Nexus Response
Independent Review of Children’s Social Care Services Consultation
Nexus Response
Independent Review of Children’s Social Care Services Consultation
#BreakTheCycle
Nexus Consultation Response:
Independent Review of Children’s Social Care Services Consultation
As providers of therapeutic intervention for children and young people impacted by sexual abuse and abusive relationships, Nexus welcomes this comprehensive review of Northern Ireland’s Children’s Services. Our organisation strongly believes in progressing best practise for the holistic care of children and young people, including system restructuring and evaluation in order to provide support for children, young people, and their families and support systems. Therefore, Nexus welcomes the opportunity to share our knowledge and learning through this Consultation exercise.
The following comments, suggestions, and questions are based on our expertise and experience supporting children, young people, and their families and carers through therapeutic interventions across Northern Ireland.
Background
The review was formally commissioned by the then Minister for Health Robin Swann in 2021 to help understand the current circumstances and issues for Northern Ireland’s children’s social care services, and the experience of those who make use of, provide, and work in partnership with the services. The review was led by Professor Ray Jones as the Independent Reviewer, support by an Advisory Panel and a Secretariat from within the Department of Health. This Independent Review is the result of the following Phases:
- Phase One (February-April 2022) included meeting Northern Ireland’s regional infrastructure organisations for children’s social care, getting out and about across the region into each Health and Social Care Trust and meeting leaders, managers and practitioners, spending evenings in children’s residential homes, and visiting regional children’s residential facilities
- Phase two (May-July 2022) included meeting lots of children and young people and parents and other family members, foster carers, meeting with Voluntary and Community Services (VCS) and visiting their services and engaging with teachers, the police, public health workers, youth workers, judges, and others working with and alongside children’s social care.
- Phase three (August and through Autumn 2022) included continuing visits to services across Northern Ireland, meeting with young people, parents, and practitioners and managers of services, visiting TUSLA, and drilling down into practice. Workshops with key stakeholders were held on the topic of children with a disability and their families; family support; looked after children; the social care workforce; and the organisation and delivery of children’s social care.
- Phase four (January until March 2023) included filling in gaps understanding and continuing to share and discuss through meetings with a wide range of those who had already engaged with the Review including young people, those working within the HSCTs and the VCS sector, and within and across government.
- The most recent phase (April-May 2023) focussed on drafting the Review Report ready for its publication and launch in June 2023.
You can read our full response by clicking the button below. If you have any queries about this consultation response, please contact communications@nexusni.org
Background
The review was formally commissioned by the then Minister for Health Robin Swann in 2021 to help understand the current circumstances and issues for Northern Ireland’s children’s social care services, and the experience of those who make use of, provide, and work in partnership with the services. The review was led by Professor Ray Jones as the Independent Reviewer, support by an Advisory Panel and a Secretariat from within the Department of Health. This Independent Review is the result of the following Phases:
- Phase One (February-April 2022) included meeting Northern Ireland’s regional infrastructure organisations for children’s social care, getting out and about across the region into each Health and Social Care Trust and meeting leaders, managers and practitioners, spending evenings in children’s residential homes, and visiting regional children’s residential facilities
- Phase two (May-July 2022) included meeting lots of children and young people and parents and other family members, foster carers, meeting with Voluntary and Community Services (VCS) and visiting their services and engaging with teachers, the police, public health workers, youth workers, judges, and others working with and alongside children’s social care.
- Phase three (August and through Autumn 2022) included continuing visits to services across Northern Ireland, meeting with young people, parents, and practitioners and managers of services, visiting TUSLA, and drilling down into practice. Workshops with key stakeholders were held on the topic of children with a disability and their families; family support; looked after children; the social care workforce; and the organisation and delivery of children’s social care.
- Phase four (January until March 2023) included filling in gaps understanding and continuing to share and discuss through meetings with a wide range of those who had already engaged with the Review including young people, those working within the HSCTs and the VCS sector, and within and across government.
- The most recent phase (April-May 2023) focussed on drafting the Review Report ready for its publication and launch in June 2023.
You can read our full response by clicking the button below. If you have any queries about this consultation response, please contact communications@nexusni.org
