Incredible Years

Incredible Years – an integrated teacher, parent and child programme – is a school and home evidence-based programme proven to support positive emotional and behaviour development in primary-school aged children and to address behaviour problems.

The Incredible Years service is designed in collaboration with schools and community organisations and delivered in partnership with Archways, the national promoter of Incredible Years in Ireland.

Incredible Years focuses on positive behaviour management that coaches children in sharing, building relationships, recognising and managing feelings, choosing appropriate behaviours and dealing with anger and conflict.  The programme works both in school and home settings.

The service is in the first stage of delivery in Ballymun in four schools – Holy Spirit Boys, St. Joseph’s Junior, Virgin Mary Boys and Virgin Mary Girls. An Incredible Years schools coordinator will be appointed in September 2008 in partnership with the Drumcondra Education Centre. This position has been recognised for secondment purposes by the Department of Education and Science.

School-based delivery is supported by trained staff in BEST – Ballymun Education Support Team.

CAFTA – Ballymun’s Community and Family Training Agency – has two facilitator / trainers trained in the Incredible Years Basic Parenting programme and dedicated to the delivery of the parenting aspect of the service. The Dublin City Council Social Inclusion Unit is also supporting the delivery of the parenting programme.

An Incredible Years training, mentoring and accreditation support programme is delivered in Ballymun by Archways.