Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

An Investigation Of Youth Participation In An Irish Youth Mental Health Service: Staff And Young People’S Perspectives., James Barry

Dissertations

Youth participation is widely recognised as essential to the design and delivery of youth mental health services (Coates & Howe, 2014). Despite this there is limited literature available on youth participation in these services (Monson & Thurley, 2011). This study aimed to develop an enhanced understanding about youth participation in Headstrong, The National Centre for Youth Mental Health and it’s programme of service delivery Jigsaw. A mixed methods approach, using focus groups and questionnaires, gathered the opinions of 160 staff and young people involved in the organisation, on their experiences of youth participation. The factors that supported youth participation were …

Including Children With Disabilities In Mainstream Education: An Exploration Of The Challenges And Considerations For Parents And Primary School Teachers, Gail Ferguson

Dissertations

Recent decades have seen children’s rights and the rights of persons with disabilities come to the fore. Current policy emphasis on inclusive education means that more children with disabilities and special educational needs are being placed in mainstream education instead of special schools, as was traditionally the case. The aim of this study was to explore the area of inclusion in education, from the perspective of primary school teachers and parents of children with intellectual disabilities. A key objective was to determine if the reality of including children with disabilities in mainstream settings corresponded with the policy on inclusion.

A …

It’S In The Mix. An Exploratory Study Into The Experiences Of Children, Parents And Staff In The Provision Of A Mixed Age Group Model In A West Dublin Early Years’ Setting., Helena Goodwin

Dissertations

The main aim of this study is to explore the perceptions and experiences of children, parents and staff participating in a mixed-age model of early year’s provision using a qualitative approach. The researcher will take an approach which will aim to interpret and clarify the participant’s experiences.

Using semi-structured interviews, a focus group and an observation of practice the study will address questions such as what were the perceptions of the children, staff and parents experiencing a mixed age group model. Has the mixed-age model proved to be advantageous and/or challenging to the community of the service? How could the …

Children’S Right To Be Heard: Exploring Children’S Perceptions Of Happiness And Factors Contributing To Happiness In The Pre-School Environment., Donna Tobin

Dissertations

There has been a growing recognition for children’s voices to be heard on matters which affect their lives. This has been encouraged by the ratification of the UNCRC in Ireland which has influenced numerous other policies. This study aims to provide an opportunity for young children to have their voices heard and demonstrate how children can be involved as active research participants in empirical research. An emphasis was placed on positive psychology. The aim was to explore the children’s perception of happiness and ascertain the factors which contributed to their happiness within the pre-school environment. Fifteen children attending a pre-school …

Austerity In 21st. Century Dublin: Has Recession Altered Our Relationship With Food Purchasing And Preparation?, Diarmaid Murphy

Dissertations

The current global recession has affected almost all countries whose economies adhere to free-market principles and are involved in international money markets. Ireland, along with the majority of its European trading partners both inside and outside the eurozone has seen a sharp fall in the standard of living of its citizens in the years since the financial crisis emerged (2007 to present). In common with the almost universal international paradigm, Irish citizens have had drastic austerity measures imposed upon them. In Ireland’s case, the underwriting of private banking debt and its subsequent conversion to sovereign debt served to contract the …

“If They Fail That First Year, It’S Very Hard For Them To Recover”: An Exploration Of Factors That Support And Hinder The Transition To Mainstream School For Children With Special Educational Needs And Their Families., Fiona Hassett

Dissertations

The transition to school is increasingly recognised as a significant life event for children, with a positive or negative transition impacting on their social and emotional wellbeing and academic achievements. Children with special educational needs are at an increased risk of a poor adjustment to school and their families are vulnerable to additional stresses due to the child’s special educational needs. The transition to school is therefore an important period for these families, and the supports available to them to make this transition as smooth as possible are essential to provide children with the best possible start to formal education. …

A Study Of Serious Violent And Sexual Offenders Released On Supervised Licence In Northern Ireland Between 2010 And 2013., Alexandra Delimata

Dissertations

Extended Custodial Sentences for serious offenders were introduced under the Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 2008. Recall rates for these offenders appear disproportionately high compared with other types of public protection sentenced offenders in Northern Ireland. Guided by life-course theories and using mixed methods of quantitative and qualitative research, the study investigates the outcomes for ECS offenders released into the community between 2010 and 2013. Content analysis developed profiles of all (N=57) ECS offenders released under supervised licence by 31 December 2013 and examined characteristics of recalled (N=31) and non-recalled (N=26) offenders to identify possible contributing factors to recall. The …

The Garda Youth Crime Case Management Programme – A Garda Perspective On The Role And The Relationship Dynamics Involved When Managing Cases Of High-Risk Young Offenders Appearing Before The Children Court., Jonathan O'Brien

Dissertations

An Garda Síochána have rolled out a national programme for managing young offenders. The programme aims to provide a child centred, family inclusive, multi-agency approach to manage young people who are before the Courts. The programme has been in operation since 2007 but to date there has been no published research on it. To address that gap this research examines the perspectives of six Garda case managers to gain an insight into the development and evolution of the specific relationship that exists between a Garda case manager and a young offender. The research centres on a number of key questions …

From Institution To Integration: The Perspectives And Experiences Of Disability Sector Staff In The Transition To New Directions., Derek Bryan

Dissertations

Day services play a large part in the community life of people with intellectual disabilities. The challenge for the Health Service Executive in its 2012 review of adult day services was to propose a modern service. The review culminated in a new approach called New Directions. This study aimed to explore experiences and perspectives of staff from the disability sector on the proposed new ways of working with people with intellectual disabilities including how they believe New Directions can best work. This objective was achieved by interviewing twelve staff (including some volunteers) and managers from a disability organisation. At the …

Policing The Police: How Is The Operation Of The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Perceived By Frontline Members Of An Garda Síochána?, Noel Barry

Dissertations

The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) became operational in 2007. The establishment of GSOC was a new departure in the area of police complaints in Ireland and was only one part in a series of wide ranging reforms in the area of policing introduced at the same time. Since 2007 there has been limited research conducted on the operation of GSOC. Members of An Garda have never been given an opportunity to give a detailed account of how they perceive the operation of GSOC. This study offered members of An Garda Síochána, of Garda and Sergeant rank, an opportunity to …

Children’S Voices In Exploring Their Interests Using Different Media, Czarecah Oropilla

Dissertations

The importance of including young children’s voices in decisions that impact them is highlighted by international research and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This research project aims to identify the topics that young children consider interesting and to explore the ways that they like to document and share their interests with other people. The study also acknowledges the growing overlap between young children and different media technologies, and children’s lived experiences in information technology-rich environments. The research project adopted a qualitative methodology incorporating an exploratory and participatory approach. A small group of five children (4-5 years …

Experiences And Perspectives Of Practitioners In Culturally Diverse Early Childhood Education And Care Centres In Ireland, Ana Janelidze

Dissertations

Early childhood care and education (ECCE) settings in Ireland have become increasingly multicultural. While policy documents and curricular guidelines for ECCE in Ireland emphasize the importance of addressing diversity and equality issues, implementation of culturally relevant practices may vary according to practitioners‟ skills, knowledge, perspectives and previous experiences with cultural diversity. The purpose of the study was to represent variety of perspectives that practitioners might hold regarding cultural diversity in ECCE. It represents an exploratory study of four practitioners‟ perspectives and experiences of cultural diversity in two multicultural ECCE settings in Dublin, Ireland. Phenomenological methodology was applied to the study …

An Exploration Of Volunteer Experiences For Third Level Students In Ireland From A Student Volunteer And Volunteer Manager Perspective., Caitriona Mcgrattan

Dissertations

Since the establishment of Campus Engage in 2007, student volunteering and student-led activities have received more attention on a national scale. Despite this, the area remains under researched; to date there has been no nationwide review of student volunteerism. This research aimed to explore the volunteer experiences of third level students across in a number of Higher Education Institutions in Ireland. For this qualitative study, in-depth interviews were carried out with five student volunteers and three volunteer managers across a spectrum of voluntary activity. The participants were asked to discuss their personal experiences and perceptions of student volunteering. The findings …

An Exploration Of The Experiences Of Individuals Caring For A Family Member And The Impact This Caregiving Role Has On Their Lives., Tara Duigenan

Dissertations

Ireland, in keeping with most western societies has witnessed a steady increase in the distribution of old and very old individuals in the population. This, combined with escalations in degenerative and chronic diseases, and together with the development of new sophisticated and portable medical technologies that assist people with highly complicated health conditions to be cared for at home, places further demands on individuals to care for a family member. Furthermore, a fundamental objective of Irish Government policy for older people, children and adults with a condition or a disability is to enable these individuals to live in dignity and …