PAKT

Highlights from Oct 2020 - Oct 2021

Staff across Greater Dublin and Cork worked relentlessly to maintain contact with young people and their families throughout the pandemic.

All of our youth events continued without fail via zoom which became a place of constant contact, crazy quizzes, and good crack!

Regular deliveries of delights be they arts and crafts resources, special treats and surprises, menus with ingredients provided were hugely appreciated by increasingly isolated families.

Challenges from Oct 2020 - Oct 2021

With schools closed for much of this period, a number of our young people simply had to escape tension filled homes at times and hang out on the streets. This had its minuses as well as plusses and exposure to an increasing culture of crack cocaine on our streets has taken its toll.

New Horizons 2022

Whilst Zoom contact with young people was of critical importance,and many found it tiresome through over use, it promises to have significant benefits going forward for certain cohorts of young people including interestingly some who are neuro diverse. We discovered that some of your young people enjoyed means of communication and contact that they fully managed themselves from the comfort and safety of their homes.

Impacts and Outcomes

Youth Advisory Committee well established in all PAKT centres.
Young peoples Charter of Rights completed by the Youth committee and displayed in each centre.
New youth participation evaluation process was developed and implemented
Children's First training completed by all staff and volunteers.
Sexuality Gender and Identity training completed.
Trauma Informed practice training completed.
Youth Friendly Social media policy developed.
Neurodiversity training for all staff completed and hugely successful.
A marked and new emergence of a commitment at all levels to inclusiveness in all dealings with young people and families.
This has been Incorporated into the PAKT Objective :“Physical health, wellbeing and relationships”
Resourcing centres with inclusive materials such as wobble boards, fidget toys ett
1:1 work established for YP struggling with larger groups.
18 – 23 year old group established and 1:1 sessions offered as needed
New “Teen transition” group established to meet the needs of 6 th years transitioning into ‘the next phase’ after school.

User Perspective

“The YMCA kept turning up at our doors. They were great” PAKT Parent West Dubnlin.

“It was great seing my friends on zoom when we were stuck at home so much” 12 year old PAKT child in Ballincollig.