Young People

at Risk (YPAR)
initiative
Strategic plan
The vision of YPAR is to promote a principled and
integrated approach to working with young people
that serves their needs and realises their dreams

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May 2006
The YPAR Initiative proposes the following. An acknowledgement
of the need for change in ways of working together for children and
young people at risk in the North East Inner City. This involves
commitment to a structure, such as YPAR to achieve this. This will
be evidenced by written formal agreements between stakeholders.
Involvement will shown by a commitment to change by all parties,
changes that include:

pooling of existing resources

avoiding the duplication of efforts

ensuring facilities are available at evenings and weekends

maximising community input into future development and use of
resources in community

Young People at Risk Initiative

c/o 22 Mountjoy Square,
Dublin 1
E-mail: david.little@mailc.hse.ie
Contents
YPAR Strategic Plan Forward 2

Mission 4

Goals of YPAR 5
Goal 1 6

Goal 2 6

Goal 3 7

Goal 4 8

Goal 5 8

Goal 6 9

Goal 7 9

Appendices 10

Policy context 10

Steering and Working Group 12

YPAR Steering Group 12

Working Groups 12

Key actions in the development

of the YPAR Strategy 13

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Young People at Risk Initiative

YPAR Strategic Plan Forward

Dublin’s North East Inner City (NEIC) has experienced some of the worst effects of
deprivation and marginalisation over the past 30 years in the State. During that time, local
people have organised themselves and responded with the support of service providers to
address these issues positively. This has led to significant developments in housing,
provision of a secondary school, development of social services but the problems associated
with inner city decline continue to persist. Two new dimensions that have come to the
NEIC are the arrival of immigrant communities and the increase in private home ownership
in the area. These migrants add a rich and welcomed international tapestry to the area
however their arrival adds yet further demands on scarce resources.
Ireland’s economic success in recent years has brought benefits to many. In fact we are
told that this is a time when every boat appears to be rising. Yet the high levels of
deprivation and exclusion experienced in the NEIC continue unabated. As new public and
private redevelopments in the area take place there is a risk is that this will not benefit local
people or new migrant communities. Particularly as these communities have little power or
influence over such developments.
One of the areas where this exclusion and lack of benefit comes into sharpest focus is in
relation to services for young people. For the past 13 years the work to alleviate this has
been led by Inner City Organisations Network (ICON) which represents some 65 local and
voluntary organisations. It perceives the need to integrate services generally, and in
particular, for children at risk in the North East Inner City.
Since the early 90’s through various initiatives including Integrated Services Initiative
(ISI) ICON has driven the integration agenda. This work was further developed through
the government pilot programme, the Integrated Services Process (ISP).
ICON responded additionally to the issue of children at risk in 2000 which was the
effective start of the Young People At Risk (YPAR) process. It brought together a group
which comprised members of voluntary, statutory and community organisations working
directly or indirectly with children and young people at risk. The aim of the group was to
promote high quality, effective and coordinated services to children at risk, through the
integration of services.
It was recognised that the process could not operate effectively without the active
involvement of relevant statutory agencies. In June 2003, it was agreed to operate the
YPAR project through the structures of the Local Child Protection Committee (LCPC)
under the local Health Service Executive. Other partners in YPAR included the Probation
& Welfare, the Northern Area Health Board, the Local Drug Task Force, City of Dublin
Youth Services Board (CDYSB), and the Education Welfare Board. A steering committee
was established to manage YPAR with ICON as the lead agency and with funding from the
Irish Youth Foundation and the Mott Foundation.
A further and parallel development happened in 2004, when the North East Inner City
was selected as one of the local sites for the Youth Empowerment Partnership Programme
(YEPP). This is an innovative European and trans-Atlantic partnership of the independent,
public and private sectors targeted at disadvantaged children and youth and the
communities in which they live. It was initiated by a number of foundations and is
externally evaluated by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD).

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 YPAR is an important example of ‘joined up thinking’ a theme which have come to
predominate debate in public policy during the past decade both at home and abroad. A
logical next step was to produce a plan of action on which to move forward through 2004.
To inform that plan research was commissioned by YPAR to map needs and resources for
young people at risk in the NEIC. There was also engagement with local and national
partners to refine the plan. The culmination of this work is the YPAR Strategy which is this
document.
For young people in Dublin’s North East Inner City, YPAR is a forum where government
and non-government can meet to pool resources. This initiative while still in its infancy,
offers a way forward to empower young people to take charge of their lives and maximise
their opportunities for fuller participation in community life. This will give them hope in a
place they call home.
The YPAR Initiative proposes the following. An acknowledgement of the need for
change in ways of working together for children and young people at risk in the North East
Inner City. This involves commitment to a structure, such as YPAR to achieve this. This
will be evidenced by written formal agreements between stakeholders. Involvement will
shown by a commitment to change by all parties, changes that will include:

pooling of existing resources

avoiding the duplication of efforts

ensuring facilities are available at evenings and weekends as appropriate

maximising community input into future development and use of resources in
community.

Signature of authors here

3
Young People at Risk Initiative

Mission
The Mission of YPAR is to work with children
and young people at risk to:

Establish an integrated, interagency structure.

Improve the quality and delivery of services.

Establish appropriate mechanisms to co-ordinate and integrate services.

Support them in accessing services, education, training and employment

Ensure anti-discriminatory and accessible policies and practices in services.

Provide support to develop the skills and capacities needed to become active members of
the community

Ensure that the voices and views of young people at risk are heard

Evaluate the intervention from the very beginning, in order to monitor progress and to
learn what works and what doesn’t work.

Definition of at Risk
YPAR defines a child at-risk as being “ aged 0 to18 years, experiencing severe personal,
family, educational and/or social problems (which could benefit from outside support).”

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The Goals of YPAR are:
1. To map existing services for young people at risk
in the NEIC and identify gaps in service provision

2. To develop, promote, advocate and evaluate the

YPAR plan

3. To develop responses to the identified and

emerging needs of young people at risk

4. To facilitate the participation of young people and

their families in the development of services in the
community

5. To develop common protocols to facilitate the

integration of service provision

6. To document and disseminate examples of best

practice of interagency service delivery for young
people at risk

7. To participate in trans-national initiatives focused

on promoting youth empowerment

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Young People at Risk Initiative

Goal 1
To map existing services for young people at risk in the NEIC and identify gaps in service
provision

Actions
1. Commission and carry out baseline research on existing service provision and gaps in
services
2. Finalise and publish the research
3. Disseminate the research to all relevant stakeholder in NEIC and nationally
4. Use the findings to inform YPAR and update on an ongoing basis

Goal 2
To develop, promote, advocate and evaluate the YPAR plan

Actions
1. Establish Steering Group to manage the project representative of key statutory and
voluntary organizations
2. Engage an external consultant to work with the Steering Group to develop a strategic
plan
3. Launch and disseminate the Strategic Plan
4. Evaluate the implementation of the plan on an ongoing basis
5. Print and circulate by post and email a regular newsletter updating members on YPAR work
6. Seek funding to update a local database
7. Regularly update key stakeholders on progress of plan
8. Engage with relevant policy makers in order to promote the integration of service
provision

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Goal 3
To develop responses to the identified and emerging needs of young people at risk

Actions
1. Establish Working Groups in each of the following identified areas, which have been
initially identified.

Needs of Foreign National Young People

Service provision for Young People at Risk after hours/weekends, including
Outreach services (12–18)

After-school social and education supports for Children at Risk

Respite care to children and families

Early Year services for children and families (0–5)
2. Support each working group in developing and delivering an action plan focused on its
own thematic area
3. Provide resources to support the development of protocols and case studies in each of
the thematic areas
4. Co-ordinate each of the Working Groups actions through the Steering Group

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Young People at Risk Initiative

Goal 4
To facilitate the participation of young people and their families in the development of
services in the community

Actions
1. Establish a Working Group on youth participation
2. Support young people to establish a Youth Forum
3. Build the leadership capacity of young people in the community through supporting
the development of the Youth Forum
4. The Steering Group will regularly consult with Youth Forum to ensure the views of
young people are incorporated in all aspects the work of YPAR
5. Consult with families to ensure their voices are heard in relation to how services are
delivered for their children

Goal 5
To develop common protocols to facilitate the integration of service provision

Actions
1. Seek examples of interagency collaboration from different Working Groups
2. Resource Working Groups to record and document examples of interagency
collaboration
3. Appoint facilitators to document these examples
4. Formulate and publish YPAR common protocol approach to interagency service
provision

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Goal 6
To document and disseminate examples of best practice of interagency service delivery for
young people at risk

Actions
1. Invite Working Groups to nominate examples of best practice in interagency
collaboration
2. Appoint facilitators to document these examples as case studies
3. Publish and disseminate case studies
4. Identify and record the learning from examples of interagency collaboration that did
not achieve their full potential

Goal 7
To participate in trans-national initiatives focused on promoting youth empowerment

Actions
1. Participate in the Youth Empowerment Partnership Programme (YEPP) involving
eight projects in 7 countries coordinated by the International Akadamie, Berlin
2. Participate in YEPP trans national exchanges for staff and young people involved in
YPAR programmes
3. Recruit and retain a local YEPP coordinator and a local YEPP researcher to support
the work of YPAR
4. Contribute to the OECD's (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development)
external evaluation of YEPP

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Young People at Risk Initiative

Appendices

Policy Context

The conclusion to the ISI report clearly set out the need for collaborative approaches in
relation to children at risk.
‘Despite the considerable public resources which are currently devoted to a wide
range of social services in the North East Inner City, it is clear that the area is
suffering intense social and economic decline. The poverty of the area gives rise to
an intensity of needs and to consequently high levels of service provision required to
meet these needs. Many of the issues involve several different agencies and are best
addressed through collaborative approaches. We recommend a fully integrated,
multidimensional model, requiring the establishment of joint planning, goals,
activities and policy development. Local people must have a key role in service
design and delivery and their participation is central to this process….’
(ISI: Common Goals and Unmet Needs, 1997:64–65).
This is echoed by Public Policy Documents.
YPAR Strategy is very much in line with the National Children’s Strategy the
objectives of which … ‘will … guide children’s policy over the next ten years.’ (Taoiseach’s
Forward). Specifically the Strategy notes a need for integration:
‘measures should be taken in partnership, within and between relevant players be it
the State, the voluntary/community sector and families; services for children should
be delivered in a co-ordinated, coherent and effective manner through integrated
needs analysis, policy planning and service delivery.’
The promotion of the welfare of children is the paramount principle underpinning the
Act. Section 3, of the Child Care Act, 1991. It outlines the functions of health boards as
follows: "3.-(1) It shall be a function of every health board to promote the welfare of children in its
area who are not receiving adequate care and protection.” To date the YPAR process has and
will continue to aid the HSE fulfil its key role of identifying those children who are not
receiving adequate care and protection and co-ordinate information from all relevant
sources relating to children in its area 1.5.2 (a).
The primacy of the voice of the child in service planning and delivery, a key aim of
YPAR, is stated clearly Children First national Guidelines (1999):
‘ Children have a right to be heard, listened to and to be taken seriously. Taking
account of their age and understanding, they should be consulted and involved in
all matters and decisions which may affect their lives.’ (p 22–23)

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 Moreover this key policy document endorses the raison d’être of YPAR:
‘Effective prevention, detection and treatment of child abuse or neglect requires a
coordinated multi-disciplinary approach to child care work and effective inter-
agency management of individual cases. All agencies and disciplines concerned with
the protection and welfare of children must work co-operatively in the best interests
of children and their families.’
This key theme is taken up in the local Child Protection Guidance HSE Local Health
Office 7 (2005), drawn up under the auspices of the Local Child Protection Committee,
a multi-agency body tasked with promoting cooperation among local agencies and services in
the field of child protection. It endorses the need for Interagency collaboration in ‘ … [the HSE
and the Gardaí] separately or together are obliged to work in partnership together and with the wider
community and most particularly with professional agencies or organisations working with children and
families. No one has all the answers, no one can safely act alone in safeguarding children.’
At the Launch of the Office of the Minister for Children on 13th December 2005, the
Minister of State with responsibility for Children, Mr. Brian Lenihan talked of ‘the need for
a joined-up government approach to the delivery of services for children’. He also stated
that ‘if supports and services are to have an optimum impact on children’s lives, services
must become proactive and better ways to link services must be found.’
We believe that YPAR in its approach both promotes joined-up thinking at local level
and represents an attempt to ‘optimise the impact on children’s lives’ in the immediate
community.

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Young People at Risk Initiative

Steering and Working group

Steering Group Members Agency/Project

Colman Duggan Child Care manager
(Joint Co-Chair) HSE Dublin North East LHO 7

Joe Lucey ICON and Crinan Youth Project
(Co-Chair)

Stephen Falvey Assist Principal Officer,
Department of Education and Science

John Lahert NYP 1

Liam O Dwyer Irish Youth Foundation

Fergus McCabe Neighbourhood Youth Project 2
(also formerly Drug Strategy Team)

Pauline Kane Wexford Centre Project

Tony Rock SVP Ozanam House Resource Centre

Séanie Lambe Chairperson ICON

Celine Keogh Hill Street Family Resource Centre

Margaret Hayes City of Dublin Youth Service Board

Emer Farrell National Education Welfare Board

John Houlihan Dublin City Council

Sarah Kelleher Lourdes Youth and Community service

Replacement to be named An Garda Síochána

David Little Co-ordinator

Working Groups Contact

Youth Participation Group

Foreign national Group

Respite Group

0 to 5 Age Group

5 to 12 Age Group Consultation

After-Hours Working Group
Pauline Kane/Leanne Hyland
Fergus McCabe
John Lahert/ Pat Carthy (Cavan Centre)
Celine Keogh/Sarah Kelleher
Tony Rock/John Lahert
Joe Lucey/Margaret Hayes

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Key actions in the development of the YPAR Strategy

2002 ICON meeting with National Children’s Office

2003 Agreement with key Stat Agencies ( Footnote – Northern Area Health Board,
Dept.of Education and Science and Probation and Welfare Service for Dep. Of
Justice) to operate YPAR under the auspices of the Local Child Protection
Committee which included representatives from these government agencies
and to which ICON was invited to join. [Footnote ???? The Local Child
Protection Committee is an instrument of Children First, the National
Guidelines on Child Protection and Welfare].

2004 With sponsorship from Irish Youth foundation and Mott Foundation, YPAR
was selected among other European metropolitan sites for participation in a
pan European Youth Empowerment Partnership Programme (YEPP), initiated
by a number of foundations in association with Organisation for Economic
Development (OECD).

2004 Research was commissioned by YPAR to map needs and resources for young
people at risk in Dublin North East Inner City.

2005 Research completed.

Work continued on refining strategy and engaging local and national partners

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Young People at Risk Initiative

Notes

14
Notes

15
Young People at Risk Initiative

Notes

16
The YPAR Initiative proposes the following. An acknowledgement
of the need for change in ways of working together for children and
young people at risk in the North East Inner City. This involves
commitment to a structure, such as YPAR to achieve this. This will
be evidenced by written formal agreements between stakeholders.
Involvement will shown by a commitment to change by all parties,
changes that include:

pooling of existing resources

avoiding the duplication of efforts

ensuring facilities are available at evenings and weekends

maximising community input into future development and use of
resources in community

Young People at Risk Initiative

c/o 22 Mountjoy Square,
Dublin 1
E-mail: david.little@mailc.hse.ie