COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

south dublin county council crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, October 08, 2012

QUESTION NO.26

QUESTION: Councillor E. Tuffy

To ask the Manager if she will provide at the October Council meeting a report outlining the role and current activities/projects in which the Children's Services Committee and the County Childcare Committee are involved? 

REPLY:

An update on the work of the South Dublin County Childrens Services Committee and the South Dublin County Childcare Committee is as follows:

The South Dublin County Childrens Services Committee was established as part of a pilot programme in May 2007.  The Committee is chaired by the HSE and comprises the Council, Garda Siochana, Barnardo's, Lecena, County Childcare Committee, Probationa and Welfare Service, AMNCH, Dodder Valley Partnership, CPLN Partnership, County Dublin VEC, Archways, CDI, National Education and Welfare Board.  The Council has appointed a full-time Co-Ordinator to the project.  The Group has six sub-structures to advance the work in the county:-

Since its inception the CSC has developed a programme of work which has led to changes in the way in which services operate on the ground.  Of immediate note however is the SDCC, Connect School and the CSC present “The Future is Not What it Used To Be” – a CONNECT Education Conference at Dublin West Education Centre on 11th October from 10.30 –Guest speaker is Lord David Putnam.  The conference will be opened by Pat Rabbitte TD Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.   

Other speakers include Georgina Byrne County Librarian, Stephen Howell, Developer Kinect2Scratch, Noel Malone Principal Coláiste Chiarain Limerick, Shane Foley, Principal Dunshaughlin Community College Meath (formally VP Adamstown)Anne Mc Morrough, Marino Institute of Education (formally St Martin de Porres Primary school Old Bawn),

http://connectschool.blogspot.ie/

A series of other initatives are listed below

 Alternative Response Model (ARM)

Following a successful pilot, ARM, an interagency approach to children and families has been extended across Tallaght and is being managed by the Senior Social Worker of HSE. 

The Critical Incident Management team in Kildare West Wicklow and South Dublin ISA is re-established in South Dublin however we await the commitment for its continuation in Dublin South Central area of the County.

December Conference: It takes a village to raise a child   The interagency subgroup of SDCSC is organising a conference scheduled for the 17th December entitled “It takes a village to raise a child” at Tallaght Stadium.   

Sharing Information on Children and Families - An inter-agency protocol which enables agencies to share information on children and families

Interagency Working and Collaboration - An inter-agency protocol listing advices on how to make this work most effective

Directory of Services for Front-line Staff - Information Manual to facilitate contact among agency staff who work directly with families and children

South Dublin County Childcare Committee 

The County Childcare Committee has an independent board and operates out of CLondalkin Civic Offices.  THe Chair of the Group is the COuncil's Childrens Services Co-Ordinator.  Their remit is to support childcare providers and to enhance and improve provision and standards of childcare in the community - both community and commercial.  AN update on current work is listed below.

The administration of the Early Childhood Care & Education (ECCE), CETS and CCS schemes are an integral part of the County Childcare Committee 2012 plan 

Information workshops were held for new applicants, supports were provided to both community and private childcare services. There were 221 applicants for ECCE, 74 applicants for CETS and 39 Applicants for CCS.  A survey of services has indicated there are 3,986 childcare places available under the ECCE scheme in the county.  Currently 3,944 children are availing of the scheme.  

Work continues with the provision of a number of workshops and visits to service providers on Síolta (the quality programme for services) and Aistear (curriculum). SDCCC is also working with the HSE on the provision of Speech and Language workshops for services working with children who have speech and language difficulties.   

Business sustainability has been a key concern for service providers, both private and community based,  over the past few years and SDCCC has provided 4 seminars Getting Down to Business” focussing on Financial Management and Sustainability, HR and Employment Polices, Corporate Governance and Employment Law

A handbook for Community based services was published this year. 

An opportunity to assume responsibility for the continued employment of two Speech and Language Therapists and nine Parent Carer facilitators was presented to SDCCC.  CDI acquired funding from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to further extend the employment of above mentioned personnel.  However they proposed that SDCCC would take over the management of the Speech and Language Therapists Parent Carer Facilitators whose contracts were also coming to an end. This position was part of their negotiation with the DCYA when petitioning for funding.  

A considerable amount of work has been undertaken by CDI in the development of the early intervention project over the past four years.  Evaluations of these two particular projects have been very positive and as a result the DCYA is willing to extend the initiative for a further six months which in these days of cutbacks is amazing. The Department, CDI and other Atlantic funded organisations are looking at ways to mainstream the findings of the RTCs and this extension of these two projects will assist in this process.  

The main beneficiaries of the continued initiative will be the children and the parents of Tallaght West.  

Memoranda of understandings have been drawn up in respect of the two separate projects.  In relation to the SLTs,   South Dublin CCC will assume the responsibilities for managing payroll (monies to come through CDI), attendance, induction, absence, sick leave etc, reporting to CDI and attending quarterly review meetings with the HSE and CDI.  The HSE will continue to support and provide ongoing clinical supports for the staff and provide a quality assurance mechanism for the service.    

Funding is only available to the 31st March for this project.  

 In relation to the Parent Carer facilitators, as indicated above employment contracts will be held by the individual service provider, SDCCC will provide overall supervision in conjunction with the employers facilitating monthly reflective practice meetings and ensuring fidelity to the model developed by CDI for the delivery of the service. 

This transfer has been completed.