CYPSC Service Mapping and Needs Assessment in the South County Dublin

Approved by South Dublin CYPSC 1st March 2019

Completed in 2018 by:

Contents

Foreword 7 Summary of Findings and Recommendations 8 Introduction 12 Methodology 14 South County Dublin Demographic Overview 20 Overview of the Seven Network Areas 33 Guide to Findings Chapters 41 Physical Health & Social Services 42 Mental Health & Wellbeing 51 Education and Training Services 61 Youth Justice Services 73 Disability Services 78 Drug and Alcohol Services 84 Recreation Services 90 Housing and Homelessness Services 97 Early Childhood Services 102 Family Support Services 107 Interagency Working 112 Recommendations 119 Bibliography 127 Appendix 128

Maps MAP 1: THE SEVEN CFSN AREAS 8 MAP 2: THE SEVEN NETWORK AREAS AND THEIR POPULATIONS 20 MAP 3: 0 - 24-YEAR-OLD POPULATION DENSITY 2016 22 MAP 4: CFSN AREAS ON THE POBAL DEPRIVATION INDEX 2016 29 MAP 5: POBAL DEPRIVATION INDEX SMALL AREA MAP OF SOUTH COUNTY DUBLIN 30 MAP 6: NETWORK 1 33 MAP 7: NETWORK 2 34 MAP 8: NETWORK 3 35 MAP 9: NETWORK 4 36 MAP 10: NETWORK 5 37 MAP 11: NETWORK 6 38 MAP 12: NETWORK 7 39 MAP 13: PHYSICAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES 42 MAP 14: MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING SERVICES IN THE SOUTH COUNTY DUBLIN 51 MAP 15: EDUCATION SERVICES 61 MAP 16: PRIMARY SCHOOLS (DEIS AND NON-DEIS) IN SOUTH COUNTY DUBLIN 63 MAP 17: SECONDARY SCHOOLS (DEIS AND NON-DEIS) IN SOUTH COUNTY DUBLIN 64 MAP 18: YOUTH JUSTICE SERVICES 73 MAP 19: DISABILITY SERVICES IN THE SOUTH COUNTY DUBLIN 79 MAP 20: DRUG ADDICTION & TREATMENT SERVICES IN THE SOUTH COUNTY DUBLIN 84 MAP 21: LOCATION OF SPORTS AND RECREATION SERVICE IN THE SOUTH COUNTY DUBLIN 90 MAP 22: HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS SERVICES 97 MAP 23: LOCATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD SERVICES 103 MAP 24: FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES 107 MAP 25: UNEMPLOYMENT BLACKSPOTS BY ELECTORAL DIVISION (% UNEMPLOYED IN RED) 194

Figures FIGURE 1: FUNCTIONS, MANDATE AND PURPOSE OF A CHILDREN’S SERVICES COMMITTEE 13 FIGURE 2: NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION 14 FIGURE 3: SERVICE CATEGORIES BY NUMBER AND % OF SERVICES 17 FIGURE 4: LOCATION OF SERVICES WITHIN THE CFSN NETWORKS, NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE 17 FIGURE 5: POPULATION CHANGE IN SOUTH COUNTY DUBLIN BETWEEN 2011 & 2016 23 FIGURE 6: POPULATION CHANGE IN THE SEVEN CFSN AREAS SINCE CENSUS 2011 (POPULATION) 23 FIGURE 7: AGE COMPARISON OF PEOPLE IN SOUTH COUNTY DUBLIN AND THE IRISH STATE 24 FIGURE 8: POPULATION OF CHILDREN IN SOUTH COUNTY DUBLIN (AGE 0 - 17 YEARS) 25 FIGURE 9: NUMBER OF CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 18 AND 25 IN SOUTH COUNTY DUBLIN OVER 20 YEARS 25 FIGURE 10: YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE TIMELY ACCESS TO THE FOLLOWING SERVICES 44 FIGURE 11: PROFESSIONALS SATISFACTION WITH ACCESS TO HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES 44 FIGURE 12: THERE ARE SUFFICIENT SERVICE TO MEET DEMAND (PROFESSIONALS) 47 FIGURE 13: ARE THE FOLLOWING SPECIALISED SUPPORTS ADEQUATELY PROVIDED FOR IN YOUR AREA 47 FIGURE 14: RATE THE FOLLOWING SERVICES IF YOU HAVE USED THEM 48 FIGURE 15: THERE ARE SUFFICIENT YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING SERVICES IN YOUR AREA 53 FIGURE 16: YOUNG PEOPLES RATING OF THE COUNSELLING AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES 53 FIGURE 17: YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE TIMELY ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES 54 FIGURE 18: PROFESSIONALS SATISFACTION WITH MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE FOR AGE GROUPS 55 FIGURE 19: ARE MENTAL HEALTH ORGANISATIONS IMPORTANT TO YOUR WORK 56 FIGURE 20: IS THE AVAILABILITY OF SUICIDE SUPPORT SERVICES AN ISSUE IN YOUR AREA 58 FIGURE 21: IS YOUNG PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES NOT HAVING ENOUGH SUPPORTS IS AN ISSUE IN SOUTH COUNTY DUBLIN 59 FIGURE 22: PROFESSIONALS’ SATISFACTION WITH EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES 59 FIGURE 24: PROFESSIONALS’ SATISFACTION WITH ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION SERVICES 66 FIGURE 25: ARE THE ABOVE AN ISSUE IN YOUR AREA? 67 FIGURE 26: THERE ARE SUFFICIENT SERVICES AVAILABLE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AT RISK OF LEAVING SCHOOL EARLY 67 3

FIGURE 27: YOUNG PEOPLES RATING OF THE EDUCATIONAL REPORTS RECEIVED 67 FIGURE 28: PROFESSIONALS SATISFACTION WITH HEARING AND VISION SCREENING TESTS IN SCHOOLS 69 FIGURE 29: THERE ARE SUFFICIENT SERVICES TO MEET DEMAND 70 FIGURE 30: PROFESSIONALS SATISFACTION WITH PROVISION OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGISTS 71 FIGURE 31: IS NOT ENOUGH JOBS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WHEN THEY LEAVE SCHOOL AN ISSUE IN YOUR AREA 72 FIGURE 32: THERE ARE SERVICES IN THE ABOVE AREAS 72 FIGURE 33: ARE THE ABOVE AN ISSUE IN YOUR AREA? 76 FIGURE 34: THERE ARE SUFFICIENT SERVICES TO MEET DEMAND (PROFESSIONALS) 77 FIGURE 35: DOES YOUR CHILD/YOU HAVE A DISABILITY 78 FIGURE 35: HOW MUCH OF AN ISSUE IS YOUNG PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES NOT HAVING ENOUGH SUPPORTS? 80 FIGURE 36: PROFESSIONALS SATISFACTION WITH THE ACCESS FOR THE FOLLOWING SERVICES 82 FIGURE 37: THERE ARE SUFFICIENT SERVICES TO MEET DEMAND (PROFESSIONALS) 83 FIGURE 39: THERE ARE SUFFICIENT SERVICE TO MEET DEMAND (PROFESSIONALS) 86 FIGURE 39: RATE THE LOCAL SERVICES THAT YOU HAVE USED (YOUNG PEOPLE) 87 FIGURE 40: IS THE FOLLOWING AN ISSUE IN THE AREA, YOUNG PEOPLE WITH DRUG/ALCOHOL ISSUES NOT HAVING ENOUGH SUPPORTS 87 FIGURE 41: PROFESSIONALS SATISFACTION WITH ACCESS TO AGE SPECIFIC ADDICTION SERVICES 88 FIGURE 43: THERE ARE DRUG & ALCOHOL SERVICES AVAILABLE SHOULD I/MY CHILD NEED THEM 89 FIGURE 43: THERE ARE ENOUGH OF THE ABOVE ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN YOUR AREA 92 FIGURE 44: PROFESSIONALS SATISFACTION WITH ACCESS TO AGE SPECIFIC RECREATIONAL SERVICES 92 FIGURE 45: THERE ARE ENOUGH OF THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN YOUR AREA 93 FIGURE 46: IS NOT ENOUGH RECREATION ACTIVITIES AND SPACES AN ISSUE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE AREA 94 FIGURE 47: YOUNG PEOPLE RATE THE YOUTH GROUP SERVICES THEY HAVE USED 95 FIGURE 48: PROFESSIONALS SATISFACTION WITH ACCESS TO HOUSING SERVICES FOR AGES 18 - 24 99 FIGURE 49: IS INSUFFICIENT HOUSING SERVICES AND ISSUE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN YOUR AREA 99 FIGURE 50: THERE ARE SUFFICIENT SERVICES TO MEET DEMAND (PROFESSIONALS) 100 FIGURE 51: THERE ARE SUFFICIENT SERVICES TO MEET DEMAND (PROFESSIONALS) 105 FIGURE 53: THERE IS SUFFICIENT EARLY YEARS GROUPS TO MEET DEMAND 105 FIGURE 54: THERE ARE SUFFICIENT PARENTING COURSES AVAILABLE FOR THE FOLLOWING AGE GROUPS (PROFESSIONALS) 108 FIGURE 55: ARE THERE SUFFICIENT SUPPORTS FOR PARENTS WITH THE FOLLOWING ISSUES (PARENTS)? 109 FIGURE 56: HOW BIG AN ISSUE ARE THE FOLLOWING IN YOUR AREA? 110 FIGURE 58: HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU WITH ACCESS TO THE FOLLOWING SERVICES (PROFESSIONALS)? 110 FIGURE 53: THERE ARE SUFFICIENT PARENTING COURSES FOR THE FOLLOWING AGE GROUPS (PARENTS) 111 FIGURE 58: IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL ROLE, DO YOU ENGAGE IN ANY INTERAGENCY NETWORKS 112 FIGURE 59: ARE THESE ORGANISATIONS/SERVICES IMPORTANT TO YOUR WORK? 113 FIGURE 60: IF YOU COLLABORATE WITH THESE SERVICES HOW DO YOU RATE YOUR COLLABORATION? 114 FIGURE 61: RATE INTERAGENCY NETWORKS/GROUPS ON THE FOLLOWING HEADINGS 116

TABLES

TABLE 1: CFSN NETWORKS, THEIR COMPONENT ELECTORAL DIVISIONS AND POPULATION 21 TABLE 2: POPULATION DENSITY PER KM2 22 TABLE 3: POPULATION OF UNDER 18'S IN NETWORKS 26 TABLE 4: PERCENTAGE OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE 7 CFSN AREA 26

TABLE 5: UNEMPLOYMENT BLACKSPOTS/ELECTORAL DIVISIONS FROM CENSUS 2016 27 TABLE 6: SOUTH COUNTY DUBLIN POPULATION BY SEX AND OCCUPATION TYPE: 2016 27 TABLE 7: COMPARISON OF KEY SOCIO-ECONOMIC DATA 31 TABLE 8: NETWORK 1 KEY DEMOGRAPHICS 33 TABLE 9: NETWORK 2 KEY DEMOGRAPHICS 34 TABLE 10: NETWORK 3 KEY DEMOGRAPHICS 35 TABLE 11: NETWORK 4 KEY DEMOGRAPHICS 36 TABLE 12: NETWORK 5 KEY DEMOGRAPHICS 38 TABLE 13: NETWORK 6 KEY DEMOGRAPHICS 38 TABLE 14: NETWORK 7 KEY DEMOGRAPHICS 39 TABLE 15: PHYSICAL HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES BY NETWORK 43 TABLE 16: MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING SERVICES IN THE SEVEN NETWORKS 52 TABLE 17: DISTRIBUTION OF EDUCATION SERVICES 62 TABLE 18: DEIS PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN SOUTH COUNTY DUBLIN 64 TABLE 19: SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN SOUTH COUNTY DUBLIN 65 TABLE 20: YOUTH JUSTICE SERVICES IN THE SEVEN NETWORKS 74 TABLE 21: DISABILITY SERVICES ACROSS THE SEVEN NETWORKS 79 TABLE 22: THERE ARE SUFFICIENT SERVICES TO MEET DEMAND (PROFESSIONALS) 80 TABLE 23: DRUG AND ALCOHOL SERVICES BY NETWORK 85 TABLE 24: SPORTS AND RECREATION SERVICES IN THE ELECTORAL AREAS 91 TABLE 25: HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS SERVICES IN THE SEVEN NETWORKS 98 TABLE 26: NUMBER OF EARLY CHILDHOOD SERVICES BY NETWORK 104 TABLE 27: FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES IN THE SEVEN NETWORKS 108 TABLE 28: NAME AND RATE INTERAGENCY NETWORKS/GROUPS THAT YOU WORK WITH 116 TABLE 29: POTENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STEERING GROUP 120

Glossary of Terms

ABC Area Based Childhood programme ADHD Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder AIM Access and Inclusion Model AMHS Adult Mental Health Services AoN Assessment of Needs ASD Autistic Spectrum Disorders CAMHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services CBT Cognitive Behavioural Therapy CCC City or County Childcare Committee CDI Childhood Development Initiative CFSN Child and Family Support Network CHO Community Healthcare Organisation area CSO Central Statistics Office CYPSC Children and Young Persons Services Committee DATF Drugs and Alcohol Task Force DBT Dialectical Behavioural Therapy DEIS Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools DSM Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DTF Drug Task Force ED Electoral Division ETB Education and Training Board EWO Education Welfare Officer GAA Gaelic Athletic Association GP General Practitioner HSE Health Service Executive IPPN Irish Primary Principals' Network JLO Juvenile Liaison Officer LA Local Authority NEPS National Educational Psychological Service OT Occupational Therapy PPS Personal Public Service Number QQI Quality and Qualifications Ireland. SLT Speech and Language Therapy SNA Special Needs Assistant SPHE Social Personal and Health Education SSP School Support Programme YoDA Youth Drug and Alcohol Service (HSE)

Foreword

As Chairperson of the South County Dublin Children and Young People’s Services Committee, I am very pleased to present the South Dublin Services Mapping & Needs Assessment Report. This report was commissioned by the South County Dublin Children and Young People’s Service Committee. The South County Dublin Children and Young People’s Service Committee is one of the 27 committees that have been established.

Children and Young People’s Services Committees are the key structure identified by Government to plan and co-ordinate services for children and young people in every county in Ireland. The overall purpose is to improve outcomes for children and young people, aged between 0 – 24 years, through local and national interagency working. They provide a forum for joint planning to ensure that children, young people and their families receive improved and accessible services.

This document is an important part of the planning process which South Dublin CYPSC has undertaken to inform its future priorities and the development of its three year Children’s & Young Peoples Plan. This report fulfils a number of functions of the Committee, namely to:

1. Conduct a needs analysis 2. Audit and map services currently available 3. Provide a brief socio-demographic profile of the area 4. Identify gaps and priorities in service provision

South Dublin CYPSC members will also need to take account of emerging demands in the County, for example new housing developments and demands for services in these areas in future plans. The report through consultations with young people, parents and providers, provides a quantitative and qualitative assessment of perceived need within the area. This comprehensive research project has gathered and triangulated data from 418 individuals by way of interviews, focus groups and surveys. This service audit and needs analysis supported the development of a comprehensive database of children’s, young persons’ and family support services in South County Dublin.

I would like to acknowledge and thank people who contributed to this report, in particular parents, young people, service providers and professionals. To the members of the Research Group for their advice, input and insights into shaping the report, a sincere thanks for your work and commitment.

Patricia Finlay

South County Dublin CYPSC Chairperson

Tusla Dublin / Mid Leinster Service Director

Summary of Findings and Recommendations

This section presents a summary of the findings and recommendations contained in the South Dublin CYPSC mapping report.

Map 1 illustrates the geographic layout of the seven Child and Family Support Network (CFSN) areas located in South County Dublin. Services in the report and accompanying database were mapped based on their location in each of the seven CFSN areas.

Map 1: The Seven CFSN Areas

2.1 Physical Health and Social Services Summary Findings Mapping Analysis Summary: Networks 7 and 3 were the areas of the least service provision in physical health and social services per capita. Networks 6 and 2 were the areas of highest service provision per capita.

Thematic Findings (6)  There were long waiting lists for certain services i.e. speech and language therapy, occupational therapy  Non-attendance at appointments means young people do not receive some of the services they need, particularly in early years  Need improved signposting to channel families into the services they need  There was a need for more specialized services i.e. paediatricians, dieticians, asthma services, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and primary care social workers  Need for improved interagency communication to improve outcomes for young people  Costs were a barrier to service accessibility, particularly for low income families

2.2 Mental Health & Wellbeing Services Summary Findings Mapping Analysis Summary: Networks 3 and 4 were the areas of least service provision for mental health and wellbeing services per capita. Networks 2 and 6 were the areas of greatest service provision per capita.

Thematic Findings (9)  There were gaps in mental health services for young people who, particularly in relation to mid-level services where a young person was above the threshold for Jigsaw but below the threshold for CAMHS  Waiting lists were too long for CAMHS and counselling services  Need improved signposting to channel families into the services they need as efficiently as possible  There was a need for more age appropriate mental health services  There was a need for better interagency communication to streamline the system and improve outcomes for young people  Mental health services were perceived as being too clinical and young people attach a stigma to using them  There was a need for more suicide support services to meet demand  There is a need for increased early intervention services and better screening of service users to improve the efficiency of the system  There was a need for more supports for young people with complex needs and dual diagnosis

2.3 Education Services Summary Findings Mapping Analysis Summary: Networks 4 & 7 were the areas of least service provision in education services per capita. Networks 5 and 1 were the areas of greatest service provision per capita.

Thematic Findings (8)  There was need for more alternative education options to keep young people in education i.e. YouthReach, QQI qualifications, iScoil  Early school leaving was an issue particularly in minority communities. Early school leavers have less options when entering the workforce  There was a need for more supports in transitioning between schools and colleges  There was potential to use schools as an area where services can be provided to young people  There was a need for more afterschool activities/programmes  Interagency working should be improved to provide better education services to young people  There was a need for increased education supports/resources i.e. NEPSs, Education Welfare Officers, School Completion Officers  Need for More Training and Employment Supports for Young People Leaving School seeking to access the jobs market

2.4 Youth Justice Summary Findings Mapping Analysis Summary: Networks 6 and 2 were the areas of greatest service provision in relation to youth justice services per capita. Networks 3 and 4 were the areas of least service provision per capita.

Thematic Findings (4)  There was a need for improved interagency working to improve outcomes for young people involved in the youth justice system  There was a need for increased community policing to strengthen links between communities and law enforcement  There was a proliferation of gang activities and anti-social behaviour particularly in disadvantaged areas  There was a need for more preventative education programmes to steer young people away from drugs/crime 9

2.5 Disability Services Mapping Analysis Summary: Networks 6 and 5 were the areas of greatest service provision in disability services. Networks 4 and 3 were the areas of least service provision.

Thematic Findings (5)

 There was a need for further resources to tackle long waiting lists for services, this includes speeding up the Assessment of Needs process (AoN)  There was a need for improved interagency communication to improve outcomes for disabled young people with complex needs  There was a need for more disability services, especially early intervention and autism services  There was a need for more supports for parents of disabled children, including parenting courses and counselling  Physical accessibility to some services needs improvement, this includes the built environment where some disability services are housed

2.6 Drugs and Alcohol Services Mapping Analysis Summary: Networks 6 and 7 were the areas of greatest service provision in drug and alcohol services per capita. Network 4 was the area of least service provision per capita.

Thematic Findings (5)  There was a need for more preventative and harm reduction supports to minimize the effects of addiction at an early stage  There was a need for better interagency communication between services to improve outcomes for young people with issues across multiple services areas  There was a lack of age appropriate drug and alcohol services and there was a stigma attached to using the services in situ  Drugs and alcohol were easily accessible and their use is normalised  There were issues for young people around accessing services if they have a dual diagnosis

2.7 Recreation Services Mapping Analysis Summary: Networks 6 and 2 were the areas of greatest service provision in recreation services per capita. Network 7 was the area of least service provision per capita.

Thematic Findings (5)  There was a need for more recreational services in disadvantaged areas  There was a need for more non-sporting recreational services, i.e. dirt biking, music, drama, equine services  There was a need for increased resources and out of hours recreational services i.e. more staff to run afterhours soccer leagues  There was a need for more supervised youth spaces where young people can hang out safely  Costs were a barrier to engagement in some services, i.e. football club insurance, afterschool activities and swimming pools

2.8 Housing and Homelessness Services Mapping Analysis Summary: Networks 6 and 7 were the areas of greatest service provision in relation to housing and homelessness services, networks 3 and 4 were the areas of least service provision.

Thematic Findings: (5)

 There were insufficient housing and homelessness services for young people to meet demand  Emergency accommodation can be located far away from the services young people need (i.e. schools)  Parents ability to cope and raise their children is impacted by living in homelessness  There was a need for better interagency communication to produce successful outcomes for young people living in homelessness  There was insufficient local accommodation available for young people, this leads to young people being temporarily housed outside their area and increases the risk of them getting in trouble with the Gardaí

2.9 Early Childhood Services Mapping Analysis Summary: Networks 4 and 5 were the areas of greatest service provision in relation to early childhood services, networks 7 and 1 were the areas of least service provision.

Thematic Findings: (3)  There was a need for more affordable early year’s services (i.e. childcare). The cost of services excludes parents, particularly from disadvantaged areas  There was a need for more early year’s groups mother and toddler groups, baby rooms in creches, parenting groups and emergency support groups for singles parents  There were issues with resourcing some services due to low capitation fees and regulation around baby rooms, particularly in disadvantaged areas

2.10 Family Support Services Mapping Analysis Summary: Networks 1 and 6 were the areas of greatest service provision in relation to family support services, networks 4 and 3 were the areas of least service provision.

Thematic Findings: (4)  There was a need for additional family support services. Supports for families with children with disabilities, special needs regarding coping skills  There was a need for a holistic approach to some services that includes the family in the response to their young persons issue. In areas including mental health, drugs and alcohol and disability  There was a need for local family support services in the community so that they were easy for clients to access  There was a need for more supports of parents with young children (i.e. parenting programmes, early intervention services)

2.11 Interagency Working Thematic Findings: (5)  There was need for a strong, strategically placed facilitator  There was a need for improved information sharing between services  There was a need for regular meetings and networking opportunities  There was a need for an online portal and mapping/directory of services to aide interagency communication and signposting  There was a need for clear and focused targets in interagency work

2.12 Summary of Recommendations The analysis of the findings highlighted the interconnectivity of many of the issues i.e. in dual diagnosis there is interconnectivity between both drug and alcohol services and mental health services. This calls for joined up interventions, implying that impact in one services area is likely to impact on other service areas.

Introduction

3.1 About the South County Dublin CYPSC This report was commissioned by the South County Dublin Children and Young People’s Service Committee. In Towards 2016 (1), the Government’s 10-year Social Partnership Agreement, the Government committed to the establishment of local level, multi-agency Children’s Committees lead by the HSE in each city/county development board area. The Department of Children and Youth Affairs promotes national and local interagency working to improve outcomes for children. This is facilitated through the Working Together for Children Initiative and a primary function of this is to promote and support the establishment of Children and Young Peoples Services Committees. The South County Dublin Children and Young People’s Service Committee (CYPSC) is one of the 23 committees that have been established or are at various stages of establishment across the country.

The purpose of the Children’s and Young People’s Services Committees is to bring together relevant agencies in service areas to plan children’s service provision and to promote positive outcomes for children through:

1. Coordination of relevant national policies and strategies 2. Planning and coordinating local service provision 3. Eliminating fragmentation and duplication through effective interagency working 4. Promoting effective use of resources at a local level 5. Strengthening decision making capacity at a local level

The South County Dublin Committee was established in 2007, with members representing Tusla Child and Family Agency, the Local Authority (City and / or County Council), the Health Service Executive (HSE), the Education and Training Board (ETB), Young People (18 - 24 years), the Probation Service, An Garda Síochána, the Irish Primary Principals' Network (IPPN), the City or County Childcare Committee (CCC), , Third level institutions, the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD), Social Inclusion partners e.g. Local Development Companies, and community and voluntary organisations.

3.2 Context for this Report Figure 1 below shows a graphic representation of the purpose, functions and mandate of a Children and Young People’s Services Committee. This report fulfils a number of functions of the Committee, namely to:

1. Conduct a needs analysis 2. Audit and map services currently available 3. Provide a brief socio-demographic profile of the area 4. Identify gaps and priorities in service provision

Figure 1: Functions, Mandate and Purpose of a Children’s Services Committee

CYPSC’s work within the boundaries of their local authority and design and co-ordinate services for children and young people aged 0 – 24-years-old. They have a remit as a strategic interagency structure to facilitate the main statutory, community and voluntary service providers for young people and their families in their local authority area. Their role is to help realise the five National Outcomes for children and young people set out in Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures 2014 - 2020 (2) and to enhance interagency co-operation. CYPSC aims to maximize the reach, coverage and impact of services through (3):

 Ensuring that the needs of children and young people are identified and addressed  Planning and co-ordinating of services  Ensuring effective collaboration and interagency working  Promoting quality, evidence-informed planning and practice  Optimising the use of resources  Promoting best participation practice

Methodology

4.1 Methodology Overview This comprehensive research project has gathered and triangulated data from 418 individuals by way of interviews, focus groups and surveys. This service audit and needs analysis supported the development of a comprehensive database of children’s, young persons’ and family support services in South County Dublin. This database is now held by the South County Dublin CYPSC and will be available to other professionals upon request. The service audit and needs analysis used a mixed methodology to identify the gaps in service provision for young people and their families. This mixed methods approach - involving desktop research of websites and directories, combined with surveys, interview and focus groups - was chosen in order to provide context and qualitative insight into the findings of the service audit. Using a variety of data sources helped to develop a multifaceted picture of unaddressed needs and gaps in service for the children and young people living in South County Dublin.

Figure 2 details the methods used to collect information. This process was supported by a desktop review which collected information from sources listed in the reference section which included national databases, service websites, reports and strategies. There were 15 interviewees, 77 focus group participants and 326 survey participants.

Figure 2: Number of Participants and Methods of Data Collection

A comprehensive service mapping exercise was carried out to ascertain the geographic spread of services. Service numbers were compared across the seven electoral areas to identify gaps in service provision. Data from the desktop review, service audit and the needs

analysis (interviews, focus groups and surveys) was analysed using a process of triangulation to produce findings and recommendations.

4.2 Data Collection 4.2.1 Semi-structured Qualitative Interviews Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 15 key service providers. These 15 interviewees were identified with the aid of the Steering Group as having in-depth knowledge of their service area. Interviewees were selected across the 10 service areas (physical health and social services, mental health and wellbeing, education, policing and youth justice, housing and homelessness, recreational and sport, drug and alcohol services, disability services, early childhood services and family supports) and across the seven geographical areas (CFSN Networks 1 - 7) where possible. Interviews were conducted by phone and lasted on average 35 minutes. The interviewees clarified information on their work and their opinion was elicited on:

- Gaps in provision of services - Barriers to accessing services for children and their parents (on the child’s behalf) - Adequacy of existing services - Geographical spread of services - Interagency working and local structures - Priorities for development of services over the coming years.

Data from the interviews was thematically analysed from which 10 major thematic areas were identified. This data was then triangulated against focus group data and survey data, resulting in a total of 59 thematic summary findings which are detailed in the relevant findings chapters.

Interviewees were identified through purposive sampling, with an aim to ensure a spread of interviewees across the categories of service provision and, where possible, spread across geographic area. Researchers and members of the Children and Young Person’s Services Committee Steering Group developed a list of professionals across the ten service categories and seven geographic areas. The research team attempted to contact all of these by email or phone. While there were at least three attempts to communicate with all identified individuals, this was not always successful.

Allowance was made within the methodology for snowballing, for example when interviewees suggested other relevant professionals to be interviewed. It should be noted that due to time and resource constraints, not all professionals originally identified or identified through snowballing could be interviewed.

4.2.2 Stakeholder Focus Groups Five stakeholder focus groups were held. Focus groups were selected to represent high-risk young people as well as those representing the whole population. The aim of the stakeholder focus groups was to explore priorities and concerns from individuals most likely to have complex needs and therefore most likely to be impacted by service gaps. Participants within the five focus groups were:

 20 professionals working in housing and homelessness in South County Dublin  22 mental health professionals working with children and young people in South County Dublin  Three young people living in South County Dublin  Eight representatives of minority groups and service providers in South County Dublin  24 service providers are included from transcripts provided by CDI of focus groups held in late 2016 with a range of practitioners and managers working in Tallaght 15

West, as part of their consultation process for ‘How is our Neighbourhood?’. This report was the fourth community survey undertaken by CDI and is available on www.twcdi.ie

Issues and potential solutions were identified in focus groups. The information was documented by facilitators on flip chart, and notes were taken electronically during four of the focus groups (mental health professionals, young people, minorities and housing and homelessness), written up later and collated into the report on a thematic basis. Reports from these four focus groups can be found in Appendix A, B, C and D. The three CDI focus groups were carried out by South County Dublin Council and the transcripts were presented to researchers for analysis, which can be located in Appendix E. Content from the groups is summarised in the ten thematic categories in the study.

4.2.3 Surveys Surveys were sent to three different stakeholder groups: parents, young people and general professionals. Parents and young people’s surveys were disseminated by the CYPSC via schools and community organisations. The professional survey was disseminated by the researchers using the database that was developed for this project while South Dublin CYPSC also used their networks to increase professional response rates.

The general professional’s survey was completed by a wide variety of respondents across the ten thematic service areas. The returned surveys provided feedback on the following:

- Basic service information such as contact details, location etc. (service professionals survey) - Feedback on issues such as waiting lists and ease of access (all stakeholder group surveys) - Interagency working (service professionals survey) - Gaps and blocks in relation to services (all stakeholder group surveys) - Discipline specific concerns with children’s services (service professionals survey)

Questions were asked, where possible, in scaled format to allow responses to be analysed across the stakeholder groups.

4.3 Service Mapping and Service Audit for Database A comprehensive mapping exercise was undertaken to establish the geographic spread of service provision in South County Dublin. Information was gathered from key service personnel, public databases, a web search as well as snowballing techniques through the qualitative interviews and the surveys. A total of 1025 services were identified and were included in the accompanying database. The database contains the following categories:

 Service category: E.g. Education  Service type: E.g. Afterschool programme  Name  Address  Phone  Website address  Email  Area located: E.g. CFSN Network 2  Target group  Service provided

Services in the database were categorized into 10 thematic areas as illustrated in Figure 3. Early childhood services and physical health and social services accounted for half of all services identified. Education and recreational services accounted for one in three services identified

and housing and homelessness services accounted for the fewest number of services identified.

Figure 3: Service Categories by Number and % of Services

Services in the database were located across the seven CFSN areas, with the largest number of services found in CFSN area 5. The fewest number of services were located in Networks 2 and 4.

Figure 4: Location of Services within the CFSN Networks, Number and Percentage

Google mapping software was used to analyse the location of service providers in South County Dublin. Publicly accessible information was mapped using Googles geocoding service, which generated .kml files. These files were downloaded and compiled locally on a mapping client (software that permits the creation and manipulation of maps). Note: Certain services, including phone counselling services, though not physically in South County Dublin, were included in the database as they are available to young people in South County Dublin.

4.3.1 Mapping Analysis For the purposes of mapping, service provision was analysed in two main ways:

1. Services available across the seven geographical areas (Child and Family Service’s Network Areas (CFSN’s)) 2. Services available across the ten thematic service categories 17

Service provision was analysed per 10,000 people in the population across each of the geographical areas. Population density and key findings of the demographic profile are presented in the mapping sections to highlight where there are areas of greater and lesser service provision in each area for children and young people.

4.4 Process for Establishing Recommendations and Findings: Triangulation of Data Data from the semi-structured interviews, focus groups, surveys and mapping exercise were analysed to arrive at a summary of needs under each chapter heading using a process of triangulation. Triangulating the facts and figures of mapping information with analysis from stakeholders gives additional meaning and depth to the information. The desktop review is useful in contextualising local needs with the agreed priorities of relevant departments or local agencies. By combing all three sources of information, local needs can be considered from a variety of angles meaning that discussions on the next steps can be made with the optimum amount of information.

The summary of each chapter indicates how these pieces of information have been reviewed to arrive at findings. In general, findings had to be confirmed by at least two of the three sources: (1) semi-structured interviews, (2) focus groups and (3) surveys. Generally, numeric data on services and service provision per head of population is contained in the mapping section of each chapter, while qualitative findings are summarised in the thematic findings.

In total, there were 69 findings in the report. Ten of these findings relate specifically to the mapping, showing which geographical areas of lesser service provision in relation to each of the ten category areas of service provision. The other 59 emerged from thematic findings and are distributed across the ten service areas. These are presented in the Findings sections of Chapters 7 - 16 of the report.

The final findings were discussed with the Steering Committee to establish that the priority issues identified through the research process were coherent, reasonable and took account of all available information.

4.5 Limitations of the Research Research of this manner seeks to provide a comprehensive map of all services in a particular area and include all stakeholder views on the thematic issue. However, it is not possible to obtain full and complete information on all services, or to include stakeholder views on every relevant issue. Acknowledging research limitations assists readers to evaluate the findings of the report.

4.5.1 Challenges of Obtaining a High Number of Survey Returns It was generally possible to obtain generous returns from the young people’s survey (n = 108) and the professional survey (n = 169). The parent’s survey (n = 49) was more difficult to obtain similar numbers. This was facilitated through partnering with the coordinator in CYPSC as well as using the services in the database which provided email addresses for professional service providers. Respondents to the parents and young person’s surveys were entered in a draw for a €50 voucher in order to boost participation.

4.5.2 Focus Group Representation While efforts were made to obtain the views of a variety of stakeholders including young people from different areas, parents and professional service providers, in each case representation had clear limitations. The housing and homelessness, CDI and mental health professionals’ groups contained a large number of service providers from across South County Dublin. They did not include service users, so this provides a specific stakeholder view on service provision that does not include service user views. The minorities and young people’s

focus groups as they contained small numbers were unlikely to be completely representative of the larger populations in the county. The participants in the young people’s focus group were based in Clondalkin and spoke generally about issues in the Clondalkin area which may not be the same as the Tallaght, Lucan or Rathfarnham areas.

4.5.3 Non-Response Bias in Survey Returns The fact that surveys were completed by only some service professionals (n = 169), parents (n = 49) and young people (n = 108) means that caution must be taken when making inferences from surveys to the whole of South County Dublin. While the survey return rates represent a large sample size (n = 326), researchers are not able to state whether this sample is representative of all service subgroups, young people and parents within South County Dublin.

4.5.4 Mapping Public Transport A number of concerns were raised with regard to the geographical spread of services and the availability of affordable public transport. It is outside the scope of this report to conduct a comprehensive comparative analysis of public transport service provision in this report. A comparison of current service locations with public transport routes and costs would be useful to ensure equality of access to services in the future.

4.5.5 Services Located Outside of the Mapping Area Some areas that are underserved by services may border on areas neighbouring South County Dublin which contain greater service provision, such as Dublin City Council. Services may be accessible to young people but they fall outside the catchment zone of this report. This should be taken into consideration when reading the report. Where services outside of the catchment area are included for mapping purposes this was discussed with the CYPSC Coordinator.

4.5.6 Not All Services Could Be Identified Due to the voluntary nature of many youth service providers such as scouting organisations, voluntary youth groups and sporting clubs, not all service providers have publicly available e- mail addresses or contact details. Thus, many of these services, while included in the database and mapping exercise, were not surveyed. In these cases, the research team, as far as practicable, obtained information and verification of data from third party organisations such as national bodies and umbrella groups.

4.5.7 Absence of Consensus on Some Themes It should be noted that in some cases, professional interviewees restricted their interview comments to their own fields of expertise rather than commenting on broader issues relating to children’s and young people’s services. Six of the themes in the report have been raised by one interviewee. This number should not be considered to lessen the impact of the theme in light of the wide scope of the research and the large breath of themes explored within it. Where an issue was raised by only one interviewee, efforts were made to triangulate that issue with data from focus groups and surveys to increase the robustness of a finding.

Where, for example one professional interviewee raised a particular issue it should not therefore be concluded that the other 15 interviewees did not agree with this point. Rather, it may have been considered a priority issue by this interviewee, who had specific expertise or experience pertaining to the issue.

4.6 Role of the Steering Group The steering group played a vital role in quality assuring the process, reviewing methodological issues, such as the list of staff to be interviewed, and in reviewing, critiquing and guiding the work.

South County Dublin Demographic Overview

5.1 Demographic and Socio-Economic Profile South County Dublin includes three different Dáil constituencies (Dublin Mid-West, Dublin South West, Dublin South Central) and is made up of seven distinct CFSN areas. It is bounded by Dublin city, the Dublin Mountains and County Wicklow to the south, the River Liffey to the north separating it from Fingal and County Kildare to the west.

Each CFSN Network area is comprised of between 3 and 19 electoral divisions. Map 2 identifies the seven CFSN areas and their respective populations based on CSO 2016 census data(4), the latest detailed data available at the time of compiling the report.

Map 2: The Seven Network Areas and their Populations

5.1.1 Population in South County Dublin In 2016, this area in South County Dublin was home to 278,767 individuals consisting of 136,277 males and 142,490 females, this represents 5.9% of the Republic of Irelands population of 4,761,865 (5). It also accounts for 6.3% of all under 18’s (1,251,796) in the country and 6.2% of the total under 25 population (1,583,004) in the state. The largest populations in the profiled electoral areas were located in CFSN areas 5 (68,518) and 3 (48,080) and the smallest population was contained in network 6 (21,084).

CFSN Area Electoral Divisions Population Network 1 Number of EDs: 6 45,697 Clondalkin (Village, Dunawley, Mosastery) Newcastle Rathcoole Saggart Network 2 Number of EDs: 5 24,199 Clondalkin (Moorfield, Rowladh, Cappaghmore) Palmerstown (Village, West) Network 3 Number of EDs: 3 48,090 Lucan (Esker, Heights, St Helens) Network 4 Number of EDs: 9 39,998 Ballyboden Edmundstown Firhouse (Ballycullen, Knocklyon) Rathfarnham (Village, Ballyroan, Butterfield, Hermitage, St Endas) Network 5 Number of EDs: 19 68,518 Bothernabreena Clondalkin Ballymount Firhouse Village Tallaght (Avonbeg, Glenview, Kilnamanagh, Kingswood, Millbrook, Oldbawn, Tymon) Templeogue (Village, Cypruss, Kimmage Mr., Limekiln, Orwell, Osprey) Terenure (Cherryfield, Greentrees, St James) Network 6 Number of EDs: 3 21,084 Tallaght (Belgard, Fettercairn, Springfield) Network 7 Number of EDs: 4 31,181 Ballinascorney Tallaght (Jobstown, Killinardan, Kiltipper) Table 1: CFSN Networks, their Component Electoral Divisions and Population

5.1.2 Population Density This report profiles seven CFSN areas located in South County Dublin using data from the 2016 census provided by the Central Statistics Office. Comprising of 221.25 km2 and a population of 278,767, the area has an average population density of 1260 people per squared kilometre. The area under investigation in South County Dublin is below both the Dublin and average urban centre average of population density as evidenced in Table 2.

Population Density (Persons per km2) Irish Average Dublin Urban Centre South County Dublin Average1 70 14592 2,008 1260 Table 2: Population Density per km2

Map 3 illustrates where the largest levels of 0 – 24-year olds reside in South County Dublin based on the 2016 census results. The largest number of 0 – 24 years old in South County Dublin reside around Tallaght in CFSN Networks 6 & 7 and around Clondalkin/Lucan in CFSN Networks 2 & 3 where more than 46% of the population is accounted for by 0 – 24-year olds. There are fewer small areas in CFSN Networks 1, 4 & 5 that are made up of more than 46% of 0 – 24-year olds.

Map 3: 0 - 24-Year-Old Population Density 2016

5.1.3 Population Change in South County Dublin According to census 2016, 98% of residents in South County Dublin live in aggregated town areas while only 2% live in rural areas, indicating that the county is a mainly urban area. There was a marginal rise of 0.1% in people living in urban areas in South County Dublin since the previous census. This compares with 63% of people in the State who live in aggregate town areas while 37% live in rural areas.

Figure 5 illustrates that South County Dublin has seen a steady growth over the 5 years since the previous census in 2011. The total population of the area increased 5.1%, while the 0 – 24-year- old population increased by 2.3% and the under 18 population increased by 5.6% between 2011 and 2016. This compares with the population growth in the whole country of 3.8% in the same time period

1 http://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-cp2tc/cp2pdm/pd/ 2 http://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-cpr/censusofpopulation2016- preliminaryresults/geochan/ 22

Figure 5: Population Change in South County Dublin Between 2011 & 2016

As illustrated in Figure 6 below, all seven of the CFSN areas have seen an increase in population since the 2011 census. Network 6 saw the largest proportional increase in population with a 14.4% increase in its population. Networks 7, 3 and 1 also reported significant increases in their population of six percent or more all above the average for South County Dublin and the State. Networks 4, 5 and 2 all saw population increases of less than two percent, all below the average for South County Dublin and the State.

Figure 6: Population Change in the Seven CFSN Areas since Census 2011 (Population)

5.1.4 Demographics in South County Dublin The 2016 Census identified 75,106 children and young people under the age of 18 in South County Dublin. When compared with the total population of Irish State, the proportional age bands in South County Dublin were very similar to the age bands in the country as a whole. The proportion of the people living in South County Dublin is within ±1% of the population in the Irish State across every age band.

Both South County Dublin and the Irish State have a dip in proportionality of residents between the ages of 10 – 29 when compared with residents who were under 10 and more than 29 years old, illustrated in Figure 7. This is potentially due to the effect of the emigration that took place during the economic downturn post 2008.

Figure 7: Age Comparison of People in South County Dublin and the Irish State

Figure 8 shows the age profile of children under the age of 18 in the area, identifying a higher number of younger children aged between one to eight years (40,324) compared to children aged nine to 17 years of age (34,782). There were 15.9% more children in the 0 – 8-year-old age group than the 9 -17-year-old group. This suggests that while there is already a need for extra service provision to meet the current needs of a growing population there has also been an increase in the birth rate in recent years and there will be a need for further services for young people in South County Dublin in the coming years as the population expands.

Figure 8: Population of Children in South County Dublin (Age 0 - 17 years)

Figure 9 illustrates that the number of under 18 and 25-year olds in South County Dublin over the previous 20 years. Generally, the young population declined between 1996 to 2006 before increasing between 2006 and 2016.

The population of under 18-year olds decreased by 13.8% between 1996 and 2006 before increasing by 17% between 2006 and 2016. This resulted in a net increase of 670 under 18-year olds in the 20-year period. The population of under 25-year olds decreased by 7.4% between 1996 and 2006 before increasing by 4.5% between 2006 and 2016. This resulted in a net decrease of 3252 under 25-year olds in the 20-year period.

Figure 9: Number of Children Under the age of 18 and 25 in South County Dublin over 20 Years

Table 3 illustrates that five of the seven electoral areas in South County Dublin contained ±3% of the national average of their residents under the age of 18. Two of the CFSN areas (Network 3: +5%, Network 7: +8%) contained a disproportionately high number of young people and children under the age of 18 compared with the national average. 25

Network Total Population in Population under % of population South County Dublin 18 under 18

Network 1 45,697 12,142 27% Network 2 24,199 6,059 25% Network 3 48,080 15,519 32% Network 4 39,998 9,334 23% Network 5 68,518 15,204 22% Network 6 21,084 5,966 28% Network 7 31,181 10,882 35% Total South County Dublin 278,767 75,106 27% Irish State (nat. average) 4,761,865 1,190,502 25% Table 3: Population of Under 18's in Networks

5.1.5 Young People Living in South County Dublin Table 4 illustrates the percentage of the total population that were under 18 and under 25 who lived in each of the seven respective CFSN networks in South County Dublin. Networks 3 and 5 were home to the largest numbers of under 18-year olds and under 25-year olds, while Network 6 contained the smallest number of under 18-year olds and under 25-year olds.

Networks 5 and 3 contained the largest numbers of under 18 and under 25-year olds in South County Dublin and combined contained 40% of all under 18 and under 25-year olds in the South County Dublin area. Both Networks contained more than double the number of inhabitants under the age of 18 and 25 as Networks 2 and 6 which contained the smallest numbers of under 18 and 25-year olds in the area.

CFSN Area Percentage of total Percentage of total Irish Irish population who population who were were Under 18 in South Under 25 in South County Dublin County Dublin Network 1 1% (12,142) 1% (15,602) Network 2 0.5% (6,059) 0.5% (8,582) Network 3 1.3% (15,519) 1.2% (18,985) Network 4 0.8% (9,334) 0.8% (13,077) Network 5 1.3% (15,204) 1.3% (20,750) Network 6 0.5% (5,966) 0.5% (7,785) Network 7 0.9% (10,882) 0.8% (13,454) South County Dublin 6.3% (75,106) 6.2% (98,235) Total Population in South County Dublin 100% (278,767) 100% (278,767) Table 4: Percentage of Young People in the 7 CFSN Area

5.1.6 Socio Economics In 2016 Dublin was the most affluent region of Ireland at county level, however South Dublin County is the most disadvantaged local authority of the four local authorities in Dublin3. While, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown (1) ranks as the most affluent Local Authority in the country, followed by Fingal (2) and Dublin City (6), South County Dublin ranks as 11th most affluent out of 34 Local Authorities in Ireland.

3 Dublin Local Authorities Deprivation Scores: Dun Laoghaire – Rathdown (+9.98), Fingal (+ 5.31), Dublin City (+3.76) South Dublin County (+0.27)

The 2016 census recorded the unemployment rate in South County Dublin as 7.6%, a figure slightly higher than the national average of 7.1%. There were 79 unemployment blackspots/electoral divisions in Ireland, according to Census 2016, four of which were located in South County Dublin, two in Tallaght and two in Clondalkin, see Table 5. South Dublin County contained the seventh highest number of unemployment blackspots out of all local authorities. A blackspot refers to an area with at least 200 people in the labour force where the unemployment rate is 27% or higher (see Appendix F for Map).

CFSN Network Unemployment Unemployment rate blackspot/electoral division Network 7 Tallaght Killinarden 32.9% Network 2 Clondalkin Cappaghmore 32.2% Network 6 Tallaght Fettercairn 28% Network 2 Clondalkin Rowlagh 27.2% Table 5: Unemployment Blackspots/Electoral Divisions from Census 2016

Table 6 illustrates the class of job held by people living in South County Dublin. Manual and technical workers (28.3%) make up the largest cohort group with unskilled workers (3.2%) accounting for the smallest cohort group.

Social Class Male Female Total % of Total Workers

Professional Worker 11,281 9,148 20,429 7.3% Managerial and technical 37,560 41,461 79,021 28.3% Non-manual 20,129 33,825 53,954 19.4% Skilled manual 26,470 15,078 41,548 14.9% Semi-skilled 14,193 11,991 26,184 9.4% Unskilled 4,327 4,565 8,892 3.2% All others gainfully employed 22,317 26,422 48,739 17.5% and unknown

Total 136,277 142,490 278,767 100% Table 6: South County Dublin Population by Sex and Occupation Type: 2016

5.1.7 Socio-Economic Comparison of the Seven CFSN Network Areas This section contains a socio-economic comparison of the seven CFSN areas contained in the report. Key demographic data is explored to evaluate the make-up of the seven network areas and is illustrated in Table 7 below.

Lone parent families with children under the age of 15

Three CFSN areas (Networks 3, 4, 5) contained a lower level of single parent families with children under the age of 15 than the national average, with Network 4 containing the lowest level. Four CFSN areas contained a higher level of single parent families than the national average with Network 2 containing the highest rate followed by Networks 7 and 6.

Unemployment

The national average for unemployment at the time of the census was 8.3% for males and 5.9% for females. Three CFSN areas (Networks 3, 4, 5) had levels of unemployment lower than the national average for males and females, with the lowest level of unemployment found in Network 4. Four electoral areas (Networks 2, 1, 6, 7) had levels of unemployment higher than the national average for both males and females. Unemployment was highest for males and females in Network 7 followed by Network 6 and Network 2.

Education

Residents in Networks 3 and 4 had populations with a primary level education or less that was lower than the national average and higher level of educational attainment that was higher than the national average. Network 4 contained the highest proportion of residents with a level 8 degree at 36.2% and the lowest proportion of residents who were educated to primary level or less at 6.7%. Residents of Networks 2, 5, 6 and 7 contained populations with a primary level of education or less that were higher than the national average and a lower level of higher educational attainment than the national average. Network 2 contained the lowest proportion of residents with a level 8 degree at 9.5% and the highest proportion of residents who were educated to a primary level or less at 20.6%.

Migration

CFSN areas 2, 4, and 5 contained proportionally fewer residents who are non-Irish nationals compared to the national average. Network 4 contained the lowest proportion of residents that were not Irish nationals, accounting for 5.7% of its population. CFSN areas 1, 3, 6 and 7 contained proportionally more residents who were non-Irish nationals compared to the national average. Network 6 contained the highest proportion of residents that were not Irish nationals, accounting for 19.5% of its population.

Deprivation Index

The 2016 Pobal HP Relative Deprivation Index (6), developed by Trutz Haase and Jonathan Pratschke, gives a deprivation score for each electoral area. This score is a combination of census data on demographics, class composition and labour market data, used to construct a national average of 0. Each area has been given a minus or plus score against this average. Scores of -10 to 0 indicates an area was marginally disadvantaged, -10 to ‐20 indicates that an area was disadvantaged, -20 to -30 very disadvantaged, while a score of 0 to 10 indicates that an area was marginally affluent, 10 to 20 indicates that an area was affluent or 20 to 30 that an area was very affluent.

Map 4 illustrates that South County Dublin is an area that was a mixture of disadvantage and of affluence. CFSN areas were categorised as follows on the Pobal Deprivation Index:

 One CFSN area was disadvantaged (Network 2)  Three CFSN area were marginally below average (Network 1, 6, 7)  Three CFSN area were marginally above average (Network 3, 5)  One CFSN area was affluent (Network 4)

Map 4: CFSN Areas on the Pobal Deprivation Index 2016

Map 5 further breaks down South County Dublin and the seven CFSN area at a Small Area level on the Pobal Deprivation Index. Map 5 illustrates that there are small areas that are classified as being ‘very disadvantaged’ in CFSN areas 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7, with small areas classified as being ‘extremely disadvantaged’ in CFSN area 2. This is in contrast to CFSN areas 3, 4 and 5 which contain small areas classified as ‘affluent’, with some areas in CFSN areas 4 and 5 being classified as ‘very affluent’.

Map 5: Pobal Deprivation Index Small Area Map of South County Dublin

Figures for relative deprivation in Table 7 and Map 4 illustrate that CFSN area 2 was the most disadvantaged Network in South County Dublin, this area includes the most disadvantaged parts of Clondalkin. This was followed by Network 7 and 6 which include the most disadvantage areas of Tallaght. Network area 4 was the most affluent area in South County Dublin and includes areas such as Rathfarnham and Edmondstown.

CFSN Lone Unemployment Education Migration Relative Network Parent Average (Male, (Percentage (Percentage Deprivation Index Families Female) with Primary of population 2016: (Range of Level or less, that were Electoral Divisions) with Level 8 non-Irish Score Children < Honours nationals) 15 years Degree or 4 old higher) National 20% (8.3%, 5.9%) 12.5%, 20.8% 11.6% 0.6 Average Network 1 25.5% (8.5%, 7.3%) 11.6%, 14.8% 16.3% (-9.5 -> +8.4) - 0.49 Marginally Below Average Network 2 41.7% (13.1%, 9.5%) 20.6%, 9.5% 5.8% (-17.6 -> -2.5) - 10.3 Disadvantaged Network 3 15.6% (6.2%, 5.3%) 6.7%, 27% 15.6% (3.5 -> 7.4) 6.6 Marginally Above Average Network 4 12.2% (4.2%, 3.3%) 5.4%, 36.2% 5.7% (2.8 -> 13.8) 10.1 Affluent Network 5 19.5% (6.9%, 4.6%) 14.2%, 19.7% 7.0% (-17.6 -> 13.9) 0.2 Marginally Above Average Network 6 34.1% (13.9%, 10.4%) 15.4%, 11.4% 19.5% (-12.6 -> -2.7) - 6.8 Marginally Below Average Network 7 35.8% (15.5%, 12.1%) 14%, 10.8% 11.7% (-19.5 -> -4.5) - 8.2 Marginally Below Average Table 7: Comparison of Key Socio-economic Data

5.2 Summary South County Dublin is one of 16 areas in the country where Children’s Services Committees have been established. South County Dublin had a similar proportion of children and young people living in the area proportional to the national average and had a large and increasing population under the age of 18. Based on current census data trends, it is likely that the number of young people in the area will have increased by the next census.

South County Dublin contained a mixture of affluent and disadvantaged areas and was the most disadvantaged of the four Dublin local authorities. Parts of CFSN areas 1, 2, 6 and 7, in particular around Clondalkin and Tallaght were characterised by pockets of high unemployment, high rates of lone parent families, low educational attainment, and high level of migration compared to the national average. All four Networks were categorised as either disadvantaged or marginally below average on the Pobal Deprivation Index.

Conversely CFSN areas 3 and 4 were characterised by low rates of unemployment, high rates of educational attainment and low rates of lone parent families compared to the national average. They were categorised as affluent or marginally above average on the Pobal Deprivation Index. CFSN area 5 was the most similar to the national average across rates of lone parent families, unemployment levels education and migration levels as it is located in-

4 Number of male and female single parent families)/ (Number of male and female single parent families + total number of couple families) *100. 31

between the affluent Network 4 to its east and the more disadvantaged Networks 1, 2, and 6 to its west.

Overview of the Seven Network Areas

This section provides a brief overview of the seven CFSN Areas in South County Dublin.

6.1 Network 1 Network 1 spans 75.7 km2 and incorporates six electoral divisions. Of the 45,697 inhabitants in Network 1, 15,602 (34.1%) were between the ages of 0 – 24 compared to 33.2% at State level. This population of under 0 – 24-year olds accounted for 5.6% of all inhabitants (278,767) in South County Dublin. The area encompasses part of Clondalkin in the east and the more rural areas of Saggart, Rathcoole and Newcastle in the west.

Map 6: Network 1

Network 1 is comprised of the following electoral divisions: Clondalkin Village, Dunawley & Monastery, Newcastle, Rathcoole and Saggart.

Demographic indicator Network 1 Ireland Pobal HP Relative Deprivation Index Score -0.49 (Marginally 0.6 below average) % of 0 – 24-year olds living in ‘very disadvantaged’ 2.7% 3.1% areas Lone parents with children under the age of 15 25.5% 20% Unemployment rate (male, female) 8.5%, 7.3% 8.3%, 5.9% Educated to primary level or no education 11.6% 12.5% Educated to third level or higher 26.2% 33.4% Proportion of non-Irish national residents 16.3% 11.6% Table 8: Network 1 Key Demographics

Narrative: Network 1 is geographically the largest Network in South County Dublin and overall scored as being marginally below average on the Pobal deprivation index. There was a diverse range of deprivation on the Small Area level, of the 146 small areas there were a number of areas of affluence in the Saggart, Rathcoole and Newcastle electoral divisions while there were three small areas in the Clondalkin-Dunawley electoral division that were categorised as very disadvantaged. The area had a similar proportion of 0 – 24-year olds, unemployment rate and level of low educational attainment compared to the national average. However, the area also contained high levels of lone parents with children under the age of 15 and a lower level of higher educational attainment compared to the national average. 33

6.2 Network 2 Network 2 covers an area of 10.2 km2 and incorporates five electoral divisions. Of the 24,199 inhabitants in Network 2, 8,582 (35.5%) were between the ages of 0 – 24 compared to 33.2% at State level. This population of under 0 – 24-year olds accounted for 3.1% of all inhabitants (278,767) in South County Dublin. The area encompasses part of Clondalkin in its South and Palmerstown in the North.

Map 7: Network 2

Network 2 comprises the following electoral divisions: Clondalkin Moorfield, Rowlagh & Cappaghmore, Palmerstown West & Village.

Demographic indicator Network 2 Ireland Pobal HP Relative Deprivation Index Score -10.3 0.6 (Disadvantaged) % of 0 – 24-year olds living in ‘very disadvantaged’ 27.5% 3.15% areas % of 0 – 24-year olds living in ‘extremely 2.7% 0.1%6 disadvantaged’ areas Lone parents with children under the age of 15 41.7% 20% Unemployment rate (male, female) 13.1%, 9.5% 8.3%, 5.9% Educated to primary level or no education 20.6% 12.5% Educated to third level or higher 17.3% 33.4% Proportion of non-Irish national residents 5.8% 11.6% Table 9: Network 2 Key Demographics

Narrative: Network 2 was categorised as the most disadvantaged of the seven Networks in South Dublin County according to the Pobal Deprivation index. Although, a deprivation score of -10.3 categorises Network 2 as being disadvantaged, this masks a difference between the Palmerstown and Clondalkin electoral divisions. The Palmerstown electoral divisions were categorised as marginally below average on the deprivation index while the Clondalkin electoral divisions are categorised as disadvantaged, with one Small Area in the Clondalkin- Cappaghmore electoral division categorised as extremely disadvantaged, the most disadvantaged Small Area in South County Dublin. The area was characterised by high unemployment, low levels of educational attainment, a high ratio of lone parents with children

5 N = 49,217 6 N = 1590 34

under the age of 15 and contaied proportionally more 0 – 24-year olds compared to the national average.

6.3 Network 3 Network 3 spans 19.9 km2 and incorporates three electoral divisions. Of the 48,090 inhabitants in Network 3, 18,985 (39.5%) were between the ages of 0 – 24 compared to 33.2% at State level. This population of under 0 – 24-year olds accounts for 6.8% of all inhabitants (278,767) in South County Dublin. The area encompasses the vast majority of Lucan and its hinterland south of the River Liffey.

Map 8: Network 3

Network 3 is comprised of the following electoral divisions: Lucan Esker, Heights & St Helen’s.

Demographic indicator Network 3 Ireland Pobal HP Relative Deprivation Index Score 6.6 (Marginally above 0.6 average) % of 0 – 24-year olds living in ‘very 0% 3.1% disadvantaged’ areas Lone parents with children under the age of 15 15.6% 20% Unemployment rate (male, female) 6.2%, 5.3% 8.3%, 5.9% Educated to primary level or no education 6.7% 12.5% Educated to third level or higher 43.5% 33.4% Proportion of non-Irish national residents 15.6% 11.6% Table 10: Network 3 Key Demographics

Narrative: Network 3’s score of 6.6 on the Pobal Deprivation index categorised the area as marginally above average and as the second most affluent Network in South County Dublin. The area contained a total of 142 Small Areas, 39 of which were categorised as ‘affluent’ and zero areas categorised as very disadvantaged. The area contained proportionally the second largest population of 0 – 24-year olds in the seven Networks, well above the national average which indicated a large young population. The area contained the second highest level of high educational attainment and the second lowest level of low educational attainment of the seven Networks. The area also contained a lower rate of unemployment and of lone parents with children under the age of 15 at the last census compared to the national average.

6.4 Network 4 Network 4 spans 13.56 km2 and incorporates nine electoral divisions. Of the 39,998 inhabitants in Network 4, 13,077 (32.7%) were between the ages of 0 – 24 compared to 33.2% at State level. This population of under 0 – 24-year olds accounts for 4.7% of all inhabitants (278,767) in South County Dublin. The area encompasses Rathfarnham, Ballyboden, Edmondstown and Firhouse.

Map 9: Network 4

Network 4 is comprised of the following electoral divisions: Ballyboden, Edmondstown, Firhouse- Ballycullen, Firhouse-Knocklyon and Rathfarnham Village, Ballyroan, Butterfield, Hermitage and St. Enda’s.

Demographic indicator Network 4 Ireland Pobal HP Relative Deprivation Index Score 10.1 (Affluent) 0.6 % of 0 – 24-year olds living in ‘very 0% 3.1% disadvantaged’ areas Lone parents with children under the age of 15 12.2% 20% Unemployment rate (male, female) 4.2%, 3.3% 8.3%, 5.9% Educated to primary level or no education 5.4% 12.5% Educated to third level or higher 52.2% 33.4% Proportion of non-Irish national residents 5.7% 11.6% Table 11: Network 4 Key Demographics

Narrative: Network 4 scored 10.1 on the Pobal Deprivation Index which categorised the area as Affluent, the most affluent Network in South County Dublin. The area contained five Small Areas that were categorised as ‘very affluent’ and zero areas categorised as very disadvantaged out of 143 small areas. The proportion of Network 4 population between the ages of 0 – 24 was slightly lower than the national average, the area’s ratio of lone parents under the age of 15 was lower than the national average and the lowest of the seven Networks in South County Dublin. Network 4 contained the lowest rate of unemployment, the highest rate of high educational attainment, the lowest rate of low educational attainment and the lowest proportion of its population who were non-Irish nationals of the seven CFSN Networks.

6.5 Network 5 Network 5 spans 65 km2 and incorporates nineteen electoral divisions. Of the 68,518 inhabitants in Network 4, 20,750 (30.3%) were between the ages of 0 – 24 compared to 33.2% at State level. This population of under 0 – 24-year olds accounts for 7.4% of all inhabitants (278,767) in South County Dublin. The area encompasses parts of southern Clondallkin, western Terenure, Templeogue, parts of Tallaght east, Firhouse and the rural Bohernabreena in the south.

Map 10: Network 5

Network 5 is comprised of the following electoral divisions: Bohernabreena, Clondalkin- Ballymount, Firhouse Village, Tallaght: Avonbeg, Glenview, Kilnamanagh, Kingswood, Millbrook, Oldbawn, Tymon; Templeogue: Village, Cypruss, Kimmage Mr, Limekiln, Orwell, Osprey; Terenure: Cherryfield, Greentrees, St. James.

Demographic indicator Network 5 Ireland Pobal HP Relative Deprivation Index Score 0.2 (Marginally above 0.6 average) % of 0 – 24-year olds living in ‘very 0.6% 3.1% disadvantaged’ areas Lone parents with children under the age of 15 19.5% 20% Unemployment rate (male, female) 6.9%, 4.6% 8.3%, 5.9% Educated to primary level or no education 14.2% 12.5% Educated to third level or higher 31.7% 33.4% Proportion of non-Irish national residents 7% 11.6%

Table 12: Network 5 Key Demographics

Narrative: Network 5 scored of 0.2 on the Pobal Deprivation Index which categorised the area as marginally above average. This masks the situation at Small Area level where the 243 small areas were split between the more affluent eastern end around Templeogue which contained three Small Areas categorised as ‘very affluent’ and the more disadvantaged west end around Tallaght which contained two areas categorised as ‘very disadvantaged’. The southern end of Network 5 contained a lower population as it borders the Dublin mountains. Despite containing the largest population of the seven Networks, proportionally the area contains the smallest group of 0 – 24-year olds out of the seven areas in South County Dublin. The area contained a slightly lower rate of lone parents with children under the age of 15, unemployed and high educational attainment compared to the national average and a slightly higher level of low educational attainment.

6.6 Network 6 Network 6 spans 9.29 km2 and incorporates three electoral divisions. Of the 21,084 inhabitants in Network 4, 7,785 (36.9%) were between the ages of 0 – 24 compared to 33.2% at State level. This population of under 0 – 24-year olds accounted for 2.8% of all inhabitants (278,767) in South County Dublin. The area encompasses parts of central, western and northern Tallaght.

Map 11: Network 6

Network 6 is comprised of the following electoral divisions: Tallaght: Belgard, Fettercairn and Springfield.

Demographic indicator Network 6 Ireland Pobal HP Relative Deprivation Index Score -6.8 (Marginally 0.6 below average) % of 0 – 24-year olds living in ‘very 6.5% 3.1% disadvantaged’ areas Lone parents with children under the age of 15 34.1% 20% Unemployment rate (male, female) 13.9%, 10.4% 8.3%, 5.9% Educated to Primary level or no education 15.4% 12.5% Educated to third level or higher 20.9% 33.4% Proportion of non-Irish national residents 19.5% 11.6% Table 13: Network 6 Key Demographics

Narrative: Network 6 is the smallest of the seven Networks in terms of population and in terms of size. The area’s score of -6.8 on the Pobal Deprivation Index categorised it as marginally below 38

average and the third most disadvantaged Network in South County Dublin. The area contained at total of 60 small areas, of which the Fettercairn area contained three Small Areas which were categorised as ‘very disadvantaged’ which marked the Fettercairn area as more disadvantaged than the Belgard or Springfield areas. The area contained considerably higher rates of lone parents with children under the age of 15, unemployment and low educational attainment compared to the national average, and the highest proportion of residents who are not Irish citizens in the seven Networks. The area contained a higher proportion of 0 – 24- year olds in its population and lower levels of higher educational attainment compared to the national average.

6.7 Network 7 Network 7 spans 29.38 km2 and incorporates four electoral divisions. Of the 31,181 inhabitants in Network 4, 13,454 (43.1%) were between the ages of 0 – 24 compared to 33.2% at State level. This population of under 0 – 24-year olds accounted for 4.8% of all inhabitants (278,767) in South County Dublin. The area encompasses parts of central, western and southern Tallaght, and Ballinascorney in the south which borders the Dublin mountains.

Map 12: Network 7

Network 7 is comprised of the following electoral divisions: Ballinascorney, Tallaght: Jobstown, Killinardan, Kiltipper.

Demographic indicator Network 7 Ireland Pobal HP Relative Deprivation Index Score -8.2 0.6 % of 0 – 24-year olds living in ‘very 19.5% 3.1% disadvantaged’ areas Lone parents with children under the age of 15 35.8% 20% Unemployment rate (male, female) 15.5%, 12.1% 8.3%, 5.9% Educated to Primary level or no education 14% 12.5% Educated to third level or higher 20.7% 33.4% Proportion of non-Irish national residents 11.7% 11.6% Table 14: Network 7 Key Demographics

Narrative: Network 7’s score of -8.2 on the Pobal Deprivation Index categorised the area as marginally below average and the second most disadvantaged Network in South County

Dublin. Network 7 had 16 of 96 Small Areas categorised as ‘very disadvantaged’. Proportionally the area contained the largest number of 0 – 24-year olds in the seven Networks and the second highest proportion of this age group living in ‘very disadvantaged’ areas after Network 2. The area contained a rate of lone parents with children under 15 that was almost twice the national average, high unemployment and lower levels of higher educational attainment compared to the national average. 6.8 Summary The seven CFSN areas can be broken down into three general areas in socio-demographic terms. (1) Networks 3 and 4 were characterised as affluent areas with high levels of educational attainment, low rates of lone parents and unemployment. (2) Networks 5 and 1 were characterised as being the closest to the national average with relatively similar levels of unemployment, lone parents and educational attainment to the national average. However, there were pockets of disadvantage in both Networks 5 and 1. (3) Networks 2, 6 and 7 were characterised as being the most disadvantaged Networks in South County Dublin. These Networks contained high levels of unemployment, lone parents, young people living in very disadvantaged areas and low levels of educational attainment.

Guide to Findings Chapters

The following chapters (8 – 18) present the findings from the needs analysis. These chapters draw data from multiple data sources in order to create a clear picture of emerging needs and local priorities. This chapter outlines local needs under 11 thematic areas.

1. Physical Health and Social Services 2. Mental Health and Wellbeing Services 3. Education and Training Services 4. Youth Justice Services 5. Disability Services 6. Drug and Alcohol Services 7. Recreation Services 8. Housing and Homelessness Services 9. Early Childhood and Childcare Services 10. Family Support Services 11. Interagency Working

Each chapter contains:

 An overview of the service area under investigation  Service mapping gap analysis and findings  Thematic findings from quantitative and qualitative analysis  Summary of findings

The service mapping reviews the location of services in the seven electoral areas with the aim of highlighting gaps in service provision. To identify thematic findings, all aspects of the analysis were triangulated from the semi-structured interviews, focus groups and survey data.

Physical Health & Social Services

8.1 Overview of Services in this Section This chapter details local needs relating to physical health and social services in the South County Dublin. The category of physical health and social services, is very broad, encompassing a wide range of services. For the purposes of this report, physical health and social services include: child protection services and social welfare services, community centres, community health centres, dental services, domestic abuse services, eye care services, GPs, hospitals, hearing services, HSE services, occupational therapy, rehabilitation and integration services, sexual health services, child protection services, speech and language therapy, teen pregnancy services, Traveller support services and women’s refuges, as well as young carers services.

8.2 Mapping Gap Analysis: Physical Health and Social Services Summary: Networks 7 and 3 were the areas of the least service provision in physical health and social services. Networks 6 and 2 were the areas of highest service provision.

Physical health and social service provision for children and young people in South County Dublin was provided by a number of statutory, community and voluntary services and private providers. Overall, 184 physical health and social services were identified in the services audit as being available to young people in the South County Dublin. 172 of these services were located within the seven Networks and 12 services were located outside the Networks. Map 12 illustrates that there was a cluster of these services located in and around Tallaght (Network 5 & 6), Clondalkin (Network 1 & 2) and Rathfarnham (Network 4). There were some services located in Lucan (Network 3). Network 7 had fewer physical health and social services based in the area.

Map 13: Physical Health and Social Services

Table 16 illustrates that Network 7 had the lowest level of service provision per 10,000 residents followed by Network 3. Network 6 was the area of most service provision per 10,000 residents followed by Network 2.

When comparing the percentage of 0 – 24-year-olds in the populations of the seven Network areas with the percentage of all physical health & social services in South County Dublin, Networks 7 (-6%7) & 3 (-6%) were the areas of lowest service provision with the smallest proportion of services relative to their population size. Networks 6 (+7%), 1 (+3%) and 2 (+3%) were the areas of most service provision relative to their population size.

CFSN Network Number of % of all 0 – 24- % of all Number of physical health year olds in physical health local & social South County & social services services in the Dublin services in per 10,000 Network South County 0 – 24 yr. Dublin olds

Network 1 33 16% 19% 21 Network 2 4420 9% 12% 23 Network 3 23 19% 13% 12 Network 4 17 13% 10% 13 Network 5 39 21% 23% 19 Network 6 26 8% 15% 33 Network 7 14 14% 8% 10 South County Dublin 172 100% 100% 18 Table 15: Physical Health & Social Services by Network

8.3 Thematic Finding One: Long Waiting Lists for Certain Services Five of the 15 interviewees identified the issue of long waiting lists for certain physical health and social services. Four of the interviewees specifically mentioned the waiting lists for speech and language therapists, which can be as long as 18 months. Other services with what was considered to be overly long waiting lists included HSE occupational therapy, counselling services and social workers. Interviewees were concerned about the impact that these long waits had on the rate of young people’s development as they moved through developmental stages. This is illustrated in the following comments:

There are lengthy waiting lists for speech and language therapy and a shortage of occupational therapists, this has a knock-on effect on young people’s development moving from teenage to adult life (Interviewee)

The CDI Focus Group also noted this issue. Participants stated in recent years there has been a decreased number of public health nurses (PHNs) and this has had the impact of increasing waiting list times. This comment highlights this challenge:

There has been no (economic) recovery in this area. There is a decreased number of PHNs and an increase in waiting lists (CDI Focus Group)

These views were supported by quantitative survey responses from parents. Figure 10 illustrates young people’s and parents’ evaluation of waiting times for health, pregnancy, sexual health and social services I n the South Dublin County. Young people had a more positive outlook on timely access to all four service types compared with parents. This difference was particularly notable in the assessment of timely access to social services where only 10% of parents agreed that their children had timely access to social services compared to 74% of young people.

It is worth noting that more than six in 10 parents and more than four in 10 young people did not know if young people had timely access to both pregnancy and sexual health services.

7 % of all 0 -24-year olds in Dublin South County - % of all physical health and social services in Dublin South County = -6% in Network 7

This is possibly as the young people and parents may not have needed these services at this point of their lives.

Figure 10: Young People Have Timely Access to the Following Services

Figure 11 illustrates a general dissatisfaction among professionals with young people’s access to both speech and language therapy and occupational therapy, among 0 – 4-year olds and 5 – 12-year olds especially. Professionals were generally more satisfied with child protection and welfare services and GP services for all age groups.

Figure 11: Professionals Satisfaction with Access to Health and Social Services

8.4 Thematic Finding Two: Non-Attendance at Appointments Three out of the 15 interviewees identified non-attendance at appointments as an issue for young people. Interviewees were particularly concerned about the impact of non-attendance on the most vulnerable children. Interviewees commented that some families/parents may not realise the importance of engaging with a service as they may not know/accept that their child had an issue:

We need to do something with parents not turning up, the kids with the most needs are 'in the wrong family. The child’s need may be based off the parent’s needs, there is not sufficient focus on the child being the client, we need a mechanism so that the child is not crossed off the list for not showing up (Interviewee)

Participants in the young people’s focus group identified that missing an appointment may compound an issue that a young person has. This can be made worse if the young person is dropped from the service as a consequence of missing an appointment:

It may take months spent on a waiting list for a young person to get an appointment. Issues that they have, particularly if they are acute may be compounded in this time and young people may be crossed off the list if they do not attend when they are supposed to (Young People’s Focus Group)

Professionals in the survey also identified these concerns and suggested methods to combat it:

Speech and language services could be delivered in schools as opposed to clinic based, this would ensure greater attendance and greater engagement of the parents/families. (Professionals Survey)

8.5 Thematic Finding Three: Need for Improved Signposting for Families Five of the 15 interviewees identified the need for better referral pathways and clearer signposting for young people and their families so that they can identify and access the health and social services that they require. Interviewees reported that unclear referral pathways were confusing and a barrier for accessing services. It was noted that more use should be made of online systems to allow young people navigate health and social services available to them:

For starters referral pathways need to be defined and highlighted to young people. When families look for support they look to their GPs first and if the referral pathways are not clear people they can get lost in the system (Interviewee)

Professionals in the CDI Focus Group identified the need for better referral pathways so that families in crisis were able to access services more quickly. Participants noted that in some general services (i.e. primary health care) there were good pathways to services and this should be replicated where possible. It was also reported that reductions in staff levels made it more difficult for services to guide people through the system.

New referral models should be created to guide people into services. We receive clients when they are in crisis so we need a model that leads them on a pathway into agencies they need (CDI Focus Group)

Professional survey respondents also identified the lack of clear referral pathways for families and professionals as a barrier to accessing services. It was reported that in some services when parents receive a diagnosis, or were told that one service is inappropriate, they were not given guidance on how to access further services. Professionals also noted that more use could be made of online resources for signposting both professionals and family members into services.

When children get a diagnosis of ASD the parents are left without any information as to how they can access services and education for their children (Professionals Survey)

A mapping of the services is needed to be available in each area, like a website for example, where both professionals and parents/ young people can find supports would help channel people into services (Professionals Survey)

8.6 Thematic Finding Four: Need for Improved Provision of Specialised Services Six of the 15 interviewees identified the lack of certain specialised health services as an issue for young people looking to access services. Interviewees suggested that general services, such as GPs, were well provided for. Interviewees reported that there was a need for more paediatricians, dieticians, asthma services, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and primary care social workers.

There seems to be enough GP but services like paediatricians, specialist services for asthma, dietitians and things like that are lacking. For example, finding a dietitian for youth with disabilities are almost impossible to find right now (Interviewee)

There are no primary care social workers in the Dublin South West area at all, so even if the access was good there is no professionals to provide a service (Interviewee)

Participants in the CDI Focus Group identified how overstretched certain specialised services were. Participants reported a need for more dieticians and social care services for people with disabilities.

I can identify with how thinly resources are stretched if you look at the size of area like Tallaght and what is recommended in terms of primary dietetic care services. There should be seven, but there is only one (CDI Focus Group)

Social care and disability are one of the biggest problems in the HSE, there isn’t enough money to deal with the number of children that are coming into the system that are born with disabilities (CDI Focus Group)

Figure 12 illustrates that the majority of professions disagree that there were sufficient; social services, supports for young carers, supports for children in care and supports for young people experiencing domestic violence in South County Dublin. Professionals were split as to whether there were sufficient pregnancy and sexual health services with approximately one in four agreeing that there is sufficient service provision. Whilst, a little more than one in three disagreed.

Figure 12: There are sufficient service to meet demand (Professionals)

The majority of young people and parents identified that there was an issue in their area that young people living in a household with domestic violence and young people caring for a member of their family did not receive enough supports. The majority of young people also identified the lack of sexual health or pregnancy supports as an issue in the area. Parents however, were split as to whether this was an issue for young people.

Figure 13: Are the Following Specialised Supports adequately provided for in your Area

There was an acknowledgement among professionals, parents and young people that there is a lack of specialised health services in the area. However, young people reported overall good experiences of health services. Also, the majority of young people that had used sexual health and pregnancy service reported that they had a good experience. Mirroring the interviewees testimonies, the vast majority of young people reported that general health services such as GP’s and primary health care were good in the area. Illustrated in Figure 14.

Figure 14: Rate the Following Services if you have Used Them

8.7 Thematic Finding Five: Need for Improved Interagency Communication Five of the 15 interviewees identified the need to improve how health and social service agencies communicate. Interviewees identified Meitheal as a good model for encouraging agencies to work together. It was reported that there were services that were attempting to work more closely together within the health sector for children and their parents.

The introduction of Meitheal is leading to service improvement. Usually to get into services the threshold is quite high, Meitheal allow those kids that are not crisis cases to access services that can help them deal with their problems before they escalate to crisis levels (Interviewee)

In West Tallaght through CDI (ABC) we have an anti-natal to 3-years old initiative - part of our current plan is to find ways to link GPs, maternity care, and public hospitals a little bit better. We have ongoing communications which also allows us to have a little bit of a paper trail. But we are looking for ways we can improve the way we work together and improve communication (Interviewee)

Participants in the CDI Focus Group acknowledged that there is currently good interagency work taking place in health services in South County Dublin and that this should be further built on. They reported that Meitheal was a good model for bringing organisations together but a need to engage communities is necessary for real change to take place:

Meitheal do a great job in bringing together the organisations. But they need to get the voices of people on the ground, which is crucial to making decisions. If it’s not what people need and want and feel they have ownership over (CDI Focus Group)

Citizens Information in Tallaght produced a book of services in Tallaght. It’s quite broad but brings all services together to showcase what they do and gets people to network (CDI Focus Group)

Professional survey respondents identified the need for better interagency communication as a method through which outcomes can be improved for young people. Professionals reported the need for better networking opportunities for service providers. Similarly, interviewee and Focus Group participants highlighted Meitheal was a good model for interagency work:

I believe the Meitheal approach if given full support with implementation is exactly what is needed. The Meitheal coordinator needs to develop strong relationships with all agencies so as to work as a core central point of contact. The coordinators’ office should be the place where I make a 48

phone call to state what I am looking for and they can sign post me in the right direction (Professionals’ Survey)

8.8 Thematic Finding Six: Costs are a Barrier to Service Accessibility Two of the 15 interviewees identified the issue of the cost of some services8 as being a barrier to service engagement and accessibility to young people and their families. Interviewees reported that the cost of services can lead to delayed diagnosis and impact negatively on a young person’s development:

There seems to be enough services but they may not be accessible to everyone due to cost. This can delay diagnosis and treatment (Interviewee)

Early assessment and diagnosis are crucial and is lacking. There needs to be access to cheaper services (Interviewee)

Participants in the CDI Focus Group identified the cost of certain health services as being an issue for families in the area. Participants reported that some families have to borrow money in order to bring their children to services in the private sector which puts extra strain on family budgets.

I have had a family who has to borrow money to have their grandchild sent for a hearing test which cost €900 in private sector. They have now discovered that this child is deaf in both ears and will be fitted with hearing aids. This is another uphill battle for this family. Where do they get the money? (CDI Focus Group)

Professional survey respondents also highlighted this issue. This barrier extends to general GP services for some families if they did not meet the threshold for obtaining a medical card:

Children from low income families are at a serious disadvantage because of the waiting lists for primary care services, psychology, paediatrics OT, S LT etc. because parents cannot afford to privately pay for therapies needed (Professionals Survey)

In general, access to GPs may be affected by cost considerations for certain families who do not qualify for medical card but are barely managing financially (Professionals Survey)

8.9 Summary Parents, professionals and young people commented that while general services were good, South County Dublin lacks many specialised services. Better signposting is needed to better channel young people into services appropriate to them. Often services have long waiting lists. There were issues with some families not bringing their children to services if they have an appointment, which can unfairly impact on the child. Better interagency communication between services in the area, such as that encouraged through the Meitheal model was identified as a method for producing better outcomes for young people.

8 The interviewees were referring to general health care services if there a person does not have a medical card (GP, Primary Health) and also the cost of attaining services privately if waiting lists is too long (SLT, OT etc)

CFSN Network areas 7 and 3 were the areas of least physical health and social service provision. They contained the fewest number of physical health and social services per 10,000 residents aged 0 – 24 years old and the largest imbalance of services when their populations were compared to the total number of physical health and social services in South County Dublin. CFSN areas 6, 1 and 2 were the areas of greatest service provision. Networks 2, 6 and 7 were the most disadvantaged Networks in South County Dublin so any overlap between these areas and areas of least service provision should be noted and used to guide future service delivery.

Mental Health & Wellbeing

9.1 Overview of Services in this Section This chapter reviews issues relating to mental health and wellbeing service provision. For the purposes of this report, mental health and wellbeing services include: anti-bullying initiatives, bereavement support services, counselling services, mental health information services, phone counselling services, HSE mental health services including psychotherapy, psychiatric services, self-harm and suicide prevention services.

9.2 Mapping Gap Analysis: Mental Health & Wellbeing Services Summary: Networks 3 and 4 were the areas of least service provision in relation to mental health and wellbeing services. Networks 2 and 6 were the areas of greatest service provision.

Mental health and wellbeing service provision in the South County Dublin for children and young people were provided by a number of statutory and community and voluntary services. 62 mental health and wellbeing services were identified as being available to young people in South County Dublin in the services audit. 53 of these services were located within the seven Networks and nine services were located outside the Networks.

Map 13 illustrates that there was a cluster of mental health and wellbeing services located in the general area around Tallaght (Network 5, 6 & 7) and Clondalkin (Network 1 & 2). There were generally fewer services located in Lucan (Network 3) and Rathfarnham (Network 4) areas.

Map 14: Mental Health and Wellbeing Services in the South County Dublin

Table 16 illustrates Networks 3 and 4 had the lowest level of service provision per 10,000 residents, the only Networks below the average level for South County Dublin. Networks 2 and 6 were the areas of most service provision per 10,000 residents.

When comparing the percentage of 0 – 24-year-olds in the populations of the seven Network areas with the percentage of all mental health and wellbeing services in South County Dublin, Networks 3 (-8%9) and 4 (-5%) were the areas of lowest service provision with the smallest

9 % of all 0 -24-year olds in Dublin South County - % of all mental health and wellbeing services in Dublin South County = -8% in Network 3 51

proportion of services relative to their population size. Networks 2 (+6%) and 6 (+5%) were the areas of most service provision relative to their population size.

CFSN Network Number of % of all 0 – 24- % of all mental Number of mental health year olds in health and local services and wellbeing South County wellbeing per 10,000 services in the Dublin services in South residents electoral area County Dublin

Network 1 9 16% 17% 6 Network 2 8 9% 15% 9 Network 3 6 19% 11% 3 Network 4 4 13% 8% 3 Network 5 11 21% 21% 5 Network 6 7 8% 13% 9 Network 7 8 14% 15% 6 South County Dublin 53 100% 100% 5 Table 16: Mental Health and Wellbeing Services in the Seven Networks

9.3 Thematic Finding One: Gaps in Mental Health & Wellbeing Services for Children and Young People Eight out of 14 interviewees identified that there were gaps in mental health service provision for children and young people. Five of the eight interviewees identified the lack of a mid-range mental health service as a concern. Whereas young people with acute mental health needs can be referred to CAMHS and people with low level needs can be referred to Jigsaw, there were few services for young people whose needs were above the threshold for Jigsaw and below that is CAMHS.

Jigsaw is good for low level difficulties and CAMHS/hospitals are good for youth who are suicidal but there are not of lot of services for the middle for youth with anxiety or who have an ASD diagnosis. Once a youth has ASD diagnosis CAMHS will discharge and it is unclear where to send those kids (Interviewee)

Jigsaw project is great, as is community action on suicide. However, there is a gap between early intervention services and CAMHS and this is the biggest problem (Interviewee)

Participants in the Professionals Youth Mental Health Focus Group agreed that establishing supports that would cater for young people with moderate/mid-level mental health issues in the South County Dublin area was a key priority (see Appendix A). South County Dublin CYPSC supported the idea of establishing a sub-committee looking at mid-range mental health issues:

‘The lack of mid-range mental health services in north Clondalkin has the same impact on young people as in the rest of Dublin 24, there are unmet needs between high and low services. This mainly affects similar populations across the area, families living under State benefits, fourth generational unemployment and the traditional ‘nuclear family’, which does not make up the majority of family units in the area (Mental Health Professionals Focus Group)

These views were supported by quantitative survey response data. Figure 15 illustrates that approximately one in four professionals agreed that there were sufficient mental health services for young people in the area while approximately three in four disagreed. Four in 10 respondents disagreed strongly.

Figure 15: There are Sufficient Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing Services in your Area

Despite stakeholders recognising that there were gaps in the provision of mental health services in South County Dublin, young people that have used mental health services generally described the services available as being good.

Figure 16: Young Peoples Rating of the Counselling and Mental Health Services

9.4 Thematic Finding Two: Waiting Lists are Too Long Four of the 15 interviewees identified a concern with waiting lists for mental health and wellbeing services. Interviewees were concerned about the impact of waiting times on young people and their families if they were not able to avail of services in a timely manner:

Waiting times are definitely a difficulty, the wait time for a mental health services can be very long. If a child is further along the scale and is suicidal then CAMHS is the only service available and the wait times are very stressful for parent as it can take months to get to see a counsellor (Interviewee)

Participants in the Young People’s and Mental Health Professionals Focus Groups also identified long waiting times for mental health services as an issue for young people in the area. Deterioration of mental health can happen in the waiting period and it may take years the young person to get the service that they require:

Waiting lists are very long to get into Mental Health services. It may take months spent on a waiting list for a young person to get a place on a mental health programme. If they are bad they may get worse in this time (Young People’s Focus Group)

For young people with ADHD, ASD or anxiety, there are currently very few services. It can take years for young people to get the service that they need (Mental Health Professionals Focus Group)

These views were borne out by quantitative survey response data from parents. One in five parents agree that young people had timely access to mental health services however, three in five parents disagreed. Conversely seven out of 10 young people believed that they have timely access to mental health services, illustrated in Figure 17.

Figure 17: Young People have Timely Access to Mental Health Services

9.5 Thematic Finding Three: Need for Better Signposting for Service Providers and Users Five of the 15 interviewees identified the need for clearer signposting and better referral pathways in mental health services as an issue for young people in South County Dublin. Unclear referral pathways were confusing to frontline service providers, parents and service users and lengthens the duration which a young person may have to spend in the system:

There needs to be clarity on which organisations are offering which services / targeting which youth groups, as well as input from someone with appropriate expertise. Perhaps a series of questions or prompts or a checklist that Education Welfare Officers could ask the youth or parents and then have someone with expertise to review the notes and suggest where to refer the kid. Right now, I might send a child to a GP who then sends them to CAMHS who then says no the child isn't appropriate for us (Interviewee)

Clear referral pathways for kids who are in trouble need to be fleshed out, especially for frontline providers (Interviewee)

Participants in the Young People’s and Mental Health Professionals Focus Groups identified poor signposting as having a detrimental impact on the time that it takes for young people to get the help they need. Participants suggested that some form of database or online resource would be helpful to signpost people into services:

Sign-posting young people and their families into services needs to be addressed but so does sign-posting for professionals. I know an EWO who when she presented at a child’s house, the child would not come out of his room and had not been seen by any other service providers for the previous three months. The situation was beyond her capacity, but there was no obvious service to refer the child to, a database of available services could help but often the correct pathways are difficult to locate even for professionals (Mental Health Professionals Focus Group)

Young people are unsure of where to go to access the right help, which service best suits their needs. There is no service or website that describes how the system works or how they can access the particular service that they need (Young People’s Focus Group)

Professional survey respondents also highlighted the need for better signposting in mental health services, through letters or clear onwards referral pathways, to streamline the referral process and fast track service users to the services they require.

When children get a diagnosis of ASD the parents are left without any information as to how they can access services and education for their children (Professional Survey Respondent)

9.6 Thematic Finding Four: Need for more Age Appropriate Mental Health Services One of the interviewees identified a lack of age appropriate mental health services as an issue for young people. This may affect young people negatively as they may find themselves in a service that is designed for adults that is not appropriate for them.

If you are getting services from the state you may be on a ward that is not specific to under 18s. They may be getting services that are also used for adults (Interviewee)

Participants in the young people’s Focus Groups identified the need for age appropriate mental health services as an issue for young people in the area. They noted that there were gaps in services for children under 12 and for 16 – 18-year olds. They may have felt themselves to be too old for CAMHS and too young to access adult mental health services.

The transition from CAMHS to AMHS is particularly difficult and young people aged 16 – 18 can easily get lost in the system, services need to talk to each other better to help young people through this difficult time (Young Peoples Focus Group)

There are gaps in services for young people aged 16 – 18, they are too old to be considered a child and too young to be considered an adult (Young Peoples Focus Group)

These views were borne out by quantitative survey response data from professionals. The majority of professionals reported that they were somewhat unsatisfied or unsatisfied with mental health services for all age groups. Approximately a third of respondents were unsatisfied at all ages, see Figure 18.

Figure 18: Professionals Satisfaction with Mental Health Service for Age Groups

9.7 Thematic Finding Five: Need for Better Interagency Communication on Mental Health & Wellbeing Two of the 15 interviewees identified that mental health and wellbeing services need to work and communicate better with each other to provide a better service. Services that are more integrated would be capable of ushering young people through the system more efficiently:

We need integrated services for young people. Something like primary healthcare. A hub that young people can access many services under one roof, things like assessment, diagnosis, and follow up services that are affordable and in one place (Interviewee)

Participants in the Professionals Mental Health focus groups identified the need for better interagency work to improve service provision. It was noted that better sharing of information

could enable the service user to not repeat their story many times to different services who were unaware of each other:

There needs to be better communication between agencies, different agencies are talking to young people and their families. However, they may be unaware of what other services who are engaging the service users are doing. Good interagency communication could help co-ordinate better service provision for service users (Professionals Mental Health Focus Group)

Nine out of 10 service professionals responded that mental health organisations were important to the work that they carry out in their organisation. Illustrated in Figure 19.

Figure 19: Are Mental Health Organisations Important to your Work

9.8 Thematic Finding Six: Mental Health Services were Perceived as too Clinical and there is a Stigma Attached to Using them Three out of the 15 interviewees identified that CAMHS is perceived by young people as an overly clinical setting. Interviewees reported that families perceived CAMHS as not being family friendly, over medicalised and confusing for young people and their families to navigate. This led to young services users feeling stigmatised if they were engaging with mental health services.

From talking to families, they don’t find CAMHS very family friendly so there is a high dropout rate in our clients. CAMHS is too clinical for some families. It’s very formal process that can be frustrating for families (Interviewee)

CAMHS have become increasingly medicalised and have raised the threshold for referral, this is off-putting to families (Interviewee)

Participants in the young person’s focus group stated that the clinical nature of CAMHS was a factor that inhibits young people’s participation in the service, even if they were able to get an appointment. Group members suggested that the service could be made less clinical in appearance, i.e. ‘like Jigsaws spaces, which are designed to be youth friendly where the atmosphere is non-judgmental.’ Participants in the Young Persons and Minorities focus group identified the stigma of attending a mental health service as being a barrier to attending mental health services. Minority communities have traditional views on mental health and can be reluctant to take up supports they need as young people do not want to be singled out as being different.

There is a stigma for young people going to clinical services, they could put in comfortable sofas and nice paintings to soften the environment. You can get a vibe from a place the moment that you walk in the door, and if it is not welcoming it is hard to get young people to engage in a service (Young Peoples Focus Group)

‘CAMHS is not very youth friendly, there is a lack of specific services available i.e. DBT, CBT etc., young people need to be sent to outside agencies to avail of such services (Young Peoples Focus Group) 56

There is a stigma within minority communities around mental health and taking up supports (Minority Focus Group)

The professionals survey identified the over medicalization of mental health services as a barrier for engagement from young people experiencing a mental health issue. Professionals questioned the need for a young person to be medically assessed when their problem is psychiatric:

There seems to be a requirement for a patient to be assessed medically even though they have a psychiatric presentation. In the past when patients attended Psych specific hospitals it was not required that they be assessment medically, only by the psychiatrist (Professional Survey)

While there are mainstream services for children and young people in Tallaght, there is overlap for some services and then significant gaps with regard to engaging with hard to reach families who for various reasons cannot manage to attend clinical settings such as CAMHS (Professional Survey) 1.1 Thematic Finding Seven: Need for More Suicide Prevention Services Four out of the 15 interviewees identified gaps in services for young people experiencing issues around suicide. Interviewees described a lack of practitioners to deal with the demand for suicide related issues, long waiting lists for services, poor referral pathways and a lack of CAMHS services in certain areas of South County Dublin.

Suicide in North Clondalkin is an issue. Schools do a lot of work around feelings and SPHE, raising these issues with kids but we don’t know the proper pathways for referral. CAMHS service is non-existent so there is no kids service (Interviewee)

There are simply not enough practitioners and it takes about a year… to get an appointment. Referrals to mental health services is also difficult if you don’t have a GP and are homeless as you have no way into the system. One particular young fella reacted to his friend committing suicide and was not able to get a psychologist quickly, his behaviour got worse and the Guards had to be called to break into his room to check that he was ok, an emergency clinic could help here (Interviewee)

Participants in the Focus Groups for both Young People and Mental Health Professionals identified insufficient services in the area to deal with the growing problem of suicide and self- harm in the area. Again, participants mentioned a lack of services, long waiting lists and poor referral pathways as being barriers for young people engaging with the system:

There is a growing issue with levels of suicide in the area. We are finding that there is an increasing number of young mothers committing suicide, this has huge repercussions on everyone in the area, especially in relation to supports for young people going through puberty. This year we have seen a spike in the number of 20/30-year olds committing suicide which strains the coping skills of young people as well as their schools. This is occurring in an area that has one of the highest levels of unallocated social worker cases in the country. Self-harm presentations in Dublin South West are also very high particularly among young women (Mental Health Professionals’ Focus Group)

I had a friend who was suicidal and tried to get into CAMHS. They gave him an appointment in six months, but sure he had tried to commit suicide three times in the interim (Young Peoples Focus Group)

Young people and parental respondents to the survey identified the availability of suicide support services as an issue for young people in South County Dublin. Three in four parents responded that the availability of suicide support services is an issue in South County Dublin while two thirds of young people described it as an issue.

Figure 20: Is the Availability of Suicide Support Services an Issue in Your Area

9.9 Thematic Finding Eight: Need for Further Early Intervention Service and Better Screening of Service Users Five of the 15 interviewees identified gaps in early intervention services and issues with screening young people as being a factor that exacerbates mental health issues in young people and contributes to the length of waiting lists. Better early intervention services could mitigate the severity of a mental health issue that a young person is dealing with and better screening at an early stage could help reduce the time that young people spend on waiting lists:

The process of screening young people to make sure they are in the right service and then possibly having to re-evaluate the service to send them to is off-putting to the young person and likely to make them feel disenfranchised with the system (Interviewee)

Better early screening and filtering would make sure that youth are being referred to the best services for them (Interviewee)

Participants in the Mental Health Professionals Focus Group identified gaps in early intervention services as an issue that particularly affects the under 12’s in the area. It was suggested that if there were well resourced mental health services for early intervention that this would have a positive knock on effect for outcomes for young people.

There has been a gap in early intervention services for moderate mental health issues for a long time, especially in the 6 – 12-year-old age bracket, maybe if we got to their needs at this age we could be talking about effective early intervention. Not being seen to early just exacerbates children’s issues down the line (Mental Health Professionals’ Focus Group)

The family circumstances of young people in this cohort group are often very chaotic, early intervention services need to be brought into the community and kept there, it is more difficult to get families to buy-into services that are not located near to them. This needs to be targeted at early intervention, under the age of 12 (Mental Health Professionals’ Focus Group)

Parents and young people’s survey response data indicates that the lack of mental health supports for young people was an issue in South County Dublin. More than half of parents 58

reported that it is a big issue while more than half of young people reported that it is an issue in the area.

Figure 21: Is Young People with Mental Health Issues not having Enough Supports is an Issue in South County Dublin

Professionals asked about their satisfaction with early intervention services in South County Dublin responded that they were generally not satisfied with service provision. Approximately half all professional respondents stated that they were somewhat unsatisfied with art and play therapy provision, with a third of respondents being unsatisfied. Illustrated in Figure 22.

Figure 22: Professionals’ Satisfaction with Early Intervention Services

9.10 Thematic Finding Nine: Supports for Young People with Complex Needs and Dual Diagnosis Three out of the 15 interviewees identified that there were gaps in service provision for young people regarding young people with complex needs and dual diagnosis. Interviewees were concerned about the impact of insufficient services available to young people with complex needs and young people with concurrent problematic substance use and mental health difficulties and how these problems can exacerbate one another:

In the past CAMHS would take a referral with complex needs. But now they are only focusing on mental illness, on psychiatry and DSM diagnoses. So now youth who have a lot of complex needs and need the kind of team CAMHS has but they don’t have a DSM diagnosis, youth who used to get treated by CAMHS, now have nowhere to go. They are too complex for most services but not clinical enough for CAMHS (Interviewee)

There needs to be a service that will work with kids before problems become serious, like problems with addiction, particularly dual diagnosis and a lot of services will not deal with a young person if they are in addiction (Interviewee)

Participants in the Young Peoples Focus Group identified dual diagnosis as an issue for young people experiencing mental health difficulties. It was noted that some mental health services did not accept young people if they were also misusing drugs which led to young people hiding the fact they were taking drugs:

Some mental health services will not take you in if you are on drugs, and quite often drugs and mental health problems go hand in hand. That leads 59

to people trying to hide the fact that they are taking drugs (Young Peoples Focus Group)

9.11 Summary Parents, professionals and young people recognised that there were gaps in mental health service provision for children and young people in South County Dublin. Stakeholders identified the lack of a mid-range mental health service below the threshold of CAMHS but above the threshold of Jigsaw as the most pressing issue. Gaps in services were also identified around early intervention services, suicide services, the lack of age appropriate services and services for young people with dual diagnosis. Stakeholders identified long waiting times, poor signposting to services and the need for better interagency communication as being barriers for young people accessing the system.

Networks 3 and 4 were the areas of least service provision in relation to mental health and wellbeing services. They contained the fewest number of services per 10,000 residents aged 0 – 24 years. Networks 2 and 6 were the areas of greatest service provision. Networks 2, 6 and 7 were the most disadvantaged Networks in South County Dublin so any overlap between these areas and areas of least service provision should be noted and used to guide future service delivery.

Education and Training Services

10.1 Overview of Education Services in this Section This chapter reviews issues relating to education services. For the purposes of this report, education services included: after-school programmes, educational support, early school leaving services, alternative educational providers, school completion programmes, Irish language schools, education for minority groups, primary schools, secondary schools, YouthReach, third level education service providers and employment supports.

10.2 Mapping Gap Analysis: Education Services Finding: Networks 4 and 7 were the areas of least service provision in education services. Networks 5 and 1 were the areas of greatest service provision.

Education services in South County Dublin for children and young people were provided by a number of statutory and community and voluntary services. 177 education services for children and young people were identified in South County Dublin, with two services available to young people which were located outside the area.

Map 14 illustrates the location of education services in South County Dublin. The map suggests that education services were relatively evenly distributed throughout South County Dublin with fewer services based in Networks 4 & 7 and more services being based in Networks 1, 2 & 5. Whilst they were spread across the Networks, they were however clustered in the North / north- East of the County, with very little provision in the West/ South West.

Map 15: Education Services

Table 18 illustrates that Networks 4 and 7 had the lowest level of service provision per 10,000 residents with 14 and 18 education services per 10,000 5 – 24-year-old residents respectively, below the average for South County Dublin. Networks 5, 1 and 2 were the areas of most service provision per 10,000 5 – 24-year-old residents.

When comparing the 5 - 24-year-old populations in the seven Networks with the percentage of education services for young people in the area, Networks 5 (+5%10) and 1 (+3%) were the areas of greatest service provision in education services with the largest proportion of services relative to their population size of 5 – 24-year olds. Networks 4 (-6%) and Network 7 (-3%) were the areas of least service provision as they contained the smallest proportion of education services for young people.

CFSN Network Number of % of all 5 – 24- % of all Number of education year olds in education local services services in South County services in South per 10,000 County Dublin residents the Network Dublin aged 5 - 24

Network 1 32 15% 18% 27 Network 2 19 9% 11% 27 Network 3 33 19% 19% 22 Network 4 15 14% 8% 14 Network 5 46 21% 26% 28 Network 6 13 8% 7% 22 Network 7 19 14% 11% 18 South County Dublin 177 100% 100% 23 Table 17: Distribution of Education Services

10.3 Educational Disadvantage: DEIS Schools The Education Act 1998 defines educational disadvantage as “…the impediments to education arising from social or economic disadvantage which prevent students from deriving appropriate benefit from education in schools.” Educational disadvantage manifests in many ways, most often in poor levels of participation and achievement in the formal education system.

The Department of Education and Skills had a range of national programmes in place to address educational disadvantage throughout the public-school system. In 2005, following a review of these programmes, the Department published DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools): an action plan for educational inclusion. The plan brought a number of those programmes together under the framework of Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS). DEIS is an integrated approach to educational inclusion which provides for:

 A standardised system for identifying and regularly reviewing levels of disadvantage and  A new integrated School Support Programme (SSP) to bring together and build upon the previous schemes and programmes (7)

10.3.1 Primary Schools in South County Dublin Primary schools are institutions that provide educational tuition from approximately the age of five to 12 years of age. There were 111 primary schools in South County Dublin in the 2016/2017 school year, 31 were DEIS schools and 80 were non-DEIS schools.

10 % of all 0 -24-year olds in Dublin South County - % of all education services in Dublin South County = +5% in Network 5

Summary: Networks 2 and 7 were the areas with the most DEIS Primary School service provision while Networks 3 and 4 were the areas of least DEIS Primary School service provision.

Map 15 illustrates the location of Primary Schools in South County Dublin. The map suggests that Primary level DEIS schools were most numerous in Networks 5 and 7 and least numerous in Networks 3 and 4.

Map 16: Primary Schools (DEIS and non-DEIS) in South County Dublin

Table 18 illustrates that CFSN Networks 2 and 7 had the highest level of service provision of Primary DEIS schools per 10,000 residents aged 5 – 12, well above the average in South Dublin County. Networks 3 and 4 had the lowest level of service provision per 10,000 residents, well below the average in South Dublin County.

The proportion of Primary schools in Networks 2, 6 and 7 that were classified as DEIS was significantly above the average in South County Dublin of 28%. The proportion of Primary schools that were classified as DEIS was lowest in Networks 3 and 4 significantly below the average in South County Dublin.

CFSN Network Number Number of non-DEIS % of all Number of DEIS of DEIS Schools schools that schools per Schools were DEIS 10,000 residents schools aged 5 - 12 Network 1 4 16 20% 7.2 Network 2 5 4 56% 19.1 Network 3 2 21 9% 2.7 Network 4 1 11 8% 2.4 Network 5 8 22 27% 11.5 Network 6 3 4 43% 10.9 Network 7 8 2 80% 15.7 South County Dublin 31 80 28% 8.9

Table 18: DEIS Primary Schools in South County Dublin

10.3.2 Secondary Schools in South County Dublin Secondary schools are institutions that provide educational tuition from approximately the age of 13 to 18 years of age. There were 32 Secondary schools in South County Dublin in the 2016/2017 school year, 11 were DEIS schools and 21 were non-DEIS schools.

Summary: Networks 6 and 2 were the areas with the most DEIS Secondary School service provision while Networks 4 and 3 were the areas with least DEIS Secondary School service provision.

Map 16 illustrates the location of secondary schools in South County Dublin. The map suggests that Secondary DEIS schools were most numerous in Network 5 and least numerous in Network 4.

Map 17: Secondary Schools (DEIS and non-DEIS) in South County Dublin

Table 20 illustrates that CFSN Networks 2 and 6 had the highest level of service provision of Secondary DEIS schools per 10,000 residents aged 13 – 18, well above the average in South Dublin County. Network 4 had the lowest level of service provision per 10,000 residents, containing no DEIS schools which is well below the average in South Dublin County.

The proportion of Secondary schools in Networks 2, 6 and 7 that were classified as DEIS is significantly above the average in South County Dublin of 34%. The proportion of Secondary schools that was classified as DEIS is lowest in Networks 4.

CFSN Network Number of DEIS Schools Number % of all Number of DEIS of non- schools schools per DEIS that were 10,000 residents Schools DEIS aged 13 - 18 schools Network 1 1 3 25% 3.2 Network 2 2 1 67% 8.6 Network 3 1 5 17% 2.3 Network 4 0 3 0% 0 Network 5 3 9 25% 6.5 Network 6 2 0 100% 12.2 Network 7 2 0 100% 6.4 South County Dublin 11 21 34% 4.9 Table 19: Secondary Schools in South County Dublin

10.4 Thematic Finding One: Need for More Alternative Education Options Five of the 15 interviewees identified that there was a lack of alternative education options, which were needed to keep young people in education. Interviewees noted that while there were some good options available they were not sufficient to meet demand. This lack of supply leaves at risk young people more likely to drop out of education or end up at the lower end of the jobs market:

There is also a lack of alternative educational placements that could engage youth for who mainstream school just isn't working. What is there is piece-meal. Youth reach is good but others are haphazard. Youthreach is 16 and over but there are actually younger people than that that who need an alternative (Interviewee)

Participants in the CDI Focus Group reported that a “one size fits all” approach to alternative education models was insufficient and that different models need to be provided based on people’s diverse needs. This included people from minority communities as well as young people at risk of school leaving.

Too many people (minorities) are willing to give up on education and saying ‘we tried this before and it didn’t work’. But it wasn’t education that didn’t work, it was the model that failed. Education, education, education. We need to talk about new models and we need to address the bigger wider model (CDI Focus Group Participant)

Eight respondents to the professional’s survey identified the need for more alternative education options for young people. This included online options, vocational training, home support workers, back to education schemes and adult education as illustrated here:

There is a significant gap in vocational training for young people aged 15 and over who have left school without any formal educational qualifications or at junior certificate level. There are no opportunities for further education and/or training in craft trades or other sectors including the hospitality sector catering etc. which are all areas experiencing skills shortages (Professionals Survey)

These views were partly supported by the quantitative survey response data from professionals. Half of professionals were satisfied with alternative education services available for 13 – 17-year

olds while approximately three in ten were not happy with further education and training services for 18 – 24-year olds. It should be noted that approximately three in ten participants did not know about alternative education services for these age groups. Illustrated in Figure 24.

Figure 23: Professionals’ Satisfaction with Alternative Education Services

10.5 Thematic Finding Two: Early School Leaving is an Issue, Particularly in Minority Communities Two of the 15 interviewees identified that leaving school early was an issue for young people in the area. Interviewees focused on the lack of services that were available in some areas to keep young people in education and the lack of a model available to deal with teenagers under the age of 16 who were thinking about leaving school early:

We need to develop a model to deal with 12 - 16-year old leaving school because Youthreach is 16 and over but there are actually younger teenagers that need an alternative to stop them leaving school (Interviewee)

Participants in the Minority Communities Focus Group11 identified early school leaving as being particularly acute in their communities. Participants spoke of the reasons why their young people leave education including, poor English skills, low literacy, living in poverty, parents not prioritising education as it was not a priority for them and traditional gender roles:

Girls in the Roma community simply do not finish school. The Roma community are very much into traditional gender roles and girl’s dropout long before the Leaving Cert, either to help look after the family or to get married (Minorities Focus Group Participant)

In terms of the reasons for perceived higher rates of drop out in minority communities. The majority of parents and young people reported that it is an issue that young people experienced problems at school and that young people who potentially may leave school early did not receive enough supports.

11 see also Section 16.3 Need for More Affordable Early Years and Childcare Services which illustrates how parents in minority groups are at a disadvantage in returning to education due to a lack of affordable childcare

Figure 24: Are the above an issue in your area?

More than half of professionals disagree that there were sufficient services available for young people at risk of leaving school early. Fewer, one in five, parents and young people disagreed. See Figure 26.

Figure 25: There are Sufficient Services Available for Young People at Risk of Leaving School Early

Despite the general consensus of an insufficient number of services in the area, Figure 27 suggests that the programmes that were in place were providing a good service. The vast majority of young people who have availed of educational support services responded that that their experience was good.

Figure 26: Young Peoples Rating of the Educational Reports Received

10.6 Thematic Finding Three: Need for Supports for Transitioning Between Schools and Colleges Five of the 15 interviewees identified that there were issues for young people transitioning from school to third level institutions. Interviewees identified that young people with behaviour problems may struggle with transitioning if there were a lack of supports such as school completion officers. Young people may attend primary schools outside of their area and if there was no contact between their primary school and the secondary school that they will be attending, transitioning may be difficult. The costs of attending third level institutions,

particularly for young people from disadvantaged areas was also noted as a reason why some young people may not continue in education:

There is a gap for 3rd level students in regards to services to help youth transition where they can’t afford the cost so entrance fees and books. People in disadvantages communities are getting stuck in the cycle of poverty because they can’t access 3rd level education as compared with their wealthy counter-parts (Interviewee)

Participants in the CDI Focus Group noted that that they provided transitioning supports not only for young people changing schools but also for their parents to provide extra support.

We’ve an afterschool service to support the kids making the transition from pre-school to national school and then we’ve a parent support programme that goes with that for those families. They may need something run in their home, where there might be addictions or homelessness or other issues which might complicate issues (CDI Focus Group Participant)

Three of the professionals surveyed identified transitioning and a lack of resources to support transitioning as an issue in the area. It was noted that resources in the area were not uniformly distributed.

I am conscious of the fact that not every community is serviced equally. Lucan area does not have the full range of services available in neighbouring communities which is worrying given that the community is reported to be the second fastest growing community in Ireland with a young population, there are no school completion officers in Lucan which is a barrier to progression (Professionals Survey)

10.7 Thematic Finding Four: Potential to use Schools as a Venue to Provide Services Two of the 15 interviewees identified the potential to use schools as a place to provide services to children and young people. Interviewees reported that as young people were in school every day, it was a good location to engage them and their parents and provide services pertaining to health and mental health:

More access to psychological services for teenagers should be provided in schools, including the likes of mindfulness programs. They need access to services if they are in crisis and schools are ideally placed to provide it (Interviewee)

Participants in the Young People’s Focus Group identified schools as a potential ‘gatekeeper’ for services that were located in the community, which could direct or provide services to young people when necessary:

A more accessible ‘gatekeeper’ to services could be created in the community that could direct young people to the service that they are looking for when they need it. The service could be added to an existing service provider rather than setting up a new service, i.e. it could be provided in schools (Young Peoples Focus Group)

Six of the professionals surveyed identified the potential to deliver services in schools as a worthwhile support to offer to young people. Services mentioned by professionals that could be included in schools included, mental health services such as counselling, disability services and speech and language services:

Speech and language services could be delivered in schools as opposed to clinic based. Ensures greater attendance and greater engagement of the parents/families. It is also easier for the schools to incorporate the SLT services into the child's school programme (Professional Survey Respondent)

Hearing and vision screening tests already take place in Irish Primary schools. The majority of professionals who knew of the hearing and vision screening reported that they were at least somewhat satisfied with the service that is provided. Illustrated in Figure 28.

Figure 27: Professionals Satisfaction with Hearing and Vision Screening Tests in Schools

10.8 Thematic Finding Five: Need for Afterschool Activities/Programmes

Two of the 15 interviewees identified the need for more afterschool programmes as an issue in the area. The interviewees particularly singled out the area of health education as an area where information was lacking for young people around how to live a healthy life.

There should be a bigger focus in schools and afterschool programmes about health and wellness. There needs to be clear education that the children or young mothers can understand around healthy living (Interviewee)

Participants in the Housing and Homelessness Focus Group identified the benefits to parents of having access to afterschool activities, although they noted that the transitory nature of homelessness may impact on their ability to engage with services.

Some parents may be reluctant to engage in after school activities because of the temporary nature of where they are located, this creates a perpetual cycle of uncertainty (Housing and Homelessness Focus Group)

Six of the professional survey respondents identified the lack of low-cost after-school activities as an issue in the area. Issues arising from this included, social isolation for children with emotional difficulties, children hanging around the street leading to anti-social behaviour and a missed opportunity to teach life skills to young people:

Also need for after school groups and services for under 12-year olds. Homework groups would be great but also clubs that build self-esteem and life skills as this development works best the earlier it starts (Professionals Survey)

These views were partly supported by quantitative survey response data from professionals. Approximately half of respondents who were aware of after-school activities in the area agree that there were sufficient services to meet demand while half disagree:

Figure 28: There are Sufficient Services to Meet Demand

10.9 Thematic Finding Six: Need to Improve Interagency Working Four of the 15 interviewees identified that improved interagency working would provide better educational services for young people. Interviewees noted that this interagency working is necessary from the local level all the way up to government departments. Schools alone cannot deliver children’s development, afterschool programmes and the delivery of health policy:

Schools and the Dept of Education needs to engage with or interact with the Dept of Health. They sometimes do things that conflict with each other (high sugar foods in vending machines) or things suggested by the Department of Health do not get implemented fully by the schools (Interviewee)

Participants in the Minority’s Focus Group identified that improved interagency communication could be used to obtain better outcomes for minority youth in schools:

There needs to be better communication between parents of young people from minority groups, community groups and schools. This could be carried out by the school liaison officer. Parents would be better informed on what to do to ensure their kids are successful in school (Minorities Focus Group)

Four of the respondents to the professional’s survey identified that there were issues with interagency working that hamper positive outcomes for children in education. These issues range across a number of different government departments:

Schools are doing their best to identify children who need a referral to Early Intervention and Disability services. These children are then on a waiting list for anything up to two years. There is not even a point of contact in the HSE with these services for parents and schools (Professionals Survey)

10.10 Thematic Finding Seven: Need for Increased Educational Supports/Resources Three of the 15 interviewees identified the need for more supports and resources to be made available to impact positively on school children. This included services to young people with disabilities such as National Educational Psychological Services (NEPS), education welfare officers, school completion officers, home liaison officers and Special Needs Assistants (SNA):

There are only a few services for youth with Autism in primary school and very few in post primary. Kids finish 6th class and have nowhere to go service wise. There are very few options for placing those kids. National Educational Psychological Association helps but more supports are needed (Interviewee)

Participants in the Housing and Homelessness Focus Group stated that because people have to move out of an area at short or no notice, they were unable to receive the schooling supports that their children may need:

Due to homelessness families moved out of their communities impacting on their routines, schooling supports, meaning they lack access to everyday services and assistance that they need (Housing and Homelessness Focus Group)

These views were reflected in the quantitative responses from the professional’s survey. Approximately half of professionals were at least somewhat unsatisfied with the provision of Educational Psychologists in the area for primary and secondary schools, while approximately one in five respondents were somewhat satisfied with this provision.

Figure 29: Professionals Satisfaction with Provision of Educational Psychologists

10.11 Thematic Finding Eight: Need for More Training and Employment Supports for Young People Leaving School One of the 15 interviewees identified that need for more training and employment supports for young people when they leave school. The respondent highlighted that without better supports for young people, particularly those in non-traditional education pathways they are more likely to end up in low paid employment:

Youth training, employment opportunities and supports for kids in alternative education. This lack of supports leads to the youth get low paying jobs (Interviewee)

Participants in the Minorities focus group identified how a lack of supports for young people in schools may lead to early school leaving and this may lead to fewer options in the jobs market.

Due to a lack of language skills young people fall behind in school, this can lead to them leaving school early and not having many options in the jobs market (Minority Focus Group)

Approximately two thirds of parents and three quarters of young people reported that not enough jobs for young people leaving school is an issue in the area. More than four in ten young people reported that it was a big issue.

Figure 30: Is not enough jobs for young people when they leave school an issue in your area

Despite parents and young people acknowledging that not enough jobs for young people is an issue in the area, respondents were divided on whether there were sufficient employment supports available. Approximately a third of parents and half of young respondents agreed that there is sufficient employment supports in the area. Conversely, four in ten professional respondents disagreed that there were sufficient employment supports.

Figure 31: There are Services in the Above Areas

10.12 Summary Parents, professionals and young people recognised that some children and young people in South County Dublin were at risk of leaving school early. It was noted that there was a need for more alternative education programmes and general supports such as afterschool programmes, transitioning supports and school completion officers to improve outcomes for children and young people. It was generally accepted that there were insufficient employment services for school leavers in the area. Stakeholders also identified schools as a venue where services could potentially be delivered to young people including, health services, mental health services and speech and language therapy.

Networks 4 and 7 were the areas of least education service provision overall. They contained the fewest number of education services per 10,000 residents aged 5 – 24 years old and the largest gap in service provision when their populations were compared to the total number of education services in South County Dublin. However, Network 4 differs from Network 7 insofar as it contained the fewest number of DEIS schools out of the seven networks while Network 7 contained more DEIS school that any other network, indicating an increased need for resources in Network 7. Networks 1, 2 and 5 were the areas of greatest service provision. Networks 2, 6 and 7 were the most disadvantaged Networks in South County Dublin so any overlap between these area and areas of least service provision should be noted and used to guide future service delivery.

Youth Justice Services

11.1 Overview of Services in this Section This chapter reviews issues relating to youth justice services. For the purposes of this report, youth justice services include: community policing, crime prevention programmes, Garda stations, Gardaí, youth diversion programmes, juvenile liaison officers, out-of-hours justice services, behaviour management services, restorative justice services and probation services.

11.2 Mapping Gap Analysis: Youth Justice Services Summary: Networks 6 and 2 were the areas of greatest service provision in relation to youth justice services. Networks 3 and 4 were the areas of least service provision.

Youth justice service provision in the South County Dublin for children and young people is provided by a number of statutory and community and voluntary services. 21 youth justice services were identified in the services audit as being available to young people in South County Dublin.

Map 17 illustrates that there were small clusters of youth justice services located in the area around Tallaght (Network 5 & 6) and Clondalkin (Network 1), these clusters correspond to the location of Tallaght and Clondalkin Garda Stations. In 2015, Tallaght Garda Station reported the 4th highest number of all crimes out of 563 Garda Stations nationally, and Clondalkin Garda Station reported the 14th highest (8). There were generally fewer services located in the other network areas with the fewest located in Network 3.

Map 18: Youth Justice Services

Table 20 illustrates Networks 3 and 4 had the lowest level of service provision per 10,000 residents, the only networks below the level for South County Dublin. Networks 6 and 2 were the areas of most service provision per 10,000 residents.

When comparing the percentage of 0 – 24-year-olds in the populations of the seven Network areas with the percentage of all youth justice services in South County Dublin, Networks 3 (-

14%12) and 4 (-3%) were the areas of lowest service provision with the smallest proportion of services relative to their population size. Networks 6 (+6%), and 2 (+5%) were the areas of most service provision relative to their population size.

Network Number of % of all 0 – 24- % of all youth Number of youth justice year olds in justice services local services services in the South County in South County per 10,000 Network Dublin Dublin residents aged 0 - 24

Network 1 4 16% 19% 2.6 Network 2 3 9% 14% 3.5 Network 3 1 19% 5% 0.5 Network 4 2 13% 10% 1.5 Network 5 5 21% 24% 2.4 Network 6 3 8% 14% 3.9 Network 7 3 14% 14% 2.2 South County Dublin 21 100% 100% 2.1 Table 20: Youth Justice Services in the Seven Networks

11.3 Thematic Finding One: Need for Improved Interagency Working Four of the 15 interviewees identified the need for better interagency working to improve outcomes for young people engaged in youth justice services. Interviewees stated that there was sometimes mistrust between agencies and that building trust and good relationships may take years. Other services, when they liaise with youth justice services, reported building relationships which have a positive impact on the community:

When there is overlap between drugs, disability, youth justice and mental health services, service provision gets harder. Maybe the youth has youth justice issues, a disability, and a mental health issue. It is often unclear who takes the lead or who is doing what. Better communication is required (Interviewee)

Participants in the CDI Focus Group also identified benefits of working on an interagency basis with the Gardaí for both services providers. Participants noted that bringing together service users and service providers in collaboration was a good method to build relationships between groups that may otherwise distrust each other.

There is something to be said about how you develop community services in an interagency approach to deliver services. The men’s health service for Travellers in Tallaght benefits the Garda just as much as it benefits my service (CDI Focus Group)

11.4 Thematic Finding Two: Need for Increased Community Policing Two of the 15 interviewees identified a lack of community policing in some areas as an issue that affected both young people and their families in South County Dublin. When Gardai engage in community policing they are able to get a better understanding of issues that are affecting the communities where they are stationed.

12 % of all 0 -24-year olds in Dublin South County - % of all youth justice services in Dublin South County = - 14% in Network 3

More community outreach and one on one with families from the Gardaí could help us understand the issues in families that cause them to need these services (Interviewee)

Participants in the CDI Focus Group identified community policing as a key method for building relationships between the Gardaí and the communities that they serve. Participants identified the need for Gardaí to be based in a community for a long period of time in order to build trust between themselves and the community.

I’ve worked with lots of community Gardaí and they have been absolutely fantastic and they’ve gone above and beyond but we don’t have a cohesive system. Once you meet one Garda they’re moved somewhere else. We need a local Garda that people know (CDI Focus Group)

When asked in what services were missing in the community the parent’s survey highlighted the need for a greater Garda presence in the community. This would support parents who have children at risk of being involved in anti-social behaviour.

There is a need for more Community Gardaí, more clinics and interaction and a greater presence of community Garda to support parents with children at risk of offending (Parent’s survey)

11.5 Thematic Finding Three: Proliferation of Gang-Related Activity and Anti-social Behaviour Participants in the Young Peoples and the CDI Focus Group identified gang related activity and anti-social behaviour as issues which affect young people and their families. Participants in the Young People’s Focus Group stated that boys in particular buy into the drug culture and become trapped in the gang lifestyle. Families feel intimidated by gangs and were afraid to do anything as they feared reprisals if they went to the Gardaí:

It is very difficult for boys in the area when the biggest idol in the area is the biggest dealer in the area, he gets most cars and girls. This is the norm around here, families are threatened if they try to do something about it and there are no positive male role models (Young Peoples Focus Group)

Participants in the CDI Focus Group highlighted the fear that gang activity and anti-social behaviour in the area affects the lives of young people, their families and service providers. The community would not go to the Gardaí as they were intimidated by the gangs. Participants reported that there were ‘no go’ areas that services providers will not visit at certain times of the day.

Participants in the Minorities Focus Group identified the normalisation of anti-social behaviour in their areas as a factor which negatively affects their children. Children see their peers misbehaving and try to emulate that behaviour:

Likewise, with the services, there is certain areas I won’t go into after four in the afternoon as I know there will be gangs hanging around and I know I might have the windows of my car smashed in and that’s another impact on services and how people are going to receive them (CDI Focus Group)

I see kids as young as eight or nine years of age smoking in the open, they are not even afraid to hide it, other kids see this and they want to emulate it and it goes in a vicious circle (Minorities Focus Group)

Six of the parents in the parental survey identified gang intimidation and anti-social behaviour in their area as an issue that affected their children. This meant that young people could not use recreational spaces and were afraid of being intimidated even in their home:

Young people in my area cannot use the recreational spaces available for them due to anti-social behaviour. My 12-year-old son is afraid to go to the park around the corner to play football for fear of being harassed by other kids (Parents Survey)

More than half of all parents, and two thirds of young people surveyed reported that it was an issue that young people who were in trouble with Gardaí do not receive sufficient supports. Illustrated in Figure 33.

Figure 32: Are the Above an Issue in your Area?

11.6 Thematic Finding Four: Need for More Preventative Education Programmes One of the interviewees identified a lack of preventive education programmes that could deter young people from engaging in at risk behaviour:

I think that prevention programs or personal development programs are lacking. There used to be some and they needed to change to more education focus. Or some services may not have as narrow of a focus anymore on youth prevention (Interviewee)

Participants in the CDI Focus Group identified early intervention programmes as being a method through which young people’s behaviour can be channelled in a positive direction. The older that a person becomes, the more difficult it is to influence their behaviour and the higher the costs become to try to change their behaviour:

Research says if you catch young people at the early years you have a chance to channel their behaviour in positive directions. The investment is a 9 to 1 return rate (CDI Focus Group)

Professionals had differing opinions on whether there were sufficient supports for young people experiencing issues with the Gardaí or criminal justice in the area. Approximately four in ten respondents disagreed that there was sufficient service provision while four in ten agreed that there was sufficient provision.

Figure 33: There are Sufficient Services to Meet Demand (Professionals)

11.7 Summary Parents, professionals and young people felt that there is a lack of preventative youth justice services based locally and commented on a deficiency in interagency communication in the sector. Stakeholders highlighted concerns regarding the proliferation of gang related activity particularly related to drugs and noted the need for more community policing by Gardaí to build relationships between the community and law enforcement.

CFSN areas 3 and 4 were the least well served in policing and youth justice services. They contained the fewest number of policing and youth justice services per 10,000 residents aged 0 – 24 and the largest imbalance when their populations were compared to the total number of policing and youth justice services in the South County Dublin. CFSN areas 2 and 6 were the areas of greatest service provision. Networks 2, 6 and 7 were the most disadvantaged Networks in South County Dublin so any overlap between these areas and areas of least service provision should be noted and used to guide future service delivery.

Disability Services

12.1 Overview of Services in this Section This chapter reviews issues relating to disability services. For the purposes of this report, disability services include: ADHD and ASD support services, community disability services, dyslexia services, early intervention services, hearing services, services for visually impaired people, remedial services, wheelchair user support services.

12.2 Disabilities Reported in the Seven Electoral Areas Figure 35 illustrates parents’ and young people’s responses to whether or not their child/they had a disability. Almost four in ten parents in the area reported that their son or daughter had a disability. 15% of young people reported that they had a disability. The proportion of young people who reported that they had disability is marginally higher than the figure for South County Dublin (13%) and State level (13.5%) in Census 201613.

Figure 34: Does your Child/you have a Disability

The types of disabilities reported in the young people’s and parents’ surveys included ADHD, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), asthma, cerebral palsy, Downs syndrome, dyslexia, dyspraxia, global development delay, epilepsy, learning disabilities, hearing impairment, oppositional defiant disorder, scoliosis, sensory processing disorder and being confined to a wheelchair.

12.3 Mapping Gap Analysis: Summary: Networks 6 and 5 were the areas of greatest service provision in relation to disability services. Networks 4 and 3 were the areas of least service provision.

Disability service provision in the South County Dublin for children and young people was provided by a number of statutory, community and voluntary services. 23 disability services were identified in the services audit as being available to young people in South County Dublin. 21 of these services were located within the seven Networks and two were located outside of South County Dublin.

Map 18 illustrates that disability services were spread relatively evenly across five of the seven networks, with a small clusters of disability services located in the area around Tallaght (Network 5, 6 & 7). They were located primarily in the North/North East of the county, with little or no provision in the West/South West and fewer disability services were identified in Networks 2 and 4.

13 https://www.cso.ie/px/pxeirestat/Statire/SelectVarVal/saveselections.asp

Map 19: Disability Services in the South County Dublin

Table 21 illustrates Networks 6 and 5 had the highest level of service provision per 10,000 residents aged 0 – 24 years old. Networks 4 and 3 were the areas of least service provision per 10,000 residents.

When comparing the percentage of 0 – 24-year-olds in the populations of the seven Network areas with the percentage of all disability services in South County Dublin, Networks 3 (-9%14) and 4 (-8%) were the areas of lowest service provision with the smallest proportion of services relative to their population size. Networks 6 (+16%), and 5 (+12%) were the areas of most service provision relative to their population size.

Network number Number of % of all 0 – % of all disability Number of local disability 24-year olds services in South services per services in the in South County Dublin 10,000 residents Network County Dublin aged 0 - 24

Network 1 3 16% 14% 1.9 Network 2 1 9% 5% 1.2 Network 3 2 19% 10% 1.1 Network 4 1 13% 5% 0.8 Network 5 7 21% 33% 3.4 Network 6 5 8% 24% 6.4 Network 7 2 14% 10% 1.5 South County Dublin 21 100% 100% 2.1 Table 21: Disability Services across the Seven Networks

12.4 Thematic Finding One: Need for Further Resourcing to Tackle Long Waiting Lists Eight out of the 15 interviewees identified that disability services were under-resourced and consequently waiting lists for services were too long. Interviewees stated that there were long

14 % of all 0 -24-year olds in Dublin South County - % of all disability services in Dublin South County = -9% in Network 3

waiting lists both to get an initial “Assessment of Needs” for their children and again to get their children into services, once they were assessed.

There are a lot of gaps in disability services. They need more resources. There is no way around that. They have been decimated. They have issues with staff recruitment and staff retention. They have long waiting lists. It takes a long time for parents to get their kids assessed and then to get services (Interviewee)

Participants in the CDI Focus Group also identified diminishing resources and long waiting lists as an issue for young people with disabilities in Primary schools.

Teachers work very hard with children that are coming in with a lot of disabilities. You could have five or six teachers on top of that one child in Primary school. But then when they go from third to sixth class they are losing resources and the waiting lists are a massive problem (CDI Focus Group)

These views were supported by quantitative survey response data. Two thirds of all professionals surveyed disagreed that there were sufficient services for young people with intellectual disabilities. More than half disagreed that there were sufficient services for young people with physical disabilities.

Table 22: There are Sufficient Services to Meet Demand (Professionals)

Similar to professionals, two thirds of parents surveyed reported that young people with disabilities not having enough supports was an issue. Half of the young people surveyed also reported that young people with disabilities not having enough supports was an issue.

Figure 35: How Much of an Issue is Young People with Disabilities not Having Enough Supports?

12.5 Thematic Finding Two: Need for Improved Interagency Communication Three of the 15 interviewees identified the need for improved interagency communication across sectors, particularly for young people with complex needs. Interviewees described disability services as not being well enough integrated with other services in order to produce a holistic approach to young people’s needs:

In regards to drugs, disability, or youth justice, I think that difficulties arise where there are complex needs. When there is overlap between these things and mental health, service provision gets harder (Interviewee)

Participants in the CDI Focus Group discussed the importance of strong interagency work to produce positive outcomes. They reported that there was no one service that can meet all the needs of young people with disabilities:

The response model system, i.e. Meitheal is a good model. People who do the work are doing the very best they can. None of us can meet all the needs of a family or child on our own, so you link in with your colleagues or other agencies (CDI Focus Group)

Professionals surveyed highlight the need for better interagency communication to achieve better outcomes for young people with disabilities and complex needs. Three respondents specifically noted the need for better links between disability and mental health services. Professionals also reported that Meitheal makes a positive impact on outcomes:

Services need to work better for young people with a multitude of complex needs. While Meitheal has made and continues to make a positive impact this inter-agency approach needs to be applied to not just early intervention (Professional’s Survey)

12.6 Thematic Finding Three: Need for More Disability Services, Especially Early Intervention and Autism Services Six of the 15 interviewees identified a need for more disability services in the area, and three of the informants highlighted the lack of early intervention services as a particular challenge. Interviewees highlighted that when a young person is not diagnosed early, they were more likely to have poor mental health and youth justice outcomes and how a lack of an early diagnosis had an impact on young people’s development as they get older:

I think that these issues are not being addressed early enough because a lot of the youth I work with have a diagnosis of ADHD or ASD. When that doesn't get addressed properly they end up in criminal activity (Interviewee)

The Youth Mental Health Professionals Focus Group noted that due to a lack of services/resources certain groups did not get diagnosed with ASD until later in their lives. These young people may fall through the cracks in the system as the threshold for accessing services may be too high:

There are not enough resources available pure and simple, for example, ASD only gets diagnosed in girls as teenagers as they fall through the cracks. The threshold for mental health primary care psychologist service is very high (Mental Health Professionals Focus Group)

The need for more disability services, particularly early intervention services, was supported by quantitative survey response data. Figure 36 illustrates that professionals were least satisfied with disability services for the 0 – 4 age group. Approximately half of respondents reporting that they were somewhat unsatisfied with service access for ASD, ADHD and disability services in the HSE for this age group. Professionals were generally happy with children’s access to SNA’s in Primary school but this satisfaction dropped as children move onto secondary school. Professionals were generally more unsatisfied than satisfied with physical and intellectual disability services for 13 – 17 and 18 – 24-year olds.

Figure 36: Professionals Satisfaction with the Access for the Following Services

12.7 Thematic Finding Four: Need for More Supports for Parents of Disabled Children Three of the 15 interviewees identified a need for more parental supports for people with disabled children. Interviewees noted that parents have problems in meeting the needs of their disabled children and may not know who to turn to or how to best care for their children. Interviewees reported that the AIM grant programme assists parents in supporting their children through early education services. This helped them to apply for educational supports such as SNA where appropriate:

There needs to be through-care or aftercare for parents. Some kind of community-based aftercare that will support families after the diagnosis. Someone needs to support the parents in the day to day of meeting the needs of a youth with a disability (Interviewee)

Participants in the CDI Focus Group noted that it can be confusing and difficult for parents to understand how disability services were structured, how you avail of services and why you would need to avail of services. Parents need to be supported and signposted to the services that they need so that their children were able to move through the system as easily as possible:

It is difficult for parents to understand how you come into the primary care system and why would you come in? Why would you need the disability services? And how do you get into the disability services? (CDI Focus Group)

Professional survey respondents reported that there was a lack of family supports and counselling supports available to parents who have disabled children. This lack of services for parents impacted negatively on both the parents and their children:

I feel there are a lack of counselling supports for parents which impacts negatively on children. There is an insufficient level of service provision for children and young people who are violent towards their parents (Professionals Survey)

12.8 Thematic Finding Five: Physical Accessibility to some Services Needs Improvement Three of the 15 interviewees identified that issues with the physical environment of some services have a negative effect on young people who were disabled accessing services. Interviewees reported that often disability services were located in buildings that were not very accessible to young people with disabilities, and that housing allocated to families with disabilities was often not suitable for their needs:

From a housing perspective, sometimes a house is not suitable for kids with disabilities. A family has to ask for a house to be altered or to be moved to a house that better suits their needs (Interviewee)

Participants in the in the CDI focus group noted that local communities were well resourced when it came to transportation. However, they highlighted that if a service was outside of the community it can be difficult for people to access it:

The communities are very well equipped but if there are facilities outside of that community it can be very hard to get people to access that facility (CDI Focus Group)

Two parents with children who were disabled who were surveyed identified the need for better public transportation as an issue that could make both their children and their own lives easier. Professionals were divided as to whether or not there is sufficient transportation for young people who needed to travel to appointments. Approximately four in ten professionals agreed that there were sufficient services while four in ten disagreed that there are sufficient accessible public transport services for young people. Illustrated in Figure 37.

Figure 37: There are Sufficient Services to Meet Demand (Professionals)

12.9 Summary CFSN Network areas 3 and 4 contained the least service provision in disability services. They contained the fewest number of disability services per 10,000 residents aged 0 – 24 years old and the largest discrepancy when its population is compared to the total number of disability services in the South County Dublin. CFSN Network area 6 was the area of greatest service provision per capita. Networks 2, 6 and 7 were the most disadvantaged Networks in South County Dublin so any overlap between these areas and areas of least service provision should be noted and used to guide future service delivery.

Thematic priorities identified by stakeholders included needs for better interagency communication and resourcing to tackle long waiting lists for services. Gaps in service provision were highlighted in early intervention services, supports for parents who had a disabled child and the physical accessibility of some services.

Drug and Alcohol Services

13.1 Overview of Services in this Section This chapter reviews issues relating to drug and alcohol services. For the purposes of this report, drug and alcohol services included: treatment services (drug/alcohol), community development supports, community rehabilitation and support programmes, counselling, drug and alcohol support, prevention services, residential rehabilitation services, addiction education, HSE addiction services, local and regional drug taskforces, rehabilitation and integration services.

13.2 Mapping Gap Analysis: Summary: Networks 6 and 7 were the areas of greatest service provision in relation to drug and alcohol services. Network 4 was the area of least service provision.

Drugs and alcohol service provision in the South County Dublin for children and young people was provided by a number of statutory and community and voluntary services. 31 services related to drugs and alcohol were identified in the services audit in South County Dublin. 28 of these services were located within the seven Networks and three were located outside of South County Dublin.

Map 19 illustrates that there were small clusters of drug and alcohol services located in the area around Tallaght (Network 5, 6 and 7) and Clondalkin/Palmerstown (Network 1 & 2). There were fewer drug and alcohol services identified in Networks 3 and 4.

Map 20: Drug Addiction & Treatment Services in the South County Dublin

Table 23 illustrates Networks 6 and 7 had the highest level of service provision per 10,000 residents aged 0 – 24 years old. Networks 4 and 3 were the areas of least service provision per 10,000 residents.

When comparing the percentage of 0 – 24-year-olds in the populations of the seven Network areas with the percentage of all drug and alcohol services in South County Dublin, Networks 3

(-8%15) and 5 (-7%) were the areas of lowest service provision with the smallest proportion of services relative to their population size. Networks 6 (+13%), and 7 (+11%) were the areas of most service provision relative to their population size.

Network Number of % of all 0 – 24- % of all drug and Number of local drug and year olds in alcohol services services per alcohol South County in South County 10,000 residents services in the Dublin Dublin aged 0 - 24 Network Network 1 4 16% 14% 2.6 Network 2 2 9% 7% 2.3 Network 3 3 19% 11% 1.6 Network 4 2 13% 7% 1.5 Network 5 4 21% 14% 1.9 Network 6 6 8% 21% 7.7 Network 7 7 14% 25% 5.2 South County Dublin 28 100% 100% 2.9 Table 23: Drug and Alcohol Services by Network

13.3 Thematic Finding One: Need for More Preventative and Harm Reduction Supports Four of the 15 interviewees identified the need of more preventative and harm reduction supports for young people as an issue in South County Dublin. Interviewees reported that preventative programmes should be more open with young people in drug and alcohol education regarding the dangers of drugs. There is a need to have a discussion as to why drugs seem to be all pervasive in South County Dublin and how harm to existing users could be reduced by introducing services such as needle exchanges:

There is a need for more realistic approach to awareness and prevention training and programming. The SPHE curriculum is not going to stop anyone becoming a drug addict, it is like talking about the 12 steps for alcohol when you are only having a pint. Programmes should acknowledge that young people may have already tried or are likely going try these drugs and they should promote safety and wellbeing in the process (Interviewee)

Participants in the Young Peoples and the CDI Focus Group identified the need for preventative/early intervention services to be more readily available to mitigate the effects of drugs and alcohol on young people at an early stage before addiction issues spiral out of control.

A ‘Jigsaw’ type service for drugs and alcohol services is needed. A community-based drop in services that has non-stigmatising attitudes to young people and is designed with young people’s input that can provide information on treatment for addictions would help young people (Young Peoples Focus Group)

The need for more drug and alcohol services was generally supported by quantitative survey response data from professionals. Almost half of respondents disagreed that there were sufficient services in the area to meet demand while one in three agreed that there is sufficient service provision. See Figure 38.

15 % of all 0 -24-year olds in Dublin South County - % of all drug and alcohol services in Dublin South County = -8% in Network 3

Figure 38: There are Sufficient Service to Meet Demand (Professionals)

13.4 Thematic Finding Two: Need for Better Interagency Communication Four of the 15 interviewees identified that better communication between drug services and other sectors could improve service provision for young people and their families. Interviewees stated that better communication between youth justice services, family support service and drug and alcohol services could improve outcomes for young people in addiction.

Better collaboration around the drug piece is needed, between the Gardaí, probation services and drug treatment services. This may be happening to an extent, but it is not formalized. Better information sharing would be vital for positive outcomes for this particular group of young people (Interviewee)

Participants in the Young Peoples focus group identified poor communication between mental health services and drug and alcohol services as being a barrier to service provision for young people. Young people may need to repeat their story on numerous occasions before they receive the treatment they need which leads to them becoming disenfranchised with the system.

There is a huge disconnect between drugs and mental health services, even though they are really linked. Services need to talk to each other better so that young people are not retelling the same story over and over again to different services (Young Peoples Focus Group)

Professionals that were surveyed identified better service coordination as a method through which young people in addiction could receive better services. Services mentioned included family support services, mental health services and education and training services:

Drug treatment programmes need to link with training programmes and local employment opportunities to offer young people with viable options rather than drug/ alcohol abuse treatment, including low cost counselling services (Professionals Survey)

Despite the reported need for better interagency communication between drug and alcohol services and other sectors, generally young people who have used drug and alcohol services reported that the services they used were good. Three times the proportion of young people who used drug and alcohol service report them as being good compared to them being poor. Illustrated in Figure 39.

Figure 39: Rate the Local Services that you have Used (Young People)

13.5 Thematic Finding Three: Lack of Age Appropriate Services and Stigma Two of the interviewees reported that there was a lack of age appropriate drug and alcohol services in South County Dublin and that this contributed to the stigmatization of young people availing of services. Interviewees reported that young people with drugs issues typically were taking pills and not opiates, which they see as an issue for older people. The lack of specific drug and alcohol services for young people was a barrier for them to look for help or enter treatment:

The issue is DTFs were set up to deal with opiates but the young people with drug issues are more around pills than heroin. A separate service is needed to deal with the drugs that young people are taking. Opiates = stigma. You won’t get an older teenager into a service that they see as for opiates that services older people. Young people don’t see themselves as addicts as they are not heroin users who shoot up (Interviewee)

Participants in the Young Peoples focus group identified stigma around addiction as an issue, particularly for boys. Seeking help was not seen as a ‘macho’ thing to do and was often not talked about amongst peers. Participants reported a hierarchy of stigma depending on what drug a person is using, i.e. heroin was stigmatized whereas smoking weed and drinking alcohol was totally normalized.

Parents and young people both view young people in their area not having sufficient drug and alcohol supports as an issue. Half of all parents report that was is an issue while two thirds of young people report it was an issue.

Figure 40: Is the Following an Issue in the Area, Young People with Drug/Alcohol Issues not Having Enough Supports

Figure 41 illustrates that professionals survey respondents were divided over whether they were satisfied with access for young people to addiction services in the area. More than one in three

reported they were somewhat satisfied while three in ten reported that they were somewhat dissatisfied. Although it was noted in the professional’s survey that:

There are no specific services that support young people under 18 engaged with alcohol and drug misuse unless they are at a severe risk of addiction (Professionals Survey)

Figure 41: Professionals Satisfaction with Access to Age Specific Addiction Services

13.6 Thematic Finding Four: Drugs and Alcohol are Easily Accessible, and their Use is Normalised One of the interviewees identified that drugs and alcohol were easily accessible to young people in South County Dublin. Young people did not have a sense of fear around taking drugs such as weed, as their use was normalised and this facilitates young people’s moving onto harder drugs when they become older:

I really don't think we have addressed the availability of drugs and alcohol. It is almost as easy as buying it in the shop these days. How are 12 and 13- year old’s getting access to weed - with no fear of taking it, so then they move on to tablets and cocaine around 16 (Interviewee)

Participants in the Young Peoples focus group reported that drinking and smoking cannabis and cigarettes were normalised in the area among many young people. Attitudes toward using these substances seemed to be accepted among young people. Participants reported that drinking alcohol was so normalised that to not drink was perceived as being unusual:

Alcohol addiction is not seen as a problem as we live in Ireland. There is an attitude in Ireland around alcohol that goes ‘you are not drinking, what is wrong with you (Young Peoples Focus Group)

Parental survey participants reported that due to the proliferation of drugs and alcohol in the area, young people should be educated around drugs from an early so that they are aware of the damage’s drugs can cause:

I believe that 5th/6th class is the age where children should be made aware of the damage that this causes. By the time they reach secondary school some have already been offered or taken either alcohol or drugs (Parental Survey)

Almost three quarters of all young people surveyed responded that they disagreed that there are sufficient drug and alcohol services available to them should they need them. Conversely, a similar proportion of parents agreed and disagreed that there are drug and alcohol services available to their children in their area should they need them.

Figure 42: There are Drug & Alcohol Services Available should I/My Child Need Them

13.7 Thematic Finding Five: There are Issues for Young People Around Dual Diagnosis Two of the 15 interviewees identified issues with the lack of holistic services for young people who were using drugs or alcohol and also have a mental health issue. Services did not work in tandem and the young person may be excluded from both services.

If a youth is self-medicating a mental health issues with weed - drug programs say this is a mental health issue and try to send them to mental health providers but then mental health services say no they need to address their drug issue first and so they get excluded from both services (Interviewee)

Participants in the Professionals Mental Health focus group noted that dual diagnosis was an issue for young people and their families South County Dublin. Participants suggested that the YoDA service model was a good method for offering service to this group of people.

Drug and alcohol misuse may be an issue facing some young people with mental health issues or their families. YODA is a good agency that uses a variety of therapies for young people with dual diagnosis (Mental Health Professionals Focus Group)

Professional survey respondents identified that there is a lack of services for young people who present with dual diagnosis. Participants reported that a lack of agencies dealing with dual diagnosis leads to young people being passed from service to service and prolonging the time it takes to reach the service that is right for them:

There is need for low cost counselling services. Services that will deal with young people abusing drugs while also presenting with mental health issues (Professionals Survey)

13.8 Summary Stakeholders were concerned with the normalisation of drug-taking and young people’s easy access to them. There is a need for more preventative, harm reducing, age appropriate services and services to deal with dual diagnosis. Young people perceive a stigma in using addiction services and addiction services should engage in better interagency communication.

CFSN Networks 6 and 7 were the areas of greatest service provision in drug and alcohol services. They contained the highest number of drug and alcohol services per 10,000 residents aged 0 – 24 years old and the lowest imbalance when their populations were compared to the total number of drug and alcohol services in the South County Dublin. CFSN Network 4 was the area of least service provision. Networks 2, 6 and 7 were the most disadvantaged Networks in South County Dublin so any overlap between these area and areas of least service provision should be noted and used to guide future service delivery.

Recreation Services

14.1 Overview of Services in this Section This chapter reviews issues relating to recreation services. “Recreation services” in this report refers to services including: arts and crafts, athletic clubs, boxing clubs, community services, GAA clubs, girl guides, scouts, golf clubs, hockey clubs, mentoring, rugby clubs, soccer clubs, sporting and youth organisations, swimming pools, theatres, youth clubs and youth groups.

14.2 Mapping Gap Analysis Summary: Networks 6 and 2 were the areas of greatest service provision in relation to recreational services, network 7 was the area of least service provision.

Recreation services in South County Dublin for children and young people were provided by a number of statutory, community and voluntary services. 161 recreation services were identified in the services audit as being available to young people in South County Dublin.

Map 20 illustrates that recreation services in South County Dublin were relatively evenly spread with clusters of services in the Tallaght (Network 5 & 6), Clondlakin (Network 1), Palmerstown (Network 2) and Lucan (Network 3) areas. There seemed to be fewer services present in Networks 4 and 7.

Map 21: Location of Sports and Recreation Service in the South County Dublin

Table 24 illustrates Networks 6 and 2 had the highest level of service provision per 10,000 residents aged 0 – 24 years old. Networks 7 and 4 were the areas of least service provision per 10,000 residents; both networks contained less than half the average number of recreation services in South County Dublin (16.4).

When comparing the percentage of 0 – 24-year-olds in the populations of the seven Network areas with the percentage of all recreation services in South County Dublin, Networks 7 (-8%16) and 5 (-13%) were the areas of lowest service provision with the smallest proportion of services relative to their population size. Networks 6 (+12%), and 2 (+7%) were the areas of most service provision relative to their population size.

Network Number of % of all 0 – 24-year % of all sports Number of sports and olds in South and local recreational County Dublin recreational services per services in the services in 10,000 Network South County residents Dublin aged 0 - 24

Network 1 35 16% 22% 22 Network 2 26 9% 16% 30 Network 3 23 19% 14% 12 Network 4 11 13% 7% 8 Network 5 23 21% 14% 11 Network 6 23 8% 20% 42 Network 7 10 14% 6% 7 South County Dublin 161 100% 100% 16.4 Table 24: Sports and Recreation Services in the Electoral Areas

14.3 Thematic Finding One: A Need for More Recreation Services in some Disadvantaged Areas Four of the 15 interviewees identified a need for more recreational services in certain disadvantaged areas of South County Dublin. While interviewees were generally happy with the level of recreational service provision, they highlighted that services need to target some of the most disadvantaged areas of the county as young people from these communities were some of the most difficult to engage:

We have a lot of football and soccer and that kind of stuff and some of the youth services are good after hours. There are pockets like Balgaddy that lack recreational services and the youth have to go Neilstown for services. I think that Balgaddy is probably one of the most deprived communities in the county, on every level (Interviewee)

Participants in the CDI focus group identified sports and performing arts as a medium for re- engaging young people from disadvantaged areas in the community and education system:

I’d love somebody to research the Andre Agassi Academy in Las Vegas and to look at the achievements and success he has had in terms of disadvantaged populations and encouraging them into education through sports and performing arts (CDI Focus Group)

Respondents from the parental and young people’s survey generally agreed that there is sufficient sports and young groups in the area. However, similarly to the interviewees there is a minority of respondents that believe that their area is under resourced with just under one in ten respondents strongly disagreeing that there is sufficient service provision in their area. Illustrated in Figure 43.

16 % of all 0 -24-year olds in Dublin South County - % of all recreation services in Dublin South County = -8% in Network 7

Figure 43: There are Enough of the Above Activities for Young People in your Area

Figure 44 illustrates that professional survey respondents were similarly satisfied with youth group services for 13 – 17-year olds. Approximately half were somewhat satisfied with services provision while one in four were somewhat unsatisfied. Professionals reported they were a little less satisfied with recreational service provision for 5 – 12 and 13 – 17-year old’s. Approximately three in ten reported they were somewhat unsatisfied while approximately four in ten reported they were somewhat satisfied.

Figure 44: Professionals Satisfaction with Access to Age Specific Recreational Services

14.4 Thematic Finding Two: A Need for More Non-Sporting Recreational Services Three of the 15 interviewees identified that more non-mainstream sporting services were necessary for young people who were not into sports. While it was noted that sports services (soccer, GAA etc.) were well provided for in the area services such as motorbiking, equine services, music, dance and theatre were not. Interviewees noted that setup costs for these types of services were often high and funding may not be as forthcoming for these services compared to traditional sporting activities:

There is a need for a scrambler track, like Birdhill MX track down in Limerick but the cost is huge. Illegal scramblers are a problem around the area but setup costs are hugely expensive (Interviewee)

I think there is quite a lot of sporting groups which are traditionally well funded, unlike arts groups. There needs to be more programmes in what young people are interested in such as bikes, cars and anything to do with horses (Interviewee)

The majority of professional survey respondents reported that they disagreed that there were sufficient youth group services available to young people in South County Dublin in all age categories. This dissatisfaction increased for older age groups with three quarters of professionals disagreeing that there was sufficient youth group provision for the 18 – 24-year-old age group. The majority of professionals reported that they agreed that there were sufficient

dance/theatre/music groups in the area while approximately three in ten professionals disagreed. See Figure 45.

Figure 45: There are Enough of the Following Activities for Young People in your Area

Parental survey respondents acknowledged the need for more non-sporting services that specifically targeted girls. These services should target development of self-confidence as well as fitness. Parents also identified that services, where possible, should be based in the local community so that their children did not have go outside of their area to access services:

To have more music/dance groups held in the local community centre so more children have access. Rather than having to travel as some may not have own transport and public transport is 10 min walk away (Parental Survey)

14.5 Thematic Finding Three: A Need for Increased Resources and Out of Hour Services Four of the 15 interviewees identified the need for more out of hours services in the area, the absence of which was perceived to be due to a lack of funding. Interviewees reported that out of hours services such as late-night football engage young people and help to cut down anti-social behaviour. Interviewees also noted that schools could be used after hours as a base for activities however, funding and insurance issues would need to be dealt with if this was to happen:

We are willing to open the school after hours but issues like funding and insurance need to be worked out. We need to ask do we not provide facilities as we are afraid people will sue. Schools are here and should be open after hours for kids to use the play areas or recreational facilities (Interviewee)

Participants in the CDI focus group recognised that out of hours activities cost money to provide. They noted that some clubs in the area were aware of this and that some waive or drop fees for young people when they know that they cannot afford to pay. They suggested that subsidization of fees through the Department of Social Protection could be a means of dealing with this issue:

Out of school activities are associated with money and that’s a barrier to service provision. Clubs in the area know who can pay subs so that as opposed to being €5 a week they may charge €1 and there is some flexibility there. Maybe young people going to a club could give their PPS number and the social welfare could pay for it (CDI Focus Group)

Professional survey respondents identified a need for more out of hours and after school services as an issue in the area. Respondents reported the need for services that can develop self-esteem and life skills in young people while also keeping them off the street and out of anti- social behaviour:

There needs to be more services (preferably out of hours services) that offer children alternatives to congregating in their locality and, therefore, support pro-social behaviour (Professionals Survey)

14.6 Thematic Finding Four: A Need for More Youth Spaces Two of the 15 interviewees identified the need for more youth spaces for young people to go and hangout socially as an issue in the area. Interviewees reported that this may be due to lack of resources for hiring staff to supervise services. Interviewees noted a lack of youth cafes and equine services as examples of spaces that were needed:

There are not enough supervised places that young people can go to hang out. I don't know of any youth cafes or social settings where youth can go that at targeted for them specifically (Interviewee)

Participants in the CDI focus group would like to see more youth spaces where young people can socialize in a safe environment similar to St Marks in Cookstown. Participants in the minority focus group identified that even though there may be a desire to have spaces for young people to meet, as with previous issues, there were often costs involved, such as insurance:

There is a funding barrier on finding somewhere for groups to meet, i.e. to cover the cost of a venues insurance (Minority Focus Group)

More than nine in ten parents reported that young people not having enough recreational activities and spaces is an issue for young people in the area. Almost half of young people reported it was an issue, illustrated in Figure 46.

Figure 46: Is Not Enough Recreation Activities and Spaces an Issue for Young People in the Area

Despite almost half of young people reporting that a lack of recreational activities and spaces in the area is an issue for them. Eight in 10 young survey respondents rated the youth group/club services that they have used as being good. Illustrated in Figure 47.

Figure 47: Young People Rate the Youth Group Services they have Used

14.7 Thematic Finding Five: Costs are a Barrier to Engagement in some Services One of the 15 interviewees identified the high costs of some services as being a barrier for young people availing of recreational services. Parents did not have the money to be able to send their children to certain services and so their children did not attend them. It was suggested that subsidisation of services could be a method through which participation could be encouraged:

People not having money is a barrier to joining services and so accessing services is a problem, for instance summer camps cost money which parents do not have, these services could be subsidised to encourage participation (Interviewee)

Participants in the CDI focus group identified the costs of using recreational services as being a barrier to their participation even where services were available. It was reported that people in receipt of social welfare may not be able to avail of the local swimming pool and that the insurance and kit costs for joining a football team may be too high for families to afford:

I think for some it’s not, if you’re on welfare, it’s hard to afford the swimming pool. They might be available but you might not be able to avail of them if you’re living on the breadline (CDI Focus Group)

Parental and professional survey respondents identified the cost of recreational facilities as being a barrier for some young people. Parents suggested that the subsidisation of services would be a way through which their children could engage in certain recreational services. Professionals reported that more low-cost afterschool activities could help to tackle young people engaging in anti-social behaviour:

We need more subsidized after school activities to be available. My 2 go to ballet, swimming and GAA which costs around €1200 per year and that’s just the fees, uniforms and kit is extra. I can’t afford to send them to the after-school clubs as it’s just too costly (Parental Survey)

14.8 Summary Stakeholders were concerned about the need for more recreation services for young people in some disadvantaged areas and the need for more youth spaces for young people to socialize safely. While there were many sporting organisations in the area it was noted that there were insufficient non-sporting services in some areas. Stakeholders reported that there was a lack of funding for out of hours services and that the cost of certain services was a barrier to engaging with young people in the area.

CFSN Networks 7 and 5 were the areas of least service provision in recreation services. They contained the fewest number of recreation and sports services per 10,000 residents aged 0 – 24 and the largest imbalance when their populations were compared to the total number of recreation and sports services in the South County Dublin. CFSN Networks 6 and 2 were the areas of greatest service provision. Networks 2, 6 and 7 were the most disadvantaged Networks

in South County Dublin so any overlap between these areas and areas of least service provision should be noted and used to guide future service delivery, i.e. Network 7 requires attention and/or increased investment.

Housing and Homelessness Services

15.1 Overview of Services in this Section This chapter reviews issues relating to housing and homelessness services. For the purposes of this report, housing and homelessness services included: advocacy services, outreach services, support services, refuges, migrant accommodation services and emergency accommodation services.

15.2 Mapping Gap Analysis: Summary: Networks 6 and 7 were the areas of greatest service provision in relation to housing and homelessness services, Networks 3 and 4 were the areas of least service provision.

Housing and homelessness service provision in South County Dublin for children and young people was provided by a number of statutory, community and voluntary services. 17 housing and homelessness services were identified in the services audit as being available to young people in South County Dublin. 15 of these services were located within the seven Networks and two were located outside of South County Dublin.

Map 21 illustrates that there were small clusters of housing and homelessness services located in the area around Tallaght (Network 5, 6and 7) and Clondalkin (Network 1). There were no housing and homelessness services identified in Networks 2, 3, and 4.

Map 22: Housing and Homelessness Services

Table 25 illustrates Networks 6 and 7 had the highest level of service provision per 10,000 residents aged 0 – 24 years old. Networks 2, 3 and 4 were the areas of least service provision per 10,000 residents with no housing and homelessness service identified in these areas.

When comparing the percentage of 0 – 24-year-olds in the populations of the seven Network areas with the percentage of all housing and homelessness services in South County Dublin, Networks 3 (-19%17) and 4 (-13%) were the areas of lowest service provision with the smallest

17 % of all 0 -24-year olds in Dublin South County - % of all housing and homelessness services in Dublin South County = -19% in Network 3

proportion of services relative to their population size. Networks 6 (+19%), and 7 (+13%) were the areas of most service provision relative to their population size.

Network Number of % of all 0 – 24-year % of all housing Number of housing and olds in South and local homelessness County Dublin homelessness services per services in the services in 10,000 Network South County residents Dublin aged 0 - 24

Network 1 3 16% 20% 1.9 Network 2 0 9% 0% 0 Network 3 0 19% 0% 0 Network 4 0 13% 0% 0 Network 5 4 21% 27% 1.9 Network 6 4 8% 27% 5.1 Network 7 4 14% 27% 3 South County Dublin 15 100% 100% 1.5 Table 25: Housing and Homelessness Services in the Seven Networks

15.3 Thematic Finding One: Insufficient Service for Young People with Housing and Homelessness Issues Six of the 15 interviewees identified that there was insufficient service provision for young people living in homelessness or looking for housing. This led to gaps in services for young people. Interviewees reported that there were few youth-specific housing services, especially for young people with disabilities and young people who were pregnant. Lack of such services led to overcrowding in homes and with no temporary accommodation in the area this may drive some young people into homelessness:

Youth housing services are non-existent. Temporary accommodation in Clondalkin for young people did not go ahead as people were prejudiced about it (Interviewee)

Participants in the housing and homelessness focus group identified that insufficient key- working services for families who were ‘self-accommodating18’ impacts negatively on young people. Focus group members identified this cohort of people may be the most vulnerable in the housing system. It was noted that navigating the housing system was very difficult without a key-worker.

There is a lack of key-workers for families who are ‘self-accommodating’, these may be the most vulnerable group. Navigating the system is difficult especially without a key-worker (Housing and Homelessness Focus Group)

This lack of services is borne out in the quantitative response data. More than half of all professional respondents were somewhat unsatisfied with access to housing services for young people aged between 18 and 24 years. More than a third of professionals were unsatisfied with access to housing services for young people aged 18 to 24.

18 Families who source accommodation themselves and then Dublin South County Council provide renumeration for the accommodation

Figure 48: Professionals Satisfaction with Access to Housing Services for Ages 18 - 24

The issue of a lack of housing services identified by professionals in the area is mirrored in survey response data from parents and young people to a greater degree. A little over three quarters of all parents and young people reported that insufficient housing services was an issue for young people in their area. Half of young people saw it as a big issue while more than half of parents saw it as a big issue.

Figure 49: Is Insufficient Housing Services and Issue for Young People in your Area

15.4 Thematic Finding Two: Emergency Accommodation can be Located Far Away from Services Young People Need Eight of the 15 interviewees identified that young people and families living in emergency accommodation (hotels, hostels) may find accessing the services they need difficult, due to the distance they have to travel to avail of them. Interviewees reported that young people attending education services while living in emergency accommodation due to long journeys and insufficient public transport.

Sometimes families receive emergency housing far away from where they go to school and there may not be any accessible transportation. Education Welfare Officers don't know where to find the family to check in on them when they miss school (Interviewee)

Participants in the Housing and Homelessness Focus Group also identified the distances that families have to travel to access schooling as an issue for young people and their families. It was reported that if families cannot get accommodation in their own communities’ long journey times impact negatively on the family, especially if the children attended different schools.

Getting to school all children and families living in homelessness but particularly those not getting accommodation in their communities. It’s an even bigger problem for self-accommodating families; as families with 3 – 4 children may be attending different schools and services (Housing and Homelessness Focus Group)

Professional’s survey participants identified the barrier to accessing services for young people living in emergency accommodation and needing to travel to access services. It was suggested that travel costs be subsidised for young people in hotels who had to travel to access services:

There should be subsidised transport for young people to access clubs and school if they are living in hotels/ homeless (Professionals Survey)

Three quarters of professional survey respondents also agreed that there were insufficient services for families living in homelessness/emergency accommodation. Four in ten strongly disagreed that there were sufficient services to meet demand.

Figure 50: There are Sufficient Services to meet Demand (Professionals)

15.5 Thematic Finding Three: Impact on Parenting Capacity due to Homelessness Two of the interviewees identified the stresses of homelessness as putting stress on parents’ capacity to raise their children. Interviewees reported that families living in emergency accommodation did not have access to the proper cooking facilities and built environment for their children to play and develop. Participants also noted that parents may not be able to cope with their teenager which leaves the teenager vulnerable to becoming homeless:

Teenagers living in hotels have a hard time accessing services. They have nowhere to have friends over. There is nowhere for the family to have a home cooked meal. Children can’t always use the front entrance or use the playground which can have a negative impact on self-esteem or mental health for the youth (Interviewee)

Participants in the housing and homelessness and CDI focus groups also identified the strain on parents raising their children in emergency accommodation. Participants reported that parents living in emergency accommodation may not have a break from their children, potentially because they were distant from friends, relatives and services they know that might usually provide distraction for their child or some additional care. This can lead to a breakdown in their capacity to function as a parent:

For children attending school there is a natural break for parents but children under school going age or during school holiday. there is no break for families living in emergency accommodation (Housing and Homelessness Focus Group)

Participants in the parents and professionals survey identified the stress that living in emergency accommodation puts on parents due in part to a lack of supports. Professionals reported that children whose parents were homeless or at-risk of homelessness were more likely to struggle to reach their full potential:

I waited until I was 25 to have a child and became homeless when she was 11 months old, it is incredibly stressful. The only support I receive is hotel accommodation for me and her. If I had of been any younger with a baby in this situation I don’t think I’d be here still and that’s being honest (Parents Survey)

15.6 Thematic Finding Four: Need for Better Interagency Communication Four of the 15 interviewees identified the need for better interagency communication to improve outcomes for families who were homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless. Interviewees reported a lack of coordination between agencies, for example, health care professionals should know the address where a young mother’s emergency accommodation is 100

for visiting. Services needed to clarify what they were doing in relation to young people experiencing homelessness so that there is a joined-up response from agencies dealing with people experiencing homelessness:

The homelessness piece in south Dublin is quite bad. There is a lack of coordination between all services. Different groups are all working to address this issue but it’s a bit ad hoc (Interviewee)

Participants in the housing and homelessness focus group also identified the need for improved interagency communication to improve outcomes for homeless families. Participants reported a lack of a database of services that could be used to coordinate services and that if young children were experiencing homelessness they may have had problems accessing the health services they need:

There needs to be a database of information available to coordinate homeless and children’s services (Housing and Homelessness Focus Group)

New-born infants should not be relocating around the city! They should be prioritized for housing. I would like to see infants and young children receiving optimal access to health services. In the areas of PHN/GP/Speech and Language/Occupational therapy/nutrition and hospital follow-up

Respondents to the professionals’ survey also identified a lack of interagency communication between health and homeless services. Young children’s access to health services was impeded if their family is experiencing homelessness, due in part to poor communication between services:

Health care needs of children in homelessness is an issue, particularly the 0 to 3 age group. This is the most vulnerable population of little people in our country and in my opinion, we need to really focus on health and wellbeing services working with homeless services to get easier access to health care services (Professionals Survey)

15.7 Thematic Finding Five: Insufficient Local Accommodation Leads At-Risk Young People Getting into Trouble Three of the 15 interviewees identified that insufficient local accommodation for young people may contribute to them getting into trouble with the Gardaí. Interviewees reported that young people were more likely to engage in drugs or illegal activity in the city centre than if they were housed in their local area. It was noted that some young people will ‘couch-surf’ locally as an alternative to going into the city where they were more likely to get in trouble with the law.

There are very few local housing services for young people. The people I look after end up couch surfing as they do not want to go into the city centre as they are afraid they will get into trouble in there (Interviewee)

Participants in the professionals’ survey also identified a lack of accommodation in young peoples’ local area as facilitating risk taking or illegal behaviour. Participants reported that emergency local accommodation was particularly absent if a young person presents as homeless out of normal working hours, and that young mothers experiencing domestic abuse who did not have access to local services may have to stay in an environment which puts themselves and their child at risk.

Young mothers who have experienced domestic violence and/or homelessness and are parenting on their own have very few housing options available to them (Professionals Survey) 101

15.8 Summary Parents, professionals and young people were consistent in stating that there were insufficient services in the area for young people dealing with housing and homelessness issues. The distance between emergency accommodation and other services can make it difficult for young people to access the services they need, such as schooling and healthcare. The lack of local emergency accommodation in South County Dublin means that young people may be sent into the city centre to access emergency accommodation where they were more at-risk of getting into trouble. Homelessness impacts on parents’ ability to raise their children in a suitable environment where their children can reach their potential. Finally, it was suggested that better interagency communication, particularly between health and homeless services could help to improve outcomes for people living in emergency accommodation.

Networks 6 and 7 were the areas of greatest service provision in relation to housing and homelessness services. They contained the most housing and homeless services per 10,000 residents aged 0 – 24 years old. Networks 3 and 4 were the areas of least service provision. Networks 2, 6 and 7 were the most disadvantaged Networks in South County Dublin so any overlap between these area and areas of least service provision should be noted and used to guide future service delivery. Early Childhood Services

16.1 Overview of Services in this Section This chapter reviews issues relating to early childhood services, specifically for children aged 0 – 4 years old. For the purposes of this report, early childhood services included: child protection and social welfare, child-care, child-minders, crèches, early education intervention, education, family centres, maternity education and services, playgroups and preschools.

16.2 Mapping Gap Analysis: Summary: Networks 4 and 5 were the areas of greatest service provision in relation to early childhood services, Networks 7 and 1 were the areas of least service provision.

Early childhood service provision in the South County Dublin for children and young people is provided by a number of statutory, community and voluntary services. 328 early childhood services were identified in the services audit as being available to young people in South County Dublin.

Map 22 illustrates that early childhood services were spread relatively evenly across the seven networks, with clusters of services found around all of the main high population areas within the Local Authority.

102

Map 23: Location of Early Childhood Services

Table 26 illustrates Networks 4 and 5 had the highest level of service provision per 10,000 residents aged 0 – 4 years old. Networks 7 and 1 were the areas of least service provision per 10,000 residents. When comparing the percentage of 0 – 4-year-olds in the populations of the seven Network areas with the percentage of all early childhood services in South County Dublin, Networks 7 (-3%19) and 1 (-3%) were the areas of lowest service provision with the smallest proportion of services relative to their population size. Networks 4 (+4%), and 5 (+4%) were the areas of most service provision relative to their population size.

19 % of all 0 -24-year olds in Dublin South County - % of all early childhood services in Dublin South County = -3% in Network 7

103

Network Number of % of all 0 – % of all early Number of local early 4-year olds childhood services services per childhood in South in South County 10,000 residents Dublin aged 0 - 4 services in the County Network Dublin Network 1 48 18% 15% 122 Network 2 23 7% 7% 150 Network 3 67 20% 20% 153 Network 4 52 12% 16% 200 Network 5 80 20% 24% 184 Network 6 23 8% 7% 125 Network 7 35 14% 11% 113 South County Dublin 328 100% 100% 151 Table 26: Number of Early Childhood Services by Network

16.3 Thematic Finding One: Need for More Affordable Early Years and Childcare Services Five of the 15 interviewees identified the need for more services which were affordable. While it was acknowledged by informants that there were many early childhood services available in the area, it was noted that many supports cost money. These costs exclude some parents, particularly parents from disadvantaged area from availing of services:

There is a concern with affordable child care for non-working families (Interviewee)

Participants in the Minorities Focus Group reported that a lack of affordable childcare impacts adversely on parents of children from minority communities, in particular lone parents and their children. Women from some ethnic communities were adversely affected as often the culture stresses the importance of traditional gender roles. This was viewed as a barrier to integration and to accessing education services at night:

The cost of childcare in Ireland is very high and often members of minority communities do not have the resources to access it. Childcare where it is available usually closes around six in the evening, when it may be needed for people studying at night (Minorities Focus Group)

The majority of Professional Survey respondents reported that they agreed that there is sufficient early childhood care and education services. However, one in four disagreed. This suggests that services, while numerous were not available to all residents, this point of view was echoed by some of the interviewees. Conversely, approximately half of respondents disagree that there is sufficient affordable childcare in the area.

104

Figure 51: There are Sufficient Services to Meet Demand (Professionals)

16.4 Thematic Finding Two: Need for More Early Years Services Four of the 15 interviewees identified the need for more early year’s services. Interviewees acknowledged that there were a lot of early years services however, the needs for more mother and toddler group, baby rooms in creches, parenting groups and emergency support groups for singles parents were also highlighted:

There are not enough baby rooms, there is more wobbler and toddler rooms. There is also a need for more mother and toddler groups (Interviewee)

Participants in the CDI Focus Group identified the need for more support groups for parents of small children from disadvantaged backgrounds:

There’s a need for parenting support groups particularly for parents (of small children) that are hard to engage (CDI Focus Group)

Approximately one in four parents and professionals disagreed that there were sufficient early years services to meet demand. This mirrors interviewee data that while there were many early years services there may be a lack of specific supports in some areas.

Figure 52: There is Sufficient Early Years Groups to Meet Demand

16.5 Thematic Finding Three: There are Issues with Resourcing of Some Services Three of the 15 interviewees identified an issue with the resourcing of some early year services as an issue. It is expensive to run childcare facilities and there are strict supervisory guidelines for the number of staff per children ratio. Interviewees highlighted that low capitation fees make it economically unviable to have baby rooms (0 – 2 years) as opposed to toddler and wobbler rooms (over 2 years old). This was particularly a difficulty in disadvantaged areas where residents did not have the money to pay for services. Interviewees also noted that a general lack of staff makes it difficult to give the required attention to children with challenging behaviour.

All baby room issues are all down to the funding. It is down to capitation, there needs to be a higher capitation for baby rooms that would allow the providers to keep the doors open. I can only pay a person for three babies

105

in a baby room where as I pay a person for 11 kids at an older age (toddler and wobbler rooms) (Interviewee)

Participants in the CDI Focus Group identified the resourcing of some services as an issue. Participants highlighted the inflexibility of the system for accessing grants for providing childcare services for children from disadvantaged backgrounds and cross-subsidization of early year services:

The childcare grants we receive are linked to individual children in a capitation format…However, if we took on two disadvantaged children that we know through addiction services could not afford our service but they had not passed the grant criteria, we would be punished. As they would effectively be getting a ‘free’ service that the others were subsidising. So, there is a ban on cross-subsidisation (CDI Focus Group)

16.6 Summary Parents and professionals recognised that while there were many early childhood services available there were issues in engaging with some services. Childcare costs were a barrier for parents especially parents from minority communities. There were gaps in the availability of some parental groups and supports in South County Dublin and there were issues with the resourcing of services which restrict service availability particularly to parents from disadvantaged areas.

Networks 4 and 5 were the areas of greatest service provision in relation to early childhood services. They contain the most early childhood services per 10,000 residents aged 0 – 4 years. Networks 7 and 1 were the areas of least service provision. Networks 2, 6 and 7 were the most disadvantaged Networks in South County Dublin so any overlap between these areas and areas of least service provision should be noted and used to guide future service delivery.

106

Family Support Services

17.1 Overview of Services in this Section This chapter reviews issues relating to family support services. For the purposes of this report, family support services include: parenting courses, supports for young mothers, supports for teen parents, family support centres, family and parenting supports, ABC projects.

17.2 Mapping Gap Analysis: Summary: Networks 1 and 6 were the areas of greatest service provision in relation to family support services. Networks 4 and 3 were the areas of least service provision.

Family support service provision in the South County Dublin for children and young people were provided by a number of statutory, community and voluntary services. 19 family support services were identified in the services audit as being available to young people in South County Dublin. 17 of these services were located within the seven Networks and two were located outside of South County Dublin.

Map 23 illustrates that there were small clusters of family support services located in the area around Tallaght (Network 5, 6 and 7) and Clondalkin/Palmerstown (Network 1 and 2). There were fewer family support services identified in Networks 3 and 4.

Map 24: Family Support Services

Table 27 illustrates Networks 1 and 6 had the highest level of service provision per 10,000 residents aged 0 – 24 years old. Networks 4 and 3 were the areas of least service provision per 10,000 residents.

When comparing the percentage of 0 – 24-year-olds in the populations of the seven Network areas with the percentage of all family support services in South County Dublin, Networks 3 (- 13%20) and 4 (-13%) were the areas of lowest service provision with the smallest proportion of

20 % of all 0 -24-year olds in Dublin South County - % of all recreation services in Dublin South County = -13% in Network 3

107

services relative to their population size. Networks 1 (+19%), 6 (+4%) and 7 (+4%) were the areas of most service provision relative to their population size.

Network Number Number of % of all 0 – % of all family Number of local family support 24-year olds support services services per services in the in South in South County 10,000 residents Network County Dublin Dublin aged 0 - 24

Network 1 6 16% 35% 3.8 Network 2 2 9% 12% 2.3 Network 3 1 19% 6% 0.5 Network 4 0 13% 0% 0 Network 5 3 21% 18% 1.4 Network 6 2 8% 12% 2.6 Network 7 3 14% 18% 2.2 South County Dublin 17 100% 100% 1.7 Table 27: Family Support Services in the Seven Networks

17.3 Thematic Finding One: Need for Additional Family Supports Services Eight of the 15 interviewees identified the need for more family support services. Interviewees reported a lack of services for families with children with disabilities or special needs that teach them coping skills, supports for parents with literacy issues, supports for families struggling to raise teenagers and supports for young parent families:

Young mothers are really struggling with parenting teenage sons. There needs to be more specialised family support for struggling parents (Interviewee)

Participants in the CDI focus group identified the need for more family supports for vulnerable families. These included supports for single parent families, families dealing with bereavement, families where a parent has mental health or drug and alcohol issues

We need supports for vulnerable families. It would be support for single parent families, bereavement, loss or a long-term issue. I suppose its supports for families and what they need for the longer term. We need to meet and address their needs in that moment in time (CDI Focus Group).

This need for additional family support services was reflected in the professional survey data. Seven out of ten respondents reported that there were insufficient parenting courses available for primary school aged children. Eight in ten respondents reported that there were insufficient parenting courses available for secondary school aged young people.

Figure 53: There are Sufficient Parenting Courses Available for the Following Age Groups (Professionals)

The majority of parental respondents disagreed that there were sufficient supports for parents with addiction issues, challenges to parenting and mental health issues. More than four in ten 108

reported that they strongly disagreed that there were sufficient supports for parents with mental health issues.

Figure 54: Are there Sufficient Supports for Parents with the Following Issues (Parents)?

17.4 Thematic Finding Two: Need for Services to Consider Family Needs Four of the 15 interviewees identified the need for a more holistic approach to some services which would include families’ needs in their processes. Interviewees noted that a young persons’ issue, be it mental health, youth justice or drugs and alcohol should not be looked at in isolation. Services should include the family in the treatment/service process in order to better identify the core of the young person’s issue. As the young person often lives with their parents, the parents are most likely providing the best support that they can but may need supports themselves to cope:

In addition to youth focus there should be family support service - especially for those that may have a family member that is involved in drug dealing and criminal activity (Interviewee)

The focus now is on individualising services but for young people issues are contextual - usually in the family and I think we miss out if we focus on the youth alone. Because that context is where a lot of the issue may lie but also where a lot of area for change and support may lie (Interviewee)

Professional Survey respondents identified the need to look at the family as a whole when providing treatment for addiction and mental health issues. The effect that a parent’s addiction or mental health issue has on their child should be taken into consideration when providing treatment/care:

We need drug treatment programmes which focus on the holistic needs of families, particularly children's needs and not just stabilising the parents drug abuse (Professionals Survey)

17.5 Thematic Finding Three: Need for Local Family Support Services Six of the 15 interviewees identified the need for more local family support services located in the community. Interviewees reported that there is a need for more local family supports to aid families whose children were dealing with issues relating to, mental health, disabilities, drugs and alcohol, housing and early years services.

Some kind of community-based aftercare that will support families after the diagnosis is needed. Someone to support the parents in the day to day of meeting the needs of a youth with a disability or a mental health issue (Interviewee)

Three in 10 parents reported that young people having problems with their family was an issue in their area. However, twice the proportion of young people responded that young people 109

having problems at home was an issue in their area. Half of the young respondents reported that young carers not receiving supports is an issue in their area.

Figure 55: How Big an Issue are the Following in Your Area?

Approximately three in ten Professional Survey respondents were somewhat unsatisfied with families’ access to parent and family supports in their area.

Figure 56: How Satisfied are you with Access to the Following Services (Professionals)?

Professional Survey respondents identified a need for more supports for families to be located in the local community. They noted that although services were available in some areas they were not necessarily accessible to young people.

There is most definitely a need for more local family services, whilst there are services in particular areas, they are by no means accessible for a lot of young people (Professionals Survey)

17.6 Thematic Finding Four: Need for More Supports for Parents with Young Children Five of the 15 interviewees identified the need for more parenting supports for parents with young children. There were many young families and single parents in the area who may be struggling and in need of support but there is very little available locally. Interviewees highlighted a lack of parenting programmes, supports for parents with children with a disability and early intervention services:

There is no systemic parenting supports available that are relatively close. If you offer people an evidence based high quality programme it is the cheapest way to intervene with families. Early intervention is better than waiting for a problem to manifest (Interviewee)

Participants in the Minorities Focus Group identified a lack of supports for parents from a minority community. They report parents feeling isolated, stressed and that this has a negative knock-on effect on their economic standing as time they could spend in education gets spent looking after their child. Participants identified outreach supports such as the Community Mother programme as a method of engaging with parents who were isolated.

110

There used to be a Community Mother Programme in Clondalkin. Local women would be trained and they go out into the community and meet with new mothers or young families and talk to them about mental health, child development and parenting. Introducing a programme such as this would help to relieve some of the stresses that young and new families are dealing with (Minorities Focus Group)

Six in 10 respondents to the parents’ survey reported that there were insufficient parenting courses in the area that they can avail of. This was true for both 0 – 2 and 3 – 4-year olds.

Figure 57: There are Sufficient Parenting Courses for the Following Age Groups (Parents)

17.7 Summary Parents, professionals and young people recognised that there were issues with a lack of family support services in their area. They identified a need for more supports for parents who were struggling to cope with raising their children, parents who may have issues of their own for which they needed support and extra supports for parents of young children. Respondents also noted that some services should not treat young people in isolation but include their family in services as the family were likely to be the young people’s primary support givers.

Networks 1 and 6 were the areas of greatest service provision in relation to family support services. They contained the family support services per 10,000 residents aged 0 – 24 years. Networks 4 and 3 were the areas of least service provision. Networks 2, 6 and 7 were the most disadvantaged Networks in South County Dublin so any overlap between these area and areas of least service provision should be noted and used to guide future service delivery.

111

Interagency Working

This chapter analyses the feedback from key stakeholders and professionals regarding their experience of interagency networks in the South County Dublin.

18.1 High Rates of Interagency Working in the Area Figure 58 illustrates that three quarters of professional survey respondents engage in interagency networks.

Figure 58: In your Professional Role, do you Engage in any Interagency Networks

Professionals were questioned as to whether a number of services were important to their work of their own organisation. Their responses are illustrated in Figure 59. A majority of professionals reported that all service types were important to their work. More than nine in 10 professionals reported that schools, family support services and child protection and welfare services were important to their work. Services that professionals interacted the least with were youth justice services, early childhood services and housing and homelessness services.

112

Figure 59: Are these Organisations/Services Important to your Work?

Figure 60 illustrates how Professional Survey respondents who engaged across services rated their satisfaction with interagency collaboration on a scale of one to ten (1 = very poor, 10 = very good). Professionals were most satisfied with their collaboration with schools, Meitheal/child and family support network coordinators and youthwork services. The majority of respondents rated their collaboration with these services as being seven out of 10 or higher. Professionals were least satisfied with their collaborations with mental health services, GP’s and housing and homelessness services. Approximately only one in five respondents rated their collaboration with these services as being seven out of ten or higher. This suggests that there is scope for improvement in collaboration between professionals and services on an interagency basis.

113

Figure 60: If you Collaborate with these Services how do you Rate your Collaboration?

Table 28 contains of list of interagency networks or groups21 that were generated by Professional Survey respondents. Professionals were asked to name interagency groups which they work with and to rate the performance of the network/group on a scale of 1 – 10 (1 – Very poor, 10 – Very good) under a number of headings.

21 2 at least

114

Interagency Chairing and Information Service Uses Network / Group organisation Sharing development / participant (No of joint planning time well Respondents) TUSLA (19) 6.8 5.5 5.5 5.2 Meitheal (14) 8.3 8.1 8.0 7.8 CYPSC (13) 8.4 7.8 6.9 8.4 Clondalkin Family 8.5 8.9 5.9 7.1 Support Network (10) Local Partnership 8.8 8.9 9.4 8.8 (7) Community Action 7.5 8.0 8.0 7.0 on Suicide (6) Council SDCC (6) 5.5 6.7 5.3 4.5 Drug & Alcohol 5.2 5.2 3.8 4.0 Taskforce (5) HSE (5) 5.6 6.6 4.8 7.3 Central Referral 5.0 5.0 5.0 3.5 Forum (4) Clondalkin Young 9.3 9.0 9.3 8.0 Minds (4) Jigsaw Clondalkin 7.5 7.5 6.3 6.0 (4) Comhar (3) 7.3 7.0 8.0 10.0 ISPCC (3) 6.0 5.7 5.5 5.0 NEPS (3) 7.3 7.7 6.7 6.0 School Completion 8.0 7.7 7.0 7.3 (3) Blue Skies Initiative 4.3 3.2 3.0 3.5 (ABC consortium) (2) Connecting for Life 7.5 NA 8.0 10.0 Dublin South Central (2) CRF (2) 7.5 8.0 7.5 7.0 Dóchas (2) 9.0 5.5 7.0 8.0 Dolcain (2) 8.5 8.5 7.0 10.0 Educational Welfare 6.0 7.0 4.5 5.0 Board (2) Family Matters 8.5 8.5 9.5 10.0 Consortium (2) Focus Ireland (2) 10.0 9.5 10.0 10.0 Foroige (2) 7.5 7.5 7.0 8.5 Healthy South 6.5 6.5 6.0 6.5 Dublin County (2) Homeless Forum (2) 7.0 8.0 4.5 6.0 Policing Forum (2) 6.5 6.0 6.0 6.0 Prevention and 9.0 6.0 6.0 8.0 Early Intervention Network (2)

115

Table 28: Name and Rate Interagency Networks/Groups that you Work with

Figure 61 illustrates how professional survey respondents rated interagency networks/ groups. Approximately seven in 10 respondents rated the chairing and organisation and information sharing functions of interagency networks/groups as seven out of 10 or higher. Five in 10 respondents rated the service development and joint planning functions of interagency networks/groups as seven out of ten or higher. Six in 10 respondents rated interagency networks/groups use of participants time as seven out of 10 or higher.

This illustrates that though the majority of respondents have a positive impression of how interagency networks/groups function. However, there is scope for improvement, particularly in their service development/joint planning functionality.

Figure 61: Rate Interagency Networks/Groups on the Following Headings

18.2 Thematic Findings for Improving Interagency Collaboration Interviewees and respondents to the professional’s survey were asked what they thought could help to improve interagency collaboration.

18.2.1 Thematic Finding One: Need for a Strong, Strategically Placed Facilitator Seven interviewees and survey respondents identified the need for a strong facilitator to bring together services and for tightly focused, action producing meetings. Respondents highlighted the need for a strategic agency well known between services to direct interagency working and run conferences and networking events on a county wide basis. Three respondents suggested that CYPSC is in a good position to fulfil this role:

The CYPSC is an important network that has been very valuable and has been a vehicle for inter-agency connections. Before CYPSC was established I wouldn't have been looking to work with ******* but now I have a relationship with them. (Interviewee)

18.2.2 Thematic Finding Two: Need for Improved Information Sharing Between Services 13 of the Professional Survey respondents identified the need for better information-sharing between services to facilitate better interagency work and outcomes for clients. 18 professionals highlighted the need to share information with each other to clarify the roles of each organisation working in the area. This would assist with better client referral to the services they need. Respondents acknowledged that sharing information may infringe on data protection issues and that protocols may need to be put in place to ensure data is secure while acting in the best interest of their clients.

We need meetings or site visits where service providers get the chance to share information and to gain a clearer picture about what we provide as a service and what other services provide, referral pathways, scope of

116

practice etc. It is also interesting to see where and what a particular service looks like (Professionals Survey)

18.2.3 Thematic Finding Three: A Need for Regular Meetings and Networking Opportunities 18 of the Professional Survey respondents identified the need for regular meetings of interagency fora and the need for opportunities to network with other service providers. Professionals identified the need for meetings and networking opportunities to keep up with new developments in the community, more awareness of available services and discuss best practice. It was suggested that CYPSC could act as a facilitator for networking opportunities:

Maybe CYPSC could organise a multi-disciplinary conference and networking event on a county wide basis (Professionals Survey)

18.2.4 Thematic Finding Four: Need for an Online Portal and Mapping/Directory of Services Eight of the Professional Survey respondents identified the need for an online portal for services where they can share information with each other. Need was also expressed for a directory of services which could be mapped to assist professionals, parents and young people locate the services that they need. It was noted that a directory should include positions held in the area and points of contact.

I think a directory of services in the CHO, ideally something online that can be updated, would be a useful contribution. I think often people aren't fully aware of what is available to young people (Professionals Survey)

18.2.5 Thematic Finding Five: Need for Clear and Focused Targets in Interagency Work One of the interviewees and seven of the Professional Survey respondents identified the need for focused and clear outcomes to be set down when engaging in interagency work. Respondents highlighted that often interagency meetings may become ‘talking shops’ where no clear targets or actions are set. Respondents reported that this is frustrating, especially for services whose time and resources were already stretched.

I find it difficult coming out of a lot of meetings and nothing is decided on. You are unsure as to why some meetings happen, this can be very inefficient and meetings could be tightened up. It is often conversation about issues and you are nowhere after 3 hours of talk (Interviewee)

18.2.6 Thematic Finding Six: Lack of Resources for Interagency Working Four interviewees and 13 Professional Survey respondents identified that there is a general lack of resources available to engage in interagency work. It was reported that staff were under pressure to carry out their work and may not have time to engage in interagency processes due to lack of staffing and under resourcing. Although six professional survey respondents identified that Meitheal is a good interagency process it was noted that resources were necessary for it to be implemented. It was suggested that working on an interagency basis would facilitate the pooling of resources which could produce better outcomes for families.

If we are serious about supporting interagency work then there needs to be an incentive to engage in it, other than it might improve outcomes in the area. Value it by resourcing it (Professionals Survey)

18.3 Summary Three quarters of professional survey participants reported that they engaged in interagency networks. Proportionally survey respondents most often engaged with schools, family support services and child protection services. Professionals satisfaction with interagency collaboration was divided depending on the services that they worked with. They were most satisfied with Meitheal and engagement with schools while less satisfied with interagency collaboration around medical and psychological services. The majority of professionals were generally

117

happy with how interagency networks/groups operate however, there is scope for improvement, particularly in the area of service development and joint planning.

Six themes were identified in relation to interagency working. There is need for a strong facilitator to run meetings and set clear and focused targets for interagency working. Interagency meetings and networking opportunities should be available to services on a regular basis. Services need to be able to share information with each other to facilitate better outcomes for clients and an online portal/service directory could be developed to help signpost families into service. Finally, it was noted that there is a general lack of funding to put into interagency work and if this work is to be undertaken it needs to be properly resourced.

118

Recommendations

19.1 Overview The recommendations outlined below were developed to address the findings of the area wide needs analysis. The recommendation would be implemented over (Timeframe to be discussed). Recommendations will be developed through the following process:

 The themed findings and potential recommendations (see Table 29 below), which were based on stakeholders’ feedback throughout the need’s analysis, will be presented by Quality Matters to the CYPSC steering group.  In a facilitated workshop the CYSPC steering group, will draft final recommendations, based on two key considerations: o What could be progressed within the existing scope of CYPSCs work and resources o What actions would have the most significant impact on the issues raised within the report  The researchers will produce final recommendations, which are approved by the steering group

The analysis of the findings highlighted the interconnectivity of many of the issues i.e. in dual diagnosis there is interconnectivity between both drug and alcohol services and mental health services. This calls for joined up interventions, implying that impact in one services area is likely to impact on other service areas.

119

Table 29: Potential Recommendations for Steering Group

Themed Finding (note this a summary to inform CYPSC, it Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 does not need to appear in the final report).

1 While it was found that services were generally CYPSC to identify and CYPSC to endorse CYPSC to engage with the adequately resourced stakeholders identified a need for prioritise services which are recommendations 14i, 29ii, Department of Education more capacity within a large range of specialised most needed and to 32iii, 34iv, 35v from the South pilot programme (with staff services, where there were either long waiting lists, develop interagency County Dublin Healthy providing specialist service restrictions or difficultly to access any service.22 advocacy plans in order to Ireland Report interventions in the school seek additional resources for environment) that is currently priority services locally. being undertaken in schools in the SDCC area, in order to support interagency working and to disseminate information to relevant agencies in the area.

2 Stakeholders highlighted the importance of interagency CYPSC to take on board the Stakeholders highlighted the CYPSC to establish an communication in the development of a holistic findings of this report related need to clarify the roles of interagency approach to providing services to children and young to interagency collaboration each organisation working in communications strategy, people and emphasized the need for this to be and to implement them in the area, and to strengthen that will: continually improved any interagency working interagency working and - Clarify key messages that they engage in, these information sharing in (these may evolve include: relation to individual client throughout the year) • The development of a cases. CYPSC to revise and - Outline how social

1 This list included: paediatricians, dieticians, asthma services, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, primary care social workers, suicide services, NEEPs, EWO's, school completion officers, training and employment services, crime prevention education programmes, early intervention disability services, autism services, stress reduction programmes, parenting programmes, early intervention services, early years mothers and toddler groups, baby rooms in creches, parenting groups, emergency support groups for single parents, coping skills for parents, local family support services, non-sporting recreational services.

120

panel of strong, strategically update its protocols on media can be used to placed facilitators to information sharing. enhance awareness and effectively chair important knowledge of services local meetings and key messages • Providing regular meetings - Outline how the new and networking service directory opportunities for (developed by the five organisations engaged in Dublin CYPSC services) interagency work with clear will be promoted and work targets made available to services and clients - Outline use of traditional media, student competitions etc., can be used to drive agreed messaging - Outline how success will defined and be assessed - Look at sharing positive messages and ‘wins’ to ensure people aware of and sharing good news stories 3 Missed appointments were considered to be a significant CYPSC to undertake an contributor to waiting list times in the areas of mental action research project to health/well-being, physical health and disability. In the focus on documenting instance that a child or young person misses an existing good practice and assessment or other key appointment this can developing this further in significantly delay the start or effectiveness of treatment. relation to increasing access This in turn, can have a significant impact on future to services though the development and wellbeing. reduction of ‘did not attends’ (missed

121

appointments). This research to be externally supported if possible and on completion disseminated nationally.

4 Stakeholders identified gaps in mental health services for CYPSC to continue to CYPSC to endorse CYPSC to endorse children and young people, particularly in relation to develop a strategy being recommendations 20vi and recommendation 30viii from early intervention, mid-level services where a child or scoped out by professionals 22vii from the South County South County Dublin Healthy young person was above the threshold for attending in South County Dublin in Dublin Healthy Ireland Report Ireland report services such as Jigsaw23 but below the threshold for September 2017 for a mid- attending CAMHS24. range psychological service for children and young people above the threshold for Jigsaw and below the threshold for CAMHs. This was to be a community- based service, focusing on U12's and their families.

5 Stakeholders identified a need for improved signposting CYPSC to contribute to the CYPSC to endorse to help families to navigate the complexity of service development of the LAMP recommendation 4ix from provision as efficiently as possible (Local Asset Management the South County Dublin Project) project, which maps

2 CAMHS provides assessment and treatment for young people and their families who are experiencing mental health difficulties. CAMHS provides specialist mental health treatment and care to young people up to 18 years of age through a multidisciplinary team. To access a CAMHS service you need to be referred by your GP. https://www2.hse.ie/wellbeing/mental-health/child-and-adolescent-mental-health-services/introduction-to- camhs.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6vjHyq6a4AIV2PhRCh0mYwJmEAAYASAAEgJc8fD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

3 Jigsaw is a community-based prevention and primary care service which provides early intervention to support young people’s mental health. Jigsaw are the only mental health service in Ireland with an exclusive focus on 12 – 25-year olds, providing tangible supports for young people before they reach the point of acquiring a formal mental health diagnosis. Jigsaw will take organisational and self-referrals, participation in the programme is voluntary. http://archive.headstrong.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Jigsaw-Galway-Referral-May- 2011.pdf

122

local health services and Healthy Ireland Report presents this information to the public

6 Stakeholders identified that there were insufficient age CYPSC and LDTF to develop CYPSC to endorse CYPSC mental health sub- appropriate services for children and young people if and implement an recommendation 40x from group to endorse, support they presented with dual diagnosis/complex needs. advocacy strategy for a the South County Dublin and to share information ‘Proposal for Under 18s Healthy Ireland Report from the findings from the Specific Drug Service for the Clondalkin Area’, as well as Inbetweeners project when advocating for the completed continued provision of Jigsaw services in Clondalkin25.

7 Stakeholders identified a need for more alternative CYPSC to engage with the CYPSC to work in partnership education and training options to keep children and LCDC and SICAP to identify with relevant agencies to young people in education i.e. YouthReach, barriers to retaining children define a goal and way of Apprenticeships, Social Enterprises, QQI qualifications, and young people in measuring this goal to ensure iScoil and aid their progression into the jobs market education (and explore the there is a common target flexibility of current available regards the engagement of services to accommodate young people not in potential early school education of employment. leavers)

8 Stakeholders identified the need to target service CYPSC to endorse CYPSC to work CYPSC South Dublin to work provision at the most disadvantaged areas/people in recommendation 16xi, 17xii collaboratively with the with CYPSC at a national South County Dublin. The costs of services are a barrier to and 28xiii Sports Partnership to support level to agree on a accessing services including: early year services actions which increase the combined advocacy

4 It was noted by the Steering Group that it has been observed anecdotally, subsequent to the writing of this report that illicit poly-drug use has continued to increase in the area.

123

(childcare), recreational services (insurance fees for participation of children and strategy and key issues football clubs, swimming pools), health services, young people from regarding the accessibility afterschool services. The impact of not being able to disadvantaged areas in and provision of childcare access these services affects people’s health, their ability recreational services. for the most disadvantaged to progress and their opportunities for getting into families and areas in the employment. Local Authority.

9 Stakeholders reported that mental health services CYPSC to continue to work (CAMHS) were perceived as being too clinical and with CAMHS to engage children and young people attach a stigma to using youth with the objective of them as a consequence making their premises more 'youth friendly' and less clinical. This process is currently in train.

10 Anti-social behaviour and the proliferation of gang CYPSC South Dublin to CYPSC to endorse CYPSC to engage with NFSN activities, particularly in disadvantaged areas, severely engage national CYPSCs to recommendation 101, 111, to explore developing a impacted on children and young peoples opportunities advocate collectively for a 131, 151, 181 to provide regional network of family and their family’s quality of life. government led strategy in activities for children and support groups to extend relation to prevention of young people to engage. and strengthen family youth gang culture in support work. This network to disadvantaged areas use local protocols and good practice to support young people and their families who are experiencing drug related intimidation.

11 Schools are considered to be a potentially underutilised CYPSC to investigate the resource as a community-based location for the scope for the delivery of provision of community services such as family, health health services, mental

124

and mental health services and groups and after school health services and programmes for children and young people affordable afterschool programmes in schools - This process to highlight successful examples26 of this type of collaboration and explore replication of successful stories in the local area.

12 Housing continues to be a major concern in South The homeless subgroup County Dublin, stakeholders identified that the lack of sponsored by CYPSC to be local accommodation and emergency supported to continue to accommodation in South County Dublin for homeless progress the children and young people as forcing them outside of recommendations of the the area to secure accommodation, often in hotels or research in relation to the hostels. This impacts on their education as they may lived experience of living need to travel to get to school and as emergency with homelessness and accommodation is often in Dublin City Centre it emerging issues. e.g. the increases their risk of engaging in anti-social behaviour homelessness photograph project.

13 There was a lack of affordable recreational out of hours CYPSC to identify two or CYPSC to request the services and recreational spaces for children and young three key areas where development of a local people services and spaces are council policy document on lacking, or are not how planning is being accessible, and advocate managed to ensure that through the Council for social housing provides

5 Successful examples include: Secondary schools in Adamstown and Phibblestown where their premises are used by groups in the evenings, this form of functioning to be replicated in older schools.

125

investment into these areas, outdoor space, green space with a particular focus on and ensures optimal area development plans. recreational amenities and opportunities for young people.

Table 30: Potential Recommendations

14.Increase the availability and accessibility of yoga and dance classes. Locally run yoga and dance classes run by community organisations often have a good turnout. There is potential to engage more people in these programmes through provision of more classes. 1 29. Evidence-based parenting programmes to be further rolled-out, with a focus on disadvantaged areas, where the proven demand for programmes is greater than the ability of existing services to provide them. 1 32. Run an area-based stress control campaign. Research, develop and roll out a communications campaign to increase population awareness of ways to prevent and manage stress. Deliver training programme/workshops to further support messages of stress awareness and prevention. 1 34. Extend training for training (T4T) of Foroige’s ‘The Real U’ Programme. This evaluated programme focuses on a range of issues in relation to sexual health and sexual identify, including: choice, consent and safety. The goal is that all youth groups, community organisations and schools have staff who can deliver this programme. 1 35. Provide sexual health training to schools and youth organization’s Provide training to staff on how to talk about sexual health and gender identity 1-2-1 with young people. 1 20. Undertake research into the needs of schools and youth services in relation to working with young people with autism. To outline good practice and involve stakeholders in agreeing recommendations or a plan of action for addressing challenges. 1 22. Follow the development of Clondalkin Young Minds Project and the CDI Mental Health Pilot Programme, and to support their progression if there is a positive evaluation 1 Develop a strategic interagency approach to implement good practice for local provision of wellbeing/mental health programmes in education and community settings. Pilot, evaluate and extend; if successful. Stakeholders reported that Meithal was a good example of interagency collaboration 1 4. Extend the social prescribing approach. Health and social prescribing protocols have been developed for GPs. This approach can be expanded to a wider network of health providers in South Dublin to ensure that as many people as possible receive holistic health advice and signposting to local services and community groups. 1 40. Extend the YoDA programme (or similar) to serve all South Dublin County YoDA, the Youth Drug and Alcohol Service based in Tallaght, provides assistance and treatment to under 18's. The CYPSC Mental Health Subgroup to be supported to develop a well-researched community driven proposal for the extension of YODA, or a similar service, in order to progress this 1 16. A seminar on engaging with Roma communities to be run in 2019, this will include a specific focus on health and access to services. 1 17. To establish a working group and annual area plan for provision of physical activities for marginalised young people 1 28. Develop and implement ‘Heads-UP’ an evidence-based community based mental health programme with a focus on areas of disadvantage. This target group of this programme is currently men, the programme will be adapted and trialled with women.

126

Bibliography

1. Towards2016PartnershipAgreement.pdf [Internet]. [cited 2017 Jul 11]. Available from: http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/attached_files/Pdf%20files/Towards2016PartnershipAgreeme nt.pdf 2. BetterOutcomesBetterFutureReport.pdf [Internet]. [cited 2018 Apr 18]. Available from: https://www.dcya.gov.ie/documents/cypp_framework/BetterOutcomesBetterFutureRepor t.pdf 3. Purpose [Internet]. [cited 2018 Apr 18]. Available from: http://www.cypsc.ie/about- us/purpose.443.html 4. Census 2016 Small Area Population Statistics - CSO - Central Statistics Office [Internet]. [cited 2018 Apr 18]. Available from: http://www.cso.ie/en/census/census2016reports/census2016smallareapopulationstatistics/ 5. Statbank Database - Profile 2 - Population Distribution and Movements Listing Generated at 12:03 on 29JAN18 [Internet]. [cited 2018 Apr 18]. Available from: http://www.cso.ie/px/pxeirestat/Database/eirestat/Profile%202%20- %20Population%20Distribution%20and%20Movements/Profile%202%20- %20Population%20Distribution%20and%20Movements_statbank.asp?SP=Profile%202%20- %20Population%20Distribution%20and%20Movements&Planguage=0 6. The 2016 Pobal HP Deprivation Index (SA) | Trutz Haase [Internet]. [cited 2018 Apr 18]. Available from: http://trutzhaase.eu/deprivation-index/the-2016-pobal-hp-deprivation- index-for-small-areas/ 7. deis_action_plan_on_educational_inclusion.pdf [Internet]. [cited 2018 Apr 18]. Available from: https://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Policy- Reports/deis_action_plan_on_educational_inclusion.pdf 8. Recorded Crime Offences Under Reservation by Garda Station, Type of Offence and Year - StatBank - data and statistics [Internet]. [cited 2018 Apr 18]. Available from: http://www.cso.ie/px/pxeirestat/Statire/SelectVarVal/Define.asp?maintable=CJA07&PLan guage=0

127

Appendix

21.1 Appendix A

Mapping and Needs Analysis Youth Mental Health Professionals Group

Time: 3.00pm – 5.00pm

Date: 26th September

Venue: Institute of Population Health, Tallaght Cross

Attendance: Service Providers. Coordinated by Marian Quinn/CDI meeting on 26th September. Attended by key stakeholders from Tusla, HSE, local hospital, Jigsaw, Amach, C&V Groups involved in mental health services.

Format: The meeting was coordinated by Marion Quinn and the first 90 minutes discussed a proposal for Phase 1 of establishing supports that would cater for young people with moderate/mid-level mental health issues in the South Dublin County area.

Following a presentation on the issue, participants were asked how they felt this cohort group was catered for by mental health services in the area and where they felt there were gaps in service provision.

Participants were then split into groups where they discussed what a potential mid-range mental health support service for young people might look like and then feedback to the main group.

It was noted this would be the start of a long-term process that may take a few years to fully implement. The programme would be a targeted intervention that would be designed after consultation with relevant stakeholders, piloted and rolled out if it proves to be successful.

The final 30 minutes focused on identifying solutions to other mental health issues in the area, highlighted in interviews with service providers at an early stage of this project.

128

Issue: Shortage of mid-range mental health support services for young people in South County Dublin

Describe the issue It has been identified that there is a shortage of mid-range mental health support services in the South Dublin County area. Organisations such as CAMHS cater for young people with high threshold mental health issues and organisations such as Jigsaw cater for young people with low threshold mental health issues. However, there gaps in services for young people who are above the threshold for Jigsaw and below the threshold for CAMHS and these young people are at risk of falling through these cracks in the system.

Who does the issue affect Young people with moderate/mid-range mental health issues in South Dublin County and their families.

How does a shortage of mid-range mental health supports impact on young people and their families? Compounds complex social needs ‘The needs in Tallaght are trans generational, in fact the needs in all of Dublin 24 are. The complexity of need is beyond the resources currently available, if I had 10 psychologists I would still be busy, as it is I only have 0.5 to service my area.’

‘The lack of mid-range mental health services in north Clondalkin has some of the same impacts on young people as in the rest of Dublin 24, there are additional needs where a programme such as the programme that is being proposed can help young people. There are similar populations across the area, families living under the State benefits, fourth generational unemployment and the ‘nuclear family’ does not make up the majority of family units in the area.

The complexity of issues in the area is huge, in terms of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs we are often way off the mark. We are trying to teach parents about healthy eating when there is nothing in the cupboards the sheets on the beds are not clean.

Lack of early intervention services exacerbates mental health issues ‘There has been a gap in early intervention services for moderate mental health issues for a long time, especially in the 6 – 12-year-old age bracket, maybe if we got to their needs at this age we could be talking about effective early intervention. Not being seen to early just exacerbates children’s issues down the line.’

Suicide and self-harm There is a growing issue with levels of suicide in the area. We are finding that there is an increasing number of young mothers committing suicide, this has huge repercussions on everyone in the area, especially in relation to supports for young people going through puberty. This year we have seen a number of 20/30-year olds committing suicide which strains the coping skills of young people as well as their schools. This is occurring in an area that has one of the highest levels of unallocated social worker cases in the country. Self-harm presentations in Dublin South West are also very high particularly among young women.

129

Pathways to appropriate mental health services are unclear Parents don’t know what to do and don’t know where to go to get the supports that they need. They are trying to support their children but the children end up floating between services, these are often young people with mid-range metal health issues. Not only are the young people not receiving the necessary supports but the parents also do not have the proper supports to help their children.

Describe what a mid-range mental health support service for young people could look like? The service should be in the community ‘The family circumstances of young people in this cohort group are often very chaotic, this type of service needs to be brought into the community and kept there, it is more difficult to get families to buy-into services that are not located near to them. This needs to be targeted at early intervention, under the age of 12.’

‘This has been an issue forever’, there would have to be a few places in the community for the programme to work, not just one centralised facility.

Multiple service provider stakeholders need to be engaged A programme such as this, which needs to be in the community should start in primary schools and work with them, teachers do not know how to deal with chaotic children and NEEPS does not offer supports to families, teachers and educational psychologists ideally can be engaged in some capacity.

Service should focus on under 12’s presenting with behavioural issues and anxiety ‘Though there is a need for this service across the board, for all under 18’s, in this area it is mainly younger children under 12 presenting to Primary Care Psychology services with behaviour problems and anxiety that should be focused on.’

There is a need to work with families, not only young people ‘You need to work with families, not only young people as that is where the issues are, so what is needed is maybe family support, not necessarily a psychologist. If you do work with families you need to be prepared to work with them for a long period of time, lasting relationships have to be developed so that families and young people trust you as a service provider.

Potential Barriers Psychologists Some psychologists may not do the type of family support work that may be necessary for the implementation for a programme such as this as it is not technically primary care. Psychologists tend to be pulled toward more severe needs and for a programme like this you may need a psychologist based within the communities.

Family buy-in Families may not come forward to engage with the programme as they are terrified of child protection. They think that their children will be taken off them.

Resources ‘There are not enough resources available pure and simple, for example, ASD only gets diagnosed in girls as teenagers as they fall through the cracks. The threshold for mental health primary care psychologist service is very high, despite some of the cases presenting being very distressing, they are not accepted, we just do not have the resources.’

Who would benefit from the proposed service? 1. ‘Families that have suffered through suicide, often this is intergenerational.’ 130

2. Young people with ADHD, ASD or anxiety, there is currently very little service for these groups. Issues with the length of waiting lists are a problem in the area and it can take up to five years for young people to get the service that they need. 3. Young people with Asperger’s or on the autistic spectrum

What partners could contribute to the programme? Groups mentioned during the meeting are listed below:

1. Jigsaw 2. HSE 3. Tusla 4. 3rd level institutions 5. CYPSC 6. GP’s 7. Schools 8. NEEPs 9. Primary Care Counselling teams 10. CAMHS 11. Meitheal 12. Parents groups 13. Any other mental health service providers

What similar programmes/resources are currently available/could be used to feed into programme development? 1. Clondalkin Young Minds have identified a shortage of mid-range mental health services as an issue for young people in their area. They are utilising a model that they identified in Birmingham for this cohort group and are implementing it for young people in Clondalkin 2. Family Matters27 in Ballyfermot are doing good work with interagency groups around this issue 3. Springboard Family Support in Co. Wicklow28

27 Family Matters is a child-centred, family wellbeing initiative, providing a spectrum of support programmes for children and young people while enhancing the capacity of parents-guardians as primary educators. The overall aim of the programme is to connect with those families most in need of support. The initiative works under three strands, oral language development, parent and family support, and youth mental health and wellbeing. Family Matters ABC Programme is a consortium of over 30 local organisations with Ballyfermot and Chapelizod Partnership acting as lead agency.

Springboard aims to

 Provide appropriate support to families experiencing difficulties in Arklow Town and surrounding area.  To make a planned intervention that assists the family.  To develop and implement educational and parenting courses which meet the needs of the family.  To reduce risk to children by enhancing family life.  To prevent avoidable entry of children into the care system.  To provide direct services to children.  To build support networks for families in the community.  To advocate on behalf of the service users with other agencies.  To enable families to become self-reliant and independent of the services.  To recognise and identify the difficulties that families experience and work towards tackling these. 131

4. Ciara McKeown (2006) piece of research on Mounttown, Dun Laoghaire. Ciara researched a small version of what is being proposed here. That programme was run for 20 years.

5. The Strengthening Families Programme29 is a good example of a programme that works well with young people and their families in chaotic situations

6. Meitheal30 could be brought into this as they provide a good example of more integrated working between relevant agencies to improve developmental outcomes for all children.

Discussion Points from the Groups – What would a mid-range mental health service look like? 1. It would be worth investigating the model utilised by Clondalkin Young Minds to see if there is potential for adapting what they are doing 2. The proposed service needs to be grounded in the community 3. There needs to be debate whether the proposed service should be more ‘clinical’ like CAMHS or more open (a Jigsaw type model) 4. The proposed service should focus on early prevention, getting to younger age groups to stop issues that they are experiencing being compounded over time 5. There is an issue with sign posting families to services that needs to be addressed. Families may currently be going to the wrong place or multiple wrong places to look for the services that they need as there are not clear pathways into the services they need. Referral pathways would need to be improved to better guide service users through the system to the services that they require. Social prescribing, the LAMP31 (Local Asset Mapping Project) project is another piece to pull in, to look at how families can be better linked to services in their area 6. The mapping of available services so that families are aware of what is available to them in their area and outside of their area is an important step in developing the proposed service 7. GP’s are seen as gatekeepers to the system and the service through which many young people and their families access the system. There is debate as to whether a GP is the correct person to act as gatekeeper for a mid-range support service 8. There needs to be better communication between agencies, different agencies are talking to young people and their families. However, they may be unaware of what other services who are engaging the service users are

29 The Strengthening Families Programme is a 14-session family skills training programme designed to increase resilience and reduce the risk factors for substance misuse, depression, violence and aggression, involvement in crime, and school failure in high risk, 13-17-year-old children and their parents.

30 http://www.tusla.ie/uploads/content/Tusla_Meitheal_A_National_Practice_Model.pdf

31 http://www.ehealthireland.ie/Case-Studies-/Local-Asset-Mapping-Project-at-St-James-Hospital/

132

doing. Good interagency communication could help co-ordinate better service provision for service users 9. Drug and alcohol misuse may be an issue facing some young people or their families. YODA may be a good agency to get involved in the proposed programme 10. A precise age range for the service should be ironed out so that the proposed service can be delivered uniformly 11. Regardless of what the proposed service looks like, a lot of service providers sit around the CYPSC table, so it would be worthwhile having CYPSC on board

Concluding points 1. CYPSC will establish a sub-committee looking at mental health, todays discussion will feed into it 2. The group again highlighted the importance of early intervention if the proposed programme is to be successful 3. There may be scope to do something with GPs in the area regarding the proposed service 4. Case studies are to be produced for the next meeting of this group a. Case study on people who are referred to CAMHS who do not belong there b. Case study on Jigsaw and inappropriate referral 5. The case studies will help to move the process of building a mid-range programme for mental health supports but it is noted that a mechanism needs to be designed to formalise how the programme will go forward from here

Short Discussion Relating to Challenges in Mental Health Service Provision in South Dublin County

Six members of the meeting group remained for a short discussion on two of the issues that had been identified in interviews with service providers as gaps in the provision of mental health services.

Challenge 1 – Referral Pathways Referral pathways into mental health services can be unclear

Suggested improvements

Create a ‘one stop shop’ either in the community or online for young people or their families where they can see what services are available and how they can access these services

‘Some services force people to have to opt-in to services, this is terrible. For example, if I have suffered domestic violence, I have to refer myself to counselling. An opt-out system rather than an opt-in system would be better.’

133

‘Even when people do get into the system, if they have not had positive experiences in their early years, they are less likely to follow through with treatments, and may need further supports to stay in treatment.’

Sign-posting: ‘Sign-posting young people and their families into services needs to be addressed but so does sign-posting for professionals. I know an EWO who when she presented at a child’s house, the child would not come out of his room and had not been seen by any other service providers for the previous three months. The situation was beyond her capacity, but there was no obvious service to refer the child to, a database of available services could help this but often the correct pathways are difficult to locate even for professionals.’

Gateway to Mental Health services: A database should be set up for individuals to access a list of all the available services and what they do thus eliminating confusion (similar to citizen information).

Challenge 2 – Diagnosis/Screening Diagnosis, screening could be improved at primary level so that only young people with severe needs are referred to CAMHS and young people with less severe needs are referred elsewhere

Suggested improvements ‘There is a need for a qualified person to triage young people who turn up looking for mental health services instead of going to a GP. A psychologist would be the type of expert needed to carry out this task, to screen and direct young people to the appropriate services but often there are simply not enough psychologists available.’

‘Developing precise thresholds for diagnosis is often not easy. Meitheal do some of this already, so any proposed service that helps triage young people presenting with mental health difficulties would be screened at a pre-Meitheal stage.’

21.2 Appendix B

Mapping and Needs Analysis

Young Persons Focus Group

134

Time: 6.30pm – 8.30pm

Date: 26th September

Venue: Jigsaw Clondalkin, Moorfield Ave, Clondalkin, Dublin 22

Attendance: Three Young People between 18 -24 years drawn from former members of the Jigsaw Tallaght and Jigsaw Clondalkin Youth Advisory Panel and IT Tallaght Social Care Course (coordinated by David Studer & Jigsaw Clondalkin and Tallaght)

Format: Focus group members were given the option of a list of nine services areas that they could choose to discuss issues pertaining to young people in their area. Mental health issues and drugs and alcohol issues were selected as the areas that focus group members felt they had the most expertise. The group highlighted gaps in current service provision for young people in Clondalkin and then proposed solutions that could help to bridge these gaps. Challenges Faced in the Area Mental Health

Pathways to Services/Signposting Who does it affect? Young people and their families

How does the issue affect them? Young people and their families do not know where to go when a mental health issue arises. There is no service or website that describes how the system works or how they can access the particular service that they need.

Challenges identified by the group ‘Young people are unsure of where to go to access the right help, which service best suits their needs, there is a lack of knowledge’

‘I have a friend who is addicted to codeine and I have no idea where to send her to, to get treatment’

‘There is a lack of communication between services, a number of services may be dealing with the same person but the services do not talk to each other. It wears people down having to constantly retell their story.’

‘There is a huge disconnect between drugs and mental health services, even though they are really linked.’

A lot of people I know have mental health problems and do drugs, and vice-versa

Proposed solutions 1. Campaigns to highlight pathways into services for young people. Any campaign that is run should take on board young peoples input in how to appeal to other young people.

‘I find it annoying that campaigns run for young people often obviously do not take young peoples input into the design of campaigns.’

2. Inform GP’s, school councillors and other professionals dealing with young people of a list/database of services related to mental health that they can refer young people onto when they present with a mental health issue

135

3. A more accessible ‘gatekeeper’ to services could be created in the community that could direct young people to the service that they are looking for when they need it. The service could be added to an existing service provider rather than setting up a new service, i.e. it could be provided in schools or by GP’s. Young people would need to be comfortable going to the service in order to get them to buy-into it.

4. Services need to talk to each other better so that young people are not retelling the same story over and over again to different services, the group acknowledges that data protection is a concern but a centralised database of services would be a start

Stigma / Mental Health Services are not Youth Friendly Who does it affect? Young people who access some mental health services

How does the issue affect them? There is a stigma involved in accessing mental health services for young people, they do not want to be singled out as being different. Those that do access services may be put off by the clinical nature of the service as they are seen as not being friendly to young people.

Challenges identified by the group ‘There is a stigma to going to mental health services, young people don’t want to be singled out as being different’

‘There is a stigma for young people going to clinical services, they could put in comfortable sofas and nice paintings to soften the environment. You can get a vibe from a place the moment that you walk in the door, and if it is not welcoming it is hard to get young people to engage in a service.’

‘CAMHS is not very youth friendly, there is a lack of specific services available i.e. DBT, CBT etc., young people need to be sent to outside agencies to avail of such services’

Proposed solutions Create a youth advisory board to feed into projects run by mental health services to ensure that they are youth friendly and appeal to young people

Ensure that mental health services are less clinical in appearance, for example they could look more like Jigsaw’s spaces, which are designed to be youth friendly, where the atmosphere is non-judgemental. This extends to running campaigns for young people, create youth friendly design, i.e. for poster campaigns that can be put up in school halls or on buses

Waiting Lists Who does it affect? Young people who are trying to access appropriate treatment for a mental health issue, particularly if it is an acute issue.

How does the issue affect them? It may take months spent on a waiting list for a young person to get a place on a mental health programme. Issues that they have, particularly if they are acute may be compounded in this time and young people may be crossed off the list if they do not attend when they are supposed to.

136

Challenges identified by the group ‘Waiting lists are very long to get into Mental Health services.’

‘I had a friend who was suicidal and tried to get into CAMHS, they gave him an appointment in six months, but sure he had tried to commit suicide three times in the interim.’

‘Some mental health services will not take you in if you are in drugs, and quite often drugs and mental health problems go hand in hand. That leads to people trying to hide the fact that they are taking drugs’

Proposed solutions Better initial assessments could help stream young people more quickly to the service that they require rather than leaving them to wait for months to access services.

Gaps in Services for 16 – 18 Year Olds Who does it affect? Young people aged 16 – 18 years of age.

How does the issue affect them? There are gaps in services for 16 – 18-year olds. They may feel themselves to be too old for CAMHS and too young to access adult mental health services. The transition between CAMHS and adult mental health services can be stressful on young people as they are unsure of how the system operates.

Challenges identified by the group ‘There are gaps in services for young people aged 16 – 18, they are too old to be considered a child and too young to be considered an adult’

‘There is not enough discussion in schools and not enough counsellors in schools and colleges and there is very little support outside of welfare in colleges for students.’

‘The transition from CAMHS to AMHS is particularly difficult and young people aged 16 – 18 can easily get lost in the system, services need to talk to each other better to help young people through this difficult time.’

Proposed solutions Research should be carried out into the reorganisation of age brackets in mental health services. Mental health services should be divided into the following age brackets:

1. 0 – 15 years 2. 16 – 24 years 3. 25+ years

The group suggested these age brackets as a better distinction of development compared to the current under 18 and 18 and over. Challenges Faced in the Area Drugs & Alcohol

Stigma Who does it affect? Young people who need treatment for drug or alcohol dependency, in particularly boys.

How does the issue affect them? There is a stigma about being seen to look for help around addiction, especially among boys/young men. It is not seen as a tough/macho thing to do and therefore it is often not 137

talked about either among peers or with professional services. There is also a hierarchy of stigma depending on what drug somebody may be using, for example heroin and methadone have stigma attached to their use whereas smoking weed does not.

Challenges identified by the group ‘Boys don’t cry as there is a stigma around this.’ It is difficult to get boys to go to addiction services as it not seen as a tough thing to do to talk about what they are feeling.

‘There is a stigma attached to using drug services’, nobody wants people to think they are not normal.

There is a hierarchy of stigma in using drugs. Heroin or methadone have a stigma to them and young people do not want to be associated with services that deal with them as they may be labelled as ‘junkies’. However, there is no stigma to smoking weed, drinking or smoking, all are completely normalised. ‘Handing someone a smoke (joint) in a group is just something you do as a teenager, it’s not even questioned.’ ‘There is an attitude that it is legalised in Amsterdam, so therefore it is ok.’

‘Alcohol addiction is not seen as a problem as we live in Ireland. There is an attitude in Ireland around alcohol that goes ‘you are not drinking, what is wrong with you’’

‘Other addictions also need to be highlighted, i.e. gambling, porn, these are not even talked about, they are hidden away’

Proposed solutions ‘A ‘Jigsaw’ type service for drugs and alcohol services is needed.’ A community based drop in services that has non-stigmatising attitudes to young people and is designed with young peoples input that can provide information on treatment for addictions would help young people

Waiting Lists Who does it affect? Young people who are trying to access appropriate treatment for an addiction issue, particularly if it is an acute issue.

How does the issue affect them? It may take a long time spent on a waiting list for a young person to get a place on a drug or alcohol treatment programme. Dependency issues that a young person may have may be compounded during this time and with the previously mentioned issue of stigma a young person may be willing to engage with services when they first present with an issue but become more reluctant over their waiting period.

Challenges identified by the group ‘The waiting lists to see addiction counsellors are lengthy’

‘There is a lack of youth specific drug and alcohol services, they all seem to be geared toward adults and they are not youth friendly’

Proposed solutions More addiction counsellors who are trained in dealing with young people are needed in the area to deal specifically with young people’s needs, a teenager is likely to have different issues than somebody in their 40’s.

Gang Activity Who does it affect? Young people living in the Clondalkin area, in particular boys. 138

How does the issue affect them? There is a lot of gang activity in the area, and most of it revolves around the selling of drugs. Young men/boys are attracted to the easy money/girls/lifestyle that they perceive to go along with this type of culture. Families are afraid to confront this issue as they will be threatened with violence if they try to do something about it.

Challenges identified by the group ‘There is a major problem with young people getting caught up in drug gangs, selling and taking drugs in the area, especially boys’

‘The culture/community are afraid to go to services as they are afraid of repercussions from local head dealers’

‘Boys think, why should I work if I can just sell a couple of 50 bags and make the same amount of money. This attitude often wrongly paints everyone in the area with the same brush, this is not the case, I want to work, I want to succeed.’

Proposed solutions There are unfortunately no quick solutions to issue, the group suggested that any solution would need to interagency cooperation between many different services (i.e. justice, education, mental health, drug and alcohol services) to best define and tackle the issue.

139

21.3 Appendix C

Focus Group with Minority Groups for CYPSC South Dublin County – Identified Issues and Solutions

Time: 10.00am – 12.00am

Date: 06th October

Venue: Civic Centre, Clondalkin

Attendance: Service providers and users. Facilitated by Quality Matters. Attended by key stakeholders from: Afra Eorpach, the Tallaght Roma Integration Project (TRIP), Crosscare, City West resident’s association, the Migrant Integration Forum, South Dublin Migrant Forum

Format: The topic of the focus group was service provision for Minority groups in relation to children, young people and their families in South County Dublin. The focus group looked at gaps in service delivery in South Dublin County, which will feed into the development of the CYPSCs Children and Young People’s Strategic Plan.

Participants identified 5 issues that affect service provision. Participants then discussed the issues in depth and developed potential solutions to bridge gaps in service provision. Key Issues Identified by Participants

Participants were asked to identify three issues where they believed there was gaps in delivery of services for young people and their families from Minority communities. These issues were then grouped together to form themes that affect service provision. These themes are highlighted below.

140

The Normalisation of Anti-Social Behaviour 1. There is an acceptability and normalisation of domestic violence, especially in the Travelling community it is almost expected 2. There is a series of anti-social activities that affects school children taking place in the community, i.e. peer pressure, burning bins, being out late alone at night

Education, Literacy and Language 1. Education – The government withdrawal of the visiting teacher service in recent years has taken the emphasis off young people attending schools 2. Language and literacy skills can be lacking in parents and make engagement difficult for them

Stigma/Racism 1. There is a stigma within the community around mental health and taking up supports 2. There is a racism and stigmatisation of women in the community

Childcare 1. There is a lack of adequate care from parents, i.e. keeping their children clean, allowing their children to be outside until late hours of night 2. The costs of childcare are a barrier to integration. We do not receive funding so need to partner with established Irish community groups with more resources to be able to exist

Poverty and Funding 1. There are no adequate resource centres of game activities for young people 2. There is a funding barrier on finding somewhere for groups to meet, i.e. to cover the cost of a venues insurance 3. Poverty and life expectations (traditional gender roles in the community), impacts children in areas such as school completion 4. There is not enough support for ethnic minority grassroots groups, they are expensive and this cost has to be made up by the individuals involved. There is also a lack of acceptance of cultural barriers in helping to solve issues from a diverse view

Theme Discussion with Potential Solutions

Once participants had identified themes that affect service provision, the group discussed each theme and produced potential solutions for each theme.

Theme 1: The Normalisation of Anti-Social Behaviour Who does it affect? Young people, parents and the community suffer from young people who engaging in antisocial behaviour. Parents and children who are suffering domestic abuse.

141

What is the issue Parents not adequately parenting their children, they leave their children unattended and without proper structures in their lives, these children are more likely to engage in anti-social behaviour. This starts around the age of three and may go all the way up to 18-year olds.

Impact Lack of stability in children’s lives, ‘teenagers are often left unattended to look after younger siblings so you have children bringing up children.’

‘I see kids as young as eight or nine years of age smoking in the open, they are not even afraid to hide it, other kids see this and they want to emulate it and it goes in a vicious circle.’

‘Young people end up dropping out of school as parents are not concerned with education, they may not have had an education themselves so they do not see the point of making their children stick with education.’

How many people Not stated

Current efforts to address the issue  Local resident’s associations organise their estates so that they can liaise with council members, they can funnel their concerns around the issue to higher levels in this way.  Crosscare run programmes on halting sites where young people can come into them and avail of services.

There are more white Irish engaging in anti-social behaviour but the minority groups end up hanging around with them and copying their behaviour. It is not unusual to see kids from both communities pushing wheelie bins around the estate and setting them on fire.

There needs to be a balance struck between children’s rights and the ability of parents to provide discipline. Since the reports on institutional child abuse it seems that Ireland does not like to enforce parents’ rights. There is an African saying, ‘it takes a community to raise a child’, however parents are scared if they see anti-social behaviour happening to say anything about it as they fear they will be the ones who the police are called on.

This issue is more rampant and obvious in areas of higher social deprivation where you have more people living in a small space. Travellers live on group housing schemes so a lot of violence that goes on in the community is carried out against other members of the Travelling community, this hides the issue from the general population.

Potential Solutions Description There should be a tailor-made course for parents to go to, whose children engage in or are at risk of engaging in anti-social behaviour to learn about a holistic approach to raising a child and improve their parenting skills.

Schools should be involved, especially in DEIS areas as they have a liaison officer who could be trained on issues pertaining to parents. The liaison officers could pull in parents into these courses as they visit them in their houses and could refer them to courses.

The approach is very important. There may be an issue in some communities where the parents that really need the supports the most will not engage with such courses. Courses must be in the community, for the community and cannot be seen as being State led as there is a fear in some minority communities of bureaucracy. 142

Where it is difficult to get parents to engage, for example in the Roma community a Roma Parents Forum should be established to engage with parent.

Who will it benefit? Parents of children who engage in anti-social behaviour and by extension their children and the wider community

What partners are involved Schools, school liaison officers, family support groups, preschools, community groups

What resources are needed The use of school facilities, school liaison officer’s resources, space for teaching parents in the community

What resources are available Not stated

Theme 2: Education, Literacy and Language Who does it affect? All minority communities, both children and adults, especially those for whom English is not their first language.

What is the problem Young people and their parents may come to this country and not have English as their first language, this makes accessing all services difficult for them and their children. When young people go to school and learn English their parent’s language skills may not develop, this is a barrier for keeping their children in school as they don’t understand what is going on in their child’s education. ‘It is also an issue where children can pick and choose what information they want to bring home from school, if a note reflects badly on them and their parents cannot read, why would they show their parents.’

Some indigenous and migrant minorities can have low literacy levels as they may not have had the opportunity to attend formal education. This is also a barrier to keeping their own children in education and accessing the services that they need. ‘Education helps integration, it is one of the best ways to integrate so should be encouraged.’

Impact Due to a lack of language or literacy young people fall behind in school, this can lead to them leaving school early and not having many options in the jobs market.

This issue impacts negatively on the life options/jobs open to minority communities, the type of jobs that are open to them as a consequence are less fulfilling and not well remunerated. Due to this many immigrants are very keen to learn English when they do arrive in Ireland.

‘Some parents in minority communities cannot read and write themselves so compensate with the children and stress the importance of education, however others take the attitude that ‘I have gotten this far in life without education and I am fine’.’

Current efforts to address the issue Some schools do run language classes for parents in the evening. There is a phone translation service that may soon be piloted to help parents with translation. Pointing parents toward Google Translate would even be a low-level solution.

143

Solution Describe potential solution More specifically targeted SNA’s with language abilities could be paired with young people from migrant communities who have a better understanding of the culture that the young person comes from.

There needs to be better communication between parents of young people from minority groups and schools. This could be carried out by the school liaison officer. Parents would be better informed of what their children are doing in their school life and what they need to do for their children to ensure that they are successful in school and do not drop out of school early. A translation service similar to the service offered by the Gardaí could also help parents communicate better with their children’s schools and engage better in their children’s education.

‘Parents and children of specific minority groups should be prioritised. Girls in the Roma community simply do not finish school. The Roma community are very much into traditional gender roles and girl’s dropout long before the Leaving Cert, either to help look after the family or to get married. Communities such as this should be heavily targeted.’

Who will it benefit Parent of children of school going age as well as the young people themselves.

What partners are involved Teachers, school liaison officers, special needs assistants, language services

What resources are needed A phone translation service, SNA’s with cultural knowledge and foreign language skills

Theme 3: Racism/Stigma Who does it affect? Women wearing traditional skirts or head coverings are targeted, particularly by security guards who suspect them of shop lifting, as the men do not wear their traditional clothes they are not affected to the same extent.

What are the problems Roma women are suspected of shop lifting by security guards as they are wearing big skirts. They are targeted as it is believed that they are hiding items in the skirt. This can be an issue in places like Tallaght where there approximately 1,000 Roma living.

Schools do not have positive role models working or visiting the school from minority communities. Young people imitate what they see and if they don’t see people who look like them in positions of authority they feel like they do not belong there. There are barriers for volunteering in schools, even if community leaders were willing to monitor corridors at lunch break at least young people would see people from their own community in their schools. Sometimes there are services available but the cultural context may not be taken into consideration and therefore they are not availed of.

‘A lot of people in our communities still feel that that we are in a foreign land and that we don’t really belong here, even if we have been here for years, more needs to be done so that we don’t feel excluded from mainstream society.’

Impact As young people do not see older people/role models from their community in their daily life, they become disenfranchised with the school or the society that they are in. They are less likely to engage with school/society, more likely to become socially isolated and less likely to feel like the area that they are living is really their home or accepting of them. 144

How many people Not stated

Current efforts to address the issue ENAR Ireland (European Network Against Racism Ireland) are doing a lot in terms of fighting racism but nothing specific to integration in schools

Potential Solutions Description The public should be educated about the difficulties that affect minorities. This can be done through campaigns.

There is a need for staff in agencies to be trained in cultural awareness. TUSLA could do more to promote minority groups in a similar manner to how they promoted knowledge of issues that pertain to the LGBT community

SNA positions could be offered to member of minorities who have trained in the area so that they will be seen in schools as role models to young people. This would dispel the notion that ‘black people cannot do this job, it would de-normalise this stigma. Member of new communities should be encouraged to volunteer in their children’s schools also so that they are seen by their children as role models.

Who will benefit? Often, we in minority groups feel as if the general population is not aware of issues that we face. If they are not aware of the difficulties we face how can we expect to change their attitudes and get them to work with us. This benefits the whole community not only young people from minority groups and their parents.

21.3.1 Resources needed  Resources necessary to run a campaign  Intercultural awareness trainers  Courses for people from minority groups to train as SNA’s Resources available  Groups such as ENAR run campaigns fighting racism/stigma they could be engaged  There are courses available in intercultural awareness training for organisations  There are private courses available for training SNA’s but they may need to be subsidised

Theme 4: Childcare Who does it affect? Parents of children from minority communities and by extension their children, especially lone parents and their children. Women from minority communities are adversely affected as often the culture stresses the importance of traditional gender roles.

What is the issue The cost of childcare in Ireland is very high and often member of minority communities do not have the resources to access it. ‘You need to understand that childcare services should not be able to charge a blunt fee and not look at people’s income.’

Immigrants are less likely than the general population to have family supports where they can leave their children, i.e. they are less likely to live near grandparents that they could leave their children with while the go to work.

145

Childcare where it is available usually closes around six in the evening, when it may be needed for people studying at night.

Impact Children are impacted as their parents cannot access childcare and therefore cannot work or attend training courses that could help them improve their economic status.

If families do not have access to childcare services the children are more likely to grow up and engage in anti-social behaviour. This engenders a feeling in parents that they cannot integrate their children into Irish society.

The costs of childcare for lone parents is huge. ‘I broke down and went to hospital as I had to deal with the stress, I knew I had to get out of poverty so I had to educate myself I did not have the supports at the time to be able to do this.’

Potential Solutions Description More community childcare is necessary. A drop-in centre for parents based in the community where they can place their children while they go to work or training, this needs to be subsidised or free. This also offers a kind of respite to parents IKEA and the Liffey Valley centre have drop-in childcare facilities, this kind of service could be replicated in the community.

Childcare services that are open in the evening are also necessary so that people who want to go into education can do so.

Benefits Stress is decreased on parents as they have time to go to work or training which has the knock- on effect of improving their economic standing. This leads to a better environment for children to grow-up in.

Resources needed Community childcare that works out of hours.

Trainers to teach local people to support young families in their area.

Resources available Models of childcare that would support families from minority communities do exist but they are usually out of the price range of the people who need them the most i.e. single parents.

Theme 5: Poverty and Funding Who does it affect? The majority of people living in minority communities have faced or are faced with poverty at some point but especially people living/coming out of direct provision. This affects their educational achievement, their ability to work, their health and their ability to properly integrate into Irish society and may lead to anti-social behaviour or crime. ‘Being in poverty is like fighting a brick-wall.’ 146

What is the problem It is difficult for all minority groups to access the same services that are available to the general population however, it is harder still for those who are living in poverty. There is a general lack of funding for services for minority groups

Impact Minority groups are unable to access services such as childcare that would allow them to attain employment or attend educational courses that could lead them to working their way out of poverty. This can be due to a lack of services in their area or even if there is a service, the fees to access service precludes them from engaging with the service.

People may spend years in direct provision, this may lead them to feeling institutionalised so that when they get out they have nowhere to go and no idea about how to support themselves.

Young people living in direct provision are permitted to attend schooling up until 18 years of age. However, they are not able to access third level education and just have to stop while their friends continue their education, this can go on for years and their motivation to reengage with education after standing still for so long is an issue.

Not being able to access the labour market while in direct provision also means that parents are not able to support their children in a manner that they would like.

How many people Not stated

Potential Solution Describe More scrutiny of what got a family to the point that they are at needs to be given. Funding needs to be targeted to those families that are most adversely affected by poverty to support them in getting out of it.

The time spent in the direct provision system should be reduced and streamlined if possible. Young people who have finished secondary school should be allowed to continue their education to third level.

Resources should be distributed in such a way that the most vulnerable groups are prioritised and extra resources can be allocated where it is necessary. (Similar to the way the DEIS school system works in the education system.)

Who will it benefit? Parents and children living in poverty.

What partners are involved Housing agencies, family support agencies, education agencies, immigration agencies.

What resources are needed Beating poverty in minority communities needs a holistic approach. There are agencies currently with a remit of fighting poverty in Ireland. These agencies resources need to coordinated in order to most effect change in the status of minority groups who are experiencing poverty. Targeting the most vulnerable groups could be encouraged by agencies using methods similar to DEIS schools, where the groups most affected by poverty can be prioritised and extra resources supplied if necessary.

147

21.4 Appendix D

Focus Group with Professionals in the Area of Housing and Homelessness for CYPSC South Dublin County – Prioritised Issues with Solutions

Time: 10.00am – 12.00am

Date: 25th September

Venue: The Big Picture, Foroige, Tallaght

Attendance: Service Providers. Facilitated by Quality Matters. Attended by key stakeholders from Tusla, HSE, schools, Barnardo’s, Foroige, South Dublin County Council, South Dublin County Partnership, Focus Ireland, Saorise Women’s Refuge, Crosscare, Respond and Sophia involved in housing and homelessness services.

Format: The topic of the focus group was Housing and Homelessness in relation to children, young people and their families. The focus group looked at gaps in service delivery in South Dublin County, which will feed into the development of the CYPSCs Children and Young People’s Strategic Plan.

Participants identified 11 issues that affect service provision, then broke into five groups, each group selected one of the 11 issues and worked on formulating potential solutions to bridging gaps in service provision regarding their chosen issue. Key Issues Identified by Participants

Participants were asked to identify three issues where they believed there was gaps in delivery for young people and their families in relation to Housing and Homelessness services. These issues were then grouped together to form themes that affect service provision. These themes 148

are highlighted below. Themes with an * below were the themes selected for discussion in smaller groups, to provide solutions to bridge gaps in service.

Through Care, Following/Tracking the Child * 1. Young people in uncertain locations are unwilling/unable to engage in youth services 2. Children and families temporarily housed outside South County Dublin are expected to access services in South Dublin County. i.e. Schools, Family support) 3. There is a problem following the needs of children from service to service and especially area to area

Transport* 1. There are problems with keeping children and families linked to local schools and supports especially if they have moved out of the area 2. There are difficulties in children getting to school due to being accommodated far away from their schools 3. Transport for children to and from school, the leap card is good but there needs to be more supports than this 4. Poor school attendance, often families are located in B&B’s far from their children’s school and children are sent to multiple school’s overtime 5. Parents are not able to get their children to school on time 6. There is a lack of access to schools in areas where emergency accommodation is 7. Children are spending a huge amount of time commuting to and from school, leaving family hub at 6.30/7am and not returning until 4/5pm 8. Young people having to travel huge distances to school 9. There are problems with travelling from temporary emergency accommodation to schools

Lack of Key-working* 1. There is a lack of key working for families who are ‘self-accommodating’ 2. There is a lack of support services for children in living in hotels 3. There are not enough key-working services for children and families in homelessness

Lack of Housing & Problems with Existing Housing 1. There is an impact on children’s social and emotional development 2. Isolation and lack of supports. Families are often not allowed visitors in homeless accommodation 3. Children suffering domestic abuse and homeless as a result of being out of home 4. Children spending their formative years in unsuitable/insecure accommodation, they have little or no structure, routine, security etc.

Parenting Capacity* 1. Parents are unable to engage in addressing issues that affect their capacity to meet their children’s needs due to homelessness, i.e. family support

149

2. Children and teens taking on adult roles as the parent is not coping 3. Parents are unable to take on educational opportunities because they have no childcare (both creche and afterschool options) 4. Building children and parent’s resilience and capacity is difficult while they are living insecurely

Play and Routing Structure* 1. There is a need to deliver resilience/confidence building for children and young people around their mental health 2. Families moved out of their communities impacting on their routines, schooling, supports, access to everyday services and assistance that they need 3. Creating structure and routine for children collapses for parents in homelessness/insecure tenancy 4. There are issues around poor nutrition and exercise for children in emergency accommodation 5. Impact on diet and nutrition due to poor cooking facilities 6. There is limited or no access to places to play, no space to play, this has a detrimental impact on holistic development 7. Children not having access to ‘normal’ activities on a day to day basis 8. Engaging families and having access to recreational opportunities for children is difficult while they are living insecurely. I.e. play, outings, parties and other general child centred activities

Funding 1. Funding within services for child based programmes, there is a lack of ringfenced funding in housing services 2. Families are not engaging in long-term approach, services may not be able to engage and follow families as because they do not have the resources

Interagency Working 1. A database for information is not available between homeless and children’s services 2. There is a lack of coordinated antenatal care, due to late booking or families being unsure of accommodation 3. New-born infants should not be relocating around the city! They should be prioritised. I would like to see infants and young children receiving optimal access to health services. In the areas of PHN/GP/Speech and Language/Occupational therapy/nutrition and hospital follow-up

Information/Data about Families 1. Data is missing related to the number of children and families experiencing homelessness per local authority area. i.e. numbers, parenting, needs (health, education) 2. Lack of awareness of the needs of families in the homeless system 3. There is not enough information on self-accommodating families, what their needs are or the supports that they need

150

Lack of Information for Parents and Families 1. Families are falling through the gaps, families new to homelessness, often don’t know where to go/start 2. There is a lack of information and support for families who are at risk of becoming homeless

Education 1. Parents trying to access housing/beds means that school is not a priority Five Prioritised Themes with Potential Solutions

Once participants had identified themes that affect service provision, they were split into five groups, each group selected a theme that they would work on producing potential solutions for.

Theme 1: Routine, Structure and Impact of Lack of these on Service Access Who does it affect? Parents and children. Children coming into the area / children being moved out of the area

What is the issue Uncertainty in their housing status means that parents/children don’t engage in normal activities and engage in ‘fire-fighting’ /hiding the fact that they are not living sustainable lifestyles

Impact Lack of stability in children and their families lives, issues with children’s self-esteem, nutrition, fatigue, confidence and belonging

How many people Children, families, peers (270 children)

Current efforts to address the issue Not stated

School is a stable place for a child. Access to services (breakfast etc) especially in DEIS schools can tie in with other local services and creates structure for parents also but may not being used as well as it could be. A lack of routine is stressful for parents but also for children regarding the uncertainty as to where people are staying.

Second level schools may be less aware of who the young people are living insecurely as the young people may not have disclosed their status for fear of judgement or ostracization. Some parents may be reluctant to engage in after school activities because of the temporary nature of where they are located, this creates a perpetual cycle of uncertainty.

There may be more of a lack of structure during school holidays. Parents may either lack access or not be aware of local youth services that could provide structure in the evenings and during the school holidays and there is a potential to use schools after hours to a greater degree, for example to make school facilities available to parents for cooking/washing.

151

Potential Solutions Description Harness the stability that schools provide to bring services together that aids the designing of a model where:

1. Young people are in school 2. The needs of young people and their families can be identified 3. Services can be arranged to meet the needs of young people and their families

Needs assessments of young people could be carried out in schools, preschools and out of school services can be included in this model, ideally with a key-worker would be made available to oversee and support it. The key worker would be attached to a family and looking at the local school as a point for engaging with the family. Working on an interagency level CYPSC would be well placed to help manage this. Services can link within schools to deal with issues facing young people who are homeless, such as missed appointments (speech and language, occupational therapy) and it could ensure that young people are in school and attending on a more consistent basis.

Who will it benefit? Families with children in homelessness

What partners are involved Education welfare officers, key-workers, schools, pre-schools, out of school services, CYPSC, other services in the community

What resources are needed The use of school facilities

What resources are available Not stated

Theme 2: Impact on Parenting Capacity Who does it affect? Parents and children affected by homelessness

What is the problem Parents are disempowered in their role as parents as they cannot provide routines to meet the developmental needs of their children

Impact Care conditions of parenting impacted: routine, behaviour, confidence in their role as parents, nutrition, medical needs of children, physical needs of children and their self-esteem

How many people Not stated

Current efforts to address the issue General parenting supports. i.e. Parents Plus

For children attending school there is a natural break for parents but children under school going age or during school holiday there is no break for families living in emergency accommodation. Parents are disempowered in their role as parents and this affects the quality of parenting that they can provide to their children as there is no space to be a family. Parents living long term in hotels and family hubs have fit into the routines of other services, i.e. curfews

152

put in place on times visitors can come to some hostels/hotels and having to keep children quiet.

Parents experience feelings of guilt and shame in relation to homelessness and in terms of their ability to provide and set boundaries for their children. This may lead to over compensating for this in other ways and behavioural difficulties arising. Parents are essentially parenting in public in front of other parents in family hubs etc. and may be more self-conscious, this constant stress can wear away parent’s resilience over time. Parents may also experience the stress of dealing with social welfare authorities as if they cannot meet their children’s needs, they may fear being reported and having their children taken into care, this may have the effect of making parents less likely to fully engage with authorities. There are not a lot of supports available and even where there are parenting supports available (Parents Plus), parents may not have the capacity to engage with these. These types of parenting supports provide groups/activities for children which provide space/break for both parents and children from each other which work to some effect.

Most regular parenting issues are put on hold until ‘we have a house’, and this impacts on children’s development especially in the formative years. It can also lead to parents becoming institutionalised and deskilled.

Children 2 – 5 years of age could be living in the area, attending early years services then have to move out of the area. The service itself is effected by this – parents are coming late, attendance is poor and services are being penalised in relation to this, to timekeeping etc. Childcare services are so stretched that this is difficult for them to deal with.

Solution Describe potential solution Each family should have a social/key worker assigned to them that can look at parenting needs and parenting capacity. Current services are not suitable to them. They need individualised parenting support, for example:

 Parents of very young children – there needs to be flexible childcare available  Families living in hotel – sessional childcare so parents can attend appointments and have a break from children

Key workers can also coordinate responses (e.g. case management model) and encourage parents and children to appointments, giving them practical support to do this. Being able to work and track families. Focus group participants acknowledged a significant difference between families who do and do not have a key worker and the necessity of supporting individual parents where they are at, to empower them where possible.

Hotel staff should have child protection training. They should be putting aside space for families to do homework and play outside of the hotel room. While children are in that kind of accommodation that type of support needs to be provided.

Who will it benefit Parent of children affected by homelessness

What partners are involved Social workers, childcare services, hotel staff, public health nurses

What resources are needed Social/key workers

Child protection training

153

Childcare services

What resources are available  Public health nurses – Public health nurses have instigated a means of tracking families that move out of their area, this model of following a family and their needs, this model could be extended, SDCC could look at extending confidentiality to a service such as this  TUSLA Signs of Safety approach – there are good tools and mapping exercises in this approach, SDCC could look at using this in terms of assessment of family’s needs  Child protection training is provided across sectors that work with children already, this could be extended to hotel workers Theme 3: Lack of Key Working Services Who does it affect? Self-accommodating families32, they present as homeless but there is no space and they have to source hotel accommodation themselves, getting a couple of days here and there. They have very short assessment by SDCC but long waiting time before they are seen by professionals. They often have to travel long distances between hotels, sometimes from outside the county.

What is the problem There is a lack of key-workers for families who are self-accommodating, the focus group members were in general agreement that these may be the most vulnerable group. Navigating the system is difficult especially without a key-worker. Often it is unknown what the issues with self-accommodating families as they have not been seen by professionals. They may only have had a quick screening by admin in SDCC and move so quickly that services in the area don’t get the opportunity to see to their issues.

The families have no immediate security as they may change hotels daily, they can be put out of hotels for anti-social behaviour and there is no feedback to SDCC. There is no training for hotel staff on child protection, key-working and how to inform SDCC of the families’ whereabouts. Issues these families have are exacerbated by the stress of this experience and as they aren’t accessing assessment for what supports they need they are missed, so a lot of their issues go unnoticed.

Impact Very vulnerable families become panicked/stressed as they do not know where they will be staying, how to get to their next hotel, not moving or risk:

 Not having belongings  Not being able to cook  Inappropriate sleeping arrangements  Extreme expense (buying clothes as you go, taxi’s)  Huge impact for children travelling for more than an hour a day for school/creche Families do not get enough time in one place to get access to services like doctors/social workers

32 Half of families that are homeless are self-accommodating. Of the 198 homeless families in the area 87 are self-accommodating

154

How many people More than 80 families in South Dublin County at the moment, possibly staying in this system for up to a year

Current efforts to address the issue  Public health nursing has devised a scheme to track families so they can share relevant information between nurses. Centralised placement books families once they land in hotels and they are tracked in that way. When they go to family/friends then they are lost to the system.  Focus Ireland is trying to run a once off assessment as there is a significant need for this.  There is an effort at providing child protection training for staff in some hotels (The Amberely & Maldron) Potential Solutions Description Coordinate response to track families via public health nurses. There needs to be a better, more complete screening undertaken when a family presents as homeless before moving into hotels in self-accommodation to include:

 Risks  Support needs  Who needs to know about family and their needs

The current basic screening being done by admin in SDCC this needs to be improved – potentially by services from social care and social work background

Someone from Tusla could look at homeless families in SDCC and can see if the children are on the CPNS as homeless service should know this.

Benefits  Hotels will be better trained to feedback concerns.  Professionals will have a better understanding of the whereabouts and support needs of families and be able to provide a better response to them Resources needed  Resources to staff better and quicker assessments  Interagency coordination  Child protection training for hotel managers - each hotel should have their duty manager about child protection, i.e. Child First Training  High needs families can tap into Meitheal Resources available  If a family has high needs at presentation, Meitheal may be available.  Can SDCC/FI check CPNS at the time of referral/presentation to see if ongoing risk of significant harm for children

Theme 4: Lack of Continuity and Through-care for Children Moving Around Homeless Services Who does it affect? Children of all ages, infants to teens

155

What is the issue Not being able to follow through on a service that a family or child started in a different area. Children relocated away from their local area and have problems continuing:

 Appointments for speech and language  Public health, GP’s, PHN’s  Hospital appointments  Social work – families can come from any social work area and it’s unclear who is responsible for dealing with them. There are also issues with getting a child assessed and responded to from one CHO to another Impact Families miss appointments as:

 They don’t get the letters if they have moved, they are then discharged if they haven’t turned up for an appointment, even if they have waited for a long time on waiting lists  They might be afraid to attend as their lifestyle is not sustainable  Parents are so stressed by their situation being in homelessness, they can’t get to an appointment because they are so fixated on getting accommodation. They know they should be there, they know they should go but housing has to take priority Immunisations – parents not following up on this, parents are so stressed they don’t prioritised it. Families are getting lost because there isn’t always a follow through and families may not know if there is a similar service in their new area.

Timeframes for different service providers are very difficult and different, they may not all be dealing with the same data, not everyone is on the PASS system, so not everyone is talking at the same time about the same issues, a more coordinated approach would be great as currently there is a lack of an up to date plan/understanding of where a family is at.

Lack of follow through on education, there’s gaps in children’s education because children are missing school and they are moving from area to area regularly.

How many people The number is hard to quantify, taking into account homeless, local authority services, AHB’s, refuges etc – hundreds possibly.

Current efforts to address the issue CYPSC are currently trying to address the issue. Services are proactively addressing the issue from their own experience but a broader national strategy headed by one key person is needed.

Potential Solutions Description  Public Health Nursing have introduced a new system for tracking children and families and this seems to be working, however, they need a way of connecting to HSE and Local Authority for best results.  Getting more accurate data and real-time figures to see the full extent of the problem, i.e. a centralised way of gathering data is needed  There is a need to establish better links with HealtLink and Safetynet – a system that can remove catchment areas for families in homeless services, families currently fall into catchment areas and this needs to change. CYPSC is

156

addressing the problem now in an inclusive way to involve all the relevant stakeholders  A lead agency needs to be identified. There needs to be a national strategy for families who are homeless, a statutory organisation could possibly fill this role Benefits Stress is decreased on both parents and children living in homeless. Children are more likely to receive the services that their compatriots in secured accommodation receive.

Resources needed A service to take the role of lead agency who can coordinate other service responses for families in homelessness and share information with services working with families so that they are all dealing with up to date information.

Resources available CYPSC are currently trying to address the issue. Other services are addressing this on their own level but there is a need for services to collaborate more closely on a broader level.

Theme 5: Transport This is not an isolated issue as it links to everything related to being homeless. There is a general consensus within the focus group that the council do all that they can to house people within their areas but there is often not the available housing stock to do so.

Who does it affect? 1. All children and families living in homelessness not based in their community 2. There is a bigger problem around self-accommodating families 3. Big families are more challenged

It effects all children and families living in homelessness but particularly those not getting accommodation in their communities. It’s an even bigger problem for self-accommodating families; families with 3 – 4 children may be attending different schools and services.

What is the problem 1. Being out of school and the wider community 2. Access to support services for self-accommodating families 3. People are becoming homeless and being housed outside the area / people are becoming homeless Impact 1. Missing out on links to extended family and community 2. Children are exhausted, this affects health, wellbeing, nutrition etc 3. Cost 4. Children moving schools 5. Service expectation of parents 6. Children travelling to school are exhausted 7. Recreation and space for recreation and the impact on children’s development/play 8. Attendance in school 9. Stress on parents and children, particularly self-accommodating families

Poor transport links affect people living outside the area by keeping children out of school, out of touch with community and out of touch with services. How do you make a judgement on what’s a reasonable journey for parents to make to and from somewhere? Parents are trying to decide when to move the school, a very difficult decision and they could have 3 – 4 moves to 157

different areas. The problem is exacerbated at early years services as schools though problematic are prioritised while early year services are not.

How many people 1. All families living in homelessness 2. Approximately 94 families in Permanent Accommodation in Newlands Cross and approximately 100 families self-accommodating (figures from council and Focus) 3. Approximately 111 families in Permanent accommodation in Tallaght with 87 self-accommodating (figures from council and Focus)

Current efforts to address the issue 1. LEAP cards 2. Supports workers in services 3. CYPSC coordinators 4. Talk to transport sector in D.E.S 5. There is a general consensus that the council do try to house people within their areas Potential Solution Describe There is a solution in train – LEAP cards are about to be administered to all families experiencing homelessness. One parent per family will have a LEAP card to assist their children in transport. The homeless family sub-group will be supporting roll out in relation to this. This is being done primarily through schools and wider community services will be made available. This will be reviewed to make sure self-accommodating families are being reached.

The criteria for being registered on PASS is a barrier to accessing this service for those families who aren’t on it e.g. DV service. Parents of young (only) children also don’t have access.

Who will it benefit? Families with children in homelessness

What partners are involved Education welfare officers, IPPN, NAPD, Education and Training Boards, other services in the community

What resources are needed LEAP cards for all school going children between 4 – 19 years in South Dublin County

158

21.5 Appendix E CDI Focus Group 1

The Childhood Development Initiative Ltd Focus Group 05th April 2016

Focus Group Transcription

Present are eight service providers from different backgrounds, working in Tallaght West.

Welcome and Introduction

What comes to mind when you think of TW neighbourhood?

Tom: Tallaght West has been designated for all the social ails of the county so that means that means that every person in it has some sort of ail, and we feel that it’s a terrible injustice that the planning that’s going into it is so misguided. If you put all the social ails into one area and don’t put in the planning and support. The back-up support for all of the problems between all the social ails really are not adequate.

We’ve a substantial housing problem and the government have stated that the homeless should get priority which is right. But at the same time you have to respect the community there, and it’s very hard to witness the creation of a ghetto. The follow-up services are not going into it. ….Germany..

Sue: I started off as a community activity, and have worked a lot on the ground. The one think that came straight to min when you asked that question was community. It’s a strong community. Nearly everything you see in TW has been promoted by people on the ground, the services,. It’s the community involved who insisted how it is going to work (work in the Tallaght Square). I think with all the problems we have it’s important not to forget that- the strengths we have. There’s a fierce amount of good strong people living in TW.

Natalie: I think of community as well, long established. It’s an old area now. 30 odd years old. That’s a good strong stable community. It has its pockets of ups and downs. Where hasn’t? It’s generational.. Families, grandparents and grandchildren living in the area and this is part of their community. Where they went to school, living, working so yes, it is a big established community with a lot of history in it now.

Within the community, what would you see as your role?

Tracy: For me it would be support for vulnerable families. It would be support for single parent families, bereavement, loss, a long-term issue. Other things might be developmental delay and supports are longer term. I suppose its supports for families and what they need for the longer term. Meeting and addressing their needs in that moment in time, with a view that the need will be met early in childhood and they can move on.

Support for young people, guidance, out of education, back to education. When they get into trouble to divert them down and different road and see what they can do. What’s in the area and what to offer young people, so we mainly work with young people.

159

Sue: I started off 20 years ago and there was a big problem at the time. I was part of setting up Fettercairn drug centre, manage Tallaght probation service. I work with people who come through the courts and probation service. I have a belief and a passion for the programme. I have 4 sons who could have got involved in any activities but it was though my education that I could support my sons. I’m a big believer in education. Education comes in all forms . so for me it’s empowering people.

Rose: I’m a counsellor in JADD. Education, we have a lot of education programmes going on in Jadd. My vested interested is onoign education and children first. If we can get to children now earlier.

Tom: I work with all social ails. Chaotic addiction, homelessness, families in serious trouble with drugs. The good stuff is that we provide a pathway through addition, through education where people can complete courses, level 5 fetac courses. Like sue, we believe that education is the key. If you look at how many families are in contact with drug services, it’s huge. Even though you take the good, the piece of good we all doing, but because we’re such a designated area for social ails. Because there are thousands of people in trouble we can only deal with a small percentage of them. Our resources are so small for the numbers of families that are so small. Response does not match the need.

Simon: I work for a homeless charity, we tend to deal with the emergency families rather than follow on support. A lot of families coming to us have had to leave their communities because they don’t have accommodation. They might end up in a hotel 20miles away. So dealing with emergency situations.

Helen- I’m a community dietitian with HSE. My involvement with WT is new, only here since 2011, my recent work in TW has been in conjunction with health nurses. Food and health project where we run cookery courses, feeding and weaning programme, facilitated by public health nurse. I can identify with how thinly resources are stretched, if you look at the size of area like Tallaght and what is recommended in terms of primary dietetic care services. There should be 7 of me. There is 1 of me. So I do identify with people when they say they’re meeting very significant challenges in the community. It’s often just a fire-fighting service. It’s very hard to get embedded in the community to the extent that is required to offer real support from the education point of view, around feeding, shopping cooking, budgeting. That’s a front line resourcing issue.

Natalie: I’m a PCF, early years service. Children are bussed over to us. Children are with us on a 2-year cycle. They usually start with us around the age of 2 year 10 months and then school- going age. We try to get them as early as possible, before the fifth birthday. I’m a project worker there, so I offer family support, parenting programs in the home, third party referrals, support.

Feeding would be a huge issue. We offer traditional afterschool groups as well. They’re with us for 2 years and the support is quite intense, and then we offer after school groups, just to maintain links with families and school. To ensure it’s a positive experience before school engagement. Then if national school isn’t an option for the child, it might be finding a more specialised school service.

Tracy: I work in a childcare centre as a support worker. There’s 136 families that have attended, so 136 children in the crèche. I deal with a lot of housing, social welfare, separation, crisis situations. We run a parenting course, try to encourage the parents to get involved in the crèche. I’ve lived in Tallaght for over 34 years. My experience of working with the community is getting people to engage with you before the situation hits crisis point. That’s the biggest issue,

160

getting parents and people to get involved before it hits crisis. Getting them to resolve issue while the children are smaller.

Ciara I work with the [a] Gardai diversion project and so we get referrals through the guards and GLO, and then referrals come through the schools that this person needs support. We support them on a 1:1 basis so it depends on the individual and we look at what they need to do next. Employment, getting back into school. We try to work with parents as well, get them involved, and I think once you have the parents. It’s easier to get the young person support when you have the parents involved.

BR: Can you tell me about the challenges you experience in your roles?

You’re dealing with what immediately presents on a daily basis. And I know that services on the ground are fairly thin as well. Even in terms of having a base, a clinic, an outreach or gong into other areas, like you can be quite restricted, in terms of the areas you go into to, just Killinarden. So service are that way and ideally we would like to have services in various community services and in areas around Tallaght. But as it is I can’t get additional workers to do that. There’s 100 people a month coming in through the door so how do you interact with the community and get to people before the crisis point. You’re constantly dealing with the crisis. That’s the main issues at the moment

Tom: Until you say to yourself ‘TW is a designated area for social ails’, and then you get around to looking for new models to address it. Until a decision is made by someone that this is a huge problem , when we make that decision first, then then you start to look for new models. But at the moment we’re all caught in that you have the burden of your own organisation to deal with so looking for new models is completely out of question. You can’t see beyond. You can’t even get anyone to take an application off you . We all know that we need to be dealing in 1000s but we’re dealing in 100s. The intergenerational side of the children coming through the system. If they’re 12 years of age ‘good help them’. After 12 years of age they’re ‘scumbags’. So early intervention is key to my mind. We’re involved in the kids sector with kids but there’s a whole load of others involved- GPs, social services, all the other stuff that won’t be accounted for. There is a 1000s problem here not a 100s. We need to find new models to address that. We need research to say that. There’s no point saying ‘let’s treat all children equally’ but we only deal with 300 of them and we know there’s 9300 out there that’s not getting any services. So we’re not getting the chance to look for new models to respond and there is activity there, bodies that can be used if the right people get behind them. But we need to be honest first and say that TW is the designated area for social ails.

Does anybody have anything to add to that?

I agree with you Tom and Tracy will probably agree with me on this one that TW is well resourced for that reason. Yes we are under-funded for the numbers and I know that a huge barrier we come up against is engagement. We are offering a hugely valuable service, engage with families, parents. We are offering a very valuable and expensive service as well. Good quality services, there’s lots on offer. And people are saying ‘I would like, I would like’ and yet when it comes down to it they won’t engage and then give out afterwards that there is nothing there, nothing for their kids. . we’ve had 4years or more of inter-agency support And the question is still ‘when is somebody going to fix it’.

How do you find that? (28)

It’s frustrating. It’s frustrating but hey it’s the job that I do. I’m older and wiser, I just keep going and I have seen changes happening but you do see families like that who want everything and it’s all offered but and don’t realise that they’re they key person who can change their own situation. All the supports in the world can be offered and you can be surrounded by them but unless you’re ready and in a place where to do that it’s useless. There’s no answer to that 161

one. But as regards a challenge that’s the biggest. Barnardos are funded by CDI and different people and it’s frustrating when no-one turns up. I met a dental nurse and she offers a fantastic talk to parents and I offered it to all services in Tallaght and I got 3 parents. I work with 80 families in Tallaght and I got 3. At that level it’s really frustrating but hey that’s the work I do.

Helen: someone times if you want attendance of 1`0-12 at a group, you invite 60. Its very time consuming. Engaging. It reduces the quality of the programme you’re offering. It you want good discussion and peer-to-peer support, they’re sitting there looking at you and you’ve nearly got as many health professionals as you do people, it undermines the whole group ethos and peer support idea, which is crucial to the initiative.

Tom: I completely agree. And we need models. For example you have a young single girl with a couple of kids and she’s given a house by Dublin corporation. She may have difficulties of her own, maybe just getting the kids to school, they’re families like that, who no state agencies are going to contact, and the children, maybe they’re getting exploited by drug dealers, intimidated in other ways. So agencies don’t get to those families. We get to them when there is a crisis so is there a model out there that identified those people and prepares them and leads a pathway into agencies. For the moment I saw a model in Bristol where they had a one- stop-shop in the community with all the service- youth, family, state of the community, and how it’s expected to be kept in. if we sit and keep the staus quo and try and solve problems we have to accept that the people we are dealing with have so may problems. New models should be to create a pathway into your service. (32) most people who we work with, when we deal with them, you get a positive response, but the amount out there.

How easy is it for YP, families and residents to access your services?

Once they come to the center it’s easy. There is a lot offered but the motivation, and I find that a real challenge. Their motivation. ‘Why wouldn’t I do anything else but go on the dole’. That lack of motivation, and the mindset is that ‘I’m from Fettercairn, that’s the way I am’ It’s very difficult to move that, to change it, to ‘I can do those things’

Sue: I think our challenge as organisations and individuals is to promote and a sense of personal responsibility. I ask lads how they go here, ‘my probation officer or the judge sent me’ nothing to do with the fact that I’ve been burgling houses.

Ciara: Blaming other people for what they’ve done and not taking responsibility, ‘well, I’ve done it’.

Sue: that’s not disregarding that people are struggling but if we work towards promoting personal responsibility.

Tom: another way of saying it is do we examine when does intervention start, does it start too late. Our problems have escalated to a new sphere. The big thing in drugs is taking them to have a tan or using them as steroids to build up. They’re the people you can’t motivate.

Ciara: we’re going into primary schools and starting younger and I think that’s the best way of building a relationship. So that when they get to a teen stage you have a relationship and maybe more commitment form them. When they come in at 16 or 17, it’s very difficult to start from there, you’re no relationship build with them. Whereas you notice with the younger ones, you start the ball rolling and if something does happen with them, at least you have that relationship with them.

At 15 and 16 years of age the habits are so established that it’s harder to address. A lot of early school leavers.

Rose: It’s doable. A man with us last year, early 30s, in and out of prison all his life, he’s in collage now, and he’s a role model. He’s an 18 years old girl, who left school and now she’s 162

gone back to school. Part of the role is having that knowledge and support. Having the balance between having the support and empowering somebody, and personal responsibility, and saying , ‘you have the right, but you have a role to play in this, you have the responsibility’. Saying ‘I’m from Tallaght and I can’t do it’, doesn’t wash with me. There are lots of people from the Tallaght area who go through hell, and involved in drugs and come through it. You have to start to figure it out and take some responsibility for yourself. Sometimes we can go too far to the hugging, but it’s trying to have that balance. You will have people say, ‘you do it for me’. I’ve worked with families where they have 8 or 9 organisations working for them. And you have to draw the line somewhere.

Ciara: we do a lot for young people but you have to draw the line somewhere. It’s the responsibility of parents as well. We can’t do everything.

Sue: and the children in the family might all have different counsellors. There’s a fierce amount of experience and it’s about coordinating that approach to it.

BR: you mentioned some of the issues you see facing families. What other issues do you see?

Ciara: depression, drug use, the two go hand in hand. Mental illness and depression. As a result of drug use or of drug s being used. We see it a lot in yp. It’s drugs leading to serious mental health issues, or because of trauma they’re using drugs. It’s become very acceptable which is scary too see, it’s a hard thing to break down because when services are diluted. There is access to a drugs counsellor and support, but obviously that takes time, and there are waiting lists. But it’s not instant enough for young people now. There’s a sense of ‘why wouldn’t I smoke weed’. It’s very, very challenging to break that down and help them understand that. 40.47.

It’s the long-term for them it’s all very instant.

Tom: And low self-esteem and I’m sure you’ll agree with me. The low self-esteem comes from, we’re meeting children after 12 years of age and the damage is done to the self-esteem. So it’s when services kick in, who it kicks in for. For me it always comes back to what exactly is West Tallaght. I’m from Tallaght and thank god my kids never got involved in drugs or drink but there’s an awful lot of families and children are born into a life of misery and we’re not getting to that child.

Sue: domestic violence is a big issue and alcohol. We seem to focus a lot on the drugs side of it. But alcohol is a big issue because of the cheap beer. It means they can cut themselves off from reality.

Ciara: a huge thing we’ve noticed in the last few years is gambling especially with the accessibility of phones, online, it’s quick and easy. People in arrears with rent, bingo runs a couple of nights a week and people ae spending 2025 euro a night-

Rose: 50-60! They start off at 50 and 60

Ciara: a couple of hundred a week in bingo.

Tom: I know someone who spent 70 euros every time she went out, picks, and it’s just mad. But it all comes back to ‘what is WT’. If that person had education at the start. It comes back to getting a new model. Unfortunately, we’re only geared up to manage small numbers. If we had a preparation model that led into the rest of or services that’s where we might have a chance.

Simon: It’s the lack of social mix in terms of.. so our aftercare project would have been in Neilstown, very similar to west Tallaght in terms of the make-up of the area- problems, addictions. Then we moved to Greenhill road in Tallaght village. Straight away the outcomes for the YP changed dramatically. Who they saw as their peers. Even the availability of drugs 163

and criminality wasn’t on their doorstep, and if you don’t have any sort of a social mix. I know it’s more of a planning issue. But if you put whole areas together where is no private accommodation, I know some people have bough back council houses and there are some apartments. But as soon as you move to Cookstown way, the vast majority are private. It’s a place people would consider moving into if they’re not from the area. Whereas Wt isn’t. if you’re not from there you wouldn’t consider moving to the area. You wouldn’t look at accommodation to move there. Until you shift the balance in some way, with kids going to school, if their peers are into drugs well, they likely will. If when I was growing up, my peers were doing drugs, there’s a much higher percentage that I would have done it as well. Where there is such an imbalance. Council need to hand over other available land for development. It has good transport. There’s a lot going for it. It’s closer to the city center than if you buy down in Portloaise or in other areas. Yet it’s never really sold as an area for anyone outside of WT.

BR: Helen, you were going to say something.

Helen: I think that lack of social mix is really borne out in health observations. We have really, really low breast feeding rates here. Very difficult to get people to engage. Obesity rates around children and young people, certainly we only have national stats, but I do know from international research that obesity rates are associated with areas of socio-economic deprivation. In terms of my own work, that certainty resonates with my daily observations and work on the ground.

Tracy: with the pre-schoolers there are invariably younger siblings as well and we’ll often get the public health nurse involved about early weaning, that they’re weaning babies at 8 or 9 weeks, then onto solids and what types of solids. I had one situation where she was weaning her baby on chickatees, and she didn’t realise there’s so much salt in chickatees, ‘sure didn’t my mamwean us on them’. Again just that lack of knowledge, ‘sure everybody else does it, it did me no harm’. The lack of understanding and I don’t know where that comes from because it’s not as though the information isn’t out there. So maybe it’s listening to peer group, and ‘you’re just a professional, what would you know? It’s worked for ma, it works’.

Helen: There’s been a fall in skills around cooking and preparation. Family meal times, people not knowing what’s suitable for their baby, how to prepare it, so with the weaning programme we actually peel a carrot, chop it up, cook it with people. I think you do have to offer a very high level of practical support. That comes back then to the engagement with that. We’ve had people on the programme ask us, ‘do you have to cook tuna?’ we cannot assume a level of baseline knowledge .

Tom: Just as Simon was saying, it’s a fair question to ask, ‘are we building a ghetto?’ Are we involved in building a ghetto? Say we project Tallaght down the road in 5 years. You could predict ghettoization. Simon, what do you think?

Tom: I don’t know how much it even has changed in the last 5 years.

Tracy: I think it will probably be the same as it is now.

Tom: how can all the social ailes of Tallaght be put into one area and it stands still?

Natalie: if you look at the origins of Tallaght, there were all put into this area. Tallaght has developed on a huge scale. The problems are intergenerationals as you say. The problems have always been there. I think we’re just more aware of it. There is a mentality in Tallaght that has never changed and there is a volatility there. That sense of entitlement. I can sit on my arse and do nothing. Sure let the kids do what they want. Kids running around rearing themselves from the time they were that high. I think as people who are educated and becoming more and more aware, I think we see it more. It was always there.

164

Tom: That sense of entitlement you describe, how do you stop that? We need a model

Natalie: But what we’re saying here is that people present with a problem but then don’t want to engage. They want to be spoon-fed and hand-held.

Tom: but once they get to the age of 16, it’s too late. It’s been bred into them. There’s more people in trouble in WT, than there’s people in trouble.

BR: can I ask what do you like or enjoy about your roles?

Tom: I like when we have successes. We’re averaging about, a good year is when 5 go onto third level education. We’re averaging about 3, but I don’t think the response is big enough.

Simon: we have far more young people in college, in third level education now than 5 years ago, in Trinity, doing well. They may not necessarily be in WT but they have all been in our services in over a year in one point of their lives. They’re all from disadvantaged families. That’s a break in the cycle and something nice to reflect on as well. You need those successes.

Ciara: sometimes our successes are in the small things. If we can get a group of YP to show up for a 6-week programme. Hat’s a big thing for us- to get that commitment.

Rose: I love going to work every day, and working with the people I work with. The challenges I face are probably my challenges. When I hear someone has gone to Trinity or IT, Tallaght, it’s absolutely amazing to see, the difference in their self-worth. That’s what we aim for- change and positivity. We’re all singing off the same hymn sheet. We all go to work because we enjoy what we do. A lot of people working here live in this area and like where they live. I think the people working in the field are doing the best they can and are trying to improve what’s there already. We can only look for the future. If it’s new models we need, let’s look for those. But let’s not sit on our arse and do nothing about it. If you want change you have to work for that.

Tracy: Working with parents, seeing their confidence raise, the way they manage their children, their self-esteem, their confidence. Watching people improve their own quality of life, by doing little things themselves and becoming more empowered. That’s the beauty in what we work with.

Ciara: introducing yp to things they’ve never done before. Opening up their eyes to things, little things I did in my childhood that they would have never done. Even making buns and tasting the mixture. Simple things that they would never have done.

Rose: I think that’s perfectly true. We bring families to Trabolgan , and the amazement on the children’s faces to be brought out of Tallaght. Seeing the animals, cows, the amazement. Once a month we try and bring the children to somewhere so they can get a taste of something different. Some of them haven’t been out of Tallaght, never mind down the country. It’s about looking at more positives and getting people to come n to the courses. Teach them new stuff, and if it’s even just 3 people, welcome them in.

Tom: We must remember that if we take an action against a parent, it will affect the child. Decision are made about what sort of services the parent can get and the child suffers the consequences.

BR: Do you think this is a safe neighbourhood?

Natalie: It depends on who you speak to. I hear and know of daily situations. I hear of some families telling me about dangerous situations and then of other families nearby who wouldn’t consider them selves to be in a dangerous situation or community, or know how to avoid the danger. It’s their lifestyle within that community. So it depends on who you speak to.

165

Tracy: I’m from Tallaght but there are certain areas that I would avoid. Russelcourt- where there are apartment where people have been stuck into. Some of these areas can be very volatile, where there aren’t resources there.

Sue: I agree with that. I don’t think we’re any worse compared to anywhere else but over the years my awareness has heightened. When I moved out to Tallaght 30 odd years ago, those younger people are now older and are parents themselves. There are more yp now in Tallaght and we still have the same difficulties and that reinforces them.

Tom: There are areas where there is another violence, and that’s with gangs. There can be a scuffle and it’s fixed between the parents. But if you fall out with one of those gangs and they start breaking your windows. Just an ordinary family that doesn’t have back-up or support. You’ll have to move out of the area. Example of father of 6, who called gards and every day for 3 months , they broke windows and harassed him. He ended up having to move out living in a car and no-one there to sort that out for him. No-one in this room could tolerate those gangs, these are serious gangs of young fellows.

Sue: We have a bigger population of YP and because the issues are still there and are the same, they are reinforced because of the big population.

Ciara: for the yp we work with, it’s far easier to fall in with those gangs than fall out with them. From time to time we will have parents and families who challenge them, and it’s very hard for people who are on their own and don’t have the skills. It’s a big challenge to direct them away from that.

BR: What do you see as your role in promoting a safe community?

Ciara: A lot of our work would be providing alternatives, helping them make better decisions, better alternative, helping them develop skills. When it’s a generational thing, it’s so engrained in the area. We’re only working with a small pocket. We’ve 35 ty on our books and that’s not enough.

Tom: years ago when a house got shot up it was all over the Echo. Now it’s not even a story anymore.

BR: What do you think it’s like for YP, fami8lies growing up in the neighbourhood here?

Ciara: Tough. Some are fine but some.. It’s tough, like a domino effect. It keeps going, no change. Unless you have that resilience and strength in you. Vulnerable families are targeted. If they see someone as vulnerable, they’ll target them.

Natalie: In some parts of the neighbourhood there is no community, where you’d stand outside, have street parties, knock on each other’s door to borrow sugar. There’s none of that anymore. It can be very isolating, especially if people work hard and try their best but then there are ones that take advantage of the system, and have a mentality that’s destructive and aggressive. So it can be very isolating if you don’t know people.

Simon: Because of the mix we have, we get a lot of the anti-social cases where people have difficulties, the lack of accommodation. You don’t have the same options as maybe 3 years to move. If you’re renting now you’re kinda stuck, there aren’t the options to be transferred because of the lack of housing. If you’re in an area where there’s lots of anti-social behaviour going on, unless you’re willing to go into homeless accommodation, and at breaking point, there are no alternatives as opposed to a few years ago.

BR: How do you see that people address problems in the neighbourhood? 1.07

166

Tracy: Some areas had residential committees and they looked at what was happening in each individual area and even had some kind of vetting for people moving into the area. And obviously the idea of RP and CDI. But in terms of seeing resident resolve things together, in my experience, I can’t see them doing that.

Natalie: it seems to me that it’s pushed by professional but it’s not really coming from people in the community. It takes a lot of confidence and experience, and people may not have the confidence and ability to tackle things themselves.

BR: What do you think is going well in in TW?

Tracy: It is an area that does have a lot of services. I’ve worked in areas that don’t have as many organisations, and as many organisations that are willing to work together. I think there’s quite a good opportunities to collaborate with other organisations on projects and respond to needs. That’s a strength.

BR: Someone at the start mentioned that element of strength in the community?

Sue: That was me. I think of Fettercairn where I’m from, there’s a good community council there, and they look at local community issues. I see An Cosan being with strong with personal development. I see JADD being very strong on drug support and developmental. They go back a long time. I see them as positive. I agree that a lot of people started off voluntarily, then it became employment. Then a lot of organisations and health boards took over, and then you were caught in the rules of those organisations. I think we need to come out of that and give a little more power to the people who actually live and work in the area.

Tom: Give creativity back to the community. Because they’re dependent on agencies to support. We’ve the Irish Dancers in Jobstown, the football team. But the community supporting a family when they’ve gotten into trouble is gone. There’s so much fear of gangs out there. In the past when they got into trouble, the neighbours would have had a word with the young lads , that fear of getting involved in gangs. So there are people out there getting involved locally. Fettercairn has good football teams, and the boxing is popular, the Irish dancers is going strong. But you can’t underestimate when a family gets into trouble. There’s so much fear out there, and there not going to get supported by the police.

BR: What is your opinion of facilities in the neighbourhood?

Sue: I think we’re very lucky. The shops are within walking distance, we’ve a fantastic transport. The swimming pool is there now. There are quite a number of facilities, extra-curricular. You just have to look for it and you’ll find it.

BR: Do you think it’s easy to access facilities?

Sue: I think for some it’s not, if you’re on welfare, it’s hard to afford the pool. They might be available but you might not be able to avail of them if you’re living on the breadline.

Ciara: the communities are very well equipped but if there are facilities outside of that community it can be very hard to get people to access that facility. It’s probably a typical pattern not just here. People can be territorial, that’s a typical trait in people anyway.

BR: Have you noticed any changes in the area recently?

HMM

BR: what sort of changes would you like to see?

167

Tom: I’d like to see SDCC leading with pride and there’s tis conception that people in high support communities shouldn’t be able to automatically learn off the rest of us and make a great community. In a high support community, you need good maintenance there from the top down. Go to Jobstown estate. It’s on the boarder with 2 estates. Go right the community estate has a private contractor and it’s immaculate. Turn left and in the space and a couple of yards see the difference. It’s like the slums versus the botantical gardens. It should be the responsibility of SDCC. There’s a stigma on the children turning right.

BR: tell me about the pride.

Tom: You put Jobstown on your CV 1.18

Ciara: They might put Tallaght down, but that’s it. And that’s even for applications in the Square. It’s always been like that.

Simon: It’s always been like that in certain areas and probably always will. My father’s brother in the 1940s couldn’t put down Inchicore on his CV. It’s more about whether you take pride in your community because you’ll always have people who just look at the outside and make judgements about the area. It’s more for the people themselves in the area to take pride in.

Tom: Years ago it was Inchicore, but this is WT. The whole of WT, children are stigmatised because of the address. There’s something wrong with that.

Ciara: It’s an extra pressure that people don’t need. It’s the first thing you see on a CV. It can be very disheartening.

Tom: I see young lads around in cars at might, this same car, and what happens when they finish with it. It’s going into the river and it’ll be burnt. Now I don’t see any cop cars around. So what does that say to the community. We have a river going through our community, should be a luxury, but they push cars into it and burn it.

Tracy: I rang the police because they were flying around in the car. I got a knock on the door the next day and the young lad says, ‘I heard you were cat scanning. The next time you call the cops I’ll fucking kill you’. So as a result you don’t get involved. Just close your door.

BR: What suggestions would you make for change?

Sue: more gards on the streets. More community gards. That has an effect. A response when someone rings the gards.

Tom: No tolerance of violence, that incidences are investigated properly.

Sue: Proper resources for a lot of the organisations working in Tallaght. If you don’t resource what’s there already, people are going to get burnt out. You can see it with people already.

Tracy: I’m sure you’re aware of Methal, they do a great job in bringing together the organisations. But the need to get the voices of people on the ground, which is crucial to making decisions. If it’s not what people need and want and feel they have ownership over, it’s difficult to make a change.

Rose: Tom went out and photographed the areas- walk left, walk right. It should be equal. Maybe a facelift for the area. DCCC maintain some areas like in Ranelagh. Maybe there’s that sense of pride. But where I live it’s a battle to get them to come out and pain over the graffiti across the road. They’re automatically in certain areas. They’re responsible for the maintenance, but if people aren’t putting pressure on them and they’re spread in terms of resources then they probably just won’t do it. It does come from pressure from professional groups and the community.

168

Tom: We have the worst groups of councillors who are only good for plamasing. The 2 parties down there for the last 15 years ae just a waste of space.

BR: who do you see as leading change in the neighbourhood?

Ciara: I think people are trying to maintain what’s happening. As you said Tom we need new ideas to implement.

BR: Does anyone stand out to you as implementing that change?

Tom: I think the people sitting around this table, us. But I think we need to find a way to speak the 1 message. And for me it’s essential that if you’re going to get county councillors and politicians, to say, you are creating it. And the question is, what are we expecting off the communities? The communities are expecting off us. What are we expecting this community to develop. We need extra high support and new approaches. We could achieve that. Putting all the social ailes into one community and expecting it to work is stigmatisation. And you have to recognise that.

BR: In terms of leaders in the area, does anyone stand out to you as active in promoting change?

Sue: Catherine Zappone, she’s good.

Tom: We have 3 ministers in cabinet, and I can’t find anything they’ve done for this area. Noting to be proud of in them.

Sue: Community mother, not sure if they’re still around. They worked with the district nurse. Mother my age, the district nurse would support and train them to help young mother. A great idea if you could expand that and empower people. Train local people in supporting homelessness. Empower the local community to train themselves. It’s not taking away from organisations but building on what they already have.

BR: Anything else you’d like to add?

Tom: The one thing I’d like to see is a family home, education, too many people are willing to give up on education, and saying ‘we tried this before and it didn’t work’. But it wasn’t education that didn’t work, it was the model that failed. Education, education, education. We need to talk about new models. We need to address the bigger wider model. Organisations being stuck in small-minded models is not good and we need to look for wider, bigger models. CDI Focus Group 2

The Childhood Development Initiative Ltd

How Is Our Neighbourhood Focus Group

2016

Minutes

Present: Helen, David, Rose, Marie, Kathy, Carol, Nick.

Introductions:

 Helen: Manager of [a youth project]. I’ve been there for the last eleven years, and we provide an alternative education service for early school leavers, young people, who for

169

whatever reason, are out of the mainstream school system. We run QQI accredited courses at Level 3 & Level 4;  David: We’re involved in all aspects from education, employment, development, health, mental health, drugs task force, and we’re involved in a lot of social economy projects, a lot of representative bodies Early Childhood Ireland;  Carol: A good few years ago I worked in community welfare, and then I stopped that. My grandson was born and he was drug-addicted. It was the first time I ever had to deal with anything to do with social workers, where a child would go, what amenities were out there? That’s where I’ve got my experience from in the last six years childminding children and the needs that they may have and the children that may have difficulties that I would see every day. The children that are born that way, it does take a huge amount of work, but it can be done which can be very difficult for people that are maybe rearing children with an addiction;  Kathy: I work in estate management four mornings a week and have been in a full time position but due to cuts, we came in one morning with a 75% cut overnight. The Department of Health has re-instated us back to a part-time position and how long that lasts, I don’t know? The after schools is funded until the end of June and after that we don’t know, but we are in the middle of an evaluation with parents, teachers and children as part of the project. I work with residents of Fettercairn and you’re literally in there cold faced with all the problems families experience these days. Drugs would be our biggest problem at the moment I feel. I thought we would be a lot more advanced at this stage but we’re not, we’ve actually gone back. Intimidation is another huge issue and the lack of resources and lack of Gardai on the street is a nightmare and it’s just getting worse every day.  Marie: I’m School Completion Liaison, I’m new to the job. So I’m the link between home and school, being a support to the parents, managing courses and getting parents involved. Dealing with issues as well, children’s attendance and things like that. Trying to find different ways to improve on it, it’s tough enough;  Rose: I work for the HSE for the Tallaght Area with the responsibility of inclusion and what comes in under social inclusion would be addiction, travellers, homeless services, minority groups, gay/lesbians, refugees. To a degree, then I suppose the new group of people coming in. What I do is monitor, fund and recommend funding and that I would be sitting at the table when there are decisions to be made in relation to redesigning or redeveloping funding and stuff like that. So specifically in terms of the Tallaght area I would be responsible for the governance and management of Tallaght Travellers, the Roma GP clinic, the Roma based in Chester House. I’d be responsible for the addiction services for the monitoring and the lack of development as the case may be. I work very closely with services in the community such as we say like the Village Counselling Services in Tallaght, because we are trying to develop an integration model where the funding is not in silo’s, that we have care plans that go for the children and the teenagers. The care plan goes across all groups so that it’s not just me saying “this is what we’re doing in addiction”. I’m also the Chair in SDCC of the high level traveller group that’s not yet merged in with the LCDC’s, we don’t know where it’s going to be in there or not. That’s a kind of fare summary but I have to add that the reason I’m here is because it’s only me, they’ve removed all the other resources and my brief covers Laois, Offaly, Longford, Westmeath, Kildare, Wicklow, all South Dublin and parts of North Dublin. So just bare in mind that, I run my job like a train station and if I’m here I’ll get the issues, put a plan together and then I’m gone, you might not see me for another six months, because I’ve just too big of a brief.  Nick: I’m a project leader in Barnardos. There’s a number of Barnardos services in Tallaght. So we have a targeted pre-school service for children from the Killinarden, Cushlawn, Kiltipper and Deerpark area and that’s targeted where children are referred in by Social Workers or Public Health Nurses or whoever else might have concern for the child’s development. We’ve an afterschool service to support the kids making the transition from

170

pre-school to national school and then we’ve a parent support programme that goes with that for those families, and we’ve a separate parent coaching programme and the catchment area for that is all of Tallaght and Dublin 12 and mostly referrals from Social Workers and other concerned agencies where there’s a need for parenting support particularly for parents that would be hard to engage or wouldn’t be able to cope with a manualised parenting programme, they then need something run in their home, where there might be addictions or homelessness or other issues which might complicate things, so that’s what we do over there.

What comes to your mind when you think of Tallaght West?

 Poverty;  A place from the 80’s, all the investment etc., all of a sudden we’re back to square one;  Q: and what point was that?  I think around 2007, I didn’t realise it was going to be as bad. We thought maybe last year we were turning a corner slightly, but now we are going nowhere in the community. But everybody is trying really hard pulling resources from here there and everywhere but it’s just not getting to those who actually need the supports and children are at risk terribly within the communities. It’s all down to the likes of addiction services not being available to meet the needs of some of the parents. Some families have both parents addicted, children gone into care over the weekend, it’s a very sad situation but there was no alternative. There was no support workers to go in and work with the family and this is what I see, everything is falling around us.  Q: Does anybody have anything else to add to that?  I think everybody would have to agree with absolutely everything, not just from the community side but statutory position and what I see is a shocking degree burn out from people working in the centre and that has an impact on our customers, on the target group we are supposed to be serving that has a huge impact. I also see a huge change in policy to statistical models away from individuals and away from community. Community has become nearly a dirty word now.  Q: Tell me about that, that shift away?  If you take childcare in the area, there are approximately fifteen community groups in Tallaght involved in childcare and come September we’re not quite sure whether we can open the doors or not. I think with the introduction of a second year was a political stunt and I think the sector has lost its voice and its courage to stand up and say it. So now we’re actually going to have the introduction of the second year, it was never properly organised to start it. So we’ve got community groups, voluntary boards, childcare workers, drug addiction projects right across the board, what I’m meeting is people who are continuously getting more tired and the burnout rate is going to really increase. I hate saying that because I’ve a huge passion for the sector we are in but there is no let up whatsoever. If you take regulation in the last five years, so it was bad enough that we took the cuts, we suffered 39% over a four year period and we thought this year was going to be better, recession is still here. The expectation for recovery is wrong. A double insult for people who have gone through recession. When you’re looking for supports out there, you said earlier on, you’ve said you’ve nothing but praise for us, which is fantastic to hear;  I firmly believe what you’re saying about the burnout because after working in community it makes me more than the everyday person, they just think there’s nothing there. If I phone for a social worker, I get the duty social worker who has to go through my whole process again and really I get nothing back so I just learned to do it myself now;

171

 In the job that I’m in, there’s 1,800 children as we speak in B&B’s and hotels, you can’t get a breakdown of what part of Dublin they’re in. What actually happens is if you live in Tallaght West and you’re made homeless, you’ll be given the next available hotel or B&B. That could be in Balbriggan, so you’ve to get two buses or three buses to get your child to school. We’re struggling to try to confirm if the children, the children that are in the B&B’s have had their vaccination, attending school, are they doing their homework. It’s very, very difficult, we are constantly re-deploying and re-designing our services. We have people visiting families in B&B’s and hotels, and have a checklist – have they clean clothes, did they get to do their homework but then it can be six weeks before you see that person again, so I see the impact of the housing crisis having a double effect on poverty. People who have been staying at home with their parents, have a row, especially at Christmas and then they are in the system. Some families are three years in that system. That’s a child’s future gone. I’m social inclusion, I have to look at parts of the community that are not accessing the service in the same way. I can see since 2007 since the visiting teachers left the traveller community, since they put the resources into the schools, they took the resources from the traveller visiting teachers, put them into the schools without a proper plan. We have fewer traveller children in secondary school, fewer completing Junior Cert and little or none doing Leaving Cert. in 2006, in the Tallaght area we had 36 young people in the Traveller Community do their Leaving Cert. That’s all gone. All that work we did with Royal College of Surgeons, similar to the access programme that St. Mark’s have here, we have another programme to access medical careers for travellers through the Royal College of Surgeons, so we got one Doctor, two Physiotherapists, two nurses, that’s all gone. We’ve nobody doing their Leaving Cert now. In my job, I’m back to the 70’s with the traveller community. I don’t know the answer, I’m being told to do more with less. I’ve done that, the well is run dry. There’s nothing more I can do. I came from a meeting today and we were discussing could we close an addiction clinic in this part of the city and move the clients (just for the weekends) over here, because there’s rules, you can’t give somebody three bottles of methadone for the weekend, you have to manage it so that they don’t kill themselves, so I was getting the point where we are shrinking our weekend clinics and after you do that then we’ll shrink Mon-Friday, and there the discussions that I’m taking part in. I’m not taking part in discussions to develop any systems, to enhance family supports because there’s no new money coming into the system. The control bill framework for employment you’re trying to keep existing services open. We’re struggling to do that;  When I think of this area, I just see waiting lists everywhere and behind those waiting lists it’s because there’s no people there’s less services, as Larry was saying there’s some on the brink as we speak. I think about the young kids waiting on assessment of need, it could be six months if they’re luck and even when they do, then it’s possibly a year until they get the service that’s recommended. Implication that will carry them into the future with developmental delay. I see waiting lists there, I see waiting lists around housing and homelessness. We’re getting referrals in all the time from hotel rooms for parenting and you’re thinking how anybody can even do parenting in a hotel room. The conditions that created the need for parenting is the situation their in. You put any person into a homeless situation with their kids, they’ll break down anytime. You can’t provide the solution until they are out of that environment. There’s waiting lists there, waiting lists for services and that’s what I see. It’s chronic. There was a case manager called Patsy and her waiting list was three or four months. She went on sick leave and when she came back the waiting list was six or seven months, nothing had happened for the time she was gone. Now she’s in a new post. Larry mentioned the burnout. Staff reductions is putting an increase on everyone and getting calls from the public and getting referrals in and people are screaming out for help and there’s less people to do it;

172

 You’re legislatedly bound to provide that assessment of need within a reasonable period of time. You’re not bound to provide it to somebody in a homeless hostel. I had a look nationally where the length of waiting lists outside Dublin are 19 months. The reality is nobody is challenging the HSE. Children are at risk. When they go individually they are being shot down. They are being bullied. They are being told you missed you’re appointment, because they are going doing things like hand delivering the letter, then being told they didn’t get the letter. Social care and disability is one of the biggest problems in the HSE, there isn’t enough money to deal with the number of children that are coming into the system that are born with disabilities;  On a positive note when I look around the area is very strong interagency work, that’s a strength. Alternatively response model system, it’s in Meitheal. People who do the work are doing the very best they can. None of us can meet all the needs of a family or child on our own, so you link in with your colleagues or other agencies. So I think that’s very strong but I would be concerned, somebody mentioned that the focus is on outcomes and especially with commissioning down the road, what the impact of that would be on the interagency work. Will it pitch services against each other, whereas it should be about people working together. Strong interagency work but I’d be worried is it vulnerable as well. The remit for how you get the funding could change in the future.

How easy do you think it is for families, young people and people living locally to access your services?

 I think my service in terms of duty social worker is meant to be that there is a front door and everyone has equal access to it and it’s important to hear the voice of someone who is trying to make that phone call. It’s important for us to know as the child and Family Agency and we have developed the Meitheal model which does have the potential to be a better access point for families to get support at an early intervention level and not need to go to social work departments. I’m hopeful that it will be a positive intervention in TW although I spoke to the coordinator for Tallaght yesterday and she is already swamped and is identifying that thresholds are so high to get social work service for children and families in Tallaght that Meitheal is seen to meet the needs for everyone else and it’s not for that. It’s for much lower levels of need and I suppose that’s something in terms of access;  I suppose I’m thinking about the whole outcomes stuff and we are certainly in a system where we just come under Solas and our funding has now changed to being Dept of Education funding to being Solas funding and are being challenged through Solas which means that outputs, certification, bums on seats is becoming increasingly important and it’s moved away from that sense of community that’s Erica is talking about and I can see that the kids with the really poor literacy levels and bad behavioural problems which is what Youth Reach was set up for, the social skills and all that is slipping away and it’s becoming an academic exercise. Getting the people in, getting them certified and pushing them out the other side. We’re trying to hold our ground on the soft skills and hold hour ground on the kids that we have but when it comes to a point that your funding is being cut because half of your kids can’t read and write so they only got two certs and the centre down the road got 8 certs because they took the kid who can read and write. It’s a no brainer. You have to go where the funding is which is completely against the whole ethos and I suppose, and it was mentioned earlier, intimidation. And I see with our young people such a sense of intimidation in the communities they live in;  Where does it come from?  It comes from different sources. The drug culture is a huge one. They are intimidated by dealers, gangs, people that they or a family member might owe money to.

173

Someone they accidently came across when walking home. Huge fear of intimidation. Situations where 50e that was owed, a gang came to the centre to try to knock the block off one of the kids and we had to get that kid out of there but this is happening in their lives on a daily basis;  It’s happening in my life where I had to pay 20,000;  I know families who have been so badly intimated, bullets left on their door steps over a few bob that a fifteen or sixteen year old owes;  My own son owed money. My windows were shot in twice and going back not recently but it would be for little or nothing, 100 or 200 Euros it’s not 200 grand. And over the last few years I’ve paid out 20,000 but I couldn’t pay it out anymore and wouldn’t. You are not left in any position that could do anything else;  I was in a house in early January and the mother who had saved really hard for the grandkids for Play Stations, bikes etc. had literally handed them all out the front door to a gang who were waiting saying if you don’t we’re going to go into the house and smash it up and going to kill him. And everything that family got for Christmas went out the door. Kids seven and eight years of age watching that and this becomes their reality;  My point of view, and these are all very real. The first time I met Mary in centre I decided I was going to go for a walk to the shop. One of my colleagues was there saying you can’t let him walk to the centre alone. I was escorted to the shop and back. She felt it was dangerous to be on the street in a suit in the middle of the day. Something very minor, a petrol bomb under someone’s car because they attended a community centre where Gardai were present. How does that begin and how do you change it? I think it partly is because of the policies. There is no recognition whatsoever that if there is any disadvantage where that’s a disability, education or drugs or whether it’s just economics, that there is any extra need in that particular area for those particular families. Until we get to the stage where we realise that we are actually trying to improve people’s lives not statistics, we’re going nowhere as a policy. So from the government departments down they’re not seeing this and not accepting it. They see that the model works well. And Meitheal is one of the best theoretical models that’s there. If you look at the people who participate in Meiteal, and it’s extremely positive if you can get it right, none of those organisations are given one iota of resource to allow for proper time for that individual to see that case through. And what we had a fear on Meitheal was that it was going to be used to reduce the social care numbers and nothing else. Jigsaw came in and they moved one set of people from one service into another service and therefore we show progress in the first service. We are not focussing on the clients and the families and children’s needs and building around that. You mentioned the education of travellers and I had actually forgotten in 2007they were withdrawn. We have four child community childcare services we work with over in Clondalkin. At that stage we had 12 traveller children in those services. The teachers were removed and within two years I can tell you now that there’s not one traveller child that has been in any of those four services. Even though they are mandated to leave spaces for traveller children, but they’re not being filled. It seems ridiculous you change the role of the teacher and the child care service disappears for that particular cohort. I think we need to go back to the design stage again and there is a huge reluctance;  And that’s where the trust was, the visiting teacher coming into the house and assisting the parents to a degree almost helping them to change their behaviours to get the children into education;  The other thing that I’m concerned about is the suicide rates. Obviously, I am social inclusion suicide rates for the travelling community are seven times higher than the settled community that is a proven fact. It cant’ be disputed it was done by UCD . When you say about Jigsaw, the HSE does not have a good reputation in some of its services so people don’t’ go and there is huge stigma about mental health. Whether

174

it’s youth suicide, adult mental health services, the success in the HSE for Jigsaw would be that we believe that more young people are attending Jigsaw than they were with the stigma of attending the HSE mental health services. It’s very unfortunate to have to say that the logo or the brand of the HSE stopped people who really needed help, choosing to avail of help, but when you placed it into the community and gave it a community base and funded it appropriately the referral rates went out the door. I think part of the solution, and I wouldn’t be very popular in the HSE for saying this, is you need to be for community services with a community development approach to basically develop some of the health services. Like I would be a big believer that there ought to be within a partnership or within another structure within the community. I have health care project workers based in the community for travellers. There is no equivalent to that for the settled community but I can put my hand up and say that the traveller children are being vaccinated 100% best in the country, the women are getting their breast checks, men are getting their prostate screening and we’re making progress on all the other things. My stats for the travellers are second to none because we have traveller project primary health care workers with a community development approach based in the community running on that agenda. We don’t have that in the settled community and I don’t k now why. There is something to be said about how you develop community services in an interagency approach to deliver that because the mens health for the travellers in Tallaght benefits the Garda just as much as it benefits my service. They can come into the mens sheds and give talks basically we get the health checks done , they work on restorative justice,, mediation and there is a whole bigger programme going on in that mens shed than just what we’re doing. There is also family support stuff going on so I can see the benefits of community development sand interagency work but I have no new pot of money so I have to look at do you close an addition clinic. Do you make 50,000 if you do it or 100,000 and where does that money go and I have to fight to hold onto it. So internal structures because there is no money, no incentive to be creative or redesign as no guarantee when you do it you can hold onto your funds. I’d be really worried about suicide because while Connection for Life is coming in and all the services. We are not really sure if we’re making an impact and we’re not really sure the difference between an overdose and an actual suicide and there is not enough research done on that in local communities so some of the suicide deaths could be overdoses, so what are we doing about it?

What do you think it’s like for young people growing up in West Tallaght?

 I think it’s very difficult. I was working as a primary teacher before I got into the Home School Community job. The teachers work very hard with children that are coming in with a lot of disabilities. You could have five or six teachers on top of that one child and that would be in the junior system. But then when they go from third to sixth class they are losing resources and also just from my observations even the waiting lists are a massive problem. Trying to get intervention at a young age is so difficult. SLT is just off the wall. It’s crazy how many kids are coming in with speech and language problems. We are always evaluating what we are doing and how we can do the school. My job is trying to get the parents in. It is so difficult to engage. You call to the house, you try to build relationships and you ask them what do you want and need and it’s attitudes towards education. Our doors are open and we couldn’t welcome them anymore and I think the families who are in big need i.e. travelling community, drugs is a huge issue. What is really difficult for teachers is where do we draw a line here for example this child is coming in saying he has head lice for months, you brought the parents in, you made phone calls, you exhausted all avenues and it is not clear where the line is drawn and where we need to do our reports and then our course you can send in a

175

report and it’s a very long time before you hear anything back. In some situations it’s so difficult as the parents needs the help the most to go to them or get them to come in.  What hinders that engagement?  There is not enough information. It’s coming from a place that I know. My biggest worry as a person rearing a child. I’ve now grown to know what now needs. There is a lot of children born into drugs and I’m sorry about the HSE this is about social services and I know it’s not their fault. If the parents in the hospital show just a sign of being well, the child is handed back to them and they go home and start doing whatever they are doing. There is loads of things that could be wrong with that child, nobody goes into that at all. I’ve said it to one person in a nice way would you not try to get the child tested. Had I not done what I done for Leon at 12 years of age we would be talking about another drug addict, another not knowing where he come from and there is nothing said about children born with drugs. They are going to be the next problem. They are going right through the gap because no one wants to see it. Every service that Leon is in I will not let them put him out. They wanted to put him out of a clinic and I said no. You can keep him and try see him once a year as he will never get back into the service. Anything to do with the services I will not let him leave and keep him there. So far so good. I don’t know how long I will be able to keep him in it. I have a bit of intelligence to do this. Boys and girls bringing are brining home children that haven’t got a clue. It needs to start and teach what is happening.

What do you see as your role in creating a safer community?

 If you look at the police at the moment. A lot of communities bought into it and agencies. I noticed that the County Council and senior Gardai are not even given the courtesy to attend the meetings and it is their role and responsibility to be there and hear what is going on in communities. And if that breaks down and they’re not attending. Where does it leave the communities and workers? It’s all there in black and white but not acted upon. We have a public meeting in two weeks time and we don’t know if a senior person from the Council will attend as they didn’t attend the last three meetings. Very frustrating. The numbers attending the meetings have gone way down as they’re not getting answers or support. Also, in relation to services for children, I have had a family who has to borrow money to have their grandchild sent for a hearing test which cost 900e in private sector. They have now discovered that this child is deaf in both ears and will be fitted with hearing aids. This is another up hill battle for this family. Where do they get the money? They have to go back to the HSE to be assessed again. So frustrating. Honestly about the HSE is good to hear and need to talk about it. It’s dreadful;  The time it takes is a good point. We are frustrated too as they’re a preteen, then a teen by the time they’re seen. The children’s lives are passing by while they sit on waiting lists;  If we didn’t have SVP to look after 170 families in Fettercairn in every week I don’t know where we would be. And we’re constantly looking to see what we can do to help families have a Christmas dinner. We’re battling communions as rents not being paid as people are borrowing from money lenders. SVP are struggling also as money is not being left to them. It’s way back we’ve gone;  I’m doing a piece of work called needs and young needs in particular. It’s not education, employment or training. Mainly focused on young men as we seem to have a better hand on accessing women. I attend the meeting are the Dept of Education, with EU funds, and I was asked for a view and I said I was just about to undertake some research and one of the senior fellas asked what the research was and I said I was going to ask what it is they want and what might attract them. It was

176

like I had come from outer space with this idea! i.e. asking, their views etc. Why do you expect result to change if you keep doing the things you’ve done. It’s possibly for policy makers safer ground than to think of doing something different or challenging;  The safety around crime etc. I think about safety in a different way. I think about the kids we’ve worked with where kids are at risk of not being safe. Partly because of parenting and environments. I think about Tusla’s two child protection teams in Tallaght. One has huge waiting lists over 2 or 300 places. When people talk about putting in a referral to Tusla where they are concerned about a child, if it passes the intake team, if it meets the thresholds, then could be waiting six or seven months because the team is overwhelmed. There was a child welfare team who would respond at a lower level but they closed that because of restructuring around Tusla and that was a huge loss. These all put kids at risks. Don’t keep them safe. Not having enough social workers, not enough services or skilled practitioners to go out and work with parents to bring up their capacity around their kids needs. I very rarely meet parents who don’t want the best for their kids but within that you might need a parent who needs a piece of work done to understand that a four year old cannot be left in the bath. It’s those subtle pieces around child development. There is not enough resources, I see them shutting down! We have one parent coach and that used to be a team of 3 but it’s all being whittled away. That last coach position is ending in August. These are the things that I see that don’t keep kids safe. I think about building parents abilities around parenting their kids and I see building resilience in kids themselves. Last year we had 30 referrals for six places in preschool so there’s 6 kids who got the place. The most needed kids. I think of our 18 children 14 have some additional diagnosed need or developmental need. But the 24 who didn’t get a place despite our best efforts, they are the kids who are possibly not safe. When a child gets a place we can work with them but the children who don’t are those that aren’t safe. There’s probably 15 childcare services who might not open our doors in September. These things are causing huge risks.  We had a child who kept on opening the front door and walking off and was only 3 or 4 years of age. Leaving their own house. We brought this back to the parent and they didn’t realise what the risks were. They just thought of getting knocked down and kidnapped but didn’t think of broken glass, dogs, puddles of water and all these other risks. Once you do a piece of work with a parent that can solve the problem. Building their capacity to understand their child’s needs. Therefore that child I would hope is much safer now prior to the intervention;  In the focus group on Tuesday several service providers mentioned empowering communities and parents and families. Any views on that?  The majority of my students, particularly males see community as something external to them. They don’t see I am community they see it as an environment that surrounds me. We did quite a bit of work on they always say things like ‘Jobstown is a kip’ and we get them to say ‘look at the view’, have a great respect for their own community. We bring them up to the hell fire club to get them to see and try to get them re- involved. At 13 and 14 most lads drop out of football and other activities that they were involved in but it doesn’t mean that they didn’t like it. so it’s trying to reengage them. That might be getting them to go up and give a hand on a Thursday night training the under eights. They don’t see it as uncool as they see it as a bit of responsibility but they see the under eights training and think they might get more involved. We take them fishing. Quiet with a lot of time to think. We get the girls back in dance class and involved in doing hair and nails. Sounds sexist but girls tend not to like the fishing. Get them involved in positive things. We can do that as we’re in the middle of the industrial estate so when there are incidents outside our door it effects on the whole business campus. So we say you were roaring and shouting outside in front of 12 potential employers so when you walk up in 2 years time with your CV, what if

177

they remember you? This is part of community and everything I do has an impact somewhere else;  To have that sense of community aswell you need to be connected to it. that can be driven from a lack of empathy that is formed from early childhood. How people see the world around them and how they care about others. Sometimes people behave because they don’t understand the impact that behaviours is having on people around them and it’s very difficult to go into a teenager or older and work with them to develop empathy. We do a lot of work around that with pre-schoolers. It goes back to early intervention. Children and adults that are in the criminal justice system now there would probably be a common theme of lack of empathy and they don’t understand the effect they’re having on other people.;  There’s some points there like you were saying about supporting parents and I think that’s huge and what was said about needs. Everyday I question myself about what is it that we’re doing wrong? When you said ‘what do I think changes the attitudes of parents to get them to come forward?’ the answer is, I don’t’ know but I ask the parents themselves and I think as a view in this position first of all I think what would have helped, I wasn’t really aware of all the agencies and programmes that are available to me. And I think that link between school and home is so important as it’s the first point of contact really and you’re dealing with their kids every single day. I wasn’t aware of different organisations and everything that they do and if there was something there, especially the home school where it would make it easier to know exactly. Even a booklet;  Citizens Information in Tallaght produced a book of services in Tallaght. Its’ quite broad but you might also be looking at bringing all services together to showcase what you do and get people to network, and especially in position of Home School Liaison where it rotates every few years. So there is a need to refresh;  We do the in service for the Home School community Liaisons in the country and something like that would be ideal because a lot of home school community liaisons run into this problem going ‘what can I access’. There is almost no job description with that except that you’re targeting families and trying to change their attitudes and to get them involved in education. I’ve asked parents why did you not want to take part, and they said that once the kids go to school I just want a break. It’s not the case for all parents. Most want the best;  In terms of empowering – last year Tallaght travellers and Clondalkin travellers worked with me and the HSE and South Dublin County Council and the Gardai to attend a training programme with the Village Counselling Services for reality therapy, control theory and done a basic 30 hours diploma. It was a huge challenge for the senior managers in the County Council, HSE and the Garda to sit for 30 hours in the same room as travellers. Now the reason I picked that is because back in the 1980s when I was living in Springfield with my sister Colette, we did Glaser which would have been a big part of the community development approach. I worked really closely with the Realtor, people want to work in Youth Reach and it was rampant in the addiction services it’s basic decision making programme so there was a pre engagement and pre capacity building for the traveller women because there are very few men in the community help, they’re only developing now so we got 86% course attendance and the main outcome was the gardai were very satisfied with the relationships they built up with the traveller women. It changed their perception of the traveller community, one of the gardai is now on the board of Clondalkin travellers. The traveller women got a huge sense of empowerment in the decision making in their own lives and an understanding of anxiety, depression, are they choosing to do nothing or something. Four of the traveller women went on with a literacy proof programme wrapped around it, like NALA support to go on to do a Diploma in Counselling Services. I can’t honestly say that the senior staff got great mileage out of it but one of their junior staff has gone on with the traveller women to do the Diploma in Counselling Services. We

178

reviewed it and found that in terms of relationship building and empowering people to understand their lives, the decisions that they’re making, but 60% of the conversations that were had were all around their children, keeping their children in school, and out of trouble. Advice and guidance on coping. It’s my understanding that that Rialtor Control Theory Training Programme is going to be offered to the travellers in the north side of the city, so I felt it was worth while doing that because the 20 odd traveller people who attended, some of them brought their teenage daughters, they got a sense of community out of it. they didn’t feel they belonged to the Tallaght Community but they did admit that some people weren’t that bad. They admitted they built up a good relationship with council staff and the HSE so I felt it was worth trying. But I did pick that up from the time I spent here in the 80s. It’s about the psychology on how you make a decision and how it effects it, you are empowered.

You talked about some of the challenges/ difficulties in the neighbourhoods here. What do you think is going well in the area?

 I’ve seen a huge increase in educational attainment in young people coming to me in the last ten years. It’s slipped slightly since the recession however. Since I’ve come here over ten years ago, young people had no junior cert, poor literacy skills and very few had any real motivation towards education. Now I would say that half of our students have a reasonably good junior cert result and literacy levels have improved. We’re not out of the woods by any means on literacy but definitely things have improved. Young people are starting to see themselves as having opportunities that they wouldn’t have seen years ago, i.e. getting qualification;  Roma clinics so we can hold our hand up and say that the most vulnerable have access to medical services. We have very good vaccination rates among the vulnerable communities. The social inclusion side of keeping people linked in to medical and care services is working. I can’t say that it is working in addiction or anything else;  There is a huge resilience despite having this. I think empowerment is gone off the wall. We are not empowering communities anymore, we are keeping regulations on top of them. Again I go back to childcare, 64 pieces of legislation, 128 pieces of regulation, who in the name of God with any sanity would agree to sit on a community childcare board? We don’t even make exceptions for them. They’re not trying to make money, they’re trying to contribute and we get in the way. There is a huge gap there. There is also a distance between what is intended and what actually happens. We talk to the Super Intendent. He will tell you that he wants to see community policing but when do you see them? So vast tracks of West Tallaght have been given over to intimation and there is no great effort and I think that is where it starts, all the sites, research says if you catch them at the early years you have a chance then and the investment is 9 to 1 investment return rate. That is scientifically proven but if you can’t actually do it safely and I think that is one of the first issues we have to tackle, is taking control of estates back to the community by supporting them from regulatories office.

How do you think we can take communities back? How do you envisage that can happen?

 The addiction services are already in there doing an awful lot of work, the sporting organisations are in there doing a lot of work. There is an array of them. There is probably a wider array of services, past times and all that than there ever was before. But the plain thing is that 4 or 5 teenagers can get together and intimate a whole estate for a period of time before any intervention. That is what has to change. When we look at the family last year whose house was being petrol bombed – two

179

counsellors go up to visit them and the car is vandalised. This is a modern society. It is very difficult for an ordinary individual in the community to put their head above when they see two County Councillors being intimidated like that. We have to gain control of that again. Along with the other things;  Housing crisis is unbelievable. We have families who have lived in areas for thirty or forty years. Their children are now waiting to get housed, lists are getting endless. The Council changed the system to tackle the homeless but the homeless isn’t changing as they’re still in hotel rooms. They can’t even sit in the dining room and have their breakfast in some of these hotel rooms. I think communities are so frustrated that some families they feel are getting housed straight away from other countries and their children are not getting a chance and are ten years on waiting lists and kids with health issues still waiting to get housed. The Council have removed themselves from communities. They are not visible or engaging with the community anymore. They’re not even looking at who is in there homes anymore. In the last four months we have six houses back and we’ve been pushing the Council to give them back off new communities who have been housed three or four years ago who have now moved out and are now subletting. This is creating frustration in communities. I could nearly say that racism is alive and well and coming through those kind of channels. The Council needs to engage with communities. Maintenance in houses – they don’t get it anymore. So why do we pay rent? It’s back to the same ole stuff. In the 60s there wasn’t a shilling in the country they build houses, people had homes, they moved to Tallaght and got houses. This isn’t happening anymore and they need to tackle it;  The new communities are no better off, there is literally a situation as a state where we can have people in a Clondalkin centre for ten to twelve years unable to work where the children would now qualify to go to university they can’t get advantage of the fees that the rest of our children can get. You have to pay international rates. That’s how bad this has gone. Those centres are nothing but an animal housing unit – I’m sorry to say that because I know we try our best but this idea.. when you hear about hotels and we cant’ even get a handle of where they’re from. There is no system that if someone is made homeless in Santry, that they get a hotel in Santry where it might at least be close to schools and avoid bus journeys, where a community group might come in and support the parents. And part of the problem is there they are two nights here, four nights there, a week here, so you can’t even build up a relationship with the people who need the supports. We are in a modern society where we have the leaders in computer technology are in the country and we can’t set up a ….. something has to tell you that the intention is now there from the top to deal with this issue and that is what saddens me;  We have African families who are locked in their homes, they have boards up to protect themselves during the night. It’s frustration from older communities with their children and they’re housed and mine aren’t. These families need to be helped. Families are terrorised. These families might have went to England to rent their houses out. The council needs to engage with communities. People say what’s the point of the Council, grass isn’t cut, bottles still on the ground, ‘where do we go?’;  I know that we’re all knocking what people are doing, but a lot of the community are having babies to get social welfare. They have no intentions of ever working. Long ago they should have frightened the life out of the young girls and said no you wont be getting this money as that is what they live for. They just pick up their book or allowance and whatever way they cans scam.

Who do you see as promoting or implementing change in the area? Does anyone stand out to you as a community leader?

180

 I think it’s frustrating that we had an election two months ago and we still don’t have a Government. I don’t think people spoke to candidates on the door. Where were you the last five years? There is no cooperation whatsoever. The department heads have too much to say and make too many decisions and I don’t’ think the troops on the ground get the opportunity to role that back into the communities because they’re talking business wise and are not looking at what communities are about and problems as they’ve never experienced it themselves. Local authorities have a huge role to play in supporting their tenants;  I keep thinking of Combat Poverty. That’s one organisation. It’s very dangerous to be a leader, to put your head above the parafet. Particularly if you have a responsibility to sixty, seventy, or eighty staff in an organisation, or maybe three or four childcare units. Because the track record when you do speak out, your organisation loses. There is definitely corilation of that out there and it’s obvious to everybody. I think that’s part of the problem but the other thing is when we do see leaders for the community we don’t support them. They need huge, huge support to an extent, protection to give them the freedom to lead, and we’re not developing that sort of a society anymore. That again would worry me. Despite all the heroes in the clubs, there is athletic clubs in Tallaght, the amount of work that goes in to keep those kids off the street is absolutely phenomenal and what do they do, they say you don’t have planning permission for this, or that’s against this regulation. If you take where we started off with childcare, it was parents coming together to provide some sort of education entertainment and relief for themselves and their children and we moved to where we are today. We need to go back and say we need a structure there that allows the parents to be involved in these childcare units without all this hassle and regulation. That allows them to do what they started out to do, - provide services to the children. Not become bookkeepers, HR, accountants, legal people. That’s one thing we could do, start removing that regulation and responsibility off volunteer workers;  I feel there is a lack of parenting courses going on. Years gone by there was a lot and we need to go back to rolling this back out again. It’s great support for parents, especially if you have a difficult child and it’s how to handle that child. Helps with battle, struggle and frustration. Show an easier way to deal with the child and build parents back up again. I see the problem here is the first year in secondary school, this is when the child gets into serious trouble. They’ve different teachers. The problem starts. They don’t get on with this one, then they’re only in school for two hours a day or three. Before you know it they’re out of the system for good and they’re on the street and there is no recovery.

Can you identify any other suggestions for change?

 I suppose we’re hugely influenced by our funders, I think we all are so it’s become the case that it’s harder to hold onto the what you know is the right thing to do as you’re trying to meet regulations and new laws and funders requirements but the DCYA are huge funders for different projects, like the early years sector, and the layers and layers particularly under the childcare scheme and new regulation, accountability, some are necessary, some are not. They are a barrier. That’s a good example, a childcare service could very happily get up there and provide much needed places but they’re frightened as they might not have the skills required to meet some of the regulations, but is it really worth the hassle? Would you really want to make a huge effort when they could be knocked down if they’re not complying to something small? I think the DCYA are a huge influence in the area as they are overseeing the funding for various schemes. Tusla are hugely influential in the area as how they’re resourced. Most individuals that I’ve ever met in any organisation all want to do the best they can. I’ve never met anyone from Tusla that doesn’t care about a case they’re connected to.

181

How Tusla decide to put their resources has a huge impact locally. They’re decision to close the Child welfare team in Tallaght village I don’t’ think that was a good one for families in the area. That’s just an example of an organisation that has huge influence in the area;  Those positions in childcare in Tallaght, in 2007 because we were in under OPC funding we could do what we wanted once we got the grant. The grant then was linked to individual children in a capitation format so once a year you submitted a list of children’s names and details and see if they qualify, if they did, you got the funding. That was it for the year. If we took in two traveller or migrant children who we knew through addiction, had no funds to contribute but they hadn’t passed the criteria from the department, so they weren’t being funded, and we put them in for nothing, we could actually be punished, because it meant that our children getting there for nothing, the rest were subsidising it. So there was a ban on cross subsidy in that matter and that was a regulation that you had to prove which was nearly next to impossible. How do you prove to someone that you didn’t misbehave? That is when regulation becomes stupid. If you don’t tick the box, the whole lot goes down. We need to move away from that. I keep going back to volunteer work. It’s not so bad for me, I get paid. But for someone who comes in after a days work and sit on a board meeting and listen that €70,000 funding gone missing because someone didn’t sign the form so we’re not going to get it this year. Or if you take the Department of Education we are now opening special bank accounts for €20,000, we have to have a separate bank account. So now we have to get our voluntary rewards in during the day , down to the bank, go through the routine again, we are making it more and more difficult for the community to be empowered;  At a time when so many resources are being cut away from all the local services it should nearly be made easier for the remaining people to do more with less and it’s actually become harder to do more because of new regulations;  I think there needs to be a huge call out to the Gardai. They are not being represented and turning up to meetings where communities are living in fear. I’ve worked with lots of community gardai and they have been absolutely fantastic and they’ve gone above and beyond but we don’t have a cohesive system. Once you meet one Gardai they’re moved somewhere else. We need a local Gardai that people know. Families and children don’t want to be seen talking to Gardai but if there is a familiar face that people know it’s different;  The Gardai conference this week they mentioned that the closure of the garda station in Stepaside they said we were known there we had our community links we are gone, crime has risen in that area and there is no local gardai to know the local people the way there would have been. That’s replicated in all the places they close garda stations. I did a huge amount of work with travellers in Ballyfermot in my previous role and the North Inner City before that and when there was local community gardai that were interested, that was a start but getting Gardai to come to meetings is very difficult because they’re on shift work, no matter what their role is, so you might not see the same gardai for a couple of months. So each time Gardai came, you’re start explaining what you’re doing all over again and that is not efficient, but I don’t k now if the Gardai can commit the same person to come to something over a period of a time. Well the course I ran they did but had to do it in the their own time;  I think there is an issue that needs to be put on the table and that is that the decision makers don’t understand community gain and the concept of community development or participation. They’re trying to justify leaving resources in disadvantaged areas and they cut Combat Poverty and cut other supposed … the language is economic – it’s outcomes, productivity, activity, they are not getting the concept that if you don’t develop community gain the longer term and consequences for the youth and community are prison, probation, mental health services, addiction services, they’re not getting the role of investment training and

182

development and restructuring. To a degree, a lot of that was left on the shoulders of the Council for enterprise and employment and stuff like that. If you said to the people that I do be sitting at the table with what you understand about community gain? They wouldn’t understand it. They don’t get interagency integration work. They talk about it but they don’t get how the outcomes effect everybody across the table. If someone drops out of school they end up in the Garda station and being sentenced in St Pat’s. When they come out then, it’s very likely they are coming out with a drug or mental health problem so that effects education, the local community, the Gardai, the health, altogether. The concept of community gain and benefit and investing in people and interagency and community participation reduces the possibility of a percentage or a high proportion of the youth in the area ending up in that scenario. I don’t think the decision makers get that or understand it;  I personally came from Terenure, and then presentation and I didn’t realise that poor people existed. I now live in Killinarden so I know they exist but while I lived that life and went to that school and was with that crowd. I came from England and passed Ballymun flats and thought that was a great set of office blocks. I was naïve. It’s a very stupid way to be. If you are in this line of work and handing out money you should know how the people are living. But a lot of these people that are making the decisions, their kids are all in private schools, and are going to hurley matches and golfing weekends and they haven’t got an iota about any of it. They don’t even think it exists. I came from a father who was a builder who said if you want something you get it and you go out and you fight for it. and we all know it’s not as simple as that and that’s the mentality of a lot of people who have money. If you want it you can do it or get it. That doesn’t work in Cushlawn or Fettercairn;  There is great work happening in the community but there is nobody coordinating that. As you were saying about leaders and who is driving change, I didn’t think that there is many people ‘driving’ change in the area but that doesn’t mean that everybody isn’t doing their best to make things happen. I think that is where the gap is. We are all holding onto our little patches and trying to make that work. Those agencies were the agencies that supported that work to be coordinated, for people to be talking and working together and when those agencies were gone, people just gone in house and holding onto their own but it’s not joined up and that’s where we are at in the other side of the recession and I think a lot has been lost;  Nobody hears about it. In the 70s and 80s you would hear about what everyone is doing. The people that are living in these areas don’t know that if you go to a place they can get this. I remember a few months ago they did in Killinarden about bringing over the parents of girls and boys aged 13 about alcohol. To try to teach them about what alcohol is doing and it was two girls that came in from two to do it. So I thought that I would bring my six year old son Leon but I might just go over and listen. One person turned up in 3 weeks and that was me. I put it up myself on facebook and still no one for 3 weeks. I thought that was very sad. I don’t know why they didn’t turn up but they didn’t.

Thank you so much for all your views and opinions. It’s been so insightful and I’ve learned so much from it and I think it is going to be really useful for this study so that you all so much for coming.

CDI Focus Group 3

The Childhood Development Initiative Ltd

Focus Group

183

The Maldron Hotel

19th April 2016

Minutes

Moderater: Bernadette

Interviewee Pseudonyms: Mary, Dee, Lauren, Sinead, John, Linda, Paula, Shauna, Peter.

Welcome:

Thank you for staying on. I’m Bernadette and this Focus Group is part of a research study that we are carrying out in CDI called ‘How is Our Neighbourhood?, a follow on study from the 2007 study ‘How Are Our Kids?’ and ‘How Are Our Families?’. It’s looking at the experiences of people who live and work in Tallaght West and also carrying out focus groups with yourselves, service providers, and people who live in the area so 250 surveys with residents and also focus groups with young people aged 15-17 and surveys with young people.

This will be recorded but completely confidential.

Introductions:

 Mary: SLT in Dublin South West. Services provided across paediatrics and adults. We have services at primary care level and in social disability social care which is the disability services mainly in speech and language therapist in the school team and early intervention team. We have services in language classes and special schools in the area;  Dee: Rehabilitation Drugs Coordinator. My main brief is to implement the National Rehabilitation Framework which is based on individuals having care planners shared care planning and case management and that interfaces also with families that would be in recovery or also support that families would be given individual summaries. And we are also a pilot site for the Evolve study, so the effects of alcohol substance abuse from children but not necessarily people always assume its going to be about those that are dependent on alcohol and substance abuse but it’s actually the harmful hazardous use that children experience;  Lauren: Home School Community Liaison Officer. My role is basically organising courses. home visits if attendance is an issue or family issues. I work with the community as well, Barnardos, and Dublin County Council;  Sinead: A Social Worker in Housing Welfare team in South Dublin County Council. The main role is to work with tenants who are in difficulties with their tenancies and I suppose the position with a lot of the tenancies are families;  John: South Dublin County Council;  Linda: I’m a Primary Care Social Worker in the HSE. I work with primary care teams and provide services to approx. 25,000 population who have all sorts of different social and health care issues. I don’t work directly with children but I work with families who do have children;  Paula: I work in Tallaght. I’m a member of the travelling community. I work with 300 settled travellers and go to visit them and work with men, women and children and encourage them to get breast checks and go to mens clinics;  Shauna: I’m an Assistant Coordinator and a member of the travelling community. Engage with 370 travellers in Tallaght area and deal with health and anything to do with women and mens health. We also help people with accommodation issues and anyone trying to commit suicide and mental health issues;

184

 Peter: I work with South Dublin County Sports Partnership based in County Hall. Our remit it to try to increase participation in sport or healthy physical activity across the community;

What comes to mind when you think of Tallaght West Neighbourhoods?

 Deprivation – every day and not improving. Tallaght the hardest hit. As a service provider I have not seen any improvements;  Community – a lot of community and interagency working going on. A huge community spirit also -there has to be in order to balance the effects of deprivation in community;  Complexity and challenge is trying to get it right in how you bring services to the families who may need or are looking for it. Reflect on what we are doing and how we are doing it to make that easier. I went for a drive around west Tallaght recently and the geographics had expanded and our services is based in the Mary Mercer Centre and families have to come an extroadinary distance to access our services. We are under huge pressure in terms of volume of demand and how do we do it differently that we meet the communities needs? That we are actually able to do it can be overwhelming, sometimes by virtue of the capacity that we have to do the job and the demand that there is for it. Quite challenged.

Challenges? What challenges to you experience in your work roles?

 A phone call on a Friday evening and John has tried to commit suicide. Where are we going to go? I would give up my weekend and try to help them which is not my role as I’m not a councillor but I would not turn my back;  If someone had a miscarriage they don’t know where to go for counselling;  Generational issue in the context of mental health. Intervening in these families and unearthing young children with mental health problems. Whenever we try to put a package of support in we find that mum and dad and older siblings have similar problems and it’s hard to pick apart. Families are complex. It’s difficult to find that stability;  Our challenge is just that we are under resourced. People on the grounds are trying to help us achieve our goals. We have two in the office to cover a population of 275,000. I cover counties, clubs and primary schools and community centres etc. We spread ourselves too thin and that is our biggest challenge. We are conscious that we should be trying to do more in areas like West Tallaght, North Clondalkin but when you are there and you have a weak club structure and you don’t have the resources yourself, the personnel resources, how do you manage the two?

How easy is it for young people/ families to access your services?

 Varies greatly between us all but form our point of view a professional referral is required and I don’t think that is restricted to just us. That’s the case in a lot of different services. Families can’t self refer and it’s a barrier for them in terms of access and frustration;  We don’t deal with applicants we only deal with tenants which excludes a large part of the population;  The homeless population don’t have access to a Housing Welfare Officer? Maybe they need that extra support. Focus Ireland comes in and they’re under resourced. It’s frustration as people can’t access the services; 185

 We take self referrals all the time. Obviously there is more people who know how to access the service so very often I get people who refer a family member or sister or brother and they say I didn’t know you were there. But we’ve been there for seven years. The services are there but people don’t know how to access them. There needs to be better communication between services;  Parents can refer their children to us and then teachers and preschools teachers, so it is an open referral system which makes it at that level but then because we are operating at a primary care level and a social care level there is criteria for what’s for primary care and what’s for social care and within the disability piece. And that’s the paediatrics apart from the adults. That is difficult for parents to understand how you come into the primary care one and why would you come in? And why would you need the disability services? And how do you get into the disability services? And then with the mental health services the SLT service usually operates within the Lucena Clinic or the Child Adolescent and Mental Health Services in James’s Hospital. For families to understand that SLT sits in mental health and that it is different to how it operates in primary care and disability, that’s an ongoing education piece about referrals and families;  We take referrals and stop people and ask them do they want to come to our services. Any different form for referral to any of our services. One of the things that people were saying in unearthing the complexities of families or any one individual and then from the agency point of view, I think in Tallaght we’re great at coming together and there is an good interagency working but there is some traction that needs to be more joined up working together but also that kind of support from the top down. There is a middle management mismatch where its all been said in policy and we’re kind of doing it at front line ground level but somewhere in the middle we are not actually getting resourced or supported or saying you have to do this and that. We are meeting a glass ceiling. We are trying to get across from a substance misuse and alcohol point of you that we are trying to get that every contact counts. If someone is there with you that you have unearthed this. The contact is important. Someone was in the services when they needed to be. Volunteers or practitioners have the resources to do brief intervention. Where can we get the services to help support families when engaging in one thing? Some families need more support than others? There is gangs, race attacks, homelessness, migrants. A hidden population not addressed.

What are the key issues encountered by families? What do you think of services in the area?

 They don’t have anything to do – bored. Nowhere to go and nothing to do. Then they turn to drugs;  Very hard to get in anywhere for the travelling community. They get put on the list or told they will come back to them. Never heard of again. Some children hiding their identify to get into football clubs. Most of the services for travellers 15+ are ashamed to go into a mental health service. We are still fighting that battle of shame;  I have a big issue with the 0 to 3 year olds. We have parents coming out of hospital and there is lots of services but when the need is greater we need more services. The 0 to 3 population, there just isn’t enough to engage parents or grandparents and that age. For myself I could be at home in bits and kid in bits and the PHN is great but they can only come so often. You can go down and access the clinic. We try

186

to encourage and it’s a big problem in adults services is what are the needs of the children of the adults that are presented and trying to encourage services which can be done in an absolutely non judgemental way. How can we support you and the family that’s behind you? From developmental assets, are they involved in this? Our goals and services is the same for children and young people is the same, to stay healthy and have good educational outcomes so we should be progressive in adding those into our indicators in all our work so that we can support parents in whatever that may be and the provision of more services for young people;  Where would you see that being delivered through? Services for 0-3 year olds? Who delivers this and where?  What kind of services do they need? Who is going to provide them? I understand that you have parents who might have addictions and health problems and they may need the extra visit from a public health nurse. Me as a person with a 15 month old I don’t feel I need the extra visit from a PHN as we’re doing ok so different people would require different things. I as a primary care worker work with the PHN and would love to know what services do the 0-3 children need? The parents need? How do you engage that?  What do parents of new babies go to? Everyone wants to be a good parent. So what can they do to help them socialise?  Having a space to be that parent by meeting other parents. The PHN need to be able to refer parents somewhere;  Teenage ante-natal classes, Fettercairn, and the level of uptake is really poor, even though they are in the coombe and even though they are out in the community trying to get the group in they’re not coming. Difficult to engage the parents;  Parents want to have the need themselves to engage in the first place and sometimes it is someone else who recognises the need. If they don’t believe it’s a need themselves or if it’s poverty or getting up in the morning or a cranky child, that if you have all that challenge happening in your house how do you get them all to a SLT group? It becomes low priority even though it’s a high need in all of us to learn to communicate. But if you’re cold and hungry and don’t have the energy to get yourself out and your kids, where does SLT sit with that? We have to look at doing something differently and we’re just not sure what do to and how to do it in a way that actually can be received. And that it can be benefited from;  I think it goes back to the perceptions of the families and what is being offered to them and the point about stigma and certain services have reputations and things associated with them which would prevent families from going to them. For example the Mummy and Toddler Yoga. I have had families being offered that and they are reluctant to avail because of how they might be perceived in such a service or the prioritising thing. They’re working on their basic needs first and the other thing is an optional extra. They don’t have the mental capacity to work towards;  The physical energy. If you’re not warm and well you might not have the physical health to walk 3 miles and might not have the money to get on the bus. We need to do something different yet still offer the traditional piece to families that want it and can avail of it and our resources are so limited and we know we should be doing this but how do you make a massive change in how you are doing something and how it will be better and know still that you don’t have enough resources;  I had a family that was back in touch and said that kids aren’t making it to school. She can’t get out of bed because she is feeling low but not clinically depressed, the kids didn’t get to school for nearly two weeks. All of us do stuff that’s slightly outside the boundaries but you actually do have a responsibility to check how are the kids and can I make that connection for the kids to get to school and what other interventions are there, but this is not a crisis, this is far before it has become a crisis.

187

If they don’t engage we can’t get them. If we can’t get them out of bed we can’t help.

Looking at the issue of safety. Do you think this is a safe area for young people and families?

 I deal with a lot of parents and they don’t engage with the school. Some of the parents would keep the kids at home. They can’t get out of bed so would keep the older ones at home to mind the younger children. Even when I go to do visits, a lot of the parents would know me, but they are afraid to open the door as they don’t know who is knocking. Speaking to parents at night time it’s a no go area. A lot of robbed cars, drug deals in the area and afraid to go outside the door. A particular parent who was living in a council house but is afraid now for the kids because of where it is but she just closes the door. At night time it’s a no go area according to the parents;  I have a client who would be tough around the edges and might be homeless and you could say to them did you put in to say that you would live anywhere and you might be in with a better shot and they say they won’t live here or there because they are wa rzone, no go areas and these are tough men!  What exactly is a no go area?  It is rampant with drugs, alcohol, fighting and in particular MacUilliam, which is a mixed community but in fact is not a mix at all;  Jobstown is the same. People would report to me on the housing list and they try and say that they want to live near the square but they don’t know who is living near them next to those apartments but it’s right next to amenities and there isn’t a lot of gang behaviour that is going on but they get offered a house in Jobstown and there is no way there are going to take it;  A lot of issues attached to the council housing areas and I put that down to that. I know there is policing forums and community policing forums and I know that they’ve identified in Fettercairn, gangs of young men harassing people and as the years go on its escalating into violence. The manifestation of peoples frustration;  Escalating. Do you mean it’s happening in more areas or at a greater degree?  Yes, it is happening to more people. We are not talking about shrinking violets, we are talking about people who can hold their own and won’t step out of their houses at a certain hour. Likewise with the services, there is certain areas I won’t go into after four in the afternoon as I know there will be gangs hanging around and I know I might have the windows of my car smashed in so I will do my visits in the morning and that’s another impact on services and how people are going to receive them. This affects older people as well and they have a wealth of experience behind them that we could tap into but they are afraid to leave the house and become isolated. A lot needs to be done in terms of safety for children, older people and people with disabilities;  Two staff members that live in Brookfield heard domestic violence and neighbours tried to help but man came out with an axe and neighbours ran scared;  Level of cyber bullying in schools has risen and they can only control some of it. This impacts on children’s behaviour. Having a real impact on young people;  Cyber bullying can escalate;  Something so small can originate on Facebook;  Racism as everyone can be tarred with the same brush;  There is all the wider stuff but back to basics needs even trying to encourage people to get involved in clubs. There are people who would love to get involved but the money for insurance or kits is stopping them from being part of what can be readily available to others;

188

 Bureaucracy. Even when you get nuggets of gold every year it’s like ‘where are we going to get money to fund us again?’ Every year is a fight. Community projects paying other community projects for rent for hidden income and creating a barrier;

What do you see as your part in promoting safe community/ neighbourhood?

 From a housing welfare side a lot of our work is case work and management and we have a role in the project side of things and promoting positive community interactions and things like that and making sure that the people that we work with are aware of the channels available to them i.e. reporting anti social behaviour, but it does come back to a fear out there of reporting back as they may be targeted. Huge barrier but something we are trying to promote;  We would work hand in hand with our allocation support section and we look after all our anti social behaviour complaints. I think we primarily work with victims and have definitely seen it from houses being egged to bins being set on fire and all of a sudden there is break ins and even sexual assault so I think things are detiorating and getting worse. The difficulty that I’m experiencing is that I can do very little to protect families and whenever I talk about going to the guards they don’t want to do that because there is a culture out there that you don’t bring the guards in. We’re dealing with single mums and parents with undiagnosed learning difficulties and they are extremely vulnerable and they are trying to solve these problems themselves. Just tagging on to what’s been said, alongside our allocation support section, we have referred families and groups of the community to mediation services and I find that mediation services have come in and done fantastic pieces of works so that brings it forward.

What do you think or see as going well or working well in the community? Do you see people working together to manage problems?

 There is a huge amount going well;  There is a big community spirit here. There wouldn’t be half as much services in Donegal as there would be in Tallaght so there is a lot of good will and ambition and that is positive and continuing;  There is a lot of focus and highlighting and attention to the area, it’s how you make that work positively. It’s a good question to ask because we have spoke and learnt a lot in terms of the difficulties but a lot of services in my opinion anyway have come in over the years, certainly more than the other half of the area we work with down in Crumlin so how do we optimise them. I don’t know how transparent it is how well they’re working;  I think in recent times things that have gone well would be the PPNs. I think they have changed some of the voids that I’ve heard. I think Meitheal is having an impact alsol;  The Council Support Office would also do stuff like late night leagues in the leisure centres and that is positive and I suppose we’ve come through a really tough period and people have been beaten down and retreated into themselves and it will take a while for the mental positivity to come back again and you retreat into yourself. Anybody who has ever been unemployed you have a mental thing you shrivel up and you don’t have the right head space and may not be eating well and you just go into yourself and you probably in many cases may not give the same attention or focus on your children and it all roles along like that and it all comes back to income and equality and the feeling of self worth. That’s my personal opinion and West Tallaght was never a D4 area but particularly in the last ten years it has deprivation. I

189

was thinking why aren’t we linking in with schools but sure they’re not even coming to the schools;  The reason I used the word deprived is because when I first started here I did an area profile of the area that I work in. I looked at statistics and there is two deprivations indices that are used to measure the level of deprivation in an area and they measure the level of social housing, if they have access to a car, health services etc. and the fact of the matter is that Brookfield and the Fettercairn is one of the top seven most deprived areas in the country. I think we are creating this deprivation. I see a generation of people who want better for their children they want better for themselves, they want to get out there and do things. Every time they try to do something there is a financial barrier, housing barrier or service barrier. Coming up against brick walls all the time. As a service point of view, we have barriers and we are under resourced and we are constantly shouting I am not a manager in my service and I hear managers saying that we need more and we can’t get PHNs into the area because they are afraid to work in the area yet we have PHNs who are working in the area for years and years and are happy to stay there yet it’s not being resourced properly. Same with SLT services, old people services and across the board. By not resourcing we’re putting brick walls up for generations for years to come. Some say it’s intergenerational and I think it’s an excuse in some ways. It’s a circumstantial thing and people don’t choose this way of life. Most people will accept the help when they’re ready. The PHN situation with 0-3s. I didn’t want anyone knocking at my door when I had my baby I just wanted to get on with it. I didn’t want PHN knocking on door. I didn’t want toddler group and that was my situation. Others might have post natal depression and the last thing they want is to go to a parent group although it’s exactly what they need so how do you motivate these people and get them coming out of the house. I don’t think the generational thing is a fair statement. Most wants to improve their lives and their children’s lives and keep coming up against brick walls;  I think in relation to the intergenerational thing, I agree that everyone wants to better themselves and their kids but what is that? I don’t know if anyone ever saw the document about female offenders in Jobstown? What you see is women that are in prison really trying, it came across the power of prison but women who where there were really proud of their parenting and people are doing the best with what they know. We need to start at that – they’re doing their best and don’t always know what they want yet. A wrong assumption for us to think that they’re not doing enough – they think they are doing good enough with the finances, experience and education that they have and the situation that they’re living in;  I know that when CDI started many years ago, and they did their research and work with communities in terms of getting their feedback, safety was one of the big things and that CDI was coming in with money to provide a safer environment so it’s interesting that ten years later, we are sitting here and there’s something that most people are saying here is that it feels unsafe and that the environment is described as more intensely unsafe than before so I don’t know how the community has been asked again ten years later what their community is like and what they want for their community and how there is an evaluation of what services have gone in it and why is their sense of a greater unsafety is it just society or is it what?  In the last eight years we have been in the height of recession and I don’t think that’s a coincidence;  Last year it was to keep the recovery going. There has been no recovery in this area. There is a decreased number of PHNs and an increase in waiting lists;

190

 There has been some recovering in homeless units and hostels;  Don’t see recovery in health services;  If you think about where social workers and PHNs come from, probably a middle class background. Why would you want to come to West Tallaght and see deprivation when you could work somewhere else?  Why work in Jobstown when there is 300 child protection cases?  Maybe you want to make a difference. I am 33 years working in Tallaght and Crumlin and have never lost the passion and love of the area and never lost the need to do something to make a difference and that was speech and language therapy. I think there are some of us who are highly motivated and driven and that’s why a lot of us are still here years later.

What do you like or enjoy about your roles?

 I love the people and believing that we’ve made a difference to so many families and children and hopefully a good difference;  I have a huge respect for families. They come to our service having been referred by someone who told them that there is something wrong with your child or they themselves intrinsically know that there is something not quite right and they trust us and believe that we can do something and trust us to give some information. That is positive, that engagement. The trust and the belief that health services will help them;  I like working in Tallaght because any individual or family that engages with me whatever the issue, you can find help in Tallaght. You will be able to find the service, fit and support. You might have to look but you will always find the support that’s needed;  I’ve always worked in disadvantaged areas. I was in Clondalkin and Tallaght now and I’m teaching 22 years and when the kids are coming into school in the morning and I’d be in the classroom, you don’t now what they’re coming from but now they’re in the home you can see exactly where the kids are coming from, the poverty in their homes, the social problems that are there. The ordinarily class teacher would not experience. I love teaching but the role of Home School Liasion Officer, you feel you can help the parents on a personal level and try to put them on courses and different things to education them and they’re very appreciative. I feel we’re making a bit of a difference from parents to kids.

Looking at young people in the area, what is your opinion on recreational facilities for them?

 It’s just ridiculous in 2016 people have to accept who they are whether they’re travellers, black. To be accepted for who they are. Everyone has a right to live as much as everyone else. No-one is perfect. It’s not all the travellers who are into drugs and bullies. I lived in Jobstown and seeing settled communities fight with each other but only traveller feuds are in the paper. I love my job, love helping people and love working with old and disabled children. I would love in the near future before I hit 60 to help all young travellers get off drugs and would love to see more done about it. Not just travellers, everyone. The Government has to change. Poor people are getting hit all the time. It’s ridiculous.

You mentioned young people being involved in drugs, anyone else with that being a huge

191

challenge facing young children?

 It’s everywhere;  Some feel it’s going back to the 80s. Does anyone agree?  I think it’s gone worse. The Health Research Board would gather all statistics with people engaged in substance abuse and services so it’s very hard to collate the data of illicit use in under 18s.  YODO is there and that is an excellent service for any individual who wants to refer a family but there numbers are every increasing. However the level of prescription medication whether supervised by a GP or sold on the street is just massive. People don’t know what they’re taking and I think the difference in the 80s and now is people were looking at the drug addict/ junkie where now the numbers seem bigger because we are actually including everyone and now it’s a drug and alcohol task force and we’re not looking at that 10% who would be termed alcoholics. There is another 33% who are harmful and hazardous users. Travellers binge drink as they’re refused from pubs so that’s exposure for young people and not just travellers either. The exposure to young people gets younger and ages of drinking and pre teens drinking is younger. Even involved in drug trafficking as they wont be prosecuted;  Every second and third house is abusing drugs. Selling them. Dealers at houses. So it is much more accessible. It’s not even as expensive as it used to be;  There are estates where they do it at home;  I had a settled boy who’s mother and father were drug addicts and alcoholics and on the Monday morning I said where is so and so and he was down in Tallaght Hospital getting pumped out, he was 11 and was going drinking with his friend with vodka and when the parents were called but they were out of it so no responsibility there. So it is a learner to behaviour too;  Access to alcohol in supermarkets aswell. Getting older kids to by and also through the home;  It’s not like over 18s are bad people for buying for younger people. It was done for them. It’s all very open and accessible;  In Springfield there are three pubs in close proximity so even if you do go to GAA clubs you go for your pint. If you go to the local shops the bookies and pubs are right beside it. We don’t invest in sports clubs that aren’t financed and funded by alcohol. A football and GAA club with bars in them. Although it’s no different than anywhere in Ireland;  I think it’s very concentrated. Lucan has a bar across the road but it’s not highly concentrated in close proximity to where I live. I feel that it’s on top of people in Springfeld. The next one up is the one up at Jobstown beside the roundabout. Shops, pubs, health centres;  I think we are going to have the National Alcohol Drugs Strategy come out and locally we do have the Alcohol Department and the Tallaght Drugs Alcohol Task Force but the good news is Tallagth IT is an alcohol free zone. So they aren’t drinking on site. That’s really positive. In relation to GAA and sports clubs, there is strategies to be fair so that there is no smoking on sides of pitches, they look at how they celebrate games to reduce alcohol consumption etc. if they drink under 18 it increases their levels of adults in consumption frequency and quantity of drinking. There is some good news in place around that;  I don’t see a community centre in the middle of Springfield. There is space but no motivation. Only pubs;  The GAA club would call itself a community centre, they have a hall and pitches etc.  I think it’s very imbalanced with 3 pubs in close proximity and no other resources to match it or balance it out.

192

What sort of suggestions would you have to promote change? Who do you see as promoting or leading the change? What sort of recommendations would you make for change?

 I’d love to see some more youth centres/ hang out centres. One in St Mark’s. Maybe a few more like that dotted around. It takes away the focus on going to a bar upstairs. Play pool and hang out. A space to meet and mingle;  If had youth centres and pool you could also have session while playing pools like talk about suicide and dangers of drugs and drinking etc. and the damage they’re doing. They don’t know the harm they’re doing;  We need to be able to be equipped and fluid in how we’re talking;  A few months ago we did violence against women training programme and had some traveller men in it which was lovely to see because men engage in nothing especially traveller men and when they were looking at videos and issues coming up they said they didn’t know that was violence against women. They didn’t think they were doing any harm. There is no education. You can’t change what you don’t know. The education was given by a traveller woman and the woman from violence against woman. It was given in an appropriate way for travellers;  It is within yourselves and for yourselves and can be accepted by yourselves because of those things;  We are there for other service to come to us and learn from us how to deal with traveller issues the way that the travellers can understand it as most travellers don’t have education;  There is a piece that we’re working with around the County Childcare Committee about if there were spaces in community childcare or even now with the new scheme around private childcare to be able to offer parents one afternoon a week particularly around Easter time and the parents cant continue any of the work they were doing so if there was more childcare spaces (not just babysitting) I mean developmental needs for their age group so people can access by paying a contribution in line with what they have. We need to keep in mind that we need to provide basic needs which change over time. We need to ask them to save to plan and problem solve. Basic organisational skills and help them to come up with solutions;  Out of school activities are associated with money and that’s a barrier. It’s not always a lot of money but when no money it’s a lot of money. Maybe you could go to a club and give your PPS number and social welfare pay for it. Its’ a barrier to so many clubs and activities. The financial side of things. That’s a simple solution;  Id love somebody to research the Andre Agassi Academy in Las Vegas and to look at the achievements and success he has had in terms of disadvantaged populations and encouraging them into education through sports and performing arts and increasing the uptake in third level education because the cycle of education continues from there. Some philanthropy money might be put into something like that;  In fairness you will find a lot of clubs in the area do know who can pay subs and stuff like that as opposed to being 5e a week and they come in with 1e and there is some flexibility there.

Who do you see as promoting or leading change in this area? Any person that stands out to you? Not necessarily paid, they could be volunteers or activists?

193

 There needs to be a political example of change rather than people on the ground trying to become activists and activism not going anywhere. Recently elected politicians need to be leading out on this;  There isn’t anybody that jumps out to me as services or individuals for change but there should be. I don’t’ identify with anyone;  I think that is a good idea about social welfare giving donations to the clubs if families can’t pay and they won’t be shutting the door.

21.6 Appendix F

Map 25: Unemployment Blackspots by Electoral Division (% Unemployed in Red)

i 14.Increase the availability and accessibility of yoga and dance classes. Locally run yoga and dance classes run by community organisations often have a good turnout. There is potential to engage more people in these programmes through provision of more classes. ii 29. Evidence-based parenting programmes to be further rolled-out, with a focus on disadvantaged areas, where the proven demand for programmes is greater than the ability of existing services to provide them. iii 32. Run an area-based stress control campaign. Research, develop and roll out a communications campaign to increase population awareness of ways to prevent and manage stress. Deliver training programme/workshops to further support messages of stress awareness and prevention. iv 34. Extend training for training (T4T) of Foroige’s ‘The Real U’ Programme. This evaluated programme focuses on a range of issues in relation to sexual health and sexual identify, including: choice, consent and safety. The goal is that all youth groups, community organisations and schools have staff who can deliver this programme. v 35. Provide sexual health training to schools and youth organization’s Provide training to staff on how to talk about sexual health and gender identity 1-2-1 with young people. vi 20. Undertake research into the needs of schools and youth services in relation to working with young people with autism. To outline good practice and involve stakeholders in agreeing recommendations or a plan of action for addressing challenges. vii 22. Follow the development of Clondalkin Young Minds Project and the CDI Mental Health Pilot Programme, and to support their progression if there is a positive evaluation

194

viii Develop a strategic interagency approach to implement good practice for local provision of wellbeing/mental health programmes in education and community settings. Pilot, evaluate and extend; if successful. Stakeholders reported that Meithal was a good example of interagency collaboration ix 4. Extend the social prescribing approach. Health and social prescribing protocols have been developed for GPs. This approach can be expanded to a wider network of health providers in South Dublin to ensure that as many people as possible receive holistic health advice and signposting to local services and community groups. x 40. Extend the YoDA programme (or similar) to serve all South Dublin County YoDA, the Youth Drug and Alcohol Service based in Tallaght, provides assistance and treatment to under 18's. The CYPSC Mental Health Subgroup to be supported to develop a well-researched community driven proposal for the extension of YODA, or a similar service, in order to progress this xi 16. A seminar on engaging with Roma communities to be run in 2019, this will include a specific focus on health and access to services. xii 17. To establish a working group and annual area plan for provision of physical activities for marginalised young people xiii 28. Develop and implement ‘Heads-UP’ an evidence-based community based mental health programme with a focus on areas of disadvantage. This target group of this programme is currently men, the programme will be adapted and trialled with women.

195