News & Events

There were celebrations in Dundalk and in Drogheda as 112 parents graduated after successfully completing an Incredible Years Parent Programme. The Genesis Programme oversees the delivery of the Incredible Years suite of programmes through the ABC (Area Based Childhood) Programme and The Changing Lives Initiative (CLI).

For the first time ever, parents graduating from the ABC Programme, were joined by those graduating from the CLI.

The Changing Lives Initiative is a community-based project which provides an early intervention group based parent programme for parents of children aged 3 to 7 years who are experiencing behaviours consistent with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

On Friday 14th June, there were celebrations as 47 parents graduated after successfully completing the Incredible Years Parent Programme, at a special event in  Dundalk Institute of Technology, where family and friends joined them.

The Genesis Programme’s Dundalk Area Coordination Team (ACT) hosted the event. Members of the Dundalk ACT including representatives from the local schools, early years services, Community Groups, TUSLA and the HSE joined the graduating parents in their celebrations.

The following experienced Group Leaders facilitated the programmes:

• Muirne Lawlor (St. Joseph’s National School)
• Gillian Plunkett
• Annemarie Ó Murchú (The Changing Lives Initiative)
• Carol Ann White ( Scoil Eoin Baiste)
• Nora Donaghy
• Siobhán McDonald (The Changing Lives Initiative)
• Sandra Farrell (The Changing Lives Initiative)

Parents who completed the ADHD focussed programme delivered through the CLI said: ‘Incredible Years has changed our families life’s for the better, realising that we are the calm in our children’s storm has been one of the biggest realisations for our group’ and ‘I found the group fantastic. It really helped. The support and advice I received was brilliant, especially with three kids with additional needs’.

Niall Weldon, School Completion Programme Dhun Dealgan and Chairperson of the Dundalk ACT said: ‘I think it’s great that the parents receive recognition in a formal education setting such as DKIT. I think the programmes they have been trained in make a lasting positive effect on their children and families. I feel that any of these programmes show that parents aren’t in this on their own, that there are a lot of parents with similar issues and needs and the peer support that they get from one another is just outstanding’.

Then on Tuesday 18th June, at what was the 12th annual Incredible Years Parent Graduation event in Drogheda, 65 parents from different programmes delivered through The Genesis Programme, including the first group held in Ardee,  graduated with flying colours at a packed and excited Glenside Hotel.

The ceremony saw 26 parents graduate from the Incredible Years Basic Parent Programme. Also graduating on the day was the Baby Massage group who completed the programme in Marymount NS with 12 parents and babies. This programme focuses on attachment and bonding between parents and their babies and was delivered over 5 weeks and enjoyed by all who attended. A further 27 parents who completed the CLI programme also graduated which was delivered in both Ardee and Drogheda through morning and evening sessions.

The following Group Leaders facilitated the programmes delivered in Drogheda and Ardee:

• Nichola Chambers
• Gillian Plunkett
• Siobhan Haughey

• Annemarie Ó Murchú (The Changing Lives Initiative)
• Paula Holland
• Laura Sherry (ABC Programme)
• Siobhán McDonald (The Changing Lives Initiative)
• Sandra Farrell (The Changing Lives Initiative)

Paul, one of the graduates said, ‘At the beginning we felt like strangers coming into a new environment. As the programme progressed, we learnt so much about each other. We got to know each other’s families and by the end we knew each other like best buddies’.

Maria Torpey, Principal at Marymount NS said ‘The Incredible Years Parent Programme first began in Marymount NS in 2008 and we consider ourselves extraordinarily lucky to continue to have such a resource available to the parents in our school community.  Parenting is a difficult task and for those parents who have engaged with the programme the benefits as described to me by them are establishing improved relationships with the children and also giving the parents the courage to take good decisions on behalf of their children and being able to follow through on those decisions.
In our experience as a school the greater parental engagement the greater the benefits for the child in school. Therefore, the Incredible Years Parenting Programme has been a win-win for all of us and most importantly for the children who are our primary concern. We thank The Genesis Programme for their continued support of the Programme.’

Hugh Doogan, Programme Manager with The Genesis Programme said ‘The Genesis Programme prides itself on its community based approach to prevention and early intervention. The success of the programme to date has been far reaching in delivering better developmental outcomes for children and their families across Co Louth. It is great to see parents involved in a number of different parenting programmes graduate today on this the 12th anniversary of the event here in Drogheda’.

From the 4th to the 6th June, The Genesis Programme were very well represented by some members of the Project Team at the World Anti-Bullying Forum held in Dublin City University.
Alice Malone and Claire Gleeson presented on the Implementation of the KiVa Anti-Bullying Programme in Ireland.
Yvonne Forde and Laura Sherry hosted a poster presentation on the KiVa Anti-Bullying Programme in Action in Irish Primary Schools whilst Hugh Doogan presented with colleagues from the University of Turku in Finland on the impact the programme has had since introduced to our schools last year.
It was a great opportunity to showcase the work and the commitment of the participating schools to the programme, for learning and sharing and making new connections

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here was a great attendance at the mid project conference on the Changing Lives Initiative (CLI) held on the 21st May in Queen’s University’s Riddell Hall in Belfast. There were inputs on the great progress made across Louth, Belfast and Argyle & Bute (Scotland) in the first eighteen months of the project implementation. The work is being led out in Louth and neighbouring border counties by CLI Louth team under the auspices of The Genesis Programme.

There was contributions from:

Dr. Kate Carr-Fanning, Coventry University

Dr. Lucia Carragher,  Dundalk IT

Dr. Caitriona Delaney, Archways

Christina Riordan, Archways

Dr. Siobhan Fitzpatrick, Early Years

Trevor Spratt, Trinity College

Dr. Jamie Houston, NHS Highland

Patricia Renfrew, NHS Highland

John Lonergan, former Governor, Mountjoy Prison

Congratulations to everyone involved with the conference and especially the parents who participated in the Parents’ Panel facilitated brilliantly by our own Alice Malone.

Two participants on the programme from Dundalk, Karen and Niall Morgan, were part of the panel that had parents from all three areas. Karen completed the programme in 2018 and Niall will be graduating in June

Dr. Edel Healy, Head of School, Health & Science at Dundalk IT and a member of The Genesis Programme Management Committee, was chairperson for a very informative day.

‘Happy Children, Strong Families: From Worries to Wellbeing’ – a FREE talk by Dr. Mary O’Kane of Ireland AM will take place on Friday 17th March from 9.30am in the Oriel Centre, Dundalk Gaol.

There will be a raffle for all those in attendance and lunch will be served. This special Parent Forum is hosted by The Genesis Programme’s Dundalk Area Coordination Team (ACT)

Save the Date!!!

The Genesis Programme is recruiting a Development Officer to work on our First 3 Years Initiative.

All the details including the Application Form at Development Officer (First 3 Years)

Closing Date: Thursday 28th March at 5pm

Please DO NOT submit CVs.

In the ongoing implementation of the KiVa Anti-Bullying Programme, a new Parents’ Guide will be available to all parents through the participating schools over the coming weeks.  In a handy A5 format this is a great resource for parents.

The Genesis Programme were involved in consultation events and workshops on the development of the Healthy Ireland for Louth Plan which was launched recently.

We are pleased to see much of our work outlined in the plan and look forward to continuing to collaborate with partners in delivering outcomes for the children and families we work with.

Congratulations to all involved in the development and publication in the series of documents launched at Louth County Council.

In January 2019, Claire Gleeson, Development Officer (North Louth) represented The Genesis Programme on the PINN project (Proactive International Network for Newborn and Young Children) learning exchange trip to Coimbra, Portugal.

The Erasmus+ funded trip organised by the Prevention and Early Intervention Network (PEIN) was also attended by colleagues Hazel Murphy of YoungBallymun and Orla Tuohy of Lifestart Foundation/Tusla along with partner organisations from Portugal, Norway and the Netherlands.

The three day event allowed participants the opportunity to share best practice and to visit prevention and early intervention sites. On the final day, Claire, Hazel and Orla presented on the work of their respective organisations to over 100 attendees at a conference organised by the University of Coimbra.

We look forward to the partner organisations visiting as part of the PINN project exchange to Ireland planned for 2020.

The Genesis Programme held its first ever local Peer Coach training recently. The two day training is by invitation to accredited Dina Programme Group Leaders to become an Incredible Years® certified coach.

An Incredible Years® Coach has demonstrated competency as a peer coach using the Incredible Years® coaching methods and processes to support new group leaders. This will significantly support the strategy to sustain programme delivery and fidelity in our early years services and schools.