Delivering Social Change
Delivering Social Change is a framework that seeks to co-ordinate key actions across Government Departments to take forward work on priority social policy areas.
Aims
It aims to deliver a sustained reduction in poverty and associated issues across all ages but it is also seeking to secure an improvement in children and young people’s health, well being and life opportunities thereby breaking the long term cycle of multi-generational problems.
Signature Programmes
The Executive felt that it was critical that Departments came together to deliver a number of immediate actions which would address some of the key priorities identified.
In October 2012 the First Minister and deputy First Minister announced the development of six Signature Programmes under the Delivering Social Change framework to tackle matters such as improving literacy and numeracy levels, family support and pathways to employment framework for young people.
A brief description of these programmes is below. Further information on each programme can be obtained from the lead Department.
Department | Programme | Detail |
Department of Education (DE) | Undertaking additional literacy and numeracy measures. | An additional 230 recent graduate teachers who are not currently in work will be employed to deliver one to one tuition for children in primary and post primary schools who are currently struggling to achieve even basic educational standards. |
Department of Health. Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) | Taking forward the establishment of 10 Family Support Hubs over the next two years. | These are coalitions of community and voluntary organisations and agencies which provide early intervention services locally in order to enhance awareness, accessibility, co-ordination and provision of Family Support resources in local areas. |
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) | Taking forward additional high quality support to new and existing parents living in areas of deprivation through positive parenting programmes. | This would include potentially engaging 50 additional health workers on a two year basis to support this work and will provide guidance, training and information for up to 1200 families. |
Department for Social Development (DSD) along with Department of Education (DE) | Taking forward funding an additional 20 nurture units to be rolled out across Northern Ireland in addition to the seven nurture units already being rolled out by DSD. | These units are based within schools with specialists that work with targeted children to provide support, encouragement and help. |
Department for Social Development (DSD) along with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) | Taking forward the development of approximately ten Social Enterprise Incubation Hubs servicing areas of multiple deprivation over a two year period. | This is designed to tackle dereliction and community eyesores but also the lack of local employment by encouraging social enterprise business start up within local communities. |
Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) | To scale up and roll out a pilot intervention to support young people Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEETs) in developing skills and linking them to the employment market through structured programmes and projects. | DEL’s pilot currently targets 44 families in urban and rural areas. The intention would be replicate this model and increase the target number of families to 500. Further information is available on the DEL website. |
What happens next?
Departments will deliver these actions through the Delivering Social Change governance structures. OFMDFM officials are working with colleagues in the other government departments as they develop their Programme Delivery Plans and expenditure profiles to deliver these projects and to report progress.
Early Actions
A Children and Young Persons Early Action paper has been developed to assist key stakeholders in delivering further programmes and initiatives. You can view the Early Action Paper by clicking on the link below.
