Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 April 2021
1239. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the date and plan for when a prevention, partnership and family support team will be operational in south County Tipperary as is operating in neighbouring Tusla business areas. [19578/21]
View answerThe purpose of the Prevention, Partnership and Family Support Programme is to support children, young people, parents and families in accessing preventative and support services while enabling their participation in decisions which affect their lives. It aims to prevent risks to children and young people arising or escalating through building sustainable services within Tusla and partner organisations to perform preventative and early intervention work. The programme addresses Tusla’s statutory requirement under the Child and Family Agency Act to provide ‘preventative family support services aimed at promoting the welfare of children’. PPFS works to build connectivity by engaging with Tusla and external services across the continuum of care.
Tusla has established 118 Child & Family Support Networks across Ireland, which help to support integrated and co-ordinated supports for children, young people and families at local community level. CFSNs are a frontline operational structure set up by Tusla to support integrated service delivery. Members of CFSNs come from a variety of agencies or local voluntary and community services such as the Community and Voluntary Sector, HSE Primary Care Social Work, Early Years Services, Sports Clubs, Speech & Language Therapy, An Garda Síochána Youth Probation Services, Primary and Secondary Schools etc. There are three CFSN networks in South Tipperary, and South Tipperary PPFS continues to develop as do other PPFS services across the country in line with available resources.
In practical terms, if a family presents to one service within the Child & Family Support Network and that service is not equipped to meet their needs, that network member can effectively re-direct the family to the most appropriate network member(s) or service. To be able to do this, CFSNs develop a good understanding and become familiar with one another’s work. The CFSNs also facilitate the coordination of the use of Meitheal, the Tusla-led early intervention national practice model that identifies a child’s and their families’ needs and strengths, and brings together a team around the child to deliver preventative support. There are three CFSNs supported by PPFS staff in South Tipperary.
Tusla commissions services from its community and voluntary sector funded partners, including the FRCs, based on identified need. The Senior Manager for PPFS would have a key role in identifying the need for these community based services and oversees related service level agreements.
In relation to the specific question, I would refer to my previous response of 01 April 2021 to PQ 17833/21 and to my response to PQ 19577/21 in this regard.
