Two Clare organisations have been honoured at the annual Tusla Child and Youth Participation Awards recognises services and projects that support children to have their voices heard when it comes to decisions that affect them.
More than 200 young people and adults attended the awards ceremony and 29 services from across the country were celebrated for their commitment to listening to the voices of children and young people. Tusla partners with Gaisce, the Children’s Rights Alliance, the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman, Hub na nÓg, and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth for the awards.
Under Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), all children have a right to have their voice heard in any decision that affects them. Among the winners were County Councils, youth clubs, training centres and Montessori schools, and each service was represented by the children and young people who contributed to projects that ensured that this right is upheld for those who use their service.
Keeping with the theme of participation, the ceremony was hosted by Cezy Focsa, a young person who has a track record of advocating for the rights of young people and accessibility for disabled people in Kilkenny. Awards were presented by Kate Duggan, CEO of Tusla; Kevin McCarthy, Secretary General of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; Bernie Laverty, National Project Manager, Area Based Childhood Programme; Avril Ryan, CEO of Gaisce, and Niall Muldoon, Ombudsman for Children.
The awards were presented for all manner of initiatives and services, including Barnardos TLC Kidz Project which supported children who engaged with the service to create care packs for other young people who have experienced domestic violence in the home, and Ossory Youth Service, who hold two spaces on their board of directors for young people, giving them a direct influence on decision making.
Clare services celebrated two awards including ‘Hear my Voice’, a short film created by the young people involved with Clare Youth Service in Kilrush that communicates an important message to other young people; we all make mistakes; we all act impulsively but there is support out there for everyone and you can turn things around. The film was shown to an audience of their peer at a weekend youth festival over the Summer.
The second Clare based project saw a group of pupils from Scoil Chríost Rí in Ennis work together to produce four unique pieces of artwork which conveyed positive mental health messages to children engaging with Clarecare – Children Supporting Children. They produced four pieces of work which were presented to Clarecare for use in their service. The work produced by the students went on to be used on the walls inside the service as well as on merchandise that was provided to people in the local community.
Speaking at the Child and Youth Participation Awards, Kate Duggan, CEO, Tusla, said: “The Child and Youth Participation Awards are vital in promoting child and youth participation in services across Ireland. These awards really demonstrate the importance of participation, where children and young people have a voice in decisions that affect them, where they are actively listened to and where they know that what they say has an impact or can lead to change.
“Hearing the detail of some of these projects is something that really inspires me as CEO and serves as a reminder to us all why we do the work we do. On behalf of Tusla, I would like to congratulate all of those who are nominated today for their excellent and innovative work.”
Niall Muldoon, Ombudsman for Children, said: “The Ombudsman for Children’s Office is delighted to be involved in these Awards for the second year running. We want to thank Tusla for hosting these awards, and the volunteers and the children involved. From our point of view, children’s voices being heard is so important, and it is a crucial part of democracy. These awards today are a great way to achieve this.”
Avril Ryan, CEO, Gaisce – The President’s Award, said: “At Gaisce, we believe deeply in youth empowerment through Gaisce Award participation for young people aged 14-25. This partnership with Tusla, the Ombudsman for Children, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and the Children’s Rights Alliance is a testament to our shared commitment to placing young people at the heart of what we do by recognising the opportunities so many organisations provide for young people to flourish and be heard. Congratulations to all of Child and Youth Participation Awardees who make child and youth participation a priority with exemplary, inclusive, and meaningful actions.”
Tusla – The Child and Family Agency, established on January 1, 2014, holds responsibility for a wide array of statutory functions, including child protection, alternative care, regulatory services, and various family support services. Tusla has embarked on a major improvement program which emphasises Practice, Culture, and Structure. Currently, it manages a budget of over €1.1 billion and employs over 5,500 people in 350 locations countrywide. Tusla’s services cover child protection and welfare, family support, alternative care, adoption, Tusla Education Support Services (TESS), children’s service regulation, and counselling and therapeutic supports.