Seminar on Children's Services at NUI Galway

"Developing a New Paradigm- Trust and Confidence in Children's Services" NUI Galway will host a seminar entitled "Developing a New Paradigm- Trust and Confidence in Children's Services" which will take place on Tuesday, 28 September at 6pm. The seminar will be comprised of a panel and open discussion exploring the challenges and solutions of child and family services in Ireland. The seminar is jointly hosted by the University's Masters in Social Work and the Child and Family Research Centre at the School of Political Science and Sociology. The panel of Irish experts in the field of children's services who will offer their reflections on future directions of children's services include: Michelle Clarke, Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs; Geoff Costello, Social Worker; Fergus Finlay, Barnardos Children's Charity; Jennifer Gargan, Irish Association of Young People in Care (IAYPC) and Ursula Kilkelly, founder member of the Irish Youth Justice Alliance and Law Lecturer in UCC. The panel discussion will be opened to the audience which will be composed of frontline practitioners, managers, academics and other stakeholders and will be followed by a structured question and answer session. The seminar will be of relevance to anyone with an active interest in or for those working in the child and family sector in Ireland. It will offer a space to reflect on the challenges at a time when the sector faces both criticism and change. The session will be chaired by NUI Galway's Professor of Social Work, Bríd Featherstone. Commenting on the event, Professor Featherstone says: "This is a tumultuous time for child and family services in Ireland. At NUI Galway, we want to contribute to current debates and try and think a little differently about future directions. We are particularly concerned that, in times of financial constraint, we use resources wisely and that they are primarily focused on ensuring that families receive timely and appropriate help from skilled and well supported practitioners". -Ends-