Progress Check: What’s Working and What’s Next?
All supports in place should be regularly reviewed. It may be beneficial to look at the following when reviewing:
- Identify the areas of the plan that have worked and analyse why these supports have proved helpful
- Brainstorm other supports that may help
- Discuss barriers that have impeded progress and explore possible solutions
- Plan for regular and ongoing review meetings with parents/guardians to discuss progress.
Good Practice Tip: Schools and families should strive to evidence progression between meetings. The time frame should be agreed upon with the child or young person and family. If there is a mental health concern, timelines for progression should be agreed upon according to the best mental health expertise (e.g. interagency group medical professionals).
Reduced School Day
At this point, if there is some progress but school avoidance persists, it may be beneficial to consider a reduced school day. However, remember that this is a short-term intervention. For further information email reducedschoolday@tusla.ie.
The Children’s Rights Alliance has created a resource for parents and schools with guidance on a reduced school day.
No Progress Has Been Made with School Avoidance
There may be cases where the plan does not work, or the school avoidance has worsened despite the best efforts of everyone involved. In situations where a child or young person continues to avoid school despite the best efforts of the school, consideration must be given to accessing additional support.
First Steps:
- Examine explained and unexplained absences on the attendance monitoring system to gather further information
- Link with the Attendance Officer for the school, if they are in post, for further information on attendance patterns
- Review the ‘Check and Connect’ system (if in operation in the school)
- Consider a referral to the SCP (if in operation in the school)
- Invite the parents/guardians to informal attendance clinics run in the school. These can be supportive meetings with the key person responsible for attendance. The school can gain further insight as to why attendance has not improved before a referral needs to be made to Tusla’s Educational Welfare Service.
- Link with the child’s or young person’s out-of-school support, such as a local youth service. The child or young person may have a relationship with an out-of-school support that can be utilised more effectively in the review process. Aim to build a relationship with the youth service. From this, the youth service may bridge the gap between the school and child or young person. Likewise, get in touch with the school if you are working with a child or young person in an out-of-school setting and you feel that your relationship with the child or young person may be beneficial to a school’s support plan for them.
Consider Linking Statutory Supports:
- Where a school has cause for concern over a child or young person’s attendance, for whatever reason, and despite all efforts at resolution made at the school level in collaboration with the home, a formal Educational Welfare Services (EWS) Referral should be made to EWS via the Tusla Portal here.
- Separately to a referral to EWS, schools are required to submit attendance data twice a year on students missing more than 20 days. See here for more information on submitting Student Absence Reports (SAR) and Annual Absence Reports (AAR). SAR and AAR reports can be submitted through the Tusla Portal here.
- It may be helpful to request that the case be considered for Meitheal by the local Child and Family Support Network Coordinator with the written consent of the parents/guardians.
- Waiting times for Meitheal can often take a few weeks/months. In the meantime, rely on local organisations who can provide interim support, such as South Dublin County Partnership (SDCP), Family Resource Centres, Barnardos. More information on local services is available in Section 4.
- Select a Lead Practitioner who has a close relationship with the family and child; assess if the school is the best-placed service for this.
- Often, and if no significant progress has been made, it will be helpful to engage health services to support the student. For example, a referral can be made to the Primary Care Psychology Service and/or another mental health support available in your area (e.g. Jigsaw), or through a GP to a specialist service (e.g. CAMHS). Given the association between neurodevelopmental disorders and school avoidance, it may be helpful to confirm or rule out SEND and provide appropriate support.
- A referral can be made to Tusla’s Child Protection Duty Social Work Team if it is deemed that the parents/guardians/carers are not supporting the child or young person to meet their identified unmet needs. If the educator feels that at any point the situation for the child or young person has worsened and they are at risk of harm, please immediately contact your Designated Liaison Person (DLP) in the school or the Duty Social Work Team for further guidance.
Additional Resources
Tusla Child Protection Portal
The Tusla Portal allows you to make secure online submissions if you have concerns about a child’s welfare.
Meitheal Information
Meitheal is a Tusla-led Early Intervention Practice Model designed to ensure that the strengths and needs of children and their families are effectively identified, understood, and responded to in a timely way so that children and families get the help and support needed to improve children’s outcomes and realise their rights.
Specific Guidance for Secondary Schools
Youth Horizons’ Secondary School
Youth Horizons is a smaller secondary school in Dublin 24. Its learning environment is relaxed and friendly, offering a full Leaving Certificate Programme (5th and 6th Year only). It also offers a holistic education programme and has a dedicated counsellor on site.
Alternative Learning Programme
Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDLETB) developed the Alternative Learning Programme (ALP) in response to recognising the limited opportunities available to young people who are currently not engaged in formal education and are below the age of 16. The aim of the ALP is to engage participants in an informal learning environment, establish beneficial routines, and promote positive social interactions. Referrals to ALP are made by EWS Educational Welfare Officers.
iScoil
iScoil is a non-profit online learning service that offers young people a pathway to learning, accreditation, and progression.
They aim to provide a safe learning environment where young people can re-engage with education, achieve recognised Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) certification, and access further education, training, and employment opportunities.
Referrals to iScoil are made by EWS Educational Welfare Officers for early school-leavers aged between 13 and 16 years. Each referral is reviewed carefully to ensure that iScoil is in the best interests of the young person referred.