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At a cross border event, Co-operation & Working Together (CAWT) celebrated the impact that their MACE project has had on families, children and local communities. The event titled “Supporting Families and Strengthening Communities” was attended by key stakeholders as they celebrated the continued success of the EU funded project and recapped on some of the significant achievements along the way, in addition to hearing first hand experiences of how the project has positively helped families in need of support.
In total, over 5,400 families across the border counties of Ireland and Northern Ireland have received at least one universal, targeted or specialist support intervention as a result of CAWT’s Multiple Adverse Childhood Experience (MACE) project.
This cross-border project – which is funded by the European Union’s INTERREG VA programme and managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) – aimed to transform the lives of vulnerable children and families who are at most risk from adversity in their lives, by identifying, intervening, and providing necessary support. The project received EU grant funding totalling €5.01 million euro, with match-funding provided by the Departments of Health in both jurisdictions.
Gina McIntyre, Chief Executive of the SEUPB, said "The creation of this cross-border network has helped to provide the right support and transform the lives of over 5,000 vulnerable families and children, most at risk from multiple adversity in their lives. This support from INTERREG VA will help nurture and improve the futures of our children and their families and provide equality of access to vital services.
Experiences of adversity and trauma occur in almost everyone’s life at some point. Sometimes these experiences happen in our childhood when we are more sensitive to trauma and the effect can last longer. How we learn to cope with these negative experiences can help improve future outcomes for us, the children we care for, our families and friends and the wider community. Examples of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) or negative experiences to which a child is exposed can include parental alcohol/drug abuse, domestic violence in the home, parental mental illness, bereavement within the home, disability etc.
Evidence suggests that early years and early adolescence are the optimum times for support and the development of skills to develop future resilience. Thus, the MACE project aimed to help children/families who are at risk from multiple adversities in their lives, through raising awareness about childhood trauma/adversity and providing nurturing support within our communities.
Delivered in the border counties the MACE project was jointly developed by the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, Health Service Executive, TUSLA (Ireland), Western Health and Social Care Trust, Public Health Agency and the Strategic Planning and Performance Group, all of whom recognise the importance of early intervention and support for families and children in vulnerable situations.
The MACE project has developed a trauma informed practice toolkit for practitioners who work with families. The toolkit complements existing professional assessment processes by providing an easy-to-use system to identify ‘risks and strengths’ and in turn ‘appropriate support interventions’ for the individual family.
In addition, the MACE project developed 5 cross border community networks and along the way supported hundreds of families whilst providing training to staff from the statutory, community and voluntary sectors in a range of areas including on how to best apply the toolkit when carrying out assessment with vulnerable families, and other training designed to build the skills of those supporting families and children.
Reflecting on the importance of the project Peter Toogood, Deputy Secretary for Social Services Policy Group, Department of Health Northern Ireland said "The MACE project has demonstrated how the lives of vulnerable families who are at risk from multiple adversities can be transformed through the early identification of those adversities and the provision of nurturing support and services within their own communities.
"The MACE project is an example of positive and purposeful empowerment that enables families to develop their own solutions and greater resilience by availing of the right support at the right time to address emerging vulnerabilities."
Minster Stephen Donnelly TD, Minister for Health Ireland added "The MACE project shows the value of cross-border cooperation across a number of agencies to help our most vulnerable children and young people. We know that multiple Adverse Childhood Experiences can have significant health-related impacts on young people growing up. This EU INTERREG VA project facilitated early intervention and a family, community-based approach, thus creating a real pathway for the future for children and families. I wish to compliment all the partners involved in this very worthwhile project."
