Oberstown’s framework for care, CEHOP®, has five pillars: Care, Education, Health, Offending behaviour, and Preparation for leaving. It underpins our individualised, rights-based and participative approach to maximising the potential of each young person.

This approach was developed from legal requirements set out in section 158 of the Children Act, 2001.

Care

In Oberstown, we apply a care framework that guides all stages of a young person’s journey from their entry until they leave us. This framework is used in the development of individual placement plans for each young person.

• Placement planning process based on initial and ongoing needs assessment and focused on supporting each young person’s return to the community.
• Individual care plan with input from inter-disciplinary professional care team, family and other significant people in the young person’s life, including input from external agencies as required.
• Supports and services provided by a trained, expert multidisciplinary team.
• Young person’s voice is key at every stage of the process.

Our intake process represents a relationship building opportunity. The manner in which this is completed can assist in the promotion of a positive and collaborative relationship between our young people and staff. Following intake, we assess and identify each person’s specific needs. This enables us to put care measures in place to meet those identified needs, build positive relationships and ensure that planning includes family and significant people in their lives as well as appropriate outside agencies.

Each young person’s care needs are assessed in detail by our professional care team. This assessment identifies current, as well as emerging needs, both of which are central to the development and delivery of care to our young people. Care needs can be short-, medium-, or long-term and can differ from person to person depending on circumstances that existed prior to admission. Needs may include developmental needs as well as identity ones. Our care team understand the importance of acknowledging the young person’s voice in the delivery of our care services.

Care is provided by a professional, multi-disciplinary team with training and expertise in the range of care services our young people require. Their focus is on providing care and other programmes that will support the young person’s return to the community at the end of their time with us. Our focus at all times is to ensure that our young people are safe and that we are expert in the delivery of our care services to all.

Education

Oberstown is a community with an emphasis on learning for all young people on campus. At the centre of the campus is a large school, with a varied primary, secondary and vocational curriculum delivered by the Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDLETB).

Each young person follows an educational programme tailored to their academic level and social needs, along with key factors such as expected length of stay on campus, an assessment of what they might achieve, and their future plans and career interests. The school offers the national curriculum (Junior and Senior cycle), QQI certification, and learning support programmes including BKSB (basic key skills builder).

• All young people attend school in Oberstown.
• Full support for learning, including taking state exams and pursuing vocational training. The Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDLETB) delivers the curriculum on campus. 
• Educational objectives focused on equipping young people for the future, with outcomes measured in line with individual progress and potential.
• School classes augmented by an extensive programme of afterschool activities and specialised programmes.
• Vocational and skills development programmes including catering, warehousing/logistics, fitness training, horticulture. Work experience on campus and through arrangement with external partner organisations.
• Partnership approach involving the school, Oberstown care staff and external supports.

Learning opportunities take three main forms: structured, including school and afterschool activities; specialised programmes; and informal learning during daily life in the residential unit.

All young people attend school while they are detained at Oberstown. We regard the provision of education and access to appropriate training programmes as being a core element of each person’s journey through care and is at the heart of everything we do.

During our intake process, we assess each young person to identify their specific educational requirements and we put an individual plan in place to address those needs. At our purpose-built school, all young people have access to subjects that are part of the national curriculum. All teachers are professional, qualified and experienced and encourage each young person to complete State exams and continue vocational training.

We measure educational outcomes in a number of ways, from looking at improvements in literacy and numeracy to participation in State examinations. Young people achieve recognition for vocational skills, including fitness training and barista qualifications and certificates including SafePass and Manual Handling. The ultimate objective is to equip each young person with the skills and sense of achievement that will help them towards a successful return to the community.

Health

Each young person's plan covers their total health and wellbeing needs, including their physical, mental, emotional and social health. We assess them for physiological and psychological concerns at the point of arrival at Oberstown, and draw up a care plan to meet their individual needs.

• Access to healthcare services for all young people on campus.
• Purpose-built medical suite managed by Clinical Nurse Manager working with two nurses and a Residential Social Care Worker (RSCW). Health & Wellbeing team promote health and wellness of young people in Oberstown.
• Visiting GP, dentist, optician, podiatrist and physiotherapist providing services onsite.
• HSE Forensic Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (FCAMHS) provides psychiatric services to young people in Oberstown. Tusla’s ACTS (Assessment Consultation Therapy Service) provides multidisciplinary services to address behaviours associated with complex clinical needs.

Our overall emphasis in Oberstown is on health promotion. We manage health and wellbeing in a multidisciplinary way through medical, dental, psychological, psychiatric and wellbeing programmes that are collaborative and centred on the young person.

We have a fully equipped medical facility on campus where our young people can access medical services and support. Any specific medical and mental health need is identified as part of our initial assessment and is addressed in the context of each child’s individual care plan, which looks after any specific or unique requirement.

Multidisciplinary care is provided by a range of professionals (psychology, speech and language therapy and addiction counselling) through Tusla ACTS (Assessment Consultation Therapy Service) and the National Forensic Mental Health Service who provide psychiatric care.

Health and wellbeing improvements are measured in a number of ways from raised health awareness, improved levels of health, better engagement between our young people and their own health literacy. We achieve these improvements through being aware of needs and intervening appropriately.

Offending behaviour

We work with each young person to develop their understanding of offending behaviour and develop the awareness and skills required to avoid reoffending.

• Focus on working with young people to address factors associated with their offending behaviour.
• Programmes develop young people’s sense of responsibility and life skills and support their care on campus. Areas addressed include victim empathy, controlling impulsive behaviours, avoiding misuse of drugs and alcohol.

While on placement with us, we assess each young person in terms of the reasons they have been sent to Oberstown. From this assessment, we can provide the opportunity to learn practical skills that will support their return to the community and reduce the likelihood of relapse. It is critical that we understand each person’s needs and, equipped with that understanding, we can then deliver the appropriate intervention and care programme.

Young people are placed at Oberstown as a consequence of their offending behaviour, which itself can arise from a range of complex factors. We address this through the delivery of specialised programmes tailored to each individual. Some programmes address specific risk areas, including alcohol or substance abuse and anti-social behaviour. Other programmes focus on victim empathy and developing healthy habits in relationships.

Oberstown also offers the opportunity for each young person to learn and develop pro-social skills which in turn leads to lower levels of re-offending.

Preparation for leaving

From the moment a young person arrives at Oberstown, we start planning for their successful return and reintegration into the community. 

Preparation for leaving is the ultimate goal of CEHOP®. It involves providing individualised care to young people through an integrated multi-professional approach that enables young people to address their offending behaviour and return successfully to society.

• Placement planning meetings (PPMs), held onsite, identify and review the needs of young people and the services and supports they require.
• Each young person has a PPM every five weeks to review their progress. Oberstown chairs the PPM; attendees include the young person, residential unit staff, teachers and external partners with a role in the young person’s return to the community or onward placement. Family members or guardians attend the meetings either in person or via phone or video link.
• The process is structured to give the young person a say in decisions that affect their ongoing care in Oberstown and their life after leaving the campus.