CHILDREN & YOUNG PERSONS SERVICES

Director, Tracey McKenna

Key Achievements

Respite

In 2022, both Adult's and Children's Respite services restored offers of support to families to prepandemic levels. In 2022, all three respite houses underwent refurbishment. Two new accessible vehicles were purchased for dedicated use within respite services. Additional devices were purchased to support service users to increase opportunities to partake in online activities, share resources and improve communication.

Thanks to the HSE National Lottery Funding 2022 and local unit fundraising, Ailesbury Respite were delighted to use funds to renovate their outdoor area. This garden space has provided an opportunity for all respite users to explore and engage with their senses and to enjoy a relaxing and enjoyable space. We are all extremely excited and grateful for everyone's support in this project and especially Dublin Gardens who completed all the work. It will be an invaluable space to all Ailesbury service users while in respite. Ailesbury was also very lucky to have some volunteers from the Corporate Volunteers Programme. KPMG visited the service and worked together with staff and service users. They helped with preparing the garden, cleaning the windows and painting some of the bedrooms. It was lovely day, and everyone enjoyed the refreshments. We are hoping that Ailesbury will be lucky enough to get some volunteers again!

Network Clinical Services

Throughout 2022 the Children’s Disability Network teams were kept busy as they continued to support families despite challenges in relation to recruitment and retention which impacted on their ability to support children and families and to reduce waitlists. At the end of 2022, there were 1,308 children open to CYP services and 593 children on the waitlist to the level required. A total of 272 children were taken off waitlists in 2022 and 554 new Individual Family Service Plans (IFSPs) completed. In 2022, the teams delivered over 8,000 individual interventions and over 2,500 group interventions as well as completing IFSPs, developing pathways responding to queries and providing a keyworking service. Significant work also went into the development of our network teams at specialist level. In February

2022 CYP services established a Feeding, Eating, Drinking and Swallowing (FEDS) clinic which is an interdisciplinary support for children with complex needs relating to the physical processes of eating and drinking. Children and families are supported in the clinic by their FEDS SLT and paediatrician with support from Dietetics, Nursing and other CDNT team members as required to support holistic goal planning and integrated management of their FEDS needs. To date, the clinic has offered 44 clinics to support over 30 children and their families with complex FEDS needs and facilitate safe and enjoyable experiences with eating and drinking.

Pilot Project CYP in partnership with the Open Training College (OTC)

In 2022, SMH CYP services were commissioned by the HSE to carry out a pilot project usefulness of the OTC as a platform for hosting ongoing training and supports for CYP families. Eight webinars were launched on the platform and account details provided to over 1,000 families across SMH and HSE networks as part of a pilot project. A full evaluation report will be available early in 2023. Webinars included:

1. Top tips for communication (for the under 5’s)

2. Understanding your child’s behaviour

3. Benefits and entitlements

4. Parents well-being

5. Picky eaters

6. Top tips for handwriting

7. Community Supports

8. Maintaining exercise in teenage years

Family Engagement

Towards the end of 2022, the CYP Service began the first part of the process of establishing Family Forums in our four network teams. This process was led by the Director of Children and Young Persons Service with support from Catherine Rafter, Principal Social Worker, an independent facilitator, each Children’s Disability Network Manager and their administrative teams. Throughout this process of establishing Family Forums, we aim to hold in mind the “spirit” of the family forums as based on the principal of ‘co-design’ with parents: sharing power; building trust and authentic participation over time. Parents are seen as experts of experience and the service is open and ready to listen to that experience. The aim of the Family Forums is to build relationships and trust over time in order to have collaborative conversations and develop meaningful ways of working together.

Keyworking

Throughout 2022, keyworking was made available to a majority of families in CYP services. All team members have been trained in how to implement the model and ongoing information & training sessions will be provided throughout 2023. Work has started on moving this training to the OTC platform. An information leaflet for families is in development and will be launched. CYP services intend to evaluate satisfaction with keyworking across stakeholder groups in 2023.

Preschool Services

Circle Time preschool moved to a larger premises at the start of 2022. The new classroom required a lot of work to get it ready for the preschool to move into , including flooring, tracking hoist, storage furniture, screens, multisensory equipment. This allowed the classroom to be divided into different zones for communications, art , sensorial play, and a large area for gross motor movement. The room also has space for the children’s standers and walkers. Everyone is delighted with the new classroom and are enjoying the new set up.

From January to June 2022, 33 children availed of preschool support service each had a preschool support worker who accompanied them to attend an Early Years Education setting in their local communities. From September to December 2022, 29 children availed of the service. In total the service provided support to 38 Early Years Education settings (preschools, montessori’s, creches) during 2022.

Horizons Project:

Throughout 2022, 38 people engaged in independent living training with the Horizons project. Horizons is supporting SMH to deliver services in line with New Directions and the Assisted Decision Making Act. Supports offered included making choices and plans, accessing education training and maximising independence. Consultation through “My Voice Matters“ for the SMH 5 year Strategic Plan has allowed service users to ask the questions about their future living options and to wonder who will they live with and where might that be. Horizons has a role to promote future living options and share information about what steps are necessary to begin the process. Horizons has developed the programme and made outside connections with a number of external agencies and government funded agencies. They are building on partnerships with Northside

Partnership, MABS, and Connections Arts Centre. Establishing these connections is essential to keep costs down and use resources from government agencies that are already in operation.

Positive Approaches Monitoring Group

The CYP Positive Approaches Monitoring Group (PAMG), which oversees and monitors the use of restrictive practices in CYP Services reviewed a total of 51 approval requests of restrictive practices in 2022 from across CYP services. The biggest challenge to CYP PAMG is making sure all applications have timely access to clinical support and intervention and that restrictive practices are reviewed on a regular basis to consider the requirement for continued use.

The committee developed an information pack for staff to promote the development of travel skills with the aim of reducing the number of restrictive practices used in transport, such as bus harnesses. An audit tool was developed to support St. Michael’s House Special National Schools to record and report restrictive practices to their boards of management.

In 2022, PAMG began work with UCD on a research project that aims to understand the perspectives of staff on the use and oversight of restrictive practices in the organisation.

Special National Schools

SMH is a patron body to six Special National Schools (SNS) in north and south Dublin. Over 300 children attend these six schools.

In 2022, recognising the central importance of schools to SMH, the SMH Board established a Schools

Patron Committee chaired by Máirtín Mac Aodha, a member of the SMH Board of Directors. The patron group is comprised of members of the SMH Board of Directors, SMH senior management and the SMH Education Officer. This committee is supporting the Patron and Schools Boards of

Management to effectively deliver on their respective roles and responsibilities as defined by the Department of Education and Skills.

In 2022, Baldoyle and Ballymun schools appointed new school principals – Anna Lombard Perito (Baldoyle) and Caroline Sheill (Ballymun).

In June 2022, SMH was approached about opening up a satellite school for 24 children aligned to our Foxfield school. This satellite school located at Drinan, Swords, Co. Dublin, opened its doors in November 2022. A huge amount of work went into setting up this school in a short time period. Huge congratulations to all concerned, in particular to Sandra Wallace (Principal), Shane Mc Namara (Deputy Principal) and Paula O’Brien (Board of Management Chairperson and SMH Education Officer).

There are three major building projects currently live with the Department of Education and Skills for SMH schools (Foxfield SNS, Ballymun SNS and Skerries SNS). Two further building projects are proposed in Baldoyle SNS and Grosvenor SNS.

Throughout the year, our schools have been very active. A sample of these activities can be found by visiting our schools websites:

• St. Michael’s House Ballymun Special National School , Ballymun, Dublin 9

• St. Michael’s House Special National School Baldoyle, Dublin 13

• St. Michael’s House Raheny Special National School Raheny, Dublin 5

• St. Michael’s House Foxfield Special National School Foxfield, Dublin 5

• St. Michael’s House Skerries Special National School Skerries, County Dublin

• St. Michael’s House Grosvenor Special National School

Leopardstown County Dublin