Working Together for Better Health and Wellbeing: Understanding what works for Children and young people

1. INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC
HEALTH
ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2017
Siobhan Fitzpatrick, Early
Years Northern Ireland
Teresa Heeney, Early
Childhood Ireland

2. WORKING TOGETHER FOR BETTER
HEALTH AND WELLBEING:
UNDERSTANDING WHAT WORKS FOR
CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE.

4. OUR VISION
Every young child is thriving and learning in quality early
childhood settings.
Our role in achieving this vision is to be effective champions for
quality in practice, putting children and their rights at the core
of our work and advocating strongly for them, their families and
all early childhood professionals.

5. OUR VALUES
As a membership based organisation we value:
• Children as competent learners and as citizens with rights
• Parents as champions and as the most important people in the lives
of children
• Early childhood professionals, their commitment, dedication and
professionalism in working with young children and their families
• Play as a right and as a key learning pathway in the lives of children
• Collaborative working to achieve our aims and bring about change
• Knowledge building and sharing to inform, enrich and empower
• Integrity, respect and ethical behaviour at the heart of how we work

6. OUR GOALS
The Early Childhood Ireland Strategic Plan 2015-2020 sets out our
broad direction and priorities over the next five years, which centres
on 4 goals:Goal 1: ECI is the first port of call for supports to early childhood providers,
enabling members to deliver quality experiences and outcomes for
children and their families.
Goal 2: ECI mobilises its members, parents and others to drive change, as
the most prominent and effective advocate for the early years sector
and for young children and their families.
Goal 3: ECI is the recognised expert in relation to quality early years practice,
sharing learning throughout the sector, among parents and in wider
society. With our members and partners, we are a leader of
innovation and quality in early years practice, working collaboratively
to create and share new knowledge in order to remain at the leading
edge of early years practice.
Goal 4: ECI is a strategic, effective and sustainable organisation, firmly
rooted in its membership, with the capacity to achieve the above

7. Early Years Mission Statement
Mission Statement
“To promote high quality, shared, evidence informed early childhood
services for children their families and communities.”

8. EARLY YEARS VISION
Children are:
Strong, competent and visible in their communities
Physically and emotionally healthy
Eager and able to learn
Respectful of difference

9. Strategic Plan 2017 -2020

10. Organisational model

11. OUTLINE OF WORKSHOP
1. Our View about what works for children and young people
2. Good Practice example from Republic of Ireland Policy
3. Good practice example from Early Years Northern Ireland
4. Reflections on the Presentation

12. EXAMPLE FROM REPUBLIC OF
IRELAND OF A POLICY THAT IS
DOING WELL FOR CHILDREN

13. DEVELOPMENT OF AIM POLICY
Small number of children with disabilities not accessing the ECCE programme
Early years is critical for all children and more so for children with a disability
The Working Group on the Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in
Mainstream Settings (2010) – developed a policy framework on the policy
approach to mainstreaming, but not on the provision of supports
Number of pieces of legislation in support of mainstreaming;
 EPSEN Act 2005
 Equal Status Act
 United Nations on the Rights of the Child
 Better Outcomes Brighter Futures
An Interdepartmental Group was established to agree a model that would support access to the
ECCE Programme for children with a disability (DCYA, 2015)

14. VISION OF AIM
All children, including children with a
disability, shall be able to meaningfully access
and participate in the ECCE Programme in
mainstream pre-school settings (apart from
exceptional situations where specialised
provision is valid for reasons unavoidable).
- IDG Report 2015: 10

15. KEY PRINCIPLES OF AIM
Principles of the
Model
consistent
efficiency
and
effectiveness
equity
high quality
& evidence-
informed
integrated
and inclusive
needs-driven

16. WHY INCLUSION?
“A dynamic approach of responding positively to diversity and of seeing
individual differences not as problems, but as opportunities to enrich
learning.”(UNESCO 2005, p12)
Inclusion in early childhood programs can set a trajectory for inclusion
across the life course, making it critical that we include individuals with
disabilities in all facets of society from birth.
The early years offer a special opportunity to foster developmental gains in
children as 80% of the brain’s capacity develops before the age of three.
(UNESCO, 2009)

18. Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Guidelines, an
Inclusion Charter and policy template for
services.
Leadership for Inclusion
in the Early Years (LINC) -Higher Education
Programme for
Inclusion Coordinators in Early Years Setting
When INCO in place services will receive
additional capitation €2 per child in ECCE +
€200 bursary for students.
Website developed, hosted by
DCYA. All material related to AIM
Will be available
www.aim.gov.ie
Dedicated funding for formal and informal training
and a structure to be put in place to ensure same.

19. Expert early Education Advice and Support
(60 Better Start Early Years Specialists)
Equipment and Minor alterations
Equipment HSE procurement
Minor Alterations – up to €7,000
Therapeutic support from HSE (50 additional posts)
Additional capitation to support a
child with complex additional needs

20. WHY IS IT
WORKING?
COMPLEX
LEVELS
WITHIN A
COMPETEN
T SYSTEM
Child
centred
Complex-
universal and
Targeted
measures
Funded- Project
fully funded
form the outset
Cross Agency
and Cross
department,
leading to
Coherence
Comprehensive-
7 layers, from
policy to
practice
Connected-
CSIG, Project
Team
Monitoring &
Evaluation-
Pobal and
External
Evaluation

21. OTHER
COMPETENT
SYSTEMS:
TENNESSEE

22. ZERO TO
THREE: USA

23. COMPETENT
AND
COMPREHEN
SIVE

25. DEVELOPING AN OUTCOMES FOCUS
What we know about young children in Northern Ireland
high levels of obesity
worst dental health in Western Europe in 0-5 population
high levels of teenage suicides especially among young men
increasing ethnic prejudices
30% adults functionally illiterate, 32% of school leavers with 3 or
more A levels, 4.9% with no qualifications
process of widespread consultation with our constituency - children,
parents, staff and key stakeholders

26. Organisational, cultural and structural changes
Evidence-based approaches to practice and policy influence

27. PROGRAMME OF WORK 2006-2017 AND
BEYOND
Inclusion Outcome
Epidemiology 1,000 children study of attitudes, behaviours of
young children
Indicators and targets for change in children, teachers and
parents

28. Evidence-based programme - Media Initiative for
Children Respecting Difference Programme to include
training for teachers, new curriculum and resources,
parent training and training for Boards of
management
Measurement, random control testing, research and
evaluation/ Selection of 80 control and experimental
groups in Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland
has taken place in autumn 2008-10 Published in
CORAL Report in Autumn 2010
Dissemination of results and messages, reshaping
existing services, policy influence and change

29. 2010 RESEARCH FINDINGSRandom control trial and qualitative case study
approach
80 pre-school settings, 40 in control and 40 in implementation both in Northern
Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Key findings (random control trial involving 1,181 children, 868 parents, 232
teachers).
Media Initiative for Children Respecting Difference Programme achieved positive
effects regarding children’s attitudes and awareness in relation to:
 Socio emotional development.
 Cultural awareness.
 Inclusive behaviour.
 No differences in effect were found between boys and girls.
 Catholic and Protestant children.
 Children from different socio economic backgrounds.
 Children in Northern Ireland and children in the Republic of Ireland.
 Positive changes in the attitudes of parents and practitioners.
 Positive changes in their confidence and ability to address diversity work with young
children.

30. KEY FINDINGS
Qualitative Case Study
Quality of the experiential and content-based training.
Ongoing support by the Early Years Specialist to support implementation.
Contextually appropriate resources reflecting real issues for children.
The focus on socio emotional development and emotional intelligence as the
precursor for targeted diversity and inclusion work.
Engaging meaningfully with parents and the local community.
Effective and committed leadership from the setting management team.

31. WORKSHOP QUESTIONS
1. How would service delivery change if we were listening to children
and families?
2. What would outcomes look like if we were listening to children and
families?
3. What are the implications for policy?