Family Supports

The IDP Family Support Programme, an interagency initiative aimed at providing better outcomes for children and families experiencing difficulty as identified through the schools in the catchment areas of the respective School Completion Programmes in North and South Inishowen.

It is a short-term home-based support service to help a child, young person or whole family. Issues can vary from challenging behaviours at school or home, school refusal, difficulties with homework or routine.
The part-time Family Support Workers visits and works with on average 8-12 families each. Depending on intensity of contact these visits/contacts range from once per fortnight to 2-3 times per week.

The family support service is home based, meaning that much of the support takes place in the home and is focused on the family and their needs. This means that it is designed to be convenient for parents and young people and can work around the family’s routine and based on what the family’s needs are, such as.

…Helping to establish or maintain a good routine in the home

…Help with specific needs-budgeting, nutrition, homework

…Advocating on behalf of family with other community, voluntary or statutory groups.

All referrals must come through the school system either through the HSCL, School Completion Co-Ordinator or the Principal where no HSCL is in place.

“A positive relationship has developed between the worker and the families and key to the success of the service is the role the Family Support Worker plays in supporting the family as a whole, including siblings in post-primary schools as well as primary…… the use of the Meitheal process to bring all parties around the table… the lives of children and families have been turned around as a result of the Family Support Service”. (School Principal)

IDP collaborates with a range of organisations as part of this work, including the SVP, The Exchange, Spraoi agus Sport, Rainbows, TUSLA, and IFAN members