2015 Annual Report

Annual Report 2015
YAP at a Glance 2015
83% improvement in
Self Esteem
Confidence.
Service Provision in
21 counties.
“YAP programme is very good, very beneficial
to my son – he is a different person when he
returns from meeting his advocate.
He opens up to the advocate and has someone
to talk to. It also gives me peace of mind and I
know he is safe.”
“On the whole I can see a huge difference in my son. His behaviour has
improved, he listens better and now looks forward to seeing his Advocate.
His Advocate is brilliant.”
81% improvement
in feeling
Withdrawn or
Isolated.
321 new Young
People & Families
Matched and 550
young people
received services
overall in 2015.
77%
improvement
in Attendance
at School/
Education/
Employment.
79% improvement in Social Supports/Family.
Acknowledgements
YAP Ireland wishes to sincerely thank the young people, families, carers, staff, referral agencies, partners
and members of the Board who gave their time to contribute to this Annual Report.
A huge ‘thank you’ to our partners in TUSLA Child and Family Agency, HSE Disability Services and Irish
Youth Justice, in particular to the 254 individuals who referred young people to YAP Services in 2015.
We would like to acknowledge those partners who attended YAP Events, assisted with Recruitment and
who continue to champion the YAP Model within referral agencies to ensure that as many young people
as possible can access our service.
Siobhán O’Dwyer
CEO YAP Ireland
Contents
YAP at a Glance 2015
1
Foreword
4
Introduction
4
What We Do
5
Service Provision 6
Service Evaluation 7
Quality Assessment
8
Participation and Consultation
9
YAP International
14
Vision:
Mission:
YAP Ireland’s
vision is a
society where
young people
and families
are confident
and connected
with their
communities.
YAP Ireland’s mission is to build partnerships
between vulnerable young people, their families
and communities to support their full potential
through a community based, strengths focused,
intensive support model which provides a
more effective and economic alternative to
society’s reliance on the direct provision of state
institutions and out-of-home care services.
Board Members 2015
Aidan Browne
Chair, appointed 2015
Cillian Russell
Vice-Chair
Claire Fitzpatrick
Company Secretary
Paula Cahill O’Sullivan
Director
Lynette Brown-Sow
Director
Vivian Sanks-King
Director
Edel Quinn
Director
Paul McGettigan
Director, joined 2015
Tommy Linnane
Former Chair/Director, resigned 2015
Dermot Walsh
Former Company Secretary/Director, resigned 2015
www.yapireland.ie
ANNUAL REPORT 2015
Foreword
Aidan Browne,
Chairperson YAP Ireland
I would like to acknowledge
the hard work of all of our
advocates,
team
leaders,
administrators, and senior team
in ensuring that the mission and
vision of YAP Ireland was fully
upheld in 2015. I want to thank the young people
from whom we learn so much and their parents
and carers for allowing us to be a presence for
good in their lives. I am grateful to our Patron and
to our Board Members for their time and expertise
freely given.
I must acknowledge the long and willing service
provided to the Board by two former Chairmen who
retired during 2015 – Tommy Linnane and Dermot
Walsh. Both served since the establishment of
YAP Ireland and leave the Board in a healthy and
vibrant state.
The founder of YAP Inc. Tom Jeffers, died
during 2015.
Tom passionately believed that
community-based care—not institutionalisation
or incarceration—is the right path for long-term
success of young people, their families and their
communities. He often said that together we can
change systems, one biography at a time. YAP
Ireland is proud to build on Tom’s legacy and we
look forward to continuing to work with all of our
partners and funders in delivering on Tom’s dream.
For those of us who work with YAP in any way, our
reward is experiencing young people becoming
confident and connected to their communities.
We look forward to building further on our work
in 2016.
4
Introduction
Siobhán O’Dwyer
CEO YAP Ireland
In 2015 YAP Ireland has
continued to provide high
quality services to Young
People and Families referred
to us by Tusla Child and
Family Agency, HSE Disability
Services and Oberstown Children Detention
Campus. Young People and Families allow us to
work with them to bring about positive change,
build resilience and support networks that better
equip them to deal with the often very adverse
circumstances in which they live. We are very
grateful to the referring social workers and other
staff within those agencies who ensure that the
Young People and Families for whom they have
responsibility are given the opportunity to come
onto the YAP Programme and make real change in
their lives. We look forward to continuing to build
those relationships so that even more Young People
and Families have the opportunity to participate in
the YAP Programme.
Staff in YAP Ireland carried out their work with
the usual commitment, enthusiasm and solutionfocused approach despite staff changes, new areas
to cover and funding restrictions. The outcomes
achieved with the Young People and Families
are a testament to their dedication, flexibility and
willingness to go the extra mile – the “Never GiveUp” approach that is such an important part of our
service.
We were delighted to see the launch of YAP
Botkyrka and enjoyed working with our colleagues
in Botkyrka to bring about the first YAP Programme
in Stockholm, Sweden. We were privileged to
attend the 40th Birthday Celebration of YAP Inc.
with two Irish Young People who presented to
the attendees at the event – they were brilliant
ambassadors for YAP Ireland.
2015 is the year when YAP Ireland achieved two
very important goals – Young People are now part
of all recruitment panels for staff and the pilot
service in Oberstown Children Detention Campus
started. These are both important milestones for
the organisation and I am very pleased that we
have finally achieved them. I look forward to more
exciting challenges and achievements in 2016.
ANNUAL REPORT 2015
What We Do
YAP Ireland is a leading provider of intensive support programmes for Young People and Families. The
programme involves one-to-one contact with the Young Person, for up to 15 hours per week over a six
month period. We use a strengths-based, family-focused, wraparound approach for Young People with
complex needs, leading to positive outcomes for them and their families. The majority of Young People
are referred by Tusla Child Protection Social Work Teams and are at Level 3 or 4 of the Hardiker Scale.
We also received referrals directly from HSE Disability Services in some areas and in 2015 we piloted
a scheme with Oberstown Children Detention Campus to support Young People who are completing
sentences to reintegrate into their communities. In 2015 we worked with 550 Young People and their
Families across 21 counties.
About the Model
The YAP Model is a unique way of providing intensive, focused support to children, young people and
families with a range of needs. The YAP model is based upon the development of a trust relationship built
between a supportive, trained, skilled “grassroots” adult advocate, the young person and their family. An
individual service plan (ISP), based on the strengths of the young person and their family, is developed
and offers a wraparound approach to address all aspects of the needs of the young person within their
family and local community. YAP’s goal is to empower young people and their families with supports that
will remain in place after programme involvement has ended. The model is flexible and can be adapted
to meet the needs of a wide range of client groups.
Unique Features of YAP Model
•
Strengths-based, needs-led, wraparound, intensive support model with proven success.
•
The flexibility of the service – No Eject, No Reject policy and Never Give-Up approach.
•
We recruit, train and employ “grassroots” advocates from local communities on a fixed purpose basis.
•
We provide an on-call service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year.
•
The ability to take in emergency cases and respond rapidly.
•
A six month model means that new referrals are matched regularly without the service becoming
blocked with long term cases.
•
Ability to provide service in both urban and rural areas where there are fewer services for young
people, families and other services to rely on when children are at risk.
•
Evidence based: We have an outcomes measurement system in place measuring the positive impact
of the YAP model on young people and families thereby reducing the level of risk.
•
Quality assurance: YAP Ireland carries out quality monitoring with service users during the lifetime of
the case to ensure that parents/carers are happy with the service.
How does the Model Work?
YAP Ireland receives referrals for young people, often with multi-layered needs, who are deemed to be
at risk of entering the care or detention systems. The referring professional completes a Referral Form
and identifies strengths and goals for the young person and family and the YAP Team Leader meets with
them to establish what might work best for them. The Team Leader meets with the Young Person and
their Parents/Carers and carries out a Needs Assessment asking them: What do you need? And how can
we help? This strengths-based approach of the YAP Model, treating young people and parents/carers
with respect and empathy, being positive about what can be achieved, and being honest and transparent
5B5
ANNUAL REPORT 2015
in working with them, ensures that young people and parents/carers are more likely to engage in the
programme and work with us to bring about real change and build resilience. The Team Leader will
match a suitable Advocate that they believe can best meet the needs of the Young Person and their
Parents/Carers. The Advocate is supervised and managed by the Team Leader who may also carry out
pieces of work with the Young Person and Parent/Carer if that is an identified need. They also carry out
reviews, attend meetings and manage the overall service. The wraparound approach is integral to the
success of the YAP Model. From the Needs Assessment through to ISP and the Reviews, the Team Leader,
Advocate, Young Person and Family are engaging with those who can provide a positive and lasting
support structure.
Service Provision - 2015
In 2015, YAP Ireland worked in partnership with young people, their families and other professional
organisations, both Statutory and Voluntary, to provide services to 550 young people and families.
YAP Ireland provided services in 23 TUSLA areas in 2015 across 21 counties. We continued to grow the
relationship with referrers from Disability Services and provided services to Young People in the Irish
Youth Justice System for the first time.
Profile of Young People and Families
Knowing the information on the demographic profile of the young people and families we work with
is important so that we can focus on the needs of our service users and to inform our advocacy work
on policy and service change. At the end of 2015, the data we had related to the profile of 1,468 young
people matched between 2011 and 2015. 57% of the young people we worked with were boys and 43%
girls, with 19% aged 10-12; 55% aged 13-15 and 26% aged 16-18+. 89% described themselves as Irish, 5%
from an Irish Traveller background, 6% non-Irish.
Care Status
75% were living at home while 25% were in
the care system.
Education Status
85% were in education or alternative
education, with 60% of those in education
attending regularly.
Mental Health or Disability
Diagnosis
73% of young people did not have a
diagnosis of mental health or disability.
Service and Community Links
41% of young people were linking in with
one or more other services per week
while 59% were not. This shows the level of
isolation often experienced by young people
6
and families in difficulty, and is a primary
focus of the YAP intervention to build long
lasting positive community and social links –
“A Hobby for Life.”
Safety and Offending Behaviour
74% of young people had never been
arrested. 24% of YAP Young people had a
family member who had been convicted
in the past, while 46% did not have that
experience, 50% had a family member with
drug or alcohol abuse issues.
Family Background
54% are single parent households. 23% of
primary carers were in employment with
the majority of the other primary carers
describing themselves as working full-time in
the home. 60% of primary carers had a full
medical card.
ANNUAL REPORT 2015
Service Evaluation
Outcomes
YAP Ireland is able to provide Outcomes Data for 1289 young people that we worked with between 2011
and 2015. The data refers to 521 girls (40%) and 768 boys (60%). The age profile of young people referred
to YAP during this period was 21% aged 10-12; 55% aged 13-15; 24% aged 16-18+.
Of Young People who presented as
at risk to Self
• 83% showed improvements in self-esteem
•
•
•
and confidence.
93% showed improvements in emotional
well-being
90% showed reduction in substance abuse
80% showed reduction in anger issues
Of Young People who presented as
at risk of dropping out of Education
• 77% showed improvement in attendance
• 76% showed improvement in performance
• 74% showed improvements in coping skills
• 80% showed improvements in links
between school /agency and home
Of Families who presented as at risk
• 80% showed improvements in anger issues
• 82% showed improvements in home
environment - emotional
• 93% showed reduction in domestic
violence
• 79% showed improvements in social
supports
• 77% showed improvements in parenting
skills
Of Young People who presented as
engaging in risk taking behaviour
• 90% showed a reduction in offending
• 84% showed a reduction in risk taking
•
•
behaviour
80% showed a reduction in impulsivity
92% showed an improvement in co-operation with Probation
Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQ's)
Analysis of SDQ’s completed by Young People and their Parents/Carers between July 2013 and
October 2015.
YAP Ireland has been using SDQ’s as a research tool since July 2013. This helps us to measures our
effectiveness to improve the mental health and well-being of the Young People who are referred to
us. The SDQ is also an important practice tool for helping young people and parents/carers to identify
concerns they may have and to understand their own improved outcomes. SDQ’s are gathered before the
programmes starts, midway and at exit.
On the “Total Difficulties Scale”, before engaging in
the programme, parent/carers gave young people
an average score of 19.28 (At Risk), reducing to an
average score of 16.41 (Borderline), at programme
end. Young people at the outset scored themselves
lower with an average of 16.07 (High Average),
reducing to 14.07 (Medium Average), at programme
end. This trend repeats itself across all domains with
both Parents/Carers and Young People reporting
a reduction in overall difficulties, with Parents/
Carers reporting the biggest improvement. This
concurs with the External Evaluation of YAP Ireland
Programmes conducted by NUIM in 2013. You can
see the full report by visiting the YAP Website
www.yapireland.ie.
Total Difficulties Scale
20
19.28
16.07
15
17.8
15.16
16.41
14.07
10
5
0
1
2
Parent/Guardian
Self
3
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ANNUAL REPORT 2015
Quality Assessment
Monitoring System
YAP Ireland gives parents/carers the opportunity
to have their say about how their involvement
with YAP is progressing and to input into service
development and improvement. In 2015, a total
of 135 parent/carers agreed to complete the YAP
Monitoring questionnaire by phone. 86.6% resulted
in positive feedback from parent/carers and 95%
felt that they were well informed and involved
in their Young Persons YAP Programme. 87% of
participants gave YAP a satisfaction level score of
4 or more out of 5.
YAP Ireland named as a Good
Practice in European Study on
Active Inclusion
The Active Inclusion Learning Network report,
“What approaches contribute to improving
employability and employment outcomes amongst
socially excluded groups”, June 2015 named YAP
Ireland as a Good Practice. The research aimed to
examine effective solutions and strategies for social
inclusion of different disadvantaged groups. The
report, in essence, is the culmination of systematic
reviews on best evidence strategies together
with an examination of outcomes of peer review
activities carried out with independent evaluators
and experts from many different parts of Europe
over a period of 3 years.
Some quotes from Parents/
Carers in 2015:
“The Advocate is brilliant and
there is nothing negative I could
say about the YAP programme.
The programme is great and
really takes the pressure off me.”
“YAP is a great
programme. My son
has benefited brilliantly from
the programme. The Advocate
is getting on very well with my
son. He's a different child
since beginning the
programme.”
“It’s fantastic. The Advocate
is doing great work with my
son, and has really built his
confidence. He was very nervous
and withdrawn but has come on
leaps and bounds since they've
started working together.”
“It’s brilliant, my daughter
loves it. She really enjoys going
out with Advocate and it is a
companion for her and gives her
somewhere to go”.
The report is detailed and provides very practical examples of
31 good practice models from all across Europe which emerged
following this highly structured and critical examination of
over 290 good practices. It is clear that the approach we take
in YAP with children and families is very much promoted in this
report. This report captures and synthesizes all the sources into
stating what works and what needs to come together to effect positive outcomes for social inclusion of
disadvantaged and marginalised groups. There is learning for us in the way others approach the topic,
and we can adapt our approach in light of their experiences.
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ANNUAL REPORT 2015
YAP Ireland Investing In Children
Membership Award Scheme
In 2014 YAP Ireland were chosen to become the
assessors for the Investing in Children (IiC) Awards
Scheme and in September 2014 in partnership
with VOYPIC (Voice of Young People in Care) in
Northern Ireland the scheme was launched. The
membership scheme recognises and celebrates
examples of imaginative and inclusive practice. It
also gives organisations the opportunity to award
services that can demonstrate a commitment to
dialogue with young people that leads to change.
In November 2015 the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys TD, launched the
first ‘Investing in Children’ Membership Award in the Republic of Ireland carried out by YAP Ireland. The
award was presented to the Compass Project in Castleblaney Co. Monaghan. Also in attendance were
staff of the Compass Project, Gerry Lowry, Area Manager Tusla and YAP Ireland Service Manager Andrew
Chapple.
For more information on how your organisation can achieve this award contact Andrew Chapple on
(0)1 868 9180 or Email [email protected] or visit the website www.yapireland.ie.
“I am delighted that we have partnered up with YAP and VOYPIC. We believe that the IiC membership
scheme makes an important contribution to the continuing struggle to translate children’s rights from
rhetoric to reality and we look forward to learning from children, young people and colleagues about the
new and imaginative ways that the scheme will be used in Ireland. We are also excited by the collaboration
between our three agencies which we anticipate will be mutually stimulating and inspiring.”
Liam Cairns
Director - Investing in Children
SCCUL Enterprise Awards
Over the past number of years YAP Galway has developed a
strong relationship with the staff and Board of Management of the
SCCUL Enterprise centre. Being supported by SCCUL and being
able to access the services they provide while supporting the goals
and work of SCCUL has been mutually beneficial and we hope to
continue to nurture and develop this bond in the years to come. In
acknowledgement of our work, YAP Galway was awarded a runnerup certificate in the SCULL Enterprise Awards 2014 in the Social
Enterprise category. In attendance at the event were Mayor of Galway
Cllr. Mary Hoade, Senator Hildegarde Naughton, as were YAP Service
Manager Andrew Chapple and YAP Advocates Michael Treacy, Brendan Connolly and Karen Finnegan.
Participation & Consultation 2015
In 2015 YAP Ireland was very pleased with the emphasis on ‘’Voice and Participation of Young People
and Families Involved in Services’’ with the launch of Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: The National
Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2014 – 2020 by the Department of Children and Youth
Affairs and the Participation Strategy launched by Tusla. We look forward to working with colleagues
to ensure that YAP Young People and Families have the opportunity to influence services for the better.
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ANNUAL REPORT 2015
“In YAP Ireland we are proud to say that we have benefited greatly from asking Young People and Families
to help us to improve our services. In 2015 we achieved one of our main goals: and that was to have Young
People trained to sit on recruitment panels for all appointments to YAP. We are delighted that we are now
able to say that Young People on our programme play a full part in the decision making process around who
comes to work for YAP. It is our intention to deliver this training across the country on an ongoing basis so
that we have a regular panel of Young People available to sit on recruitment panels into the future.”
Siobhán O’ Dwyer
CEO - YAP Ireland
Year on year we continue to increase our participation work as evident from the numbers of people
involved in 2015. YAP Ireland undertook 31 Participation/Consultation events around the country in 2015
with a total of 588 people in attendance, 259 of whom were Young People. Other attendees included
Parent/Carers, Staff, Board Members, Social Workers, community partners and professionals.
YAP Ireland - Youth Forum
The Youth Forum involving young people from across the country met four times throughout 2015
covering a wide range of issues in particular helping us to put together the Recruitment Training Package
for Young People and the content for the National Event.
In February 2015, 24 Young People attended the Youth Forum facilitated by advocates and staff. Special
guest Sophie Spence, Ireland Ladies Rugby 15’s Grand Slam Winner and YAP Patron spoke to the young
people at the beginning of the day about motivation, aiming high and working hard to achieve your
dreams, to the delight of the young people and staff. They then took part in the first training session on
recruitment of staff in YAP Ireland. The feedback from Young People on the importance of the practice
part of the training ie, shortlisting, carrying out actual interviews or group interviews and the marking
system used for each stage of the recruitment process helped us to adapt the training for the next group
of young people to be trained in April. Here is an account of one Young Person’s experience of being
involved in the Recruitment of Advocates.
"A Great Experience Being a YAP Interview" By Megan - YAP Cork
My experience of working on a panel interviewing people who
want to become an advocate was amazing.
Before I arrived at the YAP centre I was anxious and nervous
but I was also very excited. I had attended the training course
in Dublin - which told us about employment law and also got us
involved in the fake interviews.
This is where we got to ask the potential advocates some
questions – I learnt a lot of things and now know what to look
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ANNUAL REPORT 2015
for in a person wanting to be an advocate. My confidence increased due to this experience and I felt
prepared to ask the real people, who want to be advocates, questions because I already knew the format
on how the real interview was going to go.
I think it was a great idea to have a young person, who already has an advocate, to interview the applicants
to see if they thought they would be a good advocate for a young person, as they already know from
experience what works well.
The interview panel was made up of two team leaders from YAP and me. From my experience of doing
the interviews the skills that would be good to have as an advocate are:
•
Listening - because if a young person was upset
about something they would need someone to
talk to and someone to listen to them.
•
Trust - because if a young person was scared
or didn’t know how to tell their family or friends
something they could talk it through with their
advocate, instead of bottling it up.
•
Funny - because if the young person was having
a bad day you could cheer them up with a joke.
•
Be a bit of craic - because no young person
would like someone that wasn’t up for doing
anything.
•
Outgoing - because it could help a young
person who isn’t into going out much to go out
more and to go to places they don’t usual go to
or experience new things they haven’t before.
•
Easy to get on with - because it could be hard
for a young person to get on with someone
who has a complicated personality.
•
Someone to help you reach your goals because if a young person was scared to do
something new or get involved with something
new you could help them slowly so then they
could do it later on in life .
I found the interview to be a wonderful experience so now if I went for an interview I would have a good
idea of what the interviewers are looking for. I found it brilliant because it’s something that not many
people my age are lucky to experience. If any person gets the chance to experience doing it I would
highly recommend it as it’s very interesting, enjoyable and an amazing experience to be offered.
The first man I interviewed was very nice and quiet and seemed like you could trust him and he would
listen to you when you needed someone to listen.
Other Participation Highlights of 2015
Ocean to City Race
For the fourth year running YAP Cork have taken
part in the Ocean to City Race. The currachs used
were built by a group of young people and parents
from YAP Cork in partnership with Meitheal Mara
using traditional methods and materials. The first
boat was officially launched in 2012 by Kathleen
Lynch TD Minister of State at the Department of
Health with special responsibility for Primary Care,
Social Care (Disabilities and Older People) and
Mental Health.
In June 2015 Young Person Tara rowed with
her advocate Pamela and they were the First
Female Crew past the finish line. Tara rowed with
determination and spirit, despite the bad weather,
and she earned herself a few blisters on her hands
that she was actually quite proud of!!
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ANNUAL REPORT 2015
Social Media Survey
The Cork participation group set up stall in Blackpool
Shopping Centre on May 23rd and conducted a
survey with the public on “Social Media – The world
in your hand” in preparation for the National Event
‘Social Media Young People Speak Out’. The young
people in the photo, Tara and Samantha also made
the t-shirts that they are wearing themselves.
Young People Speak Out - Social Media YAP Ireland National Event
On the 11th June 2015, almost 200 people gathered at the Croke Park Stadium to see presentations from
YAP Ireland Young People around the country on the subject of Social Media. There were 53 Young
People and their Parents/Carers, 64 invited guests and partners from the Community and Voluntary
Sector and the remainder were Advocates, Staff and Board Members.
Once again we were blown away by the standard of
the presentations from Young People. There were
videos, art installations and interviews from young
people and parents from across the country which
included two young people from the YAP programme
in Meath, Aaron and Michael, who presented a project
that they were working on with their Advocates, Niall
Craig and Ian McGauley.
The idea began as an initial discussion and within a
few weeks the young people presented back their
idea for an App for smartphones which captured the
imagination of a number of people. The work they
achieved within a short period of time was remarkable. They presented their idea to almost 200 people
at the event and everyone is looking forward to the finished product which is due to be launched in 2016.
Invited speakers on the day included Aidan Waterstone, TUSLA National Manager-Information Data
Protection and Research, and John Buckley from SpunOut, Ireland's youth information website, who both
spoke about the benefits and risks of social media. Staying within the theme we also had a group from The
National Youth Council of Ireland who spoke about the “No Hate Speech Movement”, a youth campaign
by the Council of Europe to reduce the levels of acceptance of hate speech among Internet users. We
had a very powerful presentation by Lindsay O’Toole from EPIC (Empowering People in Care) about the
experience of Young People in Ireland who are living within the care system. We had a presentation via
web link from young people in YAP Inc. in America, which further demonstrates the benefits of social
media and how we can connect so easily with our friends and families abroad.
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ANNUAL REPORT 2015
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Young People Preferences
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Adult Preferences
Following the presentations, we held round table discussions along with a Social Media Survey. Below are some
of the findings:
The survey showed that Young People and Adults have similar tastes when it came to choosing their
preferred social media channel with Facebook and Snap Chat scoring high for both groups.
What people liked most and least about Social Media
39% of people liked how Social Media connects people, 14% liked how it is easy to use and 11% liked how
it can be used as an educational tool. Most people (18%) sited Bullying and Shaming as the thing they
liked least about Social Media.
Overall Young People felt that the positives out weighed the negative and felt that they are more aware
of the risks posed by Social Media than adults think they are.
Adventure Day - Kippure Estate
On a dry(ish) Wednesday morning we arrived
in Kippure Estate for a fun filled, nervewrecking day! We began the day with a quick
introduction to our instructors before we
all broke into groups. Each group tried out
different activities such as ‘The Leap of Faith’
which was terrifying but strangely exhilarating!
Some brave souls then tackled the balance beams before heading
for a quick spot of orienteering and then some abseiling. Lastly
there was the vertical challenge which was where a lot of us drew a
line! All the young people tackled the challenges with gusto, while
some of us staff needed some gentle persuasion to try some of the
challenges! This was followed by a spot of lunch before we had a
quick introduction to
the role of Youth
CEO and the young
people were given the
opportunity to put
their names forward
for specific tasks that were of interest to them.
A fantastic day was had by all and the encouragement given
by the young people to each other (and also to some of us!)
was just brilliant. Roll on next year and ‘til we see what they
throw at us!!
13B13
ANNUAL REPORT 2015
YAP International
Botkyrka - Sweden
After almost two years in the planning and much
consultation between YAP Ireland, YAP Inc. and Sweden,
Botkyrka YAP was launched in May 2015 by the Irish
Ambassador to Sweden, Orla O’ Hanrahan. The launch
was attended by Dorienne Silva, Deputy CEO at YAP Inc.
Siobhan O’Dwyer, CEO of YAP Ireland and staff from YAP
Ireland who had worked closely with the Botkyrka staff
to help set up the programme. We wish to congratulate
the Botkyrka YAP staff for such a successful launch and
we look forward to continuing to build our professional
relationship into the future.
YAP Inc. 40th Anniversary
In December 2015 our partners in YAP Inc. celebrated 40 years of the YAP Model. Two Young People
from YAP Ireland, Jimmy & Charlene were chosen to travel to the US together with Team Leader Brenda
and Advocate Steve, the CEO, Siobhán O’Dwyer and the Chair of the YAP Ireland Aidan Browne for the
celebrations.
Jimmy and Charlene went sightseeing with a YAP Inc. Advocate, while Steve and Brenda were trained in
the methodology of street soccer facilitated by FUDA, an Argentinian group. Advocates, Staff and Young
People from YAP Ireland and YAP Sweden also visited the Staff and Advocates of the YAP Programme
in the Bronx.
“Literally tens of thousands of young people are better off because they
were in a YAP program and numerous communities are stronger and safe
because of it's work with youth.”
Bart Lubow
Senior Consultant - Annie E. Casey Foundation
Charlene met with her counterpart, a
young person on the programme in YAP
Inc. Lottie, and Jimmy hung out with Jeff
Fleischer, CEO of YAP Inc. Charlene and
Jimmy gave an outstanding presentation
at the 40th Anniversary celebration.
The 40th anniversary year became even
more memorable when YAP Inc. received the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Gloria J. Jenkins Award for
outstanding contributions to juvenile detention reform by a community.
14
ANNUAL REPORT 2015
15B15
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Youth Advocate Programmes Ireland
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Phone: 01 868 9180
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Website: www.yapireland.ie
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Programmes Ireland, All rights reserved.
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