Irish Association of Young People in Care

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Irish Association of Young People in Care
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Introduction

• Introduction
• Context in which IAYPIC was set up
• About IAYPIC
• Childrens Rights and Participation Officers
• Aftercare Support Network

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Mission Statement
To advocate for and promote the rights and needs
of young people with care experience through
their participation at all levels throughout the
care system
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National Context

• Child Care Act 1991
• Children First National Guidelines 1999
• National Childrens Strategy 2000
• Health Strategy Quality and Fairness 2001
• Children Act 2001
• Ombudsman for Children Act 2002
• All support the principles laid down in the UNCRC

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Context - Numbers of children in care nation-wide

• 5220 children in care
• 1700 admitted to care every year
• 5 children every day
• 85.6 in foster care
• 7.68 in residential care

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Objectives

• Give a voice to what young people with care
  experience are saying
• Promote the rights of children and young people
  with care experience
• Provide information/advice/support to young
  people with care experience
• Promote the participation of young people with
  care experience

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Young People Consultation and Participation
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Consultation and Participation?

• Participation is often confused with
  consultation but there is an important
  difference. Participation involves adults
  devolving a degree of power to children and young
  people so that they can have a share in decisions
  that affect them.
• New South Wales Commission for Children and Young
  People, 2001

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Participation

• Participation is more than just giving the
  younger members of our community a say. It is
  about listening to their views, taking them
  seriously and wherever possible giving practical
  effect to their ideas and suggestions
• New South Wales Commission for Children and Young
  People, 2001

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Benefits of Participation

• For Children and Young People
• Provides skills to negotiate, build
  relationships, communicate, make decisions
• Builds confidence
• Helps provide them with safe care
• Promotes a sense of worth and self-esteem

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Benefits of Participation

• For Service Providers and Society
• Gaps in services can be identified
• Ensures the needs of Young People will be met
• Informs service delivery and helps development of
  quality, child centred services
• Helps build confidence and encourages involvement
  as active, responsible citizens

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Within IAYPIC how weve been involving young
people
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• 7 young people on IAYPIC Management Committee
• Newsletter produced and written by young people
  with care experience
• WEBSITE Young people involved in design of
  website
• Ongoing consultation with children and young
  people nationally
• IAYPIC Traineeship
• Peer Support Work

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Recent Work
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What IAYPIC do

• National Child Welfare Strategy Consultation
  with young people
• Comhairle na nÓg/OMCYA - Forum
• Ombudsman for Children
• Presentations by young people at conferences and
  training events
• IAYPIC Traineeship

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The IAYPIC Traineeship

• Began 2007
• 1 year Programme
• Four Trainee Positions
• 2 Aftercare Peer Support Trainees
• 1 Childrens Rights Participation Trainee
• 1 Web Development Trainee

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Why do we need this service

• Needs of Young People leaving care
• Education
• Support
• Training
• Development of skills
• Options
• Self-Confidence, self esteem
• Resilience

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What do we hope to achieve?

• Peer support and education
• Provide individual young people with opportunity
  for training and supported work experience
• Raise awareness of issues among professionals,
  carers, students

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Outcomes

• Trainees
• Skills, confidence, qualifications
• Young People in Care, Leaving care, Aftercare
• IAYPIC
• - Learning
• - Challenges
• - Model for future development

• Professionals, students, carers
• - Impact of needs and experience of young
• people very powerful
• Service providers
• - Views of YP heard
• - Highlights needs of YP leaving care
• - Potential to contribute to change and best
  practise
• - Future service development

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Peer Support Groups/Networks

• Peer support
• Explore experiences
• Look at issues
• Provide information
• Promote participation
• Raise awareness of rights
• Networks and links with other groups locally and
  nationally

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Issues arising for Young People

• Aftercare/leaving care
• Unaccompanied young people seeking asylum
• Difficulties of living in care
• Individual advocacy

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The Learning

• We need to learn from the past to make changes in
  the future
• We need to listen to young peoples experiences
  and ask their opinions of what could be improved
• They are willing to share their views

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Books for further reading

• Taking Participation Seriously NSW Commission
  for children and young people www.kids.nsw.gov.au
  
• Guidelines for Consulting Children and Young
  People in relation to Developing Public Policy
  and Services in Ireland Childrens Rights
  Alliance and NYCI
• Young Peoples Charter of Participation The
  Childrens Society
• Consultation and Participation Models for
  Children and Young People in Care Create
  Foundation, Australia www.create.au
• Children as Partners in Planning A training
  resource to support consultation with children
  Save the Children www.savethechildren.org.uk
• So you want to consult with children? A toolkit
  of good practice Save the Children
  www.savethechildren.org.uk
• Guidelines on How to involve children and young
  people in your work - National Childrens Office
  / Childrens Rights alliance / National youth
  Council of Ireland.
• Hear 2B Heard - Irish Association of Young People
  In Care. Strategic Plan 2004 2009.

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IAYPIC - Here 2B Heard
Irish Association of Young People In Care, 6 Red
Cow Lane, Dublin 7 00-353-1-8727661 E-mail
info_at_iaypic.ie www.iaypic.ie
Thank-you for your attention!