Barnardo's PosAbility facilitates the involvement of children and young people with special needs in strategic children's services planning. In doing so young people come together in groups to learn to increase their confidence, self-esteem, make friends and support one and other to speak to service planners and together help make a difference to the lives of children and their families. Users of this project are young people with special needs aged 8 to 25.
Schools Inclusion and Participation Programme is designed to improve children and young people's awareness of their rights and to enable them to be involved in influencing.
The programme is delivered in at least one school per trust in Northern Ireland each school year.
We work with young people with a disability aged 14-19 in Special Schools and in Mainstream Schools as part of this programme.
The programme is delivered over 6/7 weeks in each school.
We identify schools to take part in the programme each year, however welcome expressions of interest from schools who wish to avail of the programme for their students.
We can help with Rights and participation Enabling and supporting children and young people to participate in decision making processes.
6th Sense is based in the Southern Locality and is part funded by the SHSCT. Monthly sessions support and facilitate the young people to build capacity through a range of activities and feedback. Personal Care Needs of membership will be met at the project.
Peer Coaching is based in the Southern Locality and aims to expand a young person's peer support network, increase their resilience and improve communication to enable them to be involved in decision making. Young people are paired up depending on their interests and needs, and meet weekly over the period of a year, supported by a project worker.
The Transition & Inclusion Service (TIS) supports young people in the Southern Trust aged between 16 and 21, providing 1-to-1 support and groups based specifically around the support each young person needs at that stage in their lives.
Disability advocacy/participation Including children and young people with special needs taking part in community activities and contributing to decisions about themselves.