Work in Communities

Barnardos’ work with children and families is underpinned by an ecological approach. The child is considered within the context of his immediate family, extended family, friends, community and socio-economic environment.

Partnerships and interagency work

Barnardos develops effective interagency working relationships with other organisations and professionals, such as schools, preschools, public health nurses and social workers.

Barnardos understands the role community plays in socialisation, education, culture, and economic stability. Through our work with children and work with families we connect service users with local supports.

Some examples

Limerick Southside Educational Campus

Barnardos works with multiple community organisations to provide an Early Bird (Breakfast Club) service to pupils from Le Chéile National School and Gaelscoil Sheoirse Clancy and an afterschool programme to pupils from Le Chéile National School. The early bird and afterschool programme are delivered by a multi-agency team made up of staff from Barnardos, Le Chéile, School Completion, Pobal, C.E and Volunteers.

The overall aim of the Early Bird Service is to provide children with a nutritious breakfast and the opportunity to engage in activities that lend to positive peer interactions.

The Early Bird Service has three overarching goals for children:

1. Improved social and emotional wellbeing
2. Improved capacity for learning and development
3. School readiness

The overall aim of the afterschool service is to provide children with a nutritious healthy meal, homework support and the opportunity to engage in activities that lend to positive peer interactions.

The Afterschool Programme has two overarching goals for children:

• Improved social and emotional wellbeing
• Improved capacity for learning and development

Better Finglas Area Based Childhood (ABC) Initiative

Better Finglas was established in 2014 to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty, poor educational attainment and unemployment in the Finglas area.

Barnardos is the lead agency in this consortium of over 50 organisations delivering evidenced-based programmes to children from pre-birth to eight years and their parents.

Each intervention has a goal of improving the lives and increasing the opportunities for children and families in the Finglas area. 

In the short-term, there has been improvement in the development of participating children, while parents receiving services have an increased understanding of how to support their children’s development. 

As programmes continue, children will be better able to engage in learning and demonstrate readiness for school. This will lead to long-term gains in educational achievement and increased employment. 

Read an evaluation of the Better Finglas ABC Programme.

Finglas West Family Resource Centre (FRC)

In 2018, Barnardos established a new Family Resource Centre (FRC) in Finglas West.

The FRC adopts a strong community development approach to working with children and their families by integrating a participative approach to all the work. We currently do not have a premises and are operating the services on an outreach basis.

The FRC offers a variety of services including: Parent and Toddler Group, Baby Massage, Creative Afterschool, Mindfulness for children, Intergenerational gardening, Summer Wellbeing, Drumming, Circle of Security Parenting, Triple P Parenting and an Enhance the Space Project with Dublin City Council (DCC). 

The FRC also engaged in a community research project set to explore Finglas in terms of a safe place to play for children.