GSAP Pilot WRAP Educational Support Programme 2019/2021 is run locally in partnership with Shantallow Communtiy Residents Association, Rainbow Child & Family Centre, Ethos Family Support Hub & On the Streets Youth Initiative within the Ballyarnett DEA. The programme encompasses six (6) programmes as outlined below:

Children & Young People

Activity	Target Group
Youth pre-employment training, education, work placement and support programme 2 days per week by 15 weeks	10 young people (5th years) at risk from disengaging from learning
Mindfulness, Connected Kids and Family Therapy Sessions 12 to 16 week holistic/bespoke/ early intervention family programme	12 families and their children aged 4 to 8 years old (Max 25 children)
Youth Educated in Safety (YES) Awareness 3 awareness Events with 4 interactive worked in the community	200 young people (3rd year pupils) to attend 4 Youth Educated in Safety (YES) interactive workshops
Youth Engagement Programme 12 week Youth Engagement programme inclusive of 3 study trips and one overnight residential	20 youth (age 13 to 19 years)

 

Parents, Families and Communities

Activity	Target group
Mini Questing programme 20 week Mini Questing programme which includes 3 family questing trips and 9 weekly home learning family support sessions	20 families with preschool children
Solihull Training programme 7 week Solihull programme to understand their child’s behaviour and develop their parenting skills	12 parents/carers of key Stage 2 children

 

FEEDBACK FROM PARENTS 2019/20

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart I don’t know where we would be now with the girls if I had not found out about these amazing therapies, I was very apprehensive at first, but was willing to try anything.  Now all I can think is thank goodness I was open minded, as each one of us got amazing benefits and then the whole family unit was enhanced due to the wider impact it has had. We now have a real place for the girls to call ‘HOME’. ”

“I really loved every minute of the therapies and classes, I just felt like I was being hugged and nurtured in every way possible, the Hub has always been there for me but this was just so much more - I don’t know how I can begin to Thank you all for the difference it has made.  My wee girl loved Art, Circus & Meditation and has really grown in confidence and I loved the therapies and some well needed ME TIME with childcare for my wee doll has been great for my mental health before baby No 3 comes along.  I feel now I’m ready for anything”

‘Amazing therapies made huge difference to my daughter; she goes into school happy in the mornings’.

‘Because I am quite a busy person, it was hard to get to the therapies and anything for me. When I did go it was amazing, always wanted to stay longer. When family life is busy would go back to some of the feelings I felt when I was in the therapist. Great healer for me’.

‘Amazing feedback, so grateful. Opened my mind up to it a bit at a time when I really needed it in my life. Changed my whole way of thinking, no panicking, or hiding stuff; confront it all. Now pay myself although I can’t afford some of the dearer therapies’

‘Feel much better as a parent and now I can do things without worrying what might happen. I’ve now done so much for myself and I’m actively looking for work, if not for this I wouldn’t have gotten this far’.

‘I enjoyed it, relaxed and took time for me. Delighted with childcare and how my child has settled’.

'I became more open and confident in my role as a parent and confident I am doing my best no matter the situation.'       

'Amazing, my daughter’s anxiety has gone; she’s now in school and its stress free mornings. I now put time into me.                                                                                                                                                                                                     

'Helped me to stay calm when I was getting stressed. Triggered some emotions and guilt I was holding on to, have now let go and feel a great weight lifted'.

'It was amazing all my daughters anxiety has gone and she now goes to school, it’s a stress free house and I can now put time into me.  I really loved the therapies'.

'A lot has changed with the programme, seeing them happy, mixing with others and meeting new people is great'.

'My children are calmer and we are spending more time together'

'Wonderful programme sad to see it come to an end as there was always something to look forward to. Thank you so much'

 

Background info to DENI WRAP Educational Support Programme:

As a result of funding being made available by to DENI under the Tackling Paramilitarism Programme in Autumn 2019, a pilot programme was put in place to provide wrap-around education services to children and young people facing the greatest challenges. An allocation of £813k was made over financial years 2019/20 and 2020/21.  Of this total, £328k was allocated for 2019/20 and £485k is allocated for 2020/21 across 4 areas in total

Project objectives were set out in the following table:

 

Area	Objectives
1.    Children and Young People	a)    To provide a range of interventions enabling children and young people to reach their full potential in core skills of literacy, numeracy and ICT.
	b)    To provide emotional health and well-being support; use of early intervention programmes; helping children and young people to be ready to learn resulting in improved emotional self-regulation and improved behaviour.
	c)    To build aspiration and positive attitudes to education, effective tracking of attitudes and understanding of needs; reduce disengagement from learning, improve attitudes to antisocial behaviour, community safety, criminality and paramilitarism; build self-esteem and reduce risk taking behaviours.
2.    Parent, Family and Communities	a)    To provide positive parenting programmes and family support; engaging with parents and the community in recognising the importance of education in their children’s future.
	b)    To build improved understanding and connections between parents and schools, establishing smoother transitions and promoting family learning activities inside and outside school.
3.    Schools and Service Providers	To support and where possible coordinate schools to work together to improve outcomes; share knowledge and resources; maximise outcomes by increasing coordination of interventions and joining up service provision; reduce duplication of services; improve knowledge amongst school staff of the range of external support services available; improve linkages between health, education, communities and justice sectors.

A programme of flexible interventions to deliver against both DE and DoJ objectives was designed and implemented in partnership with delivery agents in four geographical areas. The four (4) delivery agents, with extensive experience in their respective areas, were provided with funding to deliver bespoke interventions:

     

1. Eastside Learning (East Belfast) (ESL) - provide targeted support in literacy and numeracy in the community, GSCE support, training for teachers, school staff and Early Years practitioners, parenting programmes, family learning activity, volunteer learning support training, transitions support as well as important community network building.   
2. Forward South Partnership (South Belfast) STEP Programme (FSP STEP) - Partners run a series of initiatives focussed on the early years / pre-school, primary school and, to a lesser extent, post primary. These include perinatal cafes for ROMA Community, family learning, transitions support, a Special Education Needs programme, parenting programmes and workshops. FSP is developing an educational infrastructure across south Belfast, in line with school need, and is developing links between schools and the community and voluntary sector. 
3. Greater Shantallow Area Partnership (GSAP) - GSAP’s work includes an education, work placement and support programme for young people (5th year) at risk from disengaging; family therapy for vulnerable families and their children; a young people engagement programme for youth at risk of involvement in crime/antisocial behaviour; a Mini Questing Programme and home support for families with pre-school children; and Solihull Training for parents/carers.
4. Thrive – Rathcoole/Monkstown - There are 3 main aspects to THRiVE’s work i.e. Boost, Aspire and Co-ordination of the THRiVE collaboration. Boost is aimed at pupils who are underachieving at Key Stage 2, as well as their parents. Aspire supports post-primary pupils through work with Monkstown Boxing Club.