Current Projects

A Research Partnership to Investigate the provision of Staffed Local Networks for Childminders in Ireland

Dr Sheila Garrity, Dr Danielle Kennan

This research supports the establishment of Staffed Local Childminding Networks (SLCN) as part of the National Action Plan for Childminding (NAPC). The SLCNs are proposed as a means to enhance the quality of home based childcare provision for children and families, while encouraging childminders to engage with formal supports. The research aim is to investigate the most suitable methods to provide SLCN through a collaborative action research project, while building the research capacity of key actors involved in the NAPC.

2021

Dr Aisling Gillen, Professor John Canavan 

Programme Aims:

• To explore the application of systems theory and complexity theory as learning tools in health and social care.

• To add to the knowledge base on systems theory and complexity theory as they apply to health and social services in Ireland.

• To increase understanding of how systems theory and complexity theory frameworks can inform case and organisation and systems management.

• To develop materials in systems theory and complexity theory for use in pre-service education and training and continuing professional development in the health and social services sector.

Programme Activities:

• Develop a Working Paper on systems theory and complexity theory and their application to child protection and welfare systems. 

• Develop a practice tool based on systems theory and complexity theory towards improving decision-making in the CPW sector.

• Develop academic output systems theory and complexity theory and their application to child protection and welfare systems.

• Develop teaching and learning materials on systems theory and complexity theory and pilot their application with relevant stakeholders. 

• Develop series of information-sharing events and dialogue events on systems theory and complexity theory.

Building Children’s Futures: Using Children’s Rights to recover from the Global Pandemic 

September 2022

Dr Danielle Kennan, Dr. Natasha Daniels 

This project will examine the effect of the pandemic measures on activities and services for children and young people through consultations with groups that were disproportionately impacted. By working with youth researchers, Ireland will be used as a case study to document how child participation structures operated during the pandemic. Best practice in Covid-19 responses in Europe will be identified, and the project will explore how Child Rights Impact Assessments (CRIAs) can embed a children’s rights approach, including during times of emergency. A prototype CRIA and training supports aimed at embedding children’s rights will be developed.   

Professor Caroline McGregor, Dr Rosemary Crosse, Dr Patricia O Connor  

 The UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, at NUI Galway are doing a study with Tusla to understand the use of private residential care in Ireland, the processes used and the experiences of the service users, their parents and staff involved in this setting in two regions in Tusla.  This study wants to identify the strengths and challenges of the decision making process with the goal of informing policy on the private residential care experience for young people and families in Ireland. 

Dr Carmel Devaney, Dr Rosemary Crosse, Dr Patricia O Connor 

The UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre (UCFRC), at NUI Galway are conducting a review of Tusla’s Parenting Support Champions Programme. This proposed review adds to previous work undertaken by the UCFRC on Tusla’s Prevention Partnership and Family Support (PPFS) Programme. This review will provide the Agency with a clear picture of both the progress and the impact of the Parenting Support Champions Programme, as well as directing and informing future processes for the programme. 

2021

Dr Bernadine Brady, Dr Caroline Heary (Joint PI’s), Dr Charlotte Silke, Dr Gemma Cox, Mr Rory Coyne, Dr Carmel Devaney, Mr Micheal Durcan, Professor AnnMarie Groarke, Mr Emmet Major, Dr Olwyn McWeeney, Dr Cliodhna O'Connor

This project, a collaboration amongst stakeholders in research, policy and practice, seeks to expand current knowledge related to youth mental health and suicide prevention by examining survey data gathered from teenagers in Galway Mayo and Roscommon in 2018, 2020 and 2022 by Planet Youth. 

Further information available here.

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April 2021

Dr Connie O’Regan, Dr Tony Hall & Professor Michelle Millar

The goal of Designing Futures is to enable every student to succeed in the future world of work. The project will ultimately empower every student to design their personalised skills development pathway, and to have their transversal skills achievements recognised on graduation alongside their degree. This approach, if more widely adopted, could position Ireland as a leader in innovative, student-centred and enterprise-engaged education in Europe. Designing Futures will initially transform undergraduate Arts and Science programmes and then building out to all students.

The Evaluation approach combines the processes of Design Based Research with stakeholder engagement methodologies of Developmental Evaluation (Patton 2013). Starting with a Systematic Literature Review, the evaluation function positions itself to track the findings from the literature, the project work flows and stakeholder feedback to refine and amend the approach iteratively as the project is implemented. In this way, it aims to contribute to the embedding and enhancement of the project outcomes.

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2020

Dr Bernadine Brady, Prof Pat Dolan (Joint PI’s), Dr Charlotte Silke, Ms Rebecca Jackson

The Youth Social Innovation Lab (YSIL) is a partnership between Foróige and the UNESCO Child & Family Research Centre, NUI Galway. The goal of the Youth Social Innovation lab is to:

• Identify and research social issues facing youth in Ireland, particularly those who are disadvantaged
• Develop, implement and evaluate innovative social responses, including non-formal educational programmes for young people in Ireland.

Activities include research, service design, evaluation, dissemination.

Full project descriptions are available here.

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2020

Prof. Pat Dolan, Dr Charlotte Silke, Dr Niamh Flynn, Ms Emer Davitt, Dr Aileen Shaw

Activating Social Empathy (ASE) is a programme developed by researchers at the UCFRC Centre in association with the NUI, Galway School of Education. ASE is designed as a resource for teachers working with secondary school students. This programme aims to address empathy as a foundational social skill with important implications for how people behave towards one another and how they respond to societal challenges at a local and global level. It follows the framework for Social and Emotional Learning provided by the Collaborative for (CASEL), a global leader in SEL practice, outlining 5 core competencies that can be taught across a range of settings including Self-awareness; Self-management; Social awareness; Relationship skills and Responsible decision-making. Such initiatives often incorporate skills and competencies for conflict resolution, common humanity and global awareness.

The ASE programme was initially rolled out in 2020 at schools across Ireland, the first large scale initiative to introduce empathy education designed to enable students to develop skills in understanding and practising empathy. A Randomised Control Study is underway by researchers at the UCFRC to assess the impact of the programme and inform further development and enhancement. Due to the challenges schools are currently experiencing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the programme has been adopted also into an-online format also. Interest in the programme is high with a number of international schools expressing interest. Following the findings of the RCT, the programme will be revised and developed for adoption across cultural contexts.

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Family Support Provision within Foróige 

Dr Carmel Devaney (Principal Investigator) & Dr Carmen Kealy

This research carried out on on Foróige’s Family Support projects undertaken by the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre (UCFRC) at NUI, Galway. The overall aim of this research is:

• to describe the Family Support programme and its operational context;

• to consider the strengths and challenges of delivering Family Support as part of a Youth Work service; and

• to generate learning for Foróige for future implementation and delivery of its Family Support Service.

•  Funded By

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2019

Dr Lucia JIMENEZ, Action Chair, Dr John CANAVAN, Action Vice Chair & Managaement Committee, Dr Carmel Devaney, Working Group Leader & Managaement Committee , Pat Dolan, Managaement Committee

The best interest of children is placed at the forefront of social policies, giving the governments the responsibility to provide parent and family support. The recent crisis has placed parenting at a more difficult situation, accompanied by the existence of complex family realities that need new responses which require innovative approaches. Although recognised as central to a number of political priorities, at a European level the institutions have not yet addressed family support wholistically.

The Action proposes the creation of a Pan-European family support network, under which family support and parenting policies are included, combining both common goals across countries and the recognition of the specificities of cultural and families’ contexts.

This Action will build collaborative pathways between researchers, practitioners, policy-makers, children and families, public and private agencies, and general society to create the necessary framework that allows to inform family policies and practices with the underlying goal of ensuring children’s rights and families’ well-being. EuroFam-Net will: (1) Use a pluralistic and dialogic structure to co-create responses with all involved stakeholders in the field in close collaboration with the national policies; (2) Create an evidence-based framework that improves family support services, science and technology-driven policy and practice; (3) Use a multidisciplinary approach by gathering all the relevant scientific disciplines working in this field; (4) Disseminate research and  make use of advice mechanisms to the professional and political arena to innovate in family support services; (5) Avoid the duplication of services and promote inter-sectorial coordination, increasing the efficiency of available resources.

Please see a link to the European Family Support Network - EuroFam-Net here https://eurofamnet.eu/home.

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The Child & Family Research Centre’s work on youth social empathy includes a large research study, curriculum development and the mainstreaming of social empathy education in schools and teacher education. The Youth Empathy & Social Values (YES) project is closely linked to other core research areas of UNESCO Chair, in particular Youth as Researchers , Youth & Civic Engagement and Prevention of Youth Radicalisation. Supported by the Centre’s patron Cillian Murphy, the YES project aims to inform the development of policy interventions in the area of education and child and youth development.

See here for further information on the project.