‘Invest to Save’ Project (Wigan Local Authority, England) 2003-2005
Independent evaluation, with colleagues at Edge Hill University, of an interagency project focused on provision of positive welfare-oriented interventions rather than reactive criminal justice interventions with marginalised children and families in disadvantaged communities. Adopting an action research approach, the research focused on the process and practical issues involved in establishing an inter-agency early intervention project as well as perceived impacts of specific interventions including ‘Forward Thinking Groups’, ‘Nurture Groups’ and ‘One-to-One Support’.
- Report: Davis, H., Haydon, D., Read, J., Scraton, P. and Wright, P. (2005) Preventing Crime and Poor Health by Early Intervention/ Positive Action: an independent research and evaluation report, Wigan Invest to Save Project 2002-2004, Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Belfast: Queen’s University Belfast Link to document
Critical Analysis of Rights-based Approaches to Children ‘At Risk of Offending’ in Northern Ireland (Queen’s University Belfast) 2008-2013
Examining implementation of Northern Ireland’s ‘Early Intervention for the Prevention of Offending’ Programme, this research included interviews with eighteen referred children and each child’s project worker plus focus groups with staff in the five projects delivering the Programme. It considered how social constructions of ‘childhood’ and ‘risk’ inform policy/ practice, and assessed the language of ‘rights’ within strategies and interventions, to explore the potential of a rights-based agenda in addressing the issues faced by these children and their families. In addition to feedback for project staff and service managers, the research findings provided the basis for an article and a number of presentations.
- Workshop: ‘Key Findings: Early Intervention for the Prevention of Offending Programme’ workshop for project staff and service managers, Mallusk, Northern Ireland (2012)
- Presentation: ‘Engaging Young People at Risk: Addressing Need, Promoting and Protecting Children’s Rights’, ‘Improving Outcomes for Vulnerable and At Risk Children and Young People’ Networking Event for Practitioners, CAPS/ NIACRO/ Southern Health and Social Care Trust, Armagh, Northern Ireland (2012)
- Presentation: ‘Risk and Early Intervention’ at the Risk, Crime and Security Symposium, British Society of Criminology (NI Branch) and Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland (2012)
- Summary report: Haydon, D. (2014) Critical Analysis of Rights-based Approaches to Children ‘At Risk of Offending’ in Northern Ireland: Summary for organisations interested in tendering for the subsequent early intervention programme,Belfast: Childhood, Transition and Social Justice Initiative, QUB Link to document
- Article: Haydon, D. (2014) ‘Early Intervention for the Prevention of Offending in Northern Ireland’, Youth Justice, Special Issue: Youth Justice in Ireland North and South – the legacy of the past, the patterning of the present, Vol. 14, No. 3, pp226-240 Link to document
- Presentation: ‘Developing Rights-based Early Intervention for the Prevention of Offending in Northern Ireland’, Taking Children and Young People Seriously: Reflections on Critical Research Conference, Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland (2015)
- Panel member: ‘Early Intervention’ at the Raising the Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility’ Conference, QUB Youth Justice Network/ Include Youth, Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland (2015)
Consultation: The ‘All Stars’ Programme (Barnardo’s NI) 2017
Commission to consult with young people in Yrs 11 and 12 in three post-primary schools who had participated in the ‘All Stars’ Programme while they were in Yrs 8 and 9, and their teachers, to inform future delivery of organisational training and activities. A school-based early intervention/ prevention programme devised in the US for 8-14 year olds, this Programme aims to prevent involvement in ‘risky’ behaviours (such as drug use and ‘anti-social’ behaviour) and help young people envision a positive future.