Niacro

The Child and Parent Support programme provides intensive support services to families in the Southern Trust area whose children (aged 8 to 11) are at risk of becoming involved in anti-social/offending behaviour.

Caps aims to intervene at an early stage where children are at risk of offending, and to help them and their families to build positive lives and life experiences. Each child, and their family, meet with a Caps worker once a week, and undertake a programme designed for their particular needs.  Parents are supported as individuals and as a family, and also through parenting programmes.

Caps’ partners, many of whom refer young people to the programme, include the Youth Justice Agency, Social Services, Southern Education and Library Board, the Probation Service, the Police Service, Barnardo’s Family Centres, and the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service.

An external evaluation in 2006 and an internal review in 2007 both showed clear evidence of children doing much better as a result of taking part in the programme.  Their risk of offending has gone down in 100% of cases, there is an 80% improvement in their school attendance, and their performance at school has improved by 83%.  One teacher used words like “brilliant”, “amazing” about the change in one of her pupils, and a doctor who refers children to the programme speaks of “very positive outcomes” from Caps workers whose commitment “has been invaluable”.

In spring 2007 we were delighted to be advised that resourcing to develop early intervention to prevent offending was to become available, and that our model of practice in this area, CAPS, based in the Southern Board, had been used as evidence to secure these new resources.  We look forward to many more families benefiting from it.

CAPS wins CJSNI award 2007