RoFaL Roma Families Learning Project

1. RoFaL Roma Families Learning Project County Clare VEC Clare Adult Basic Education Service is funded by the Department of Education and Science with assistance from the European Social Fund as part of the National Development Plan 2007-2013.

2. RoFaL ProjectFamily Learning in Co. Clare November 24th 2010 Mary Flanagan Co-ordinator Clare Sheahan Resource Worker The County Clare VEC Clare Adult Basic Education Service is funded by the Department of Education and Science with assistance from the European Social Fund as part of the National Development Plan 2007-2013.

3. Ireland on the western edge of Europe Turkey on the eastern edge of Europe

4. Population 110,950 Ennis 24,253 (Census 2006) Agriculture Tourism Small scale manufacturing Service industry Unemployment 10,633 (Approx 9%) Co.Clare Ireland

5. Clare VEC Structure and source of funding Adult Basic Education Department of Education and Skills Vocational Education Committee Second level schools Adult Education Centre Adult Education Officer Adult Literacy Organiser Basic Skills English Language Family Learning Workplace In 1994 the first Family Learning Programme was delivered in response to parents requests to support helping with homework.

6. Our work involves… • ..supporting parents to help their children learn • …parents are the first and most natural teachers of their children • ..parents seeing the home as a very valuable learning place • ..building social networks for parents • ..engaging parents in learning, encouraging parents to become lifelong learners ‘The influence of parental involvement on a child’s learning is eight times more important than any other factor (1999)’

7. How this works… • Identify needs of parents • Work in partnership with other organisations • Providing learning opportunities to support those caring for children • Develop resources and programmes • Keep up to date with change and research • Train tutors locally, nationally and internationally

8. Work with Roma to date • English language class for parents of primary school children (11) • Gardening class for parents in school (6) • Supporting school with events e.g. coffee morning Roma only (5) • Bilingual Storybags (4) • English language class specifically for Roma parents (4, may increase)

9. RoFaL Project • Lead in local area, link to Turkish partner • Co-ordinating project work • Planning - including visits and hosting • Arranging meetings and administration • Design and deliver (after consultation with parents) a 16 week programme for Roma families • Evaluate the project locally

10. Irish Education System • 1 year free pre-school provision at 3 to 4 years • Primary school from 4 years to 12/13 years – 8 classes • Secondary school from 12/13 years to 17/18 years • 5 years with an option in some schools for an extra transition year after Junior Certificate • State exam after 3 years - Junior Certificate • State exam after next 2 or 3 years - Leaving Certificate • Further education or third level options

11. Ennis Educate Together National School • "The ethos of our school is multi-denominational and in this atmosphere the moral, intellectual, social and physical growth of our pupils is nurtured." • Principal - Seán O’Confhaola • Home School Community Liaison Teacher - Orla Kelly • Funded by Department of Education and Skills

12. Principles of Educate Together • Our school supports the principles of • Inclusiveness, particularly with reference to the enrolment of children with a disability or other special educational needs • Equality of access and participation in the school • Parental choice in relation to enrolment • Respect for the diversity of values, beliefs, traditions, language and ways of life in society

13. Ethnicity in Ennis Educate Together National School • 30 Slovak Roma Children • 35 Czech Roma Children • 15 Moroccan Children • 25 Irish Traveller Children • 60 Children from Ireland and from the rest of Europe

14. Pupils from the Czech Republic

15. Comenius Project work Three groups we are working with: • Emergent Readers 4 to 7 years old • Boys age 10 to 13 • Girls age 12 to 13

16. Emergent Readers • Parents helping their child in the classroom • Children aged 4 to 7 • Service to be delivered by Home School Liaison Teacher • 40 minutes a week for ten weeks

17. New Web Site • New web site for Roma families in Co. Clare • 11 to 13 year old girls and their mothers • Transition year students from Ennis Community School and First year Roma girls. • Site to be in Czech, Slovak, English and Romani

18. Dads and Lads • Working with 11 to 13 year old boys • Using their dads as a resource • Helping in Transition to second level school

19. Mums and Dads helping out

20. Ennis Schools Completion Programme Áine Meehan – Coordinator • Working for 10 years in Ennis in five schools • Primary and Post Primary • Retain students in school • In school, after school, out of school, holiday time. • As part of the work of the Department of Education and Skills, Social Inclusion Unit our work is supervised by an interagency steering committee. • Now part of the work of the National EducationWelfare Board

21. In-school work involves • Working with school staff to develop.... • Supports such as Counselling (post primary), play therapy (primary schools), behaviour support programmes, literacy and numeracy support, academic assistance, classroom assistance, attendance monitoring. • Programmes include: • Transition to 1st Year • Orbital Project Primary and Secondary • Mini Business Companies • School Meals

22. After school support • Homework clubs – • Children in all five schools receive assistance after school with homework • Sports, dance, arts and crafts Removing the barriers for children to take part fully in school life

23. Additional programmes Out of school Holiday time Tracking and supporting students to transfer to other school or youth reach provision Encouraging students to return to school through meeting with them out of school in their homes • Summer Camps • June/ July • Sports, arts and crafts, dance, swimming • Trips away- outdoor pursuits, over night trips. FUN Fun and more fun!!!!!!! Building relationships during the holidays....

24. Our work with Roma Community Ennis Community College Extra resource classes Attendance monitoring Reduced curriculum to encourage attendance Parental links through home visits and school meetings. Support withuniforms, books. Ennis Educate Together Attendance monitoring Home visits Home work support Behaviour support Communication – letters translated Activities after school

25. Home School Community Liaison Teacher – Patricia Murray, Karen Walsh • Home School Community Liaison teacher for Ennis Community College is provided because of levels of need in the school ( HSCL not in every school) • Her role includes home visits to Roma parents • Home visits can be for a variety of purposes

26. Home visits • Invitations to extra English classes • Explaining the ‘Maths for fun’ initiative • Upcoming parent-teacher meetings to encourage parents to attend and provide support • Providing translated information regarding school

27. Home School Community Liaison focus • Communication • Exam years to encourage study • Ist years – welcoming and settling in • 5th years – follow up on Junior cert results • 6th year – options once students leave school • Other intervention as needed • Homework club offsite

28. Junior Certificate Support Programme • Roma students generally come in to secondary school with maths and reading ages well below the norm • For this reason they are often placed in Junior Certificate Support Programme classes • JCSP classes are entitled to extra supports with funding for initiatives to improve their learning across the curriculum

29. Junior Certificate Support Programme continued… • Money from the initiatives is invaluable because students, including Roma, can be provided with active learning resources • Numbers in JCSP classes are smaller so students, including Roma, benefit • Students are often from poor families and cannot be asked to buy books, equipment, exam papers etc. JCSP alleviates this need

30. Our work in RoFaL involves: • Retain Roma students in school by • Linking primary and secondary students through website.... • Extra resource classes to engage students • Developing our response to students with special needs in the Roma Community • Supporting school staff learning through growing our understanding of the Roma community and building links with local university • Working to create better home school links through parents evening and parents newsletter • Interagency response to the needs of Roma students

31. Clare Immigrant Support Centre The Clare Immigrant Support Centre (CISC) works with immigrants in County Clare to ensure all immigrants have access to appropriate state services and that the rights and entitlements of all immigrants are upheld. CISC is a nongovernmental organisation with charitable status. It is governed by a voluntary Board of Management, some of whom are directors. Órla Ní Éilí, Barbara O’Conchuir

32. Our work involves… Drop-in Service • The Drop In operates 3 mornings a week, no appointment necessary, to give accurate, current information, advocacy Casework • Individual and family casework delivered to Immigrants in a secure and friendly environment. English Language Programmes • English Language Tuition, Homework Club, and Orientation Programmes – offers flexible and non-formal programmes Liaison/Advocacy/CommunityDevelopment/Outreach work • This work provides an opportunity to address gaps, initiate responses among service providers, and develop models of good practice

33. Our work Involves… Organisation and Participation in Cultural, Social and Commemorative Events • These events seek to create opportunities to deepen integration in the community Support development and capacity of immigrant led activities and groups • Provide advice, skills, venue, assistance to source funding, link to other organisations Lead or Partner Agency • Responsible or co-responsible for 31 actions in the “Integrated Strategy for the Coordination of Services to the Immigrant Communities in County Clare 2009 -2012”

34. Integrated Strategy for the Coordination of Services to the Immigrant Communities in County Clare 2009 -2012 Key principles: • Partnership approach to improve co-ordination • Commitment to supporting the inclusion of new communities and recognising their needs in planning and developing services • Improving opportunities for individuals and families • Actions based on identified need, in partnership with immigrants

35. What is in the strategy and when will the actions take place? • Over 60 practical actions are agreed in the strategy • The strategy has 5 sections : Health, Employment, Education, Community Supports, Communication & Language • Over 20 local community groups/ public agencies have agreed to deliver the actions • This will happen between 2009 – 2012 • Challenges we face: Less resources & cut back in services

36. Our work with Roma Community • Roma community avail of Drop In service –issues include no social welfare payments, no jobs • Welcome Pack in Czech distributed to community • English language class for adults • Provide language support to teenage participants on Clare Youth Service Programmes • Supporting schools with events that Roma community attend

37. Our plan through RoFaL Link Roma parents to the Project Support translation of information booklet into relevant languages Support the interpreter working with families in focus groups Support parents to access the 16 hour programme Contribute material to common exhibition Share best practice through the project website and project meetings

38. H.S.E Health Service Executive Sinead Collopy Community Development Worker

39. Children and Families’ Services Social work and child protection services are provided by the HSE to children and families who require support. Clare early intervention centre Clinical psychology service Community development service Pre-school inspection & information service Child protection information, training & advice Adoption services Fostering Family therapy

40. Family Support by Levels of Need: Hardiker Model

41. Roma engagement with the H.S.E at local level Public Health Nurses & Doctor Locally PHNs visit every new born baby in their home for a health check. Findings from approx 30 Roma families visited have highlighted the following issues: 1. Difficulty communicating in English 2. Dietary concerns, poor quality food used, high levels of smokers (males) 3. Very poor attendees at health clinics 4. Financial worries in the household. 5. Frequent house moves means it is difficult to track families whereabouts 6. Overcrowding in homes with many families living in one house 7. Mothers young, age 16 and 17 years old 8. Good support network in their own community 9. Depression reported by some mothers 10. High numbers diagnosed with Hepatitus B Social Work Service There are no Roma children taken into Care of the state in the County. Families have been referred to child protection services because of welfare related issues linked to lack of money rather than any child neglect/abuse issues.

42. Our plan through RoFaL Consultation with the Roma community around health needs Better informed Health Service staff around issues effecting the Roma community Inclusion of information on local health services in any publications targeting the Roma community Inclusion of health inputs in parenting programmes targeting the Roma community

43. RoFaL Project launch Ennis, Ireland October 2010