scholarly journals Interfacing informal and formal help systems: Historical pathways to the Meitheal model

2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Cassidy ◽  
Carmel Devaney ◽  
Caroline McGregor ◽  
Fergal Landy
Keyword(s):  
Early Intervention ◽  
Child Welfare ◽  
Ecological Model ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Timely Manner ◽  
Practice Model ◽  
Family Services ◽  
Prevention Services ◽  
Help Systems ◽  
National Practice

Abstract Meitheal is a national practice model which aims to ensure that the needs and strengths of children and their families are effectively identified, understood and responded to in a timely manner. The aim of this article is to consider some of the notable learning from the historical background and context in the development of children and family services. The discussion draws together four interrelated themes: the interaction between the voluntary and statutory systems, the interface of family and child oriented services, balancing formal and informal responses to child welfare, and early intervention and prevention services. The complexity of this endeavour is emphasised through identifying the core considerations required at the levels of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model. The article concludes with a commentary on how the future of child welfare in Ireland may be influenced through this attempt at a reorientation of children and family services towards early intervention, prevention, partnership and participation.

Refocusing on Early Intervention and Family Support: A Review of Child Welfare Reforms in New South Wales, Australia

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 303-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harriet Churchill ◽  
Barbara Fawcett
Keyword(s):  
Early Intervention ◽  
Child Welfare ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Resource Constraints ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Public Health Approach ◽  
Family Services ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Welfare Reforms

Since 2000, the New South Wales (NSW) Government in Australia has pursued major child welfare reforms. Responding to the ‘crisis in child protection’ and informed by a public health approach, key aims were to prevent child maltreatment and promote child welfare by ‘expanding and enhancing early intervention and family services’. This article critically reviews the aims, approach and main developments in NSW. The article argues that in several respects the reforms extended and enhanced early intervention and family services in cost-effective ways but suffered from implementation problems, limitations in service developments and major reform challenges which inhibited their scope and impacts. These limitations raise critical issues about the reform framework, resource constraints and ideological influences.

Becoming Family Centered: Child Welfare's Challenge

1995 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 163-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth S. Cole
Keyword(s):  
Early Intervention ◽  
Child Welfare ◽  
Family Support ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Family Preservation ◽  
Family Preservation Services ◽  
Child Welfare Agencies ◽  
Welfare Agencies ◽  
Family Centered ◽  
Family Support Services

The author discusses current challenges to increasing family-centered practice within child welfare agencies. The article focuses on two issues: (1) child welfare's collaboration with early-intervention and family-support services and (2) maintaining family-preservation services despite growing criticism of such services.

scholarly journals Development of a Conceptual Model for Restorative Approach in Family Service Provision

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 563-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annie Williams ◽  
Jeremy Segrott
Keyword(s):  
Early Intervention ◽  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Positive Outcome ◽  
Family Services ◽  
Family Service ◽  
Service Effectiveness ◽  
What Works ◽  
Family Level ◽  
Individual Family

Knowledge of ‘what works’ in early-intervention family services has prompted moves away from approaches which see varied services working autonomously with individual family members, towards provision of multi-agency cross-sector programmes working at a family level. Latterly, some such programmes have adopted Restorative Approach in the belief that delivering services using a more participatory relationship-based framework will support families more effectively. To consider this shift towards use of a Restorative Approach this article explores the concepts and theory that underpin the approach, reflects on how these relate to recommended UK early-intervention family service practice, and constructs a model of family service provision based on the approach. The aim of this article is to consider whether adoption of Restorative Approach has the potential to improve early-intervention family service effectiveness and ultimately have a positive outcome on families.

Family Support and Other Prevention Services Related to Child Welfare

2017 ◽  
pp. 229-261
Author(s):  
Peter J. Pecora ◽  
Anthony N. Maluccio ◽  
Richard P. Barth ◽  
Robert D. Plotnick
Keyword(s):  
Child Welfare ◽  
Family Support ◽  
Prevention Services

The Implementation of Families First NSW: Process lessons from the first four years

2006 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Fisher ◽  
Cathy Thomson ◽  
kylie valentine
Keyword(s):  
Early Intervention ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Evaluation Process ◽  
Community Services ◽  
System Capacity ◽  
Family Services ◽  
Early Intervention Services ◽  
Human Services Agencies ◽  
Provision Of Services ◽  
Families First

Families First is a NSW Government strategy that aims to improve the effectiveness of early intervention services supporting families and communities to care for children. Its implementation is the joint responsibility of the five NSW Human Services agencies: the NSW departments of Community Services (DoCS); Ageing Disability and Home Care (DADHC); Education and Training (DET); Housing; and NSW Health through Area Health Services. Area Reviews are one element of the Families First evaluation process. The reviews focus on the experiences of individual areas during the implementation of the strategy. They were not designed to evaluate individual services but to garner generalisable lessons for future implementation. This article sets out four categories of implementation lessons from the Area Reviews, relating to managing systems change, a systems approach to early intervention and prevention, family services system capacity, and Indigenous participation. These lessons reflect the challenges faced and achievements made in each of the three Families First Areas to improve the coordination of the service network and increase the provision of services for early intervention and prevention.

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