Integration of Children’s Policies Sylda Langford Office of the Minister for Children Irish Youth Justice Service Biennial Conference Slieve Russell Hotel 6th and 7th March, 2008

Background to Creation of OMC UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1998) Creation of National Children’s Office (NCO) and development of National Children’s Strategy 2000 - 2010 Review of Youth Justice Services 2004 - 2005 December 2005 Government decision to establish OMC based on international evidence that good outcomes for children required joined-up services for children and families Minister for Children to attend Cabinet meetings

Key role of the OMC The key role of the OMC is to support the Minister for Children in: driving implementation of National Children’s Strategy (2000 – 2010); implementing the National Childcare Investment Programme (2006 – 2010); developing policy and legislation on child welfare and child protection; driving implementation of Children Act 2001 (children before the Courts); implementing Towards 2016 commitments in relation to children's services.

Office of the Minister for Children Responsibility for harmonising policy issues that affect children in: early childhood care and education, youth justice, child welfare and protection, children and young people's participation, research on children and young people and cross-cutting initiatives for children.

Policy Task Clear Articulation of National Policy: Published in The Agenda for Children’s Services: A Policy Handbook, December, 2007 No new policy; policy restatement based on internationally accepted best practice

Connecting with family & community strengths

Purpose of the Agenda Set out strategic direction of policy in relation to children’s health & social services Assist policy-makers, senior managers and front-line practitioners to Engage in “reflective practice” Identify their own role within the national policy framework Encourage other Depts/Agencies to adopt a similar approach in their children’s services

Building on existing policy Key messages: Whole child/whole system approach Focus on better outcomes Supporting families is the central concern “Agenda” provides the means for managers and frontline staff to direct and evaluate their service delivery against this strategic direction.

Promoting good outcomes Policy formulation needs to be driven by the pursuit of better outcomes Desired outcomes are achieved by the implementation of policy within services Understanding and commitment to an agreed set of national outcomes is required Shared responsibility at all levels in all agencies for achieving agreed outcomes

Better outcomes through policies and services working together

Even better outcomes through policies, research and services working together aspired for OUTCOMES achieved POLICY SERVICES ACADEMIC/ SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE

Seven national service outcomes for children healthy both physically & mentally supported in active learning safe from accidental and intentional harm economically secure secure in the immediate and wider physical environment part of positive networks of family, friends, neighbours and community included and participating in society

Five service characteristics to achieve better outcomes A: Connecting with family & community strengths B: Ensuring quality services C: Opening access to services D: Delivering integrated services E: Planning, monitoring and & evaluating services

Access to services

Planning, monitoring & evaluation

Getting there together Each Dept/Agency has its own policy and organisational focus and concerns Needs to be supplemented by the shared pursuit of whole-child approach OMC will lead this by Directing partnerships within its own area Promoting co-operation in other areas Developing a cross-departmental service plan for children’s services

Why focus on children? Theoretical Rationale: the ‘whole child’ perspective Child as active participant in own development Importance of family and other relationships Formal and informal supports multiple dimensions of child’s development Renders certain distinctions redundant e.g. care v. education, learning v. recreation, detention v. special care

Inter-agency planning, collaboration and co-operation logical follow-on to ‘whole child’ policy framework Our work to date has been service-led Work must be led by the outcomes we hope to achieve for children Policies and services must be developed from there All aspects of child well-being are interrelated

Continued Cannot respond to child well-being in single focus, with fragmented actions and interventions Need to develop policies and plan services (and in some cases deliver them) with colleagues working in different sections and agencies to our own Training required – interpretations can be coloured by specific professional training and agency culture Stop any practices / actions which make no difference or carry the risk of poor / bad outcomes for children. If systems cannot help children, we have to change the systems

Added value of OMC parties working strategically together multiple players strategically tackling ‘old chestnuts’ together – HSE, IYJS, Garda, Courts, Probation, Dept Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Dept of Health and Children, Dept of Education and Science, Dept Environment, Heritage and Local Government, CDBs

Continued The Agenda for Children’s Services: A Policy Handbook provides a common shared vision of aspirations and expectations for children across universal and targeted services New Strategies of IYJS and Probation Service illustrate cross-agency working in practice flowing from harmonisation of policy issues within OMC.

Challenge to us in 2008 challenge of leadership and management at all levels challenge to enable and support front line workers to play the key role they should be playing challenge to put the child and family at centre of services – must adapt and work together outside our silos to achieve the best possible outcomes for our children

OMC will measure success through: National Longitudinal Study of Children in Ireland State of the Nation’s Children Reports (every two years starting in 2006) National Data Strategy being developed under Towards 2016 to inform data around children’s lives.

Conclusion we are at the very early stages of cross-agency strategic developments for children every successful journey begins with the first steps and we have taken these first steps of joined up Government in Ireland for the sake of our children.

Integration of Children’s Policies Sylda Langford Office of the Minister for Children Irish Youth Justice Service Biennial Conference Slieve Russell Hotel 6th and 7th March, 2008