper presents a range of risk factors and indicators that are used to identify children and young people who are most likely to experience or be at risk from sexual exploitation. It examines the who, what and why of sexual exploitation of children in Northern Ireland, presenting local research and anecdotal evidence to demonstrate the extent and range of the problem, while acknowledging the often hidden nature of this activity. As well as focusing on young people abused through prostitution, the paper also makes reference to the issue of human trafficking and the increasing problems of abuse via the Internet and mobile phone technology. The paper draws on international human rights standards and domestic legislation in relation to child sexual exploitation and explores the existing legislative context in Northern Ireland. Included is a summary of the Barnardo's Beyond the Shadows Service established to respond to this issue. The paper lays out the four main aims of the service and provides an overview of its work. It concludes by challenging the audience, legislators, policy-makers and service providers to respond strategically and operationally to the experiences and needs of children and young people who are sexually exploited or at risk of this. (Contains 3 figures.)

Introduction: This paper reports on the outcomes from an analysis of 500 noncompliant regulations drawn from 1563 Early Years Services inspections that took place in Ireland between January and December 2017. Aim: The aim of this study was to consider the impact of the early years inspection process on the quality of early years services. Methodology: A two-stage approach was adopted. First, the extent to which regulatory compliance, as determined by the Early Years Inspector (EYI), was achieved at the end of the corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) process was calculated using a content analysis. Second, illustrative case studies are presented for the purpose of providing an insight into the approaches through which compliance is achieved. Results: The results show that the inspectorate successfully identifies noncompliances in respect of children's health, welfare and development, the safety and governance of the service and the premises and facilities. Following the detection of these noncompliances, it provides opportunities for early years providers to rectify the deficiencies and works in a collaborative way to achieve improvements to the services. More than eight in every 10 services (83%) make demonstrable and evidenced improvements to their service on completion of this process. A further 10% of services report improvements which the EYI will review at the next inspection. Conclusion: The results demonstrate that through responsive regulation as described by Boyne, Day, and Walker (2002), the EYIs are successful in effecting changes to the behaviour of service providers and securing improvements in the quality of the service.

This paper provides an account of the design, development and implementation of a postvention model of responding to the needs of families within a community following the aftermath of a tragic event, including suicide. This model was developed for a specific disadvantaged urban community. The paper includes the context of the need for such an undertaking and discussion on the family support theories that underpin its development. A retrospective critique of the initiative and subsequent model is provided, including the inherent strengths and limitations and a description of further family support practice developments.

It has been recognised for some time that the effects of disadvantage are in place early in a child's life, and early intervention has become an established element of efforts to alleviate such effects. This paper describes the range of interventions that exist to address disadvantage among children in the birth to six age range in Republic of Ireland (RoI). The characterisation of early childhood care and education (ECCE) in Ireland has not heretofore been inclusive of all settings for children in the birth to six age group, with a demarcation existing between school and non-school settings. Such a demarcation is not tenable in the context of progress towards a cohesive, coordinated ECCE sector in RoI. It is most noticeable in the dichotomy that exists between the concepts of care and education. While the major policy papers over the past number of years have recognised that care and education are indivisible elements in a child's life, programme implementation has not, to date, reflected this awareness. This profile brings together information on categories of provision, programme implementation, funding streams and supporting structures. Following an introduction, the involvement of community/voluntary groups in service provision is considered. This is followed by a description of interventions emanating from three government departments: the Department of Education and Science; the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform; and the Department of Health and Children. While there appears to be general agreement here on the importance of intervention in the early years of a child's life, it is less clear what constitutes effective intervention in the Irish context. Coordinating all the efforts described across both statutory and non-statutory provision can only benefit our ability to offer real opportunities to children experiencing, or at risk of, educational disadvantage, provided that coordination is informed by indigenous research. (Contains 8 notes.)

Our concept of childhood is context-linked and time-specific. This paper traces the evolution of our conceptualisation of childhood in Ireland, focusing particularly on children aged four to six years of age, from 1900 to the present day. In the course of the past century, this perception has altered greatly in light of advancements in society's understanding of children. There has been a gradual transformation in the position of children in society, and the rights and interests of children now receive unprecedented attention in the public domain. These changes have been influenced, and indeed catalysed, by dramatic social, economic, familial, democratic, religious, cultural and political changes throughout the twentieth century. While there are a number of sources outlining the position of children in society, this paper focuses on documentation from the education system, particularly the content of successive primary school curricula in Ireland. Analysis of documentation provides an insight into society's view and value of children in Ireland in the twentieth century. This is traced in three distinct phases; the curriculum in the period pre-independence (1900-1922); the programme adopted upon independence and implemented for close to 50 years (1922-1971); and the revisions that took place and were adopted in the curriculum (1971-1999). (Contains 3 notes.)

This paper evaluates responses to asylum seeker children in Ireland from a child poverty perspective and from that of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. It draws upon research undertaken in early 2001 on behalf of the Irish Refugee Council among asylum seeker families with children in Cork, Limerick and Ennis on their experiences of poverty and social exclusion. The research was primarily qualitative. Interviews with adult members of households and some children were triangulated with data on benefit entitlements and take-up, household consumption, accommodation and amenities. The research sought to ascertain levels of income poverty and material deprivation. A range of indictors of child poverty and social exclusion were also employed. The research found that asylum seeker children experienced extreme income poverty, material deprivation, housing deprivation and social exclusion in considerable part due to the imposition of a system of lesser welfare entitlements, known as "direct provision", introduced in April 2000. The paper argues that state-fostered social exclusion of asylum seeker children resulting from "direct provision" is contrary to Ireland's obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the goals of the National Children's Strategy and the goals of the National Anti-Poverty Strategy. (Contains 1 figure and 1 note.)

This paper reviews the theoretical approaches that espouse a child-centred approach in intervening with street children. It focuses on two major themes, namely the rights of the child and client self-determination as proposed by Adler (Corey, 2001). The discussion acknowledges that providing street children with opportunities to participate in decision-making regarding their own lives is imperative. Notwithstanding their alleged marginalization, substantial motivation is provided for the adoption of a client-centred approach that upholds the rights of the child. The paper draws attention to the fact that despite the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), many street children experience deprivation with regard to their basic human needs. It is envisaged that whatever the circumstances for children being on the street, their involvement and participation in alleviating their plight will not be compromised.

This article presents critical commentary on the relationship between wider policy in Ireland for children, and the practice of social workers and social care workers who work with children on the ground level. An overview of the current policy context for children is achieved through a focused commentary on the literature. This operates around three broad themes. First, the pervasive influence of a children's rights paradigm on policy in Ireland must be accounted for. Second, policy that is manifest as a feature of regulation, audit, accountability and compliance culture is considered. Finally, an overview of key policy related to specific areas of practice with children in Ireland is mapped out. Following a review of the literature, the utility of a Jansson ([2017]. "Empowerment series: Becoming an effective policy advocate" (8th ed.). Boston: Centage Learning) Framework of Policy-Practice is explored for practitioners who seek to make better links between policy and their practice in the field. The proposition is that the Framework offers one theoretical mechanism for practitioners who are concerned with strengthening policy and practice links. The discussion in this paper is timely and relevant in the context of increasing external regulation defined by a cultural shift towards audit, compliance and accountability, and related processes of professionalisation. To date, development of literature in Ireland for social professionals on the relationship between policy and practice remains broadly neglected.

For me it was an easy decision to waive my right to anonymity and allow the press to print my name following my father's conviction. There were a couple of reasons for this. First, my father held a very high profile as a human rights campaigner in the North. To me this image was a sham, just a lie to hide behind, and I wasn't prepared to let it continue and to let anyone else be conned by his new character. He was a vain man who thrived on the publicity he had drawn on himself through his involvement with FAIT and the NIHRB. I also wanted to appeal to other victims to report their attackers to the police. Although I understand the pain involved I feel that there is a duty to report if only to prevent other victims suffering at the hands of their offender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the factors that influenced team leader decision-making processes about pathways for duty/intake referrals in one TUSLA region in the Republic of Ireland. It provides an overview of theories relating to decision making focused on systems, risk, relationships and processes. An ecological framework is presented as the conceptual frame. The study was carried out in one region of the Republic of Ireland through a partnership research arrangement between Tusla and the local university social work programme. It involved a quantitative and qualitative research approach. The quantitative phase of the study comprised 15 participants. The qualitative phase of the study consisted of seven respondents. All respondents were duty/intake team leaders. The findings make an important contribution to existing understandings and theories relating to decision making in the Republic of Ireland and internationally. They illustrate that decision-making processes were influenced more by organisational factors than individual factors or macro factors. The discussion considers how this study can critically add to existing international literature relating to decision making at the point of first contact in child protection and welfare. In particular, it shows the value of taking an ecological approach to understanding decision making that can provide for a critical understanding of the complex factors, especially organisational (exo level), that impact on decision making at the front line. It also highlights why a diversity of aspects of decision-making influences are important to consider with a constant focus on the child and family at the centre, in line with current policy and practice perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The historical legacy and the changing landscape of adoption in Ireland are currently garnering much attention. However, to date, the specifics of the changes have not yet been presented. This article provides a detailed numerical overview of who is being adopted and who is adopting in Ireland. The compilation of the available administrative data provides the basis for analysis of Irish trends in adoption between 1999 and 2016. The changing landscape of adoption practices captured in this data is discussed against a general backdrop of changing family structures. This analysis provides an overview of key trends, which will be useful for policy makers, practitioners and researchers alike. It is anticipated that the analysis and the identification of future trends will enhance professional practice development and will also identify areas of future service that require examination and further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes a research project designed to explore the ways in which young people with experience of the care system in Ireland understand "family", and family relationships. We chose Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT) as the conceptual and analytical framework for the research as it focuses on privileging the voice of research participants and raises our awareness of our own personal biases/preconceptions. In this article, we reflect on the actions of researchers in the co-production of knowledge. As the study described in this paper is ongoing, we do not report on findings at this stage. Instead we clearly describe the rationale informing our choice of CGT for this research. We also outline what we have learned so far through our experiences with CGT as a research methodology. The steps adopted throughout this research project to enhance reflexivity and to address ethics in the researcher/participant dynamic also feature in this article. As there is more than one way to raise the voices of young people, we propose CGT as one way of designing and implementing research to explicitly promote the young person participant as an active coproducer of knowledge about family and care systems.

This article is based on a study of two early years services in the West of Ireland which was attended mostly by asylum seekers. Using a sample of the findings for illustration, we discuss how the study captured an example of culturally sensitive practice that demonstrated an ability to counteract some of the negative effects of being an asylum seeker through the particular philosophy and practice model. Eight specific guidance points for practice are drawn out and considered within the context of the ecological model [Bronfenbrenner, U., & Morris, P. (2006). The bioecological model of human development. In R. M. Lerner, W. Damon, & R. M. S. Lerner (Eds.), "Handbook of child Psychology, Vol. 1: Theoretical models of human development." Hoboken, NJ: Wiley]. We argue that a duality of attention to the agency--recognising the importance of the actions of each individual and to structure--recognising the inherent power differences, structural inequality, social injustice and prejudice--is essential. We show the importance of agency and of an ecological framework. We make the case for an approach to "cultural competence" that emphasises the importance of interactions at the micro level. While we are focused in this paper on the early years sector, there is also wider applicability from this specific study to general practice in the field of social care and social work with diverse populations.

In response to the unhealthy, threatening living arrangements separated children seeking asylum were provided with in Ireland in the early 2000s, the Social Work Team for Separated Children committed itself to replacing the inadequate care with care that truly meets the needs of children. However, the transition to the level of service provided today has only been achieved after years of criticism and a slow, steady commitment to transparency. Increased levels of discretion afforded to the social workers has led to an evolving definition of the best interest of the child and given rise to a child-protection service that provides safe environments for children to thrive and grow. This report serves to briefly sketch the history of the service, outline several distinctive features of the service, and place the service in a broader European context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the findings of a qualitative study of parents' perceptions of a video-modelling assisted group-based parent training programme, the Parents Plus Children's Programme (PPCP). PPCP was developed in Ireland and is culturally sensitive to the Irish context. PPCP aims to reduce emotional and behavioural difficulties in children aged 6'11 years. Twenty-one caregivers of children attending a child and adolescent mental health service in Dublin with significant behavioural problems were interviewed five months following completion of PPCP. Thematic analysis was used to explore caregivers' perceptions of changes in their children, benefits of participation and effective programme strategies, with a view to identifying cognitive factors mediating outcome. Improvements observed included children being calmer, being better able to communicate feelings and needs, and having better emotional regulation. 'Tuning in' to children, engaging in play, explaining rules, communicating calmly and planned sanctions were identified as effective programme strategies. Group support emerged as the main benefit of participation. Perceived parental control, ability to reframe children's misbehaviour, consistency with discipline and hopefulness differentiated participants who observed improvements and those who did not. The findings were interpreted within a social-cognitive theoretical framework with reference to self-efficacy beliefs. Implications for clinical practice are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across Europe many states are experiencing severe pressures on public services, both from escalating need and from diminishing budgets. As a result, there is increasing interest in understanding how much is spent on services for children and to what effect. All government departments and selected voluntary organisations in Northern Ireland were asked to share financial information about expenditure on services for children and families in the financial year 2012'2013. Respondents were also asked to list evidencebased programmes (EBPs) being implemented and the annual cost in 2012/13. In 2012/13, £2.28 billion was invested in services for children, young people and their families (on average £5,175 per child). This was spread across 10 departments, with the majority spent by the Department of Education (£1.64 billion, 72%). The split across levels of intervention was 57% prevention (mostly education), 13% early intervention and 19% treatment and maintenance (mostly social care). Unit costs ranged, from £79 for health visiting to £36,730 for youth custody. Government departments were generally unaware of whether there was any expenditure on EBPs. The routine collection and analysis of cost data can be improved and there is a benefit to be had from (1) decommissioning services that are ineffective or not cost beneficial to release resource for reinvestment, and (2) redeploying a proportion of the time of staff who work directly with children to more effective activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing the participation of children and young people in matters related to their care and aftercare is regarded as international best practice. While research demonstrates that children and young people benefit from involvement in care-related processes, participation continues to pose challenges for social work practitioners. Studies to date have tended to focus on in-care engagement and, consequently, relatively little is known about the experiences of young people as they age out of care, particularly in terms of their perceived involvement and engagement in the planning-to-leave care process. This paper examines young people's experiences of the aftercare planning process in Ireland drawing on data from the first phase of a qualitative longitudinal study of young people leaving care. Sixteen participants were recruited at baseline and interviewed in-depth. The approach to interviewing was flexible and encouraged participants to talk about their experiences of care and the aftercare planning process. The findings indicate considerable diversity in how young people experience and attach meaning to the transition out of care. They also reveal complexities surrounding youth participation in the leaving care planning process and uncover a number of distinct facilitators and barriers to participation. Conclusions are drawn and the implications for practice are discussed.

The term "participation" is widely used to refer to the involvement of children and young people in decision-making on issues that affect their lives. The Health and Information Quality Authority (HIQA) is the national inspectorate for social care in Ireland. HIQA monitors Tusla, Ireland's child and family agency, for compliance with national children's standards, including standards on children and young people's participation rights. This paper outlines findings of a secondary analysis of data in relation to participation standards in HIQA foster care, residential care and special care inspection reports over a two-year period from 2013 to 2015 (n = 40). The thematic analysis explores the degree to which the reports found that children in care are provided with the opportunity to influence decisions in relation to their everyday lives, to participate in child in care reviews, receive information, avail of advocacy services and have access to a complaints mechanism. While there is much evidence of good practice across all sectors, some notable differences between the realisation of participation standards in residential care and foster care were found. This baseline analysis was undertaken prior to the implementation of a comprehensive participation strategy by Tusla across the organisation and highlights areas in which practice can be improved or mainstreamed in this work programme.