SCIE in Northern Ireland

SCIE extended its remit to cover Northern Ireland in 2005. SCIE gave an independent perspective as external ‘critical friend’ to meetings of the Social Services Working Group. SCIE also participated in NISCC’s Review of Social Work Roles and Tasks – briefing the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland (DHSSPSNI) on the England review ‘Social work at its best’, and the experience of the Scotland and Wales reviews.

In 2008, SCIE published ‘Looking out from the middle: User involvement in health and social care in Northern Ireland’. This report, produced in partnership with the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) and the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA), looked at the development of the service user and carer involvement movement in Northern Ireland. An action plan was agreed that provides for a more consistent approach to user involvement in Northern Ireland.

The SCIE Board of Trustees and the SCIE Partners’ Council have representatives from Northern Ireland. Ian Sutherland (Director of Children’s Services, South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust) is a member of SCIE’s Board of Trustees. SCIE has appointed a practice development manager for Northern Ireland and its work there is supported by a steering group. DHSSPSNI contributes funding to SCIE that enables access to all SCIE services, and supports the member of SCIE staff based in Northern Ireland.

In September 2011, Community Care magazine reported on SCIE’s involvement in the launch of an information hub. Safeguarding Adults at Risk Information Hub (SAaRIH) brings together information on research, law, guidance, practice and policy on safeguarding adults across the four UK countries and the Republic of Ireland on one site. Click here to see the Community Care article.

• Current work that SCIE is undertaking in Northern IrelandOpen

  • Supporting the implementation of the regional pilot of Guide: Think child, think parent, think family (2009). Northern Ireland and five sites in England are piloting the implementation of the recommendations outlined in the guide. An evaluation of this project is also being undertaken.
  • SCIE has been commissioned by DHSSPSNI to evaluate therapeutic approaches used in residential childcare (in partnership with Queen’s University, Belfast).
  • Reviewing SCIE products to ensure they reflect the Northern Ireland legislation and policy context.
  • Disseminating SCIE’s resources within Northern Ireland to inform practice and service developments.
  • Progress work with NISCC and RQIA on service user and carer involvement.
  • Developing an information hub for Safeguarding Adults.

• SCIE resources developed in Northern IrelandOpen

  • Position paper: Working together: Carer participation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (2006)
  • Participating and learning: Citizen involvement in social work education in the Northern Ireland context: A good practice guide (2006)
  • Social care governance: A practice workbook (SCIE and DHSSPS 2007)
  • Report: Looking out from the middle: User involvement in health and social care in Northern Ireland (SCIE, NISCC and RQIA 2008)
  • Knowledge review: Working with challenging and disruptive situations in residential child care: Sharing effective practice (SCIE and QUB 2008)

• SCIE resources with Northern Ireland contentOpen

  • At a glance: Learning together to safeguard children: a ‘systems’ model for case reviews (2009)
  • Guide: Using SCIE resources (2009)
  • At a glance: Think child, think parent, think family: a briefing for senior managers (2010)
  • Guide: Improving access to social care for adults with autism (2011)
  • At a glance: Improving access to social care for adults with autism (2011)

For further information about SCIE’s work in Northern Ireland please contact:

Dr Shirley Ewart-Boyle
Practice Development Manager for Northern Ireland
Social Care Institute for Excellence/NISCC
7th Floor, Millennium House
19–25 Great Victoria Street
Belfast
BT2 7AQ 
T: 07885 736 641
E: shirley.ewart-boyle@scie.org.uk

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