Working Together for Children - Children Services Committees

The National Children’s Strategy Implementation Group (NCSIG) was established in 2006 and is chaired by the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.  The key priority of the NCSIG is to ensure implementation of all the strategic plans and policies which have already been drawn up and published in relation to children’s services in Ireland.

As part of the process of achieving these goals, the NCSIG has committed to establishing a network of Children’s Services Committee (CSC) under each of the 34 city and/or county development boards in the country. All major organisations and agencies working locally on behalf of children and young people will be represented on the Children’s Services Committees. These committees will be responsible for improving the lives of children and families at local and community level, through integrated planning, working and service delivery. They will ensure that professionals and agencies work together so that children and families receive services that are better and more accessible.

Role of CSCs

As a first step to making a difference to children and young people’s lives, the CSCs will assess what all the agencies in their area are doing. They will then consider the well-being of the local children, young people and their families. Using this information, they will identify priorities and work to ensure that agencies on the ground co-ordinate their efforts to improve outcomes for children and families in their area.

Four CSCs are already in place

Four initial multi-agency Children’s Services Committees were established in Dublin City, South Dublin, Limerick City and Donegal in 2007 – 2008.

The learning from the set-up and early operation of these four committees will help to inform the most effective way of establishing the other 30 Children’s Services Committees in the remaining City and/or County Development Boards. The OMCYA is currently liaising with new sites in the pre-development phase and working on their establishment based on learning from the first four CSCs. Sites in the pre-development phase include Longford/Westmeath, Kerry, Meath, Kildare and Carlow/Kilkenny.

Induction and Networking Seminar

As part of the Government’s continued commitment to the CSC initiative, the OMCYA hosted an Induction and Networking Seminar in Farmleigh on 12th May 2010. This was a milestone event in the development of the Children's Services Committees where senior decision makers reflected on and considered the work of the first four CSCs.

Presentations from Plenary Sessions

Context and Background to the CSC Initiative 

Learning from experience to inform the future - Findings from the initial phase of the CSCs

Strategic Plan for the development of the Children's Services Committees

Presentations from Workshops

Getting Started - Donegal Children's Services Committee

Getting Started - Dublin City Children's Services Committee

Mapping the Local Landscape

Outcomes: Theory and Practice

Multi Agency Initiatives

Further information

The work plans for the four existing CSCs are attached below, as is the toolkit for developing a Committee and a leaflet on the work of the NCSIG / CSCs.

Documents

• CSC Work Plans
  • South Dublin
  • Dublin City
  • Donegal
  • Limerick
• Toolkit for the Development of a Committee
• Working Together for Children leaflet
• Strategic Plan for the Development and Implementation of the CSC Initiative
• Learning from experience to inform the future - Findings emerging from the initial phase of the Children's Services Committees

Newsletter for the CSC Initiative

Issue 1 - Summer 2010

Links

• Agenda for Children’s Services
• National Children’s Strategy
• Towards 2016
• The Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, (the Ryan Report) can be accessed at www.childabusecommission.ie
• The Renewed Programme for Government
• South Dublin Children’s Services Committee
• Dublin City Children's Services Committee

Contact

For more information please contact 674 3232 or 635 4090