Ms Nuala Doherty Chairperson Designate

Presentation to Oireachtas Committee on Health & Children

History/Background to NEWB

•Statutory Agency established in 2002 under the Educational (Welfare) Act 2000•Act replaced the 1926 School Attendance Act – Education Welfare Officers replaced School Attendance Officers•A National service•12 Board Members & Chair – Bodies/Agencies prescribed in the Act – special interest/expertise

History/Background to NEWB• 2009 – Responsibility given to NEWB for 3 additional

programmes/services• Home School Community Liaison Scheme• School Completion Programme• Visiting Teacher for Traveller Service

• 2010 – Visiting Teacher Service for Travellers discontinued• 2011 – NEWB functions transferred from DES to the newly established

DCYA• 2012 – Review of NEWB in the context of the establishment of the new

Child and Family Support Agency (ongoing)

Key Functions under the Act•Statutory service- ensure every child 6-16 attends recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum education•Foster and promote high level of school attendance•Assist and advise parents and schools to meet their obligations under the Act•Work with schools: assist and advise in relation to maximising student attendance participation and retention •Collection of National attendance data (Periodic returns & AAR)•Guidelines on Developing a Code of Behaviour and development of School Attendance Strategies

• Specific Role in relation to suspensions, expulsions and refusals to enrol

• Registration of education outside of recognised schools (Home Education) – registration of non-recognised schools

• 16-17 year olds who leave school and enter employment – a register

• Research, Guidance, Policy to Departments

Key Functions under the Act

Budget & Staffing• NEWB Budget for 2012 - €9,622,000• ECF – Staffing target is 100 (2012), 98 (2013), 97 (2014) • Currently (2012) 91 staff• Sanction to recruit 3 additional EWOs and a Director of Education

Services (secondment). A Senior Manager has recently been approved through DES secondment

• SCP – budget €28,256,000 covering 124 local projects. (251 full time staff). 6.5% reduction 2012 – 2014 (€4.5 million)

• HSCL – funded from DES vote (region €25,000,000) in salary costs. 403 HSCL coordinators (teachers) employed by schools

Extended Remit of NEWB, 2009

“developing a single, strategic approach reflecting equally the nature of and strengths of each of the services, including the National Educational Welfare Service to address school attendance, participation and retention”

The Requirements Placed on NEWB• Charged with developing a single, strategic approach to school attendance,

participation and retention• To take responsibility for achieving best educational outcomes for children• To take a broad range of actions in support of the entitlement of every child

to a minimum education• To put in place processes and structures for the governance, management

and operation of the integrated service• To undertake responsibility for the management, development and direction

of the three services• To draw on the skills, expertise and knowledge of personnel from the three

services now being brought together under the NEWB

Outcomes

School Attendance – The Facts, 2009-2010• NEWB has collected annual statistics since 2003/2004• 50,000 more children in primary school in 2010 than 2005 (>500,000

children) • 9,000 more children in post primary school in 2010 than 2005 (>312,000

children) • Primary pupils miss an average 11 days per year• Post primary pupils miss an average 13 days per year• Over 111,000 pupils miss over 20 days per year• 10 expulsions in primary schools, 148 in post primary (0.05% of students)• <5% post primary students suspended in 2009/2010• Figures were lower for general non-attendance in 2009/2010. Figures

similar to NI & UK

Other FactsLegal Activity• 1,787 school attendance notices issued since 2005• 581 summons issued against parents since 2006• 200 convictions• 139 struck out (general improvement)

Education Outside of Recognised Schools• 777 children were registered with NEWB as being educated at home• 8,292 children registered in 36 private schools

Priorities for Board in 2012• Complete and disseminate Guidelines for Schools on developing Attendance Strategies (S22

Education (Welfare) Act)• Implement the Integrated Service Framework – One Child, One team, One Plan, across the 3 services

(EWS, HSCL and SCP)• Embed the Common Outcomes Framework• Reconfigure Educational Welfare Service given the ECF• Prioritise children “at risk” of early school leaving• Continue to develop and embed the National Attendance Awards• Complete the review of the Guidelines on the Assessment of Education in places other than

Recognised Schools • Review the School Completion Programme• Strong links with child welfare services • Strong engagement with Education System:

• Education Partners Advisory Group; DEIS; Schools

Challenges• Leadership and managing change• Working with less resources – meeting statutory obligations• Transition to the new CEO• Maintaining strong links with education and schools• Maintaining strong links with child welfare services

• Outcome of review on future location of NEWB• Sustaining/implementing the integration process• Public sector reform in practice.

Nuala Doherty Experience• Current Director of the Centre for Effective Services• Former Interim CEO and Director of Education Welfare Services, NEWB• Director of Services to Children and Families in HSE, NE• 13 years senior management experience in statutory organisations with a

remit for children and families, across Health, Social Care and Education • Government appointed Board member of a statutory organisation (CAAB)• Experience in a significant number of national committees and initiatives• Clinical psychologist by profession

Nuala Doherty Skills• Proven leadership and service delivery across a number of public sector

organisations, in Health and Education • Significant senior management experience, particularly in the statutory

sector• Understanding of the governance and organisational requirements of

public sector organisations• Extensive national expertise applying an evidence-based approach to work