Updates from Ireland A vision for our children’s future

In Ireland in 2004

• A serious lack of prevention and treatment services for young children at risk of developing emotional and behavioural problems in schools and clinical settings

• The Research findings from ‘In Trouble from Day One’ Fleming 2004, indicated that a systemic community based intervention and preventative programme was required

Pilot Phase• NUIM conducted a pilot evaluation of basic parent training• Success of pilot enabled funding to be accessed from The

Atlantic Philanthropies and Dormant Accounts• Funding allowed us to deliver the Basic Parent Training

programme successfully to over 500 families • Interagency facilitators trained to deliver the

programme throughout the country to end of 2007- Parent 53

- Child 50Teacher 02

2007• Increased demand for programmes to be introduced

outside of Clondalkin• Interagency response required to ensure a coherent and

consistent approach• Need to harness existing resources• Explicit demand from teaching profession for support and

training • In Jan 2007a new independent national organisation,

Archways, was created to meet and realise this demand

Archways

Archways’ mission is to facilitate widespread mainstream

delivery across Ireland of high-quality evidence-based

programmes that will meet the needs of all children and

teenagers with emotional and behavioural difficulties, as

well as those of their parents, carers and teachers.

Organisational Goals 2007-2009 • To establish Incredible Years in 11 selected locations

outside Clondalkin • To verify the positive outcomes of the Incredible Years

Programme, using the Randomised Control Trial( RCT) mechanism

• Using the RCT as compelling evidence to secure systemic policy change through advocacy with key stakeholders

• Build the knowledge base of the Archways organisation to offer leadership and expertise to others wishing to deliver I.Y. In Ireland

Achievements in 2007• Established a headquarters in Clondalkin and recruited a core staff of

9 people- 6 trained to deliver various aspects of IY• Registered a limited company and received charitable status from

revenue/established a Board of Directors• Directly delivered Parent Programme to 198 individuals and 30

children received Sm. Grp Dina Programme in the Clondalkin area/ 56 high risk referred by HB 55 teachers TCM

• Supported development in Galway, Limerick , Drogheda and most recently Inishowen, Co. Donegal

• 150 key staff trained in schools, services and agencies to deliver IY in 2006 and 2007

• Minister for Health & Children officially launched Archways/Nov 07

Developing the evidence base• Increasing recognition that health and social care policies

and practices need to be informed by robust evidence derived from high quality research

• Such research informs process of service delivery and the formulation of key government policies

• Evidence-based programmes are more likely to have an impact because they tend:

- to be taken more seriously - to be more likely to influence service providers and policy makers

- to receive funding - to make a difference

NUI Maynooth• Dr Sinead Mc Gilloway (Psychology)• Dr Anne Lodge (Education)• Dr Catherine Comiskey (Maths)• Dr Yvonne Barnes-Holmes (Psychology)• Professor Donal O’Neill (Economics)

Bangor University, Wales• Dr Tracy Bywater (psychology and Incredible Years Centre)• Dr Michael Donnelly (Public Health & Epidemiology)

University of Washington• Collaborative support from professor Webster-Stratton

National Evaluation of the Incredible Years Programme: the research team

NUI MAYNOOTH’S ROLE

• To undertake and complete to the highest possible standards, a three-year national evaluation of the Incredible Years Programme in Ireland

• To act as the objective, honest ‘broker’ when conducting the research and when disseminating findings

• To Work collaboratively with Archways and others (eg. schools/teachers) in executing the research and to promote a sense of ownership amongst all key stakeholders

1. To assess the effectiveness of the parent training programme on child and parent behaviour

2. To consider the impact of the teacher training programme on child behaviour

3. To assess the combination of parent, teacher and child training on behaviour

4. To examine the cost-effectiveness of the programme5. To monitor and appraise all aspects of implementation

fidelity

The research objectives

Key research questions• To what extent does the Incredible Years programme

lead to improvements in the behaviour of young Irish children (3-8 yrs)

• How effective is the programme in improving parental well being and parental and teacher skills and competencies?

• Are improvements maintained over time?• Do some programme elements work better than

others?

Key research questions cont/....• How cost effective is the programme?• How do the results compare with work undertaken

elsewhere?• What are the experiences of key stakeholders and what

factors facilitate or inhibit the effective implementation of the programme

• Are there any problems or issues in delivering the programme that are peculiar to and Irish context?

Implementation Study• Stakeholder views

• Qualitative interviews and brief self-report measures (including parent and teacher satisfaction)

• Implementation fidelity (eg. quality of programme delivery, participant responsiveness

Economic Evaluation

• Routinely available costs (ex: materials, training)• Costs of health, education and social services used by

parents, children and teachers during study period• Incredible Years Group Leader cost diaries• Overall outcome > incremental costs of intervention

relative to other interventions

Archways’ Vision

11,039 children's’ lives improved for the better over the course of the next three years

...........and ultimately to create safe, inclusive and cohesive communities

Board of Directors• Catherine Byrne - Chairperson• Dr. Tom Collins – Professor of Education, NUIM• Carol Fawsitt - Solicitor, Hayes Solicitors• Dr. Sarah Fitzpatrick - Deputy Chief Executive, NCCA• Brian Fleming – Principal, Collinstown Park Community

College• Ena Morley – Principal, St Ultan’s Education & Care

Project, Cherry Orchard• Aileen O’Donoghue – Manager, Clondalkin Partnership• Padraig Rehill - Social Inclusion Manager, HSE

Clondalkin Behavioural Initiative Ltd T/A Archways Company Registered in Ireland 430172