Tusla

Tusla Child and Family Angency provide a Child Protection service under the Children First Act 2015. Where there are concerns relating to abuse and neglect of children, the service assesses these and takes appropriate measures in accordance with Children First: National Guidance to ensure child safety and welfare.

Tusla is organized into teams, as follows:

• Duty & Intake team – screening referrals and determining the first response
• Protection & Welfare teams – managing medium to long-term cases of families in the community setting
• Children In Care teams – responsible for children and young people who come into alternative care and their families
• Fostering team – responsible for liaising with foster families with children in their care.
• There is also an Aftercare service to assist young people to prepare for leaving alternative care on reaching adulthood and to support them subsequently to live independently.

Tusla Aftercare

Aftercare services are for all young people that are between 16-21 years old and have spent 12 months in the care of the state with either Tusla or the HSE, between the ages 13-18. This transition can be confusing and emotionally difficult.

The aftercare services are there to support young people in the pathway out of care, help them develop the independent living skills that they will need to move on and be well-prepared for leaving care.Aftercare services are available for people up to 23 years old if they are engaged in accredited training or education.

Tusla Fostering

Fostering is caring for someone else’s child in your own home, providing family life for a child or young person, who for one reason or another cannot live with his or her own parents. Foster care is only considered for children in situations where they are assessed to be at risk.

Tusla currently work with foster carers who are in a same-sex relationship, are Travellers, are of African or Eastern European origin, are Muslim, have a disability, who don’t have a job currently, who rent, who are single, who are over 40, and with parents who both work.

Foster carers are a diverse group of people who come from all walks of life.

School Completion Projects

The School Completion Programme (SCP) is a targeted programme of support for primary and post primary children and young people who have been identified as potentially at risk of early school leaving or who are out of school and have not successfully transferred to an alternative learning site (i.e. Youthreach, Community Training Centre etc.) or employment.

It is a support under the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) Programme, funded by Tusla Education Support Services (TESS). SCP aims to retain a young person to completion of the leaving certificate, equivalent qualification or suitable level of educational attainment which enables them to transition into further education, training or employment.

The SCP is one of three strands of Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) including the Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) Scheme and the Educational Welfare Service.

Tusla Prevention, Partnership and Family Support (PPFS)

The Prevention Partnership Family Support (PPFS) Programme is a Tusla-led programme which aims to engage with and support families around family support issues at Prevention or Early Intervention levels, in partnership with relevant Tusla-funded community-based services.

Tusla is committed to providing high quality services to children and families at the earliest opportunity across all levels of need. Providing help to children and families early in the stage of a difficulty can prevent situations getting worse. Working in partnership is a very important aspect of this work. Tusla aims to work closely with families, other agencies and professionals so that we can respond quickly to the needs of children. Early identification and provision of help at community level is in children’s best interests.

Family Support

Family Support is delivered through community-based programmes and services. The main focus of these Family Support services is on Early Intervention, aiming to promote and protect the health, well-being and rights of all children, young people and their families. Particular attention is given to those who are vulnerable or at risk. Specialist services provide support for those families affected by domestic violence or child abuse. Family Support services are generally provided to families in their own homes and communities.

Meitheal

Tusla has developed the Meitheal approach to help children and families where they may need the support of more than one service. Meitheal is an old Irish term that describes how people come together to assist with crops or tasks. In this context, Meitheal is a Tusla National Practice Model to ensure that the needs and strengths of children and families are effectively identified, understood and responded to in a timely way.

The aim of Meitheal is to ensure that children and families receive support and help in an integrated and coordinated way that is easily accessible to them. Through the Meitheal model, practitioners in different agencies communicate and work together to bring together a range of expertise, knowledge and skills to meet the needs of the child and family within their community. The family’s consent to participate is a key condition for a Meitheal intervention to proceed.

Child and Family Support Networks (CFSNs)

Local CFSNs consist of all services that play a role in the lives of children and families in a given geographical area. This includes local statutory children and families service providers and local voluntary and community children and families services.

The Child and Family Support Network Coordinator supports the development of the Child and Family Support Networks and oversees the Meitheal process.

Other strands of Prevention Partnership & Family Support

Participation: Supporting the participation of children and young people in decisions that affect them.
Parenting: Supporting parents in developing their parenting skills. Such supports include parenting programmes, the Tusla Parenting 24/7 website and the work of the Parenting Support Champions in promoting key parenting messages at local level.