Services for young people, including Vulnerable Children, to support wellbeing, safeguarding and inclusion
In response to COVID-19
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Contents Contents...... 1 Child Protection Support Service ...... 2 Education Welfare Service ...... 2 School Aged Mothers (part of the EWS Service) ...... 3 Intercultural Education Service ...... 4 Children Looked-After Education Project ...... 6 Exceptional Teaching Arrangements ...... 8 Independent Counselling Service for Schools (ICSS) ...... 8 Critical Incident Support Service ...... 9 Nurturing Approaches in Schools ...... 10 Primary Behaviour Support and Provisions ...... 10 Primary Education Other Than at School (EOTAS) ...... 11 Post Primary Behaviour Support and Provisions ...... 12 Youth Services ...... 14 Support Provided by RISE NI...... 16
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Child Protection Support Service
The EA Child Protection Support Service will continue to be available by telephone to provide advice and guidance in relation to safeguarding concerns that arise during online interactions with children or young people, specifically school based staff, education professionals and youth service staff. Across Northern Ireland 10 Multi Agency Risk Assessment (MARAC) meetings continue to take place. These meetings are arranged to take place every two weeks or monthly as required. At these meetings safety plans for victims of high risk domestic abuse and their children are discussed. The education sector is represented at these meeting by Designated Officers who provide information from and to schools that are open and EA services as appropriate. These meetings continue using video conferencing with Designated Officers using remote access to gather information from the Education Authority’s Management Information System - Capita one and contacting schools as necessary. Information continues to be shared, as appropriate with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) via the Criminal Justice Secure email system. Further information in relation to Child Protection is available via: https://www.eani.org.uk/school-management/safeguarding-and-child-protection/resources Our Contact Details:
Child Protection Antrim [email protected] Armagh [email protected] Belfast [email protected] Dundonald [email protected] Helpline: 028 9598 5591 Omagh [email protected] Children in Entertainment [email protected] & Employment Team (CEET) Between Monday-Friday, 9.00-5.00
Education Welfare Service
Education Welfare Services continue to support schools, parents and others with concerns. The Service is reviewing all open cases and are maintaining contact with all those children and young people and their families who are currently referred to the service by telephone, to offer support as required.
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The Service is also retaining links with the most vulnerable groups: - such as those involved in the Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme (VPRS) (in co-ordination with the Intercultural Education Service (IES); those children placed on the Child Protection Register and Children Looked After (LAC) Cases. Information about the service, including information about the Movingforward.me, which is a resource used to provide support around study skills and transitions is available on the EA website at:
https://www.eani.org.uk/parents/education-welfare-service/moving-forward http://www.movingforward.me
Our Contact details are:
Ballymena Tel: 028 2566 1266 or Email: 07730284056 [email protected] Armagh Tel: 028 3751 2386 or Email: 07766477815 [email protected] Dundonald Tel: 028 9056 6498 or Email: 07793965022 [email protected] Belfast Tel: 028 9056 4031 or Email: 07899892425 [email protected] Omagh Tel: 028 82411289 or Email: 07970844530 [email protected] Head of Service: Tel:07717732011 Email: [email protected] Between Monday-Friday, 9.00-5.00 If you are unable to make contact on the number provided for your area, please ring one of the other numbers provided.
School Aged Mothers (part of the EWS Service)
All School Aged Mothers (SAM) have a key contact worker within EA and involvement continues as long as the young person is happy to receive this help. Issues in relation to childcare and pathways towards a return to school or 3rd level Education can be addressed by the Education Authority SAM Team. We are continuing to work in partnership with the Health and Social Care Family Nurse Partnership – (a cluster group of midwives) all issues of support can be raised within this multidisciplinary support forum. All SAM Co-ordinators are in regular contact with the SAM Group and are addressing identified medical needs in partnership with Family Nurse Partnership (Trust Support Service).
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For new referrals to the Service, support is unchanged, and as soon as a referral is received, a co-ordinator is allocated immediately. SAM coordinators have been in contact with the Careers Service and with Student Finance, particularly for those SAM planning to leave school in June 2020 – and are able to signpost SAM to a number of Web chats and websites. These include:
https://www.studentfinanceni.co.uk/ https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/contacts/contacts-az/careers-service
If the SAM is still of compulsory school age, an Education Plan is put in place with the help of coordinators, to help plan for when the baby is born.
SAM coordinators can be contacted as necessary, should further advice be required concerning applications for student finance, which normally ha to be completed by 25th May 2020.
The SAM coordinator is also able to direct SAM to information sites such as NETMUMS and MUMSNET to access reliable information from Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists for some very anxious pregnant SAMs. Information and advice on payments and benefits is also available by contacting the co-ordinator
programmehttps://www.eani.org.uk/sites/default/files/2018-10/essential-guide-to-sam.pdf https://www.netmums.com/ https://www.mumsnet.com/ https://www.rcog.org.uk/ https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/articles/school-age-mothers-programme
Our Contact Details are:
Armagh, Newry, Lisburn [email protected] Antrim, Newtownabbey [email protected] Telephone: Derry, Omagh and Enniskillen [email protected] 028 8242 1289 Belfast [email protected] Ballymena/Coleraine [email protected] Between Monday-Friday, 9.00-5.00
Intercultural Education Service
The Intercultural Education Service (IES) will at this time, continue to conduct essential services by email, mobile phone and online for all target groups including Newcomer, Roma, Traveller and VPRS asylum seekers. This includes the translation of online home learning resources for schools, parents and pupils.
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Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme (VPRS) The VPRS Co-ordinator continues to coordinate with the Education Welfare Service (EWS) and the VPRS Consortium on all open cases and is offering direct contact via telephone, messaging and other on-line media. Contact with identified vulnerable families is daily via email and facilitated by communication measures with third sector partners such as British Red Cross and Bryson Intercultural group text, and WhatsApp. All VPRS pupils are receiving advice and guidance translated into Arabic and Kurdish around health issues and on-line learning resources. Every VPRS family has received a Chromebook device to help them access the internet and contact EA if they require assistance. Newcomers, Roma and Asylum Seekers For Newcomers, Roma, VPRS and other Asylum-Seeking families a new ‘Secure Conference Call Facility’ contingency measure has been put in place for schools and parents in place of face to face interpreting services. Travellers and Roma Traveller and Roma Education Coordinators continue to work up cases on-line in partnership with EWS, Special Education and external partner agencies. Roma families are being supported by two Coordinators on-line via the third sector charities who are still in contact with families in need. Much of the communication with these families may be via letters sent by post instead of email and online resources. Learning Resources Links to useful on-line learning resources have been shared with partner agencies and communicated on-line and uploaded to the EA webpages.
https://www.eani.org.uk/school-management/intercultural-education-service- ies/newcomers/toolkits-for-diversity https://www.eani.org.uk/publications/resources-available-from-ies-booklet and
For Schools via the C2K Equella platform.
At this time the Service is continuing to provide advice to families on AP1 applications for those children, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, who moved to N.Ireland and have not yet been allocated a place at a school. It is acknowledged that although schools are not open for education purposes at the moment, many families are concerned that they have not received a decision on their application. The Service is also progressing as appropriate, those applications for school places, SEN statements, Transport or Free School Meals. Permission has been granted to IES Coordinators
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Newcomers Email: [email protected] Telephone: 0289448 2210 VPRS Email [email protected] Telephone 028 9448 2210 Ciaran McPeake - 07739976790 Traveller Education Support Telephone Karen Turner - 07765411285 Intercultural Education Email: [email protected] Telephone: 0289448 2210 Service Kieran Shields - 07876136509 Between Monday-Friday, 9.00-5.00 Please note all contact information is available on the EA website at: https://www.eani.org.uk/school-management/intercultural-education-service-ies
Children Looked-After Education Project
The Children Looked-after (CLA) Education Project Team will continue to promote the educational, social and emotional well-being of CLA, at key stage 2 (Primary 7), and currently involved in the Project, by supporting the team around the child using email, telephone and a consultative model of practice. This support is organised by a shared understanding of the impact of trauma and attachment on learning and development. A Designated Project Worker will make contact with individual Schools, Field Social Work, Residential Social Work and Supervising Social Work Staff. The following will be shared and learning implemented and reviewed against the needs of this specific cohort of CLA:
Putting Care into Education http://www.education-ni.gov.uk/publications/looked-after-children Library of Resources, including a quick reference guide A Guidance paper on `Trauma and Attachment Informed Rooms and Spaces in Schools) Calm Boxes (Meeting Sensory Needs) The project will develop and make available a range of resources and products including: Directory of Resources and Tools to support home learning and emotional connection with CLA during the outbreak of COVID-19: Supporting Children Looked- after during the outbreak of COVID-19 – A Guide for Schools, CLA coping with exceptional School closures and Supporting Children Looked-after during the outbreak of COVID-19 – A Guide for Parents/Carers Virtual Forum (Fronter) for School Staff to interact, share learning and good practice
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For those CLA with complex needs and who are at risk of school and family placement break down, Project Workers will make a referral, through the CLA Champion, for a Consultation which focuses on the impact of Trauma and Attachment on learning and development with Education and Clinical interagency staff. An understanding of difficulties will be provided alongside strategies and recommendations for moving forward. Consultations will continue as often and as frequent as required to meet identified need.
In addition, there is a Project `Helpline` and `Electronic Post Box`. These are universal interventions available to all School, Health & Social Care Staff and CLA Partners who are supporting CLA of statutory school age, in education, across Northern Ireland.
`We aim to take care of those who care for Children who are Looked-after`
Our Contact Details:
CLA Education Project Helpline 028 7051 1086 Electronic Post Box [email protected] EA CLA Champion – Anne-Marie Bagnall [email protected] Telephone – 07970 886 188
N.B.The mail box is manned by 3 members of staff and a duty rota has been established for calls to the helpline, between Monday-Friday 8.00-5.00
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Exceptional Teaching Arrangements
Pupils who are currently referred to the Exceptional Teaching Arrangements Service (ETA) will continue to receive teaching support which will be facilitated via telephone contact and online learning. Parents and children will be advised of this and provided with advice on how to access this support. Pupils who have no access to technology will receive learning packs to work on with the remote support of their teacher. New Referrals to ETA As schools are currently closed and given the current context, new referrals to ETA no longer apply. This will remain under review. Resources have been provided to the children and young people supported by ETA. Our Contact Details:
General Enquiries should be sent to [email protected]
Our emails are checked on a daily basis and a response provided.
N.B. There is no helpline telephone number but parents who are supported by ETA have access to local contacts should they require support to address issues or queries.
Independent Counselling Service for Schools (ICSS)
Counselling sessions will be provided for post primary aged pupils via telephone and secure online video calling at the same time and day the counsellor is usually in school. ‘Drop-Ins’ will be delivered via telephone at the same time and day as normally provided. Referrals from teachers, pupils and parents can be facilitated through the School Key Contact/Deputy Key Contact who will hold and manage the waiting list. Weekly School Counsellor and Key Contact meetings will continue via telephone. Further information is available on the EA website: -
https://www.eani.org.uk/help-available/counselling
Our Contact Details:
Sheila Gamble, ICSS Contract Manager Tel: 028 7186 4785 Nicola Topping – Tel: 07917525327 (between the hours of 9.00am -5.00pm Monday - Friday
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Critical Incident Support Service
The Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) will provide telephone advice, resources and support as required for Principals.
Further Information and resources are available on the EA website at: https://www.eani.org.uk/school-management/in-an-emergency-school- information/managing-a-critical-incident
Our Contact Details:
Principals should ring the EA Helpline (028 3751 2515) if they require support. This will be monitored during office hours and out of hours. Please leave a message and contact number and all calls will be returned.
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Nurturing Approaches in Schools
The Nurturing Approaches in Schools Service (NASS) will continue to provide advisory support to schools at this time in relation to nurturing approaches and emotional health and wellbeing. Our Contact Details:
Email: [email protected] Telephone: 07799886378
Email: [email protected] Telephone: 07894393022
Between Monday-Friday, 9.00-5.00
Primary Behaviour Support and Provisions
Primary Behaviour Support and Provisions (BS&P) will continue to provide specialist advice and support to schools, parents and pupils in relation to positive behaviour management strategies and emotional health and wellbeing. This support will be delivered remotely in the most part, utilising digital technology, telephone, email and other digital platforms. Hard copies of individual support packs will also be provided.
Pupils who had been accessing a partnership placement within a Primary EOTAS centre will receive bespoke support arrangements. These will include the allocation of support packs and frequent contact arrangements established and agreed with parent/guardian. Primary EOTAS centres are currently not operational, however, these arrangements will remain under review and may change in response to presenting circumstances. For pupils that would have accessed support in school, arrangements are also being established to facilitate staff from Primary BS&P to make consented contact for learning and implementation of particular aspects of the pupil’s support plan.
Our Contact Details: Primary schools and pre-school settings seeking to contact the service for advisory support should use either the email address or one of the numbers below: [email protected] Locality South West (Armagh/ Omagh/ Fermanagh): Alison Curran - 07789550835 Locality North: Strabane/ Derry/ Coleraine:
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Clare Meehan 07795816754 Locality North: Antrim/ Ballymena/ Glengormley: Rachel Galbraith - 02894482316 Locality East: Belfast/ Dundonald/ Newry & Mourne: Ruth Thompson - 07511165500
Between Monday-Friday, 9.00-5.00
Primary Education Other Than at School (EOTAS)
Support packs have been provided to pupils that accessed partnership placements and arrangements established to ensure frequent contact with pupils. For pupils that would have accessed support in school, arrangements are also being established to facilitate staff from Primary BS&P to make consented contact for learning and implementation of aspects of the pupil’s support plan.
Our Contact Details are:
Locality South West (Armagh/ Omagh/ Alison Curran - 07789550835 Fermanagh) - Locality North1: Strabane/ Derry/ Coleraine Clare Meehan - 07795816754
Locality North2: Antrim/ Ballymena/ Rachel Galbraith - 02894482316 Glengormely Locality East: Belfast/ Dundonald/ Newry & Ruth Thompson - 07511165500 Mourne
Between Monday-Friday, 9.00-5.00
N.B Not all Primary EOTAS provision is managed by EA staff e.g. Clarawood Special School and Longstone Special School also provide primary EOTAS provision. These school staff are in contact with the EA officers, as appropriate to ensure connectivity.
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Post Primary Behaviour Support and Provisions
Direct delivery to young people is available for all Service users at EOTAS Centres across the region. Young people can access learning and pastoral support and guidance, as well as food and transport. Centres are open as per the usual operational hours where pupils are attending.
All young people have been provided with work packs (hard copy) for home learning collated by their teaching staff. These work packs have learning materials set for individual young people. Work packs are refreshed via email, pick up from Centre or delivery to young people’s home. Young people return work for marking and feedback via email, return at pick up or through telephone communication feedback.
Some young people have been set-up on online learning platforms and teaching staff are delivering lessons directly to groups of young people. These sessions are delivered by 2 staff members as safeguarding for all is paramount. Parental/carer consent is in place for these sessions.
Staff have an allocated cohort of young people with whom they make regular telephone contact to offer support and monitor progress. In addition, staff communicate via email about online learning platforms, work and food delivery and direct contact in Centres.
Staff may also speak with parents and carers, and agencies, as part of the Service Delivery Model. We acknowledge that our relationship with families is very positive, and we aim to ensure that this is maintained at this time.
An EOTAS Facebook page EOTAS Education Authority is available for all young people. This Facebook site is updated multiple times per day and provides information advice and guidance, learning materials and contact Service Managers directly for support. Content categories include Well-being, Support, Challenges, Timetable, links to Websites, Music, Art, YouTube, Subject Specific Categories and information about Careers.
The Senior Manager responsible for this Service is Shauna Eastwood, [email protected] or 07970 966465
Young people, parents and carers should contact their Centre staff directly for guidance and support.
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For any further queries or support between 9am and 5pm – Our Contact Details are:
Locality South - Gillian Cuthbert- 07767240887 [email protected] Locality North - Pat Chapa- 07701396687 [email protected] Locality East - Neil Hastings- 07989717149 [email protected]
Between Monday-Friday, 9.00-5.00.
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Youth Services
‘Spaces of Sanctuary’ for vulnerable young people are available in Youth Hubs across NI for emergency support, provided to young people aged 11 to 25 years. Referrals are from the PSNI or their partner organisations. The senior officer with responsible for ‘Spaces of Sanctuary’ is Lynsey Branniff ([email protected]). ‘Stay Connected’ is an engagement service which remotely supports young people who are staying safe at home as a result of COVID-19. It provides the following:
An opportunity for organisations to connect and communicate as they devise responses to young people at this time An opportunity for young people to obtain help (support needs – loneliness and isolation; support services; medical supplies that need collected or delivered; emotional health; mental health; meals or food; physical health).
Youth workers will contact young people through their preferred method including telephone, voice call, video call, text message and WhatsApp. The senior officer with responsible for ‘Stayed Connected’ is Lynsey Branniff ([email protected]). The youth service has a targeted programme to support young people who experience mental health difficulties and this service is called FLARE; Facilitating Life and Resilience Education. This service continues using on-line platforms and young people who have already been identified to maintain contact and support. The ‘stay connected’ initiative can also refer young people to FLARE, based on need. The senior manager responsible for this service is Deirdre Bradley ([email protected]). Similarly those young people under paramilitary threat, are continued to be supported using online platforms or in 1:1 work by their key worker in the START Programme (Steering Teens Away from Recurrent Trouble). The senior manager leading on this work is Michael Hogg ([email protected]). ‘Youth on line’ (youthonline.org.uk) is a website which provides resources for young people and youth workers enabling them to ‘Stay Connect, Stay Safe, Stay Well, Stay Engaged.’. This online platform will have regular updates, particularly designed by young people for the youth work sector and will provide a broad range of curriculum resources, activities for young people. It will also link to other essential services for young people across the region and sign post accordingly. The senior manager responsible for this service is Paul Deighan ([email protected]). The curriculum resources developed for this online platform are being supported by EA funded youth workers across the region and is coordinated by Stephen Dallas ([email protected]).
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On a broader level; we have established an online team who are providing support to:
Maintain communication with the youth sector across NI Maintain communication with young people; including have a front facing ‘positive messages’ presence on social media Develop a NI wide virtual youth club.
Moving forwards Youth Service will continue to work collaboratively with all partners to develop youth work at this difficult time. Our Contact Details:
Spaces of Sanctuary [email protected] Stayed Connected [email protected] FLARE; Facilitating Life and Resilience [email protected] Education START Programme [email protected] Stay Connect, Stay Safe, Stay Well, Stay [email protected] Engaged - youthonline.org.uk Curriculum resources developed for this [email protected] online platform - youthonline.org.uk
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Support Provided by RISE NI
Useful resources for parents/carers provided by Regional Integrated Support for Education in Northern Ireland (RISE NI) can be found at: https://view.pagetiger.com/riseni/covid19
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