A Community Based Approach

to

Promote Educational Achievement and

Combat Educational Disadvantage.

Northside Partnership

Founded 1991 to address long term unemployment

One of 38 Partnership companies nationally

Programme covers 4 broad areas: Employment, Enterprise, Lifelong Education and Community Development.

Catchment area includes Postal Districts of Dublin 3, 5, 13, and 17 as well as parts of Dublin 9.

Population of c.127,000 in catchment area

NSP has identified 10 priority districts where the focus of our supports are prioritised.

Focus of today’s short presentation is to look at the development, focus and future direction of NSP’s education programme.

Northside Partnership

Northside Partnership Catchment Area – New area in Red

Identifying needs and gaps in policy and provision.

Researching and developing responses to these needs/gaps

Activating partnerships to meet identified needs.

Developing and maintaining relationships at all levels

Facilitating/enabling service providers to work together

Accessing funding opportunities

Managing interventions on behalf of and in partnership with community, voluntary and statutory organisations.

Providing governance, technical and financial support

Priority Groups (Most Marginalised): Unemployed, Lone Parents, Travellers, Early School Leavers, People with Disabilities etc.

Our Approach

Evidence Base:

Census Data – Trutz Haase Index and SAPS

Local Area Based Research – i.e. Schools Survey 2001/2002.

Profiling of service users

Consultations

Focused Needs Analysis – i.e. Children’s Profile at School Entry

Key Informants:- Partner Agencies, Govt. Departments & Local Communities

Identifying the Need

Similar to most organisations in Ireland we have responded to identified needs on a need by need basis.

This led to the development of a wide range of responses – some successful and others not.

Planning has become a lot more strategic in recent years.

Involvement in the PEIP programme has enhanced NSP’s work as we have adopted the learning and approaches into the wider partnership work.

Responses

Dual Approach: A) Supporting engagement and progression Progression rates to 3rd level were frighteningly low in some

areas i.e. Dublin 17 - 1% in 1991. Programmes established to promote and support students. Higher Education Support Scheme (HESS): – Providing

Guidance, Financial Supports and Advice to students attending further and higher education.

Education Trust: Awarding scholarships to students from low income families.

Challenger: Identifying students with potential at 5th Class primary and provided a range of out of school supports through primary and post-primary. Parents participation a requirement.

Education Starting Points

B) Actions to promote engagement with education

Breakfast Clubs

Early School Leaver Initiatives

Attendance Monitoring and Supports

Advocacy for students in need of support

Investing in quality improvements in second chance i.e. Youthreach, CTC.

Focus on Traveller participation in education – school attendance, completion of primary, transition to post-primary.

Early years and school based interventions/supports

Education Starting Point contd.

Integration: Integration with existing services has become a feature of all interventions over the past 5 years.

Establishment of Local Schools Networks in 2000 leading to the formation of a Regional Education Network in 2006. This is a network of the 71 education providers at primary, post-primary, third level and second chance in the NSP area.

Prevention and Early Intervention: Development of partnerships to deliver prevention and early intervention approaches: Preparing for Life, Síolta, Storytime, Health Realted Programmes.

Use of Evidence: Preparing for Life, Young Community Leaders, Storytime.

Progress

Outcomes: Participation has improved – better school attendance, less early school

leaving and improved progression rates. However priority communities still lag well behind national averages. Learning: We had to become more focused and not try to meet all needs The importance of using evidence to inform approaches and having clear

measurable outcome goals. We have by “accident or design” created a number of highly effective

interventions over the years – Challenger 80%+ progression to 3rd Level, HESS supported over 5,000 students at 3rd level with very high retention and completion levels.

Need to research – we are engaging Ph.D. students to track students we supported over the years to measure longer term outcomes and impacts.

Change and integration need catalysts and NSP sees its role as being such a catalyst.

Outcomes and Learning

Area based integrated approaches are required to deliver the outcomes we all desire i.e. Youngballymun

NSP is already involved in life cycle approach across our programmes.

At a political and policy level the implementation of area based approaches to tackle poverty, education disadvantage etc. has to be embraced.

We are already committed to an integrated services approach and we feel we can play a leading role in being a driver of area based approaches to delivering better child, family and community outcomes.

Leading in the future

Northside

Partnership

Businesses

Department of

Environment,

Community and Local

Government

Department of

Foreign Affairs

Department of

Social Protection

Schools & Colleges &

Universities

Early Years Settings

PEI Sites

Department of

Education and Skills

Private Donors POBAL

Local Authority

Community &

Voluntary Groups

Local Representatives

European Union

HSE

Drugs Task Force

Dublin City Childcare Committee

Atlantic

Philanthropies

FAS

Department of Children

and Youth Affairs