Supporting Children & Parents
“I have learnt lots of things at CAPS like keeping myself safe, how to be angry in a good way and that no one else controls my behaviour, just me”.
Quote from a child in attendance at CAPS
The Child and Parent Support project (CAPS) started in 2004 as a pilot initiative in the Southern Health and Social Services Board area (now Southern Trust) funded by the Children’s Fund in conjunction with NIACRO. The Project is managed by Martina McCooey who is seconded from the Youth Justice Agency.
It is the first project of its kind for young people and aims to provide intensive support services for children aged 8-11 at risk of offending and their families. The concept for CAPS was developed through Southern Area Children’s Services Planning, a partnership of agencies who work together to plan support services for children and young people at risk of offending.
CAPS objective is to reduce the risk factors associated with offending and anti-social behaviour and work to increase known protective factors. Evidence of the projects success was provided through an external evaluation of the service in January 2006 and again in May 2007.
As indicated in the latter review the positive outcomes have been sustained and in some cases improved upon. For example, in 2006 the child’s risk of offending (as assessed by the referrer, other relevant agencies and family) had reduced in 91% of cases, now that is 100%.
In 2006 there was a 50% improvement in children’s school attendance, now 80%. Children’s performance at school has improved by 83% compared to 75% in the external review of January 2006.
The work at CAPS is very much dependant on the establishment of a sound working relationship with the children and families referred. As the project has evolved much greater emphasis is being placed on parental engagement, recognising the crucial role they play and enabling and supporting them to engage more effectively with their children.
CAPS is designed to help parents develop workable strategies that will create sustained and positive relationships with their children. In the external review of January 2006 results indicated an improvement in parenting skills of 72%. The updated review puts this figure at 97%. Recent quotes from parents who have participated in the project state:
“CAPS are helpful and do really good work with children and parents to make their relationships better and to help us be the best parents possible.”
“You have done a marvellous job. I am grateful that there is an organisation like you because you never give up on us, and there is no cost involved. If there had been I couldn’t have afforded to get help for me and my child”.
CAPS continues to have the respect and support of the many agencies, children and families working with the Youth Justice Agency. The Agency also recently secured a Criminal Justice Award for its contribution to ‘Tackling Youth Crime’ The following is a sample of views secured on the Project.
I wish to commend the CAPS service. Since its inception in SHSSB area I have
referred a number of children and their parents to the service and worked in partnership with practitioners around these cases with very positive outcomes for the children. The time intensive commitment of the CAPS workers has been invaluable in all cases and the experience of partnership with CAPS has been particularly positive.
Dr Noel McCune, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist,, Child and Family Clinic Portadown
We have found CAPS to be very supportive in a number of complex cases. Your team has been noted to be particularly flexible in its approach in terms of the nature, timing and delivery of support. It is also obvious that while the needs of the children in each case differ, your team endeavour to put in place supports that are carefully tailored to the child and indeed their parents.
Adele McConkey, Educational Psychologist, Behaviour Support Team (SELB)
CAPS cross cuts the policy agendas of a number of government departments including the DHSSPS, the Department of Education and the Northern Ireland Office (Community Safety Strategy and the Youth Justice Policy Unit).
This requires greater levels of inter-agency focus on early prevention and diversionary work with children, and endorses the SHSSB’s own commitment to achieve a reduction in levels of offending by children, identify and respond to risk factors and to test out a multidisciplinary approach with an emphasis on prevention.
For more information about the service please contact Martina McCooey (Project Manager) on 028 3751 1433 or email martina@niacro.co.uk
