Three-year Tipperary plan to tackle gaps in services for young people is launched

A three-year plan that seeks to address gaps in services provision, and areas of concern for children and young people was launched in Thurles by the Children and Young People’s Services Committees.

The Children and Young People’s Plan for Tipperary prioritises actions over the coming three years which will foster continuous collaboration between various agencies in Tipperary on a range of issues aimed at improving outcomes for children and young people.

“The publication provides the structure to support the creation of stronger communities for children, young people and families across Tipperary,” said Ruairí Ó Caisleáin, CYPSC coordinator for Tipperary at the launch in the Anner Hotel.

He said that interagency and collaborative approaches had been recognised as important elements in achieving successful outcomes in the delivery of services to children, young people and families, and these approaches required groups to come together to share their knowledge and ideas on particular priorities for improvement.

Key issues targeted in the Children and Young People’s plan include mental health and wellbeing from infancy; parent support tailored to meet different levels of family need; access to education and to the labour market for Travellers; youth spaces; and the range of needs of children and young people with additional needs and their families.

Anne Marie Stafford, area manager for Carlow, Kilkenny and south Tipperary, Tusla, said the plan has been drawn up to address a range of priorities in the county.

The negative impact of Covid-19 on the welfare of this age cohort is captured in the plan, showing the consequences for mental and physical health, progress in school, and family relationships and domestic circumstances.

CYPSCs have a key role in bringing together the main statutory, community and voluntary service providers to address the local needs and support the for children and young people in the county”.

The Children and Young People’s Plan will be driven by the CYPSC coordinator, the CYPSC itself, and its working groups, each responsible for overseeing the implementation of a specific set of actions in the plan.