Prevention and Early Intervention

Four submissions (Tusla, Barnardos, Lifestart, DES) requested increased engagement on prevention and early intervention. Tusla mentioned that there are a number of Government policies

with connected actions on this topic - such as e.g. Reducing Harm Supporting Recovery Alcohol and Drugs Strategy, Rebuilding Ireland Housing Action plan and Healthy Ireland, the Slaintecare Implementation plan and the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025 - and recommended aligning these actions with the DCEDIY SoS. Tusla suggested that this could take the form of a national inter-departmental prevention and early intervention infrastructure, with a focus on:

the development of connected and integrated practice between Prevention Partnership and Family Support and related services, e.g. Children and Young People’s Services Committees, Youth Work, Child and Family Support Networks and Creative Community Alternatives model.

The DES recommended enhanced engagement with the DCEDIY “on the ‘What Works’ Initiative, in order to encourage greater dissemination of research and evaluation” on the topic of prevention and early intervention. Barnados and Lifestart suggested ensuring adequate and sustainable investment in prevention and early intervention services, particularly community and voluntary services, in order to reduce the number of children and families who subsequently require highlevel crisis interventions. Lifestart suggested that a small proportion of the current budgets of each Department could be “ring-fenced for parenting support”, including universal home-based supports for first-time parents in the first year of their child’s life, interventionist support for parents of “at risk” children, and follow-on services for parents as children grow and develop.