Colin Early
Intervention

Since establishing the Colin Early Intervention Community in 2011, Colin Neighbourhood Partnership (CNP) has made a concerted effort to develop and deliver the widest possible range of Early Intervention programmes, in collaboration with other community and voluntary, statutory, or research agencies, and in partnership with local schools where possible.

CNP was the first community organization in the North of Ireland to use the Outcomes Based Accountability tool to measure the impact and effectiveness of its programmes. In line with our commitment to measuring long-term impact, we have regularly worked in partnership with researchers such as QUB’s Centre for Evidence and Social Innovation.

From the outset, we realized, in order to have the maximum impact, that interventions needed to be delivered to where people are and in environments where they are comfortable, rather than expecting them to come to ‘clinical’ environments. So, we developed programmes such as the schools-based Speech & Language Therapy and Primary Schools Counselling Service, as well as (between 2015-18) the Mentoring for Achievement programme for children making the transition from primary to secondary schools. In partnership with the SE Trust, we also developed the Colin Early Parenting Programme to support some new mothers from midway through their pregnancy until two years post-natal through intensive home visiting, as well as a range of outdoor and home-based activities to promote parent-child bonding and infant mental health.
 

Since 2011, we have delivered other groundbreaking programmes including Incredible Years, Families & Schools Together (FAST), Strengthening Families (SFP), adolescent counseling, and Partnership with Parents. Between 2017-2021, with funding from the EU INTERREG Programme, we developed and delivered the pioneering Changing Lives Initiative across the entire Belfast/Lisburn area, to support parents of children displaying behaviours consistent with ADHD.~
 

While unfortunately many programmes including Changing Lives are time-limited due to funding availability, we continue to be successful in delivering a core range of interventions and seeking out new areas of programme development. Alongside the broad range of other CNP programmes and services, we believe that Early Intervention plays a critical role in strengthening our community, strengthening parent-child relationships and child development, and helping to make Colin a better place to live.