A new cross-border, community-led early intervention project to address neurodevelopmental conditions, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism, was launched in Dundalk today.
The Changing Lives Initiative: Flourish & Thrive project will provide a range of early intervention supports to families of children with queried neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD and Autism. This exciting 4-year cross-border project is being supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). Funding of €8.37m has been awarded to the project which will work with 8,700 children and families.
The project will be available to families in counties Louth, Cavan, Monaghan and the Belfast, South-Eastern and Northern Health & Social Care Trust Areas.
The launch was officially carried out by Naomi O’Donoghue, a parent who had completed the Changing Lives Initiative programme in 2019. This was then funded through the INTERREG VA programme, a forerunner to the new Flourish & Thrive project. Naomi spoke powerfully about how the programme had literally ‘changed her family’s lives’.
The supports are open to all parents and care givers in the project area who think their family might benefit. No diagnosis is required to access the supports. Parents can sign up themselves, or any practitioner (such as GP, teacher, family support) can link parents in with the project.
The Changing Lives Initiative: Flourish & Thrive is a cross-border partnership – with two community/voluntary organisations: Archways, delivering the project in Ireland, and Colin Neighbourhood Partnership, delivering the project in Northern Ireland. Dundalk Institute of Technology, completes the partnership, providing evaluation and e-Health expertise.
Match-funding for the project has been provided by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland and the Department of Health in Ireland.
Minister for Health (ROI), Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, TD said: “I am happy to support the Changing Lives Initiative: Flourish & Thrive project that is being launched under the PEACEPLUS programme.
“This project has the potential to transform the lives of both the families and the thousands of children with conditions such as ADHD and Autism. Effective early intervention has been proven to greatly improve outcomes for children with queried neurodevelopmental conditions. The project’s collaborative, cross-border approach will also tackle health inequalities by providing equality of service across the programme area.
“I wish the Changing Lives Initiative: Flourish & Thrive project every success and look forward to hearing about the supports being provided to thousands of families by the project over the coming years.”
Minister of Health (NI), Mike Nesbitt, MLA said: “As we continue to face significant funding pressures, and with the estimated prevalence of ASD and ADHD having grown significantly over recent years, I welcome the PEACEPLUS-funded Changing Lives Initiative.
“It builds on its highly successful predecessor project with the aim of delivering a new early intervention neurodevelopmental pathway with a particular focus on ADHD and ASD. We know that early intervention is crucial in supporting families, helping to reduce long-term challenges, and improving outcomes for children with ADHD and Autism. The cross-border, community-led nature of this pathway – with a focus on increasing equal access to healthcare – aligns closely with my Department’s priorities and will contribute to fostering resilience in the health systems and promoting transition from institutional to family and community-centred care.
“I wish every success to those involved in the development and implementation of this innovative and potentially transformational project.”
Welcoming the project, Gina McIntyre CEO of the SEUPB said: “Cross-border collaboration has been proven to deliver considerable benefits in terms of health and social care and bringing equality of access to essential services to local citizens.
“With demands on health and social care services so high, coupled with major issues in terms of resources, cross-border co-operation can alleviate those pressures by delivering economies of scale.
“A joined-up approach can provide innovative solutions, more efficient and effective use of resources, and maximise the potential of technology to transform how healthcare is accessed and delivered.”
Hugh Doogan, CEO of Archways and Chairperson of the project’s Steering Committee said “The Changing Lives Initiative: Flourish & Thrive offers early supports to parents of children who may be neurodivergent and experience the world in their own unique way- including those with or without a diagnosis of ADHD, Autism, or other neurodevelopmental differences.
We offer a range of interventions to parents including workshops, short programmes, on-line supports and longer evidence-based parent programmes. When you register an interest, our team will match you with the most suitable interventions to meet your needs.
The driving ambition of The Changing Lives Initiative: Flourish & Thrive is to develop a regionally consistent model of early support to families dealing with neurodiverse behaviours in their children, that can be adopted North and South as a sustainable and highly effective approach after PEACEPLUS funding ends in 2028.”
Further information on how families can avail of the programme is available at www.changinglivesinitiative.com
Project Partners:
- Archways, Lead Partner, Dublin and deliver The Changing Lives Initiative: Flourish & Thrive project in Louth, Cavan and Monaghan. For more information please visit: https://archways.ie/
- Dundalk Institute of Technology, Research Partner, who will oversee substantive Outcomes and Process Evaluations. For more information please visit: https://www.dkit.ie/
- Colin Neighbourhood Partnership, who deliver The Changing Lives Initiative: Flourish & Thrive project in the Belfast, South-Eastern and Northern Health & Social Care Trust Areas. For more information please visit: https://www.newcolin.com/
PEACEPLUS Programme
PEACEPLUS is a cross-border funding Programme supported by the European Union, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Government of Ireland, and the Northern Ireland Executive.
The Programme is designed to support peace and prosperity across Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland, building upon the work of the previous PEACE and INTERREG Programmes.
The PEACEPLUS Programme has been divided into six themes – each of which aims to address longstanding social, environmental and economic challenges which continue to impact our community.
The Changing Lives Initiative: Flourish & Thrive project falls within Investment Area 4.1 Collaborative Health and Social Care. This will build upon existing and new cross-border collaborative approaches to health and social care delivery models (within specified treatment areas), to deliver an increased number of episodes of care across the Programme Area. It will support the development of innovative community-based health care interventions, which complement statutory provision (including social enterprise models). It will result in a more resilient health and social care sector in the Programme Area, which contributes to improved population health and wellbeing and reduced health inequalities.
For more information on the SEUPB please visit www.seupb.eu please visit www.seupb.eu
This Project is supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).