Motion no: 33
Conference recognises that some of the most vulnerable children and young people in our society are those whose lives are affected by multiple and complex challenges, including experience of the care system, poor mental health, developmental trauma, addiction, poverty, homelessness, educational disengagement and criminal or sexual exploitation.
Conference further recognises that these challenges rarely exist in isolation and that the needs of vulnerable children and young people cannot be adequately addressed by any single Department, agency, profession or service.
Conference notes the commitments contained within the Children’s Services Co-operation Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 and the Executive’s Children and Young People’s Strategy 2020–2030 to improve the wellbeing of children and young people through effective cooperation across government and public services.
Conference believes that no child or young person should become a victim of gaps between services, departmental boundaries, eligibility criteria or failures in communication and accountability.
Conference further believes that early intervention and sustained, trauma-informed support represent not only a moral and social responsibility, but an investment in the future wellbeing of our communities and society.
Conference therefore calls upon the ICTU Northern Ireland Committee, working collectively with affiliated trade unions, to campaign for:
(i) A fully coordinated, cross-departmental approach by the Northern Ireland Executive to identify and support children and young people experiencing multiple vulnerabilities, with clear ministerial responsibility and accountability for outcomes.
(ii) Effective cooperation, information sharing and, where appropriate, pooling of resources across Education, Health, Justice, Communities and other relevant Departments and statutory agencies so that support is organised around the needs of the child rather than departmental boundaries.
(iii) Properly funded, accessible and trauma-informed early intervention services, including mental health, addiction, social care, education, youth, housing and family support.
(iv) Meaningful participation of children and young people with lived experience in the design, delivery and evaluation of the services intended to support them.
(v) Recognition and appropriate resourcing of the workers across education, health and social care, justice, youth and community services who support vulnerable children and young people.
(vi) The development by the trade union movement of a coordinated campaign to advocate for these children and young people, challenge failures in provision and hold government collectively accountable for ensuring that no child is forgotten and no young person is left behind.
