Spotlight on NCB
The National Children’s Bureau Northern Ireland (NCB NI) Director Celine McStravick looks at the charity’s recent projects which involve early intervention to improve the lives of children and young people.
The National Children’s Bureau (NCB NI) is a research and development charity working to improve the lives of children and young people, and therefore reduce the impact of inequalities.
NCB NI work directly with young people through Young NCB NI, a membership network open to all children and young people up to the age of 18. The group gives young people the opportunity to speak out on issues affecting their lives. Earlier this year members of Young NCB NI launched the results of a peer research project at the Long Gallery, Stormont, which explored young people’s attitudes to sectarianism in Northern Ireland. Three key recommendations were made on the basis of the research findings: more cross-community activities; a greater emphasis in schools about Northern Ireland’s history and other religions before 14 years old; and greater discussion with adults about the past in order to have a better future.
Much of our work is cross-governmental, such as the Child Poverty Outcomes project which focuses on helping every government department understand its role in reducing child poverty in Northern Ireland. Twenty-one per cent of children here live in poverty, which is twice the level as in Great Britain.
Looking at three of our recent projects in detail gives a flavour of the type of evidence-based research which is helping to influence government policy in Northern Ireland and to provide practical solutions to a range of social issues. Each one has been funded by OFMDFM.
NEXT STEPS? is an in-depth examination of the barriers facing young people who are at risk of becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training). This research project seeks to prevent young people becoming NEET in the first place by better understanding the experiences, needs and barriers faced by these young people, and their educators, as they embark upon the transition from formal schooling to continued education, employment or training.
The project team works with an advisory group comprising key stakeholders (a core principle of NCB NI) and including government departments, schools, FE colleges and young people themselves.
@ccessibility focuses on young people’s home computer and internet access in a world where more and more learning is moving online and homework is being increasingly emailed or put onto memory sticks. The project consists of a large scale survey involving young people and interviews and focus groups with school staff, young people at key stage 4 and their parents. Initial findings have shown that for 98 per cent of those surveyed, hardware access was not an issue but the problem areas are around what young people do with their time online.
A research project on childminding in Northern Ireland is being conducted in partnership with the Northern Ireland Childminding Association (NICMA) to examine issues such as practice and quality in childminding and the impact of vertical grouping of children of different ages.
Early intervention is a major theme running through all the work of NCB NI. Intervening early in a child’s development is the most effective way of breaking the cycle of poverty that many families fall into. Working to improve children’s developmental needs and aspirations in the 0-6 age range is crucial to their future. The Dissemination Initiative for Prevention and Early Intervention (DIPEI), which is facilitated by NCB NI, brings together all relevant stakeholders to consider contemporary evidence regarding prevention and early intervention and to help ensure that the information is available to those in a position to make a difference.
We also support the work of the Public Health Agency through the Child Development Project Board which seeks to develop an integrated pathway of evidence based intervention and support for children in Northern Ireland. Another practical project that focuses on early intervention is the Colin Early Intervention Community (CEIC) project where NCB NI is providing research support services to the Colin Neighbourhood Partnership. The aim of the project is to help drive sustained improvements in outcomes in areas such as education and health in this West Belfast community.
For more information on any of our projects, please do hesitate to get in touch.
NCB NI
2nd Floor, Albany House
73-75 Great Victoria Street
Belfast, BT2 7AF
web: www.ncb.org.uk
Twitter: @ncb_ni_tweets
