Barnardo’s NI welcomes the opportunity to provide comment on the Executive Office’s draft Strategic Framework to End Violence Against Women and Girls, and the Foundational Action Plan. We were pleased to engage with the department’s Call for Views in March 2022 and participate in the subsequent co-design process. Our comments and recommendations to this consultation are informed by our work with the diverse communities of children and families that we support through our 45+ services in Northern Ireland.
The primary emphasis of the Strategic Framework is on prevention, including a focus on building knowledge and skills of individuals to form healthy relationships. Barnardo’s NI delivers a range of social and emotional literacy (SEL) school-based programmes. This includes the PATHS® Programme for Schools (UK & NI Version) - a manualised programme for teachers designed to facilitate the development of SEL skills in primary school aged children. Findings from the implementation of the PATHS® Programme for Schools in Northern Ireland (2014-2018) show the efficacy of the programme, across areas including self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
Our response will provide some general comments and then look at each of the Strategic Framework’s six outcomes in turn.