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Tag: Special Needs

  • Empowering Parents and Carers

    Empowering Parents and Carers

    A Reflection from the Children’s Disability Network Team Mid-Wicklow

    The Wicklow Primary Healthcare Centre, and the Children’s Disability Network Team Mid-Wicklow (CDNT6) have been at the forefront of delivering the Parents Plus Special Needs Programme since it was launched in September 2020  

    The Parents Plus Special Needs Programme was developed to enable professionals to effectively support parents of children with special needs to:

    • Manage behaviour and emotional problems
    • Deal with puberty, sexuality and relationships
    • Reduce their own stress as parents
    • Support all relationships in the family
    • Build self-esteem and confidence
    • Advocate for their child or adolescent
    • Support education and development
    • Prepare their child for adulthood and future transitions

    This initiative supports the empowerment of parents and carers of children with special needs, offering individual pre-group meetings, seven group sessions, and continued support post-programme..

    The facilitation team, Elsabé de Villiers, Senior Educational Psychologist, Susan Kaup Senior Speech and Language Therapist, and Julie Bunworth, Senior Social Worker shared their reflections on the programme’s impact.

    “The dedication and engagement of parents and carers in this programme is nothing short of remarkable. Their willingness to deeply engage with the programme and each other, investing time, emotional energy, and a commitment to integrating new strategies into their lives, has been a cornerstone of the programme’s success.” 

    They went on to highlight the interest and commitment of parents and carers attending the programme, noting the ease and comfort with which participants connect, share their journeys and sincerely engage with each other’s experiences. This collaborative and supportive environment has been key to the shared learning among participants.

    The programme takes a tailored approach to meeting the individual goals and needs of the parents and families involved. A pre-course meeting was arranged to discuss the Special Needs Programme with each parent. At this meeting, each parent chose four goals for their family- usually two goals for their child/children and two goals for themselves as parents to work towards during the course. The facilitator’s role in delivering the Special Needs Programme was explained at this pre-course meeting. Facilitators present information about two topics each week and each parent decides which tools and strategies to try out with their family during the course. The facilitator’s role each week is to build each parent’s confidence as they work towards the goals they choose for their family. Feedback from attendees has highlighted the solidarity that develops between parents, and the focus on self-care to enhance overall well-being. 

    As we look to the future, the Parents Plus facilitators on CDNT6 in Wicklow have identified opportunities in delivering the programme, for example, enabling both parents to attend by running groups online and exploring alternative formats like setting up a group for fathers and including those who may not feel comfortable in a group setting by completing the PPSN Programme with some parents on an individual basis.

    Our programmes combine a social learning model with a solution-focused preventative framework that encourages and empowers parents, young people, and children to ‘take charge’ and make positive changes in their lives

    Parents Plus trains and supports over 800 professionals as facilitators each year throughout Ireland, the UK and internationally.

    Our bespoke train-the-trainer model ensures that professional service providers are best equipped to improve the lives of thousands of families and young people in a variety of settings, including family resource centres, child and adolescent mental health clinics; and disability services, childcare centres and preschools; primary and secondary schools; and child protection agencies.

    Trained professionals include teachers, social workers, speech and language therapists, psychologists, family support workers, public health nurses, occupational therapists, psychiatrists, childcare workers, mental health workers, health promotion officers and community Workers.

    To learn more about our programmes please visit our website at https://www.parentsplus.ie/parents-plus-programmes/ or email our Impact Lead Vicki Byrne at vicki@parentsplus.ie

    A Case Study from Northumberland County Council

    In the North-East of England four Local Authority and County Council areas, including Northumberland, South Tyneside, Newcastle, and Gateshead, have come together as a region to avail of training in and rolling out the Parenting When Separated programme under the RPC, through Early Help and Family Hubs.

    Read the case study here
  • Parents Plus welcomes The Report on Aligning Disability Services with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

    Parents Plus welcomes The Report on Aligning Disability Services with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

    Parents Plus welcomes this important report published by the Joint Committee on Disability Matters today.

    The report shows access to mainstream health services is severely impacted for people with disabilities due to inaccessible services, lack of expertise, therapies, & individualised services as well as a significant cost of disability & a lack of disability awareness training.

    It goes on to say Disability Services have a broken structure that impacts the transformation of a service, is based on a medical approach to disability, sustains segregation through a lack of mainstreaming early intervention, & ultimately impacts the rights of people with disabilities. The report calls on the Government to undertake crisis talks on national measures to support the transformation of Disability Services to ensure the delivery of early intervention across health services for people with disabilities. The report makes a number of recommendations, under the following headings – rights-based disability services provision, community-based health services and support, children’s disability services and future innovation.

    Here are the key points from the report:

    • The Joint Committee on Disability Matters in Ireland has called on the government to hold crisis talks to discuss national measures to support the transformation of disability services.
    • The committee’s report on aligning disability services with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities highlights the need for a clear implementation plan and sustainable funding for disability services.
    • The report recommends that the government establish a cross-departmental task force to oversee the implementation of the Convention, and that disability service providers be involved in the development of policies and strategies.
    • The committee also calls for the establishment of a Disability Ombudsman to ensure that the rights of persons with disabilities are upheld.
    • According to the press release, the report is based on extensive consultation with disability service users, advocates, and providers, as well as international experts in disability rights.
    • The committee’s Chair, Senator John Dolan, states that “the time for incremental change has passed,” and that “we need a once-in-a-generation shift in how we support and empower people with disabilities in Ireland.”
    Read The Full Report Here

    You can also watch the Live Launch of the report below –

    Earlier this month our CEO, Cherie Tyner and Ciara Ni Raghallaigh, Special Needs Programme Co-Ordinator had the honour of presenting to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Disability Matters.

    Cherie and Ciara were supported by Wayne McSweeney, parent and Niamh Kerrigan, parent and Programme Co-Facilitator as all four spoke to the committee about the benefits and impact of our Suite of Professional Programmes in supporting parents and families across the community, education, health and disability sectors and this allowed us to speak to the committee about our first in the world Special Needs Programme and the inequitable access to evidence-based parenting interventions for families raising a child with a disability.

    Read the Parents Plus Charity Opening Statement by CEO Cherie Tyner to The Joint Committee on Disability Matters Committee.

    Below is a list of the Committee Membership

    Deputies

    Michael Moynihan – Chair

    Holly Cairns

    Seán Canney

    Dessie Ellis

    Emer Higgins

    Neasa Hourigan

    Jennifer Murnane O’Connor

    John Paul Phelan

    Pauline Tully 

    Senators

    Tom Clonan

    Eileen Flynn

    Erin McGreehan

    Fiona O’Loughlin

    Mary Seery Kearney

  • The Parents Plus Special Needs Programme at the What Works Festival of Learning

    The Parents Plus Special Needs Programme at the What Works Festival of Learning

    Monday 21st of November saw the opening of the Festival of Learning from What Works Ireland and we were honoured to be asked to join the panel of experts and share the story of our first in-the-world Special Needs Programme.

    Roderic O’Gorman TD, Minister for Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth, opened the 3-day event explaining that this “is an opportunity to share knowledge and best practices for prevention and early intervention and a way to identify more effective and efficient ways to maximise impact ensuring better outcomes for children & young people living in Ireland”

    The Festival aims to put a spotlight on prevention and early intervention in policy and services for children and young people, by showcasing good practices, expertise from Ireland and other countries and new developments.

    The Festival is an initiative of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, supported through the Dormant Accounts Fund. The Department is working with the Centre for Effective Services (CES) to plan and organise the events.  This year the theme is ‘Partners in Prevention’ with a focus on partnership and collaboration in prevention and early intervention.

    The event panel included Ian Power from @SpunOut who spoke about the huge opportunities ahead but also the “need to identify what are the enablers that can unlock them”.

    Catherine O’Donaohue, National Parenting Lead, Prevention, Partnership & Family Support @tusla was also on the panel and echoed these sentiments stating “We need innovation we need development”. 

    The keynote speaker was Hanna Vseviov, Deputy Secretary General, of Social Affairs, Estonia. Hannah explained how the Estonian government identified and addressed the challenges it faced when it came to “specific problems such as children with intellectual and physical disabilities”. Adding that “this is now part of our action plan for the Child Guarantee”.

    Hanna also communicated that “Crisis’ are here to stay” so governments, NGOs and service providers “need to be prepared for totally new target groups who appear in crisis”

    Our very own Ciara Ni Raghallaigh, Special Needs Programme Coordinator and Niamh Kerrigan, Parent and Special Needs Programme Facilitator were both in the panel to speak about our programme for young children and teens with intellectual disabilities and the impact of this groundbreaking programme.

    Ciara explained to the in-person audience and those tuning in online how “all our programmes draw on the parent’s experience” and spoke at length about the power of group and peer-to-peer work.


    The Special Needs Programme was developed in consultation with 97 parents who participated in focus groups and a large randomised controlled trial involving 277 parents. About the programme title, Ciara said “we felt it was only correct to allow these 374 parents to name the programme. They unanimously chose this title”.

    Niamh Kerrigan told us about her journey from a parent of her daughter Lauren to Special Needs Programme Facilitator. She told the audience about how she was “stuck in limbo” and that the programme was the first time she sat down with parents like her and explained, “that’s where the power is”.

    The festival includes several virtual events over three days which focused on partnerships in policy and partnerships in practice. Contributors will share thinking and experience from their work in government departments, state agencies, and international and community organisations.

    You can find details of all speakers and learn more about the Festival of Learning on the What Works website below.
    https://whatworks.gov.ie/festival-of-learning-2022/

  • Update from the ADHD Programme Launch Seminar

    Update from the ADHD Programme Launch Seminar

    Parents-Plus-ADHD-Programme-Launch-Una-OBrien-Dr-John-Sharry-17
    Speech and language therapist, Úna O’Brien and Parents Plus Clinical Director, Dr John Sharry

    The entire team at Parents Plus want to extend a huge thank you to everyone that attend our new ADHD Children’s Programme for Professionals launch seminar.

    Cherie Tyner Parents Plus CEO said “It was wonderful to have so many professionals from CAMHS, Primary Care, Education, Disability and Family support services join, all clearly wanting to support families with evidence-based programmes”.

    As the Parents Plus ADHD Children’s Programme is Ireland’s first ADHD training programme for frontline professionals it was important to us that attendees to the seminar heard from professionals using the programme. Speech and language therapist, Úna O’Brien who has worked in CAMHS with many families who have a child with ADHD, spoke at the seminar and said it’s “frustrating for professionals who may not know or understand enough about ADHD.  If they don’t have the tools to help, they are facing client dissatisfaction, and this affects their confidence.”

    The most powerful part of the launch yesterday was the parent presentations. It was wonderful to be able to give them a platform to tell the professionals how the service has impacted them and explain in their own words how the whole family have benefited from the programme.


    For anyone who couldn’t make the launch seminar we are delighted to be able to share with you the slide deck which will give you a summary of the course materials and outline the work that has gone into creating this vitally important programme.

    The Parents Plus ADHD Children’s Programme PresentationDownload

    If you have any questions about anything covered in the seminar, booking your training in the Parents Plus ADHD Programme for professionals or any of our other professional programmes please feel free to contact Vicki Byrne at vicki@parentsplus.ie 

    For those who attended our seminar we would genuinely value you taking 2 minutes of your time to fill out our short survey. via the button below. We know you are extremely busy and truly appreciate your time and feedback as this helps us to continue to provide engaging events and programmes in the future.

    Seminar Survey

    The Parents Plus ADHD Children’s programme training is for frontline professionals and can help prevent serious secondary problems, such as self-harm and substance misuse, from affecting children with ADHD as they grow older. If you are an interested professional or manager and would like to learn more about the Parents Plus Children’s ADHD training and discover how the programme will work in your service you Click Here.

    For a quick snapshot of the seminar and the key messages you can visit our Twitter feed below

    The Parents Plus ADHD Childrens Programme was written by Prof John Sharry (Co-founder of Parents Plus and Adjunct Professor, in the School of Psychology, UCD) and Gráinne Hampson (Speech and Language Therapist, Parents Plus) along with a wider multidisciplinary professional team and with input from ADHD Ireland and the parents who attend their services. The programme is distributed by the Parents Plus Charity (CHY 13664), who develop evidence-based programmes and support professionals to deliver them to families.