Frances Fitzgerald TD, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA), Ireland and Edwin Poots MLA, Minster for Health Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS), Northern Ireland today (Wednesday 1st May 2013) addressed the All Island Conference ‘Improving Child Protection Practice: Making the most of Opportunities and Overcoming Challenges’. The conference is being held under the auspices of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) and organised in co-operation by officials from both jurisdictions.
Participants at the conference will hear from international speaker, Professor Marie Connolly, Chair and Head of Social Work at the University of Melbourne, about supporting child and family-centred system in child protection through an evidence based approach. This followed with presentations from a panel of experts, north and south if Ireland, providing an overview of past inquiries and the role of case reviews and their impact of service delivery. The conference made particular reference to not only utilising case reviews to assess mistakes and failings within our child protection systems but also to reflect on good professional practice that will help to strengthen outcomes for children and families.
Minister Fitzgerald prior to addressing the audience stated that she was "…delighted to be here for this ‘All Island Conference’ as it provides a great opportunity for colleagues, North and South, to share experiences and learning with a view to further improving policy, legislative and service provision for the protection and safeguarding of our children into the future.
As a society, our first task is keeping our children safe. It is only by understanding both the good and the bad, that we can improve our system and our practice to prevent further harm and protect our children."
Minister Poots said "It gives me great pleasure to open this All Island Child Protection Conference jointly with Minister Fitzgerald. I am certain that working together will assist to improve the outcomes for children in need and their families in a cross border context. This first All Island Child Protection Conference has the potential to make a huge difference in the lives of our children and young people through improved learning and enhanced practice by our organisations and the professionals responsible for safeguarding our children. Our children’s welfare is paramount and it is only right that they receive the protection deserving to them. This conference is another step forward in helping both governments focus more closely on those children in greatest risk."
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Notes for Editors:
1. The NSMC was established under the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement (1998), to develop consultation, co-operation and action within the island of Ireland - including through implementation on an all-island and cross-border basis - on matters of mutual interest and within the competence of the Administrations, North and South. The NSMC comprises Ministers of the Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Government working together to take forward co-operation between both parts of the island to mutual benefit.
2. Officials from DHSSPS and the Dept of Children and Youth Affairs co-chair a cross-border group of officials to intensify co-operation on child protection. It includes five specific work streams focussing on: Knowledge exchange forum; Quality and Effectiveness; Deaths of Children in Care; Cultural Competence in Safeguarding; Specialist Services. This is the second work programme of the NSMC, in respect of child protection.
3. The conference ‘All-island Conference: Improving Child Protection Practice: Making the most of Opportunities and Overcoming Challenges’ represents part of the ‘knowledge exchange’ element of the work programme, agreed in July 2012, in the area of child welfare and protection aimed at improving cross border co-operation in this vitally important area through use of research and evidence based practice. The conference reflected on previous reviews and inquiries, highlighting the necessity to learn from experience and any failures identified in reviews, but also stressing the need to move forward by learning also from success.
4.
Format of the Day:Key Note International Speaker
Professor Marie Connolly
, University of Melbourne, Chair & Head of Social WorkChanging Lenses: Supporting Child and Family-Centred Systems in Child Protection
Opportunities and Challenges in Learning from reviews –
Discussing the learning from formal reviews, investigations and inquiries
John Devaney,
Case Management Review – Northern Ireland
Helen Buckley
, National Review Panel – Republic of Ireland
Opportunities and Challenges for Practitioners
–Challenges and Supports for Practitioners
Karen O’Brien, Principal Practitioner Social Worker, Northern Ireland
Patricia Finlay, Principal Social Worker, Republic of Ireland
Norah Gibbons, Member of Acknowledgement Forum established under the Inquiry into Historical Abuse Act 2013 and Designate Chairperson of the Board of the new Child and Family Agency
Opportunities and Challenges to Improve Children’s Services -
Focus on systems and organisations – how is the system responding to the learning from reviews
Tony Rodgers, Health and Social Care Board, Northern Ireland
Regional Improvement Team and Children’s Services Improvement Board
Annie Callanan, HSE Children and Family Services, Republic of Ireland
Children and Family Services Change Programme and Child and Family Agency
Hugh Connor, Chair of Safeguarding Board, Northern Ireland
The Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland - Getting Started - The What, The How and The Who.