A wide range of services working with children, young people, and families recently attended the ‘Reconnect Roscommon’ event in the Quad Youth Centre in Roscommon recently.
Over 70 staff from relevant organisations, such as Family Resource Centres, Tusla Child Protection and Family Support Services, Foroige, the Health Service Executive, Roscommon Youth Service, Galway Roscommon Education and Training Board, Mental Health Ireland, Jigsaw, school staff, Regari Recovery College, Esker House and Safe Link came together for the event.
There were a variety of speakers, which also marked the launch of the Roscommon Children and Young People’s Plan 2022-2024. The new plan, which was developed by the Roscommon Child and Young People’s Services Committee, includes twenty-four actions connected with child and family wellbeing.
Some of the key actions relate to outdoor play for young children in the county; initiatives which support migrant communities in the county; and a number of actions to support mental health and wellbeing for all those living in Roscommon.
Among the speakers were Marian Keigher, psychotherapist, and former Director of Vita House; Susan Gaynor from Castlerea Town Team; Angela Horgan from Mindful Mediator Services; and Joe Power, a Restorative Practices Development Officer; who spoke of the tangible benefits of a working partnership between services and the wider community to deliver the best possible services to children, young people, and families in Roscommon.
Caroline Duignan, Coordinator for Roscommon Children and Young People’s Services Committee, Tusla, said: “In recent years and throughout the pandemic, the benefits of continued inter-agency working and partnership in Roscommon have been clear.
“We want to continue to build on this partnership culture in Roscommon, and the Reconnect Roscommon event is an example of this in action. We know we have further work to do, and the new Children and Young People’s Plan 2022-2024 outlines some key areas we will be focusing on in the coming years”.
Different services in the county hosted 17 stands providing information on the wide variety of services available in Roscommon.
The event was supported by both Roscommon’s Child and Family Support Networks and Roscommon Children and Young People’s Services Committee.
The Roscommon Children and Young People’s Plan 2022-2024 has been published on the CYPSC website, and is available at https://www.cypsc.ie/resources.7.html.
