Prevention Partnership & Family Support

The Tusla PPFS programme is a national initiative which seeks to improve outcomes for children, young people, and families through early intervention & prevention work. The PPFS programme has five main areas of work: Area Based & Meitheal Model; Parenting; Participation; Commissioning; and Public Awareness.

Kerry CYPSC and Tusla PPFS are strategically linked at county level. PPFS has been established as a working group of Kerry CYPSC and is chaired by the Tusla Area Manager for Kerry. This ensures the work of the PPFS working group is aligned with the Kerry CYPSC and its other working groups.

The diagram below illustrates the connectivity between CYPSCs and Tusla Prevention, Partnership and Family Support.

Kerry CYPSC has established a Prevention, Partnership and Family Support Working Group to oversee and support the work of the PPFS department.

Who We Are

Membership of the PPFS Steering Group includes representatives for statutory and voluntary services in County Kerry, including the Child & Family Agency, Child & Family Services, An Garda Síochána, Kerry Education and Training Board, Educational Welfare Service, Kerry Network of Family Resource Centres, North Kerry Child and Family Support Network, Kerry Diocesan Youth Service, and the Young People’s Probation Service.

The Purpose of the Prevention, Partnership & Family Support Working Group

• Provide advice and help on the development and set-up of the Child and Family Support Networks, i.e. collaboration of agencies who provide services to children, young people, and their families in a geographic area from universal to specialist.
• Provide support and assistance to ensure the functions of the local area pathways are implemented, i.e. commissioning, roll-out, and application of the national practice model – Meitheal.
• To enable improved access to support services, appropriate to meet their identified needs for children, young people, and their families at local level.

What We Do

Kerry Child & family Support Networks

The development of Child and Family Support Networks.

Tusla is committed to establishing Child & Family Support Networks at community level as well as implementing the early identification of needs, and practical help-provision tool, Meitheal, to support children and families in need.

Eight Child & Family Support Networks are operating in Kerry –Tralee, Kenmare, Cahersiveen, Castleisland, North Kerry / Listowel, Mid-Kerry Killorglin, West Kerry /Dingle.

Meitheals

Meitheals are a collective, interagency family support intervention which support children, young people, and families.

Meitheals are being offered to children and young people throughout Kerry.

A Meitheal is a voluntary preventative initiative for children and young people who have additional unmet family support needs which are unclear or complex and would benefit from a multi- agency approach.

Lead Practitioner Training

88 Lead Practitioners from a wide range of professions have been trained as Lead Practitioners of the Meitheal process. 21 Chair people of Meitheals have been trained to support the Lead Practitioners if required. Ongoing learning is fostered via the Family Support Worker Networks in Kerry.

It is estimated that just under 400 people have participated in a briefing session to learn more about the Meitheal process.

Parenting Participation Seed Funding

This is a pilot project to hear the parent’s views on the youth organisations they are sending their children to as well as what needs their children have.

TIRC Roma Research Project

Support of the TIRC Research project regarding the family support needs of Roma families living in Kerry.

Addressing Gaps in Service Provision

Through the work of the Child & Family Support Networks, a number of gaps in family supports have been identified and work has been carried out to fill these gaps.

For example: greater access to affordable play therapy, support of greater outreach counselling services, funding support of educational supports for those involved in Meitheals.

Greater understanding of what variety of services are provided in a local area has been very beneficial in the local Child & Family Supports and communication to and from the PPFS Steering group has been vital to the sharing of gaps and availability of resources.

Where can I find out more about PPFS & Meitheals in Kerry?

Contact:

Ann Moynihan
PPFS Manager, Kerry
Kerry Community Services
Rathass,
Tralee

066-7199656

Ann.moynihan@tusla.ie

Or contact your local Family Resource Centre