Family Intervention

Describe an early intervention family support service that safeguards the wellbeing of early year’s children and critically examine its evidence base and its planned outcomes for children and families

The early intervention Family support service chosen for this exercise is The Healthy Schools Programme which was one of the initial initiatives and which was implemented in five DEIS Band One schools in West Tallaght between 2008 and 2011. Two other similar schools, while not participating in the implementation of the programme, agreed to act as controls in order to facilitate evidence based evaluation. It was part of the Childhood Development Initiative programme (CDI) and linked in very nicely with a circular from the Department of Education

The Tusla report What Works in Family Support (2013) refers to the work of Gardner (2003) who stressed that in order to prove their worth, services need to offer very clear evidence that the service is really achieving its aims in supporting children and families ‘in ways which conform to or exceed acknowledged practice standards and optimal cost’. In referring to research done by Mc Donald (2001) it also identifies evidence based practice as one which demonstrates an approach to decision making which is ‘transparent, accountable and based on careful consideration of the most compelling evidence we have about the effects of particular interventions on the welfare of individuals, groups and communities’ Because Child Development Initiatives such as the Healthy School Programme were funded using tax payers’ money, €12,650 per school for one year (CDI Healthy Schools Policy Brief 2012) transparency and accountability had to be high on the agenda of CDI

As part of CDI it was 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’ (Cummisky et al 2012, p.6). I believe that it did test what it set out to do. Much was learned from the initiative, problems were encountered but hopefully the critical evaluation of Cummisky et all 2012 will inform new initiatives which will serve in improving general health among vulnerable young children in our society. Tusla (2013) refers to a ‘new focus on the evidence base for achieving outcomes for children and families in both planning and reviewing service provision’(p.4) The Report refers to the Agenda for Children Services (2007) which stresses the importance of good outcomes for the children . The report quotes Canavan (2010) who argues that planned outcomes are ‘the best possible conditions, situations and circumstances for children to live their lives to their full potential’. As practitioners, I believe that we must continue to strive and commit ourselves to this most worthy of outcomes. It can only be achieved through partnership between children, families, professionals and the community (Principle