Write a commentA Cross border conference attended by the Southern Trust has highlighted the costs of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).
Leading experts speaking at the conference highlighted that children who have been exposed to situations such as domestic violence, alcohol/drug abuse, mental illness and bereavement can experience negative impacts which last well into adulthood. Such impacts can include poorer educational achievements, employment status and health and well-being.
It forms part of an EU investment that will establish five cross border community networks to deliver tailored interventions to identified families and will build upon existing community infrastructure and supports on both sides of the border. Newry/ Louth will work along with the other four network areas of Derry / Letterkenny and Inishowen; Strabane/West Donegal; Fermanagh/Sligo and Leitrim and Armagh/Monaghan and Cavan.
Attendees included people from health & social care services, education, policing, justice, community and voluntary sectors from across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The high turnout demonstrates the strong interest in learning more about the potential negative impact of ACEs on children, young people and adults and how organisations, communities and families can be more ACE aware and pro-active. The remarkable accounts from three young people who provided personal testimonies on how they overcome adversity and difficulties in their lives was one of the conference highlights.
As part of the conference held in the Millennium Forum in Derry City, a three year, €5.01 million EU INTERREG VA funded cross-border project was launched. The CAWT Multiple Adverse Childhood Experiences (MACE) Project secured the EU funding from the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). This EU funding will be used to help transform the lives of vulnerable families who are at risk from multiple adversities in their lives, through identification, early intervention and the provision of support within their communities.
The CAWT (Co-operation and Working Together) Partnership which secured the funding comprises the HSE, the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, the Western Health and Social Care Trust, the Public Health Agency and the Health and Social Care Board. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency is also a MACE project partner.
Speaking on behalf of the CAWT Project Board, Paul Morgan, Director of Children Services at the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, said: “On behalf of the MACE Project Board, I am delighted that the health services has been able to secure valuable European Union funding to enable us build more ACE aware & trauma informed communities on a cross border basis. The theme of today’s event is hope and resilience and our guest speakers have given us a road map to implementing the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) approach. By building supportive communities, we can increase the levels of resilience in children and adults and ensure those who suffered ACEs can avoid many of their health harming consequences.”
Welcoming the project Gina McIntyre, CEO of the Special EU Programmes Body said: “Adversity and hardship can occur in any family at any time, however some families are more vulnerable than others due to a combination of circumstances. This project will deliver upon one of the key objectives of the EU’s INTERREG VA Programme, which seeks to improve the health and well-being of thousands of citizens living in this region, by helping to identify vulnerable families who will benefit from early parenting and family development assistance. This support is designed to nurture families and ensure the best outcomes for the children involved, on a cross-border basis.”
Speaking at the conference and project launch on behalf of the Department of Health in Northern Ireland, Alasdair MacInnes, Head of Child Protection Unit, said: The Department of Health is working in partnership with colleagues across health and social care to transform services over a 10 year period, in line with the strategic direction set out in ‘Health and Wellbeing 2026: Delivering Together’. This includes significant investment in children’s services, based in large part on recognition of the impact of trauma and the need for early intervention – to identify and address issues before they arise, when possible. Recognition of the impact of ACEs helps professionals identify why some children do not thrive as they should. This project, with assistance from the EU’s INTERREG VA programme, will harness the strengths of communities and services on both sides of the border and should lead to better outcomes for families and children.
Commenting on the significant EU investment, Director General of the CAWT Partnership, Damien McCallion from the HSE said: “The cross border MACE project is aligned closely to current policy and practice aimed at reducing the impact of multiple negative experiences or ACEs in childhood. The CAWT partners, and Tusla as a project partner, will be utilising this considerable EU investment to implement practical supports and programmes which directly benefit families and communities in the border region. ”
Speakers at the conference included Trevor Spratt, Professor in Childhood Research, Trinity College, Dublin; Pamela Cooper, Regional Implementation Manager at TUSLA and Dr Karen Treisman, a renowned clinical psychologist and author.
Match-funding for the project has been provided by both Departments of Health in Ireland.
