Limerick Social Service Centre hosts Practice Seminar: ‘Protecting Children and Supporting Families: Telling a New Story’

Limerick Social Service Centre hosted a Practice Seminar. Speakers and Members of the Panel: Teresa Crawford, LCETB, Mick Parry, Tusla, Professor Brid Featherstone, University of Huddersfield, Margaret Mastriani, Mary McCall, Suzanne Leen, Sean Lynch and Brian Ryan, all from LSSC.

Limerick Social Service Centre hosts Practice Seminar: ‘Protecting Children and Supporting Families: Telling a New Story’

Limerick Social Service Council hosted a practice seminar featuring keynote speaker, Professor Brid Featherstone. The seminar titled: ‘Protecting Children and Supporting Families: Telling a New Story’ attracted social workers, family support workers, youth workers and community development workers from across different agencies from Limerick and surrounding counties.

The seminar delved into and explored issues such as the importance of building relationships in social work and family support practice and the impact of poverty on families.

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Professor Featherstone noted that: “In order to protect children and support their families we need policies and practices that focus on the economic, social and psychological resources they need to survive and thrive.”

The event was also an opportunity for Limerick Social Service Council to introduce its new Community Social Work and Family Support Service, which has been influenced by the work of Professor Featherstone. The Service works in partnership with families to support them to improve relationships and address concerns with the goal of meeting agreed outcomes for children and their families.

Speaking at the launch, LSSC General Manager, Brian Ryan said: “Community Social Work has a long history in Limerick Social Service Council and is rooted in the ethos of LSSC. We are delighted that this service, that draws both on the past and current evidence of best practice, has become one of the core elements of LSSC’s Child and Family Service.”

A lively panel discussion on the complex issues that face families experiencing poverty and how social workers and family support workers can engage with and support families was held with input from Professor Featherstone, Mick Parry, Tusla Principal Social Worker, Teresa Crawford, LCETB and Sean Lynch from LSSC.

Professor Featherstone is the Head of Department (Behavioural and Social Sciences), University of Huddersfield and Associate Director, Centre for Applied Childhood, Youth and Family Research, School of Human and Health Services she visited Limerick, especially for this event.

For more information on the Limerick Social Service Centre go here

For more stories on the Limerick Social Service Centre go here