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Responding to Parents’ Well-being Needs Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic – A Critical Reflection on the Experiences of Vulnerable Parents and Frontline Service Providers
Get PDFArticleIn March 2020, a range of public health measures were introduced to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Ireland, including the closure of non-essential services and schools, and restricting the movements and social interactions of the majority of the population. The social and economic upheaval caused by these measures led to increased stress, strain and worry for parents, significantly heightening the risk for detrimental effects on well-being. Barnardos, Irelands leading children’s charity, responded quickly to the crisis by adapting its existing therapeutic services and creating a range of new services to support the needs of parents and families. This paper uses the lens of parental well-being to review the situation in Ireland experienced by vulnerable families during the COVID-19 pandemic as a result of the disruptions and the service response. We explore the research background to parental well-being and detail the specific challenges faced by parents as reported in organisational surveys during the pandemic and in feedback from our frontline services. We also outline the complexities for services in responding innovatively and urgently to evolving family needs, and demonstrate facilitators and barriers to engagement. The paper concludes with a summary of the current and anticipated future context for families, and some recommendations for key actions around promoting and sustaining parental well-being
A Guide for Parents/Carers (2nd Edition)
No full textBookletA guide to Barnardos services for parents and carers
ChildLinks Issue 2: Staff Wellbeing in Early Learning and Care
No full textBarnardos Journal ChildLinksCaring for and educating young children in Early Learning and Care (ELC) settings is often very rewarding and fulfilling work. However, the role of the early years educator can be emotionally demanding, and this, coupled with often low wages, poor working conditions, a lack of role clarity and leadership, high staff turnover and low professional status can all result in educators feeling high degree of stress, depression and burnout. The multiple time pressures and limited resources in ELC settings can also lead to a working environment that offers little in terms of staff care and wellbeing. Given what we know about the importance of the quality of relationships and interactions between young children and the important adults in their lives, as well as the link to child outcomes, poor educator wellbeing can impact not just on the individual educator themselves, but also on the children in their care. It is essential that attention be paid to reducing the stress and promoting the resilience of early years educators so they are best equipped to support the children in their care. In the first article in this issue of ChildLinks on staff wellbeing in ELC, Oke, Hayes and Filipovic draw on their study looking at the experiences of burnout among early years educators in Ireland and consider the importance of educator wellbeing in early childhood practice, for both educators themselves and for the children in their care. Concerns about wellbeing are not just confined to staff in Irish ELC settings, however. Also in this issue, researchers from the Rocky Mountain Prevention Research Center at the University of Colorado highlight how personal demands experienced by the early years workforce and work conditions within settings can negatively affect job satisfaction and wellbeing among staff in the US. Another article looks at the negative impact of Covid-19 on educators’ wellbeing in Australia and outlines how some organisations have supported early childhood educators, as well as the children and families in the setting. In other articles, National Childhood Network highlight how child and educator’s health and wellbeing is promoted in Healthy Ireland Smart Start Programmes for ELC services; Amy Dowd from Cuan Bhríde Childcare Centre in Roscommon outlines how, as an ELC manager, she works to provide a positive and supportive work environment; and Sheila O’Malley, a professional trainer in wellbeing, gives her suggestions as to how to work without sacrificing yourself. Finally in this issue, Sharon Byrne, Barnardos Early Years Development Coordinator, looks at the potential impacts on educators who work with children and families who have experienced trauma, and explores some of the ways that ELC services can support their staff to prevent burnout and secondary trauma
‘Working Together Online’ Barnardos Digital Best Practice Framework 2022
Get PDFToolkitBlended working is a flexible approach that combines face-to-face and online service delivery. Blended working provides children and families with a greater choice and access to services as it reduces barriers to engagement such as travel, childcare, and time, all of which often impact attendance and participation. Within the context of working with children and families in Barnardos, one example of blended working would be meeting a parent or child at planned intervals (initial assessment stage, review stage, closure) and carrying out virtual sessions in between. Another example of a work plan might include virtual sessions every second week e.g. one week face-to-face, one week virtual and so on. For more intensive pieces of work, staff members could decide to meet a family once a week in person and complete a second check-in virtually later the same week. Similarly, for group work pieces, registration and consent might be obtained in person and the programme content delivered online. There are many options available that can be adapted to meet the needs of the child, family and service. The Digital Best Practice Framework sets out to support the successful implementation of online services to achieve the following outcomes: • Children and families will have increased choice and additional service delivery options to use with a blended approach to service provision. • Children and families will experience services online that are equivalent in quality to face-to-face services. • Children and families will achieve mutually agreed outcomes when accessing online services. • Children and families will experience staff who are confident in delivering services online. • Children and families will experience staff who have the knowledge and skills needed to deliver high quality services online. • Clear processes/procedures will be in place to ensure best practice and safety when delivering services online
Tacú le Folláine Leanaí ón Úcráin: An Timpeallacht um Fhoghlaim agus Chúram na Luath-Óige
No full textInformation sheetÓs rud é go bhfáiltíonn suíomhanna Fhoghlaim agus Chúram na Luath-Óige (ELC) in Éirinn roimh leanaí agus roimh theaghlaigh a thagann ón Úcráin, tá sé tábhachtach aitheantas a thabhairt don ról lárnach atá ag an gcomhshaol i bhfolláine leanaí. Le breithniú cúramach, is féidir le timpeallacht fhisiciúil suíomh ELC difríocht mhór a dhéanamh ar an gcaoi a mothaíonn gach leanbh i spás. Is féidir leis cabhrú le leanaí mothú socair, sábháilte agus go bhfuil fáilte rompu, agus ról lárnach a imirt i dtacú le leanaí a raibh tráma orthu. De rogha air sin, is féidir leis an gcomhshaol an éifeacht eile a bheith aige agus mothúcháin imní, eagla agus contúirte a spreagadh. Leagann an acmhainn seo béim ar roinnt príomhghnéithe den chomhshaol le breithniú a chabhróidh le tacú le leanaí agus le teaghlaigh a thagann ón Úcráin mothú sábháilte agus slán
Introduction to Supervision in Early Learning & Care & School Age Childcare
Get PDFInformation sheetThis describes a workshop that is suitable for those working in Early Childhood Care and Education and/or School Age Childcare who are currently supervising early years educators/students
Early Years eNews: Issue 3
No full textNewsletterIn this issue of Early Years eNews, we bring you news of the launch of a new professional body - Professional Educators and Managers Ireland (PEMI) - a fantastic development for the ELC and SAC sector. We also bring you information about the latest issue of ChildLinks, supports for settings welcoming families from Ukraine, and upcoming training events
Annual Report and Financial Statements 2021
Get PDFAnnual report2021 was a year of continued uncertainty for everyone in Ireland, with the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, the new variants that emerged and associated restrictions. For the vulnerable children and families with whom Barnardos works, the Covid-19 crisis exacerbated already complex situations. Children and parents with whom Barnardos works had to deal with Covid-19 alongside other challenges in their lives including domestic abuse, poor mental health, acrimonious separation, addiction, housing issues and financial pressures. The isolation created by Covid-19 restrictions removed many of the supports normally available to families