2021 has been a year of challenges and uncertainty for all of us. We think about people and families affected by the pandemic, and the frontline services working to support and keep us safe. As we look forward to brighter days in 2022, we hope that this season offers you some time to rest and recharge.
This year brought change, opportunities and new projects for CES. We developed a new Strategic Plan to guide our work for the next four years. We are excited about the direction and look forward to publishing it on our website early next year.
CES is now recruiting, with opportunities in administration, practice development. research and evaluation. If your new year involves a new career, then take a look at our careers page.
Valuable Work in 2021
Our team has continued to work on a range of challenging and important projects in Ireland and Northern Ireland. We brought five values to our engagement with organisations, all of which are recognised in the strategy and which we are committed to as we move forward.
1. Collaboration
We valued listening to, and engaging with different perspectives and voices. This year our work involved engaging with people with disabilities and collaborating with third level institutions. We partnered with the Campbell Collaboration in Northern Ireland to engage with policy makers about the use of evidence in tackling homelessness.
2. Learning
This year brought opportunities to build on our knowledge and share it. We published a new series of CES Guides, to share learning about the tools and approaches we use. We launched an online tool for practitioners and professionals working with children and young people, based on over ten years of learning about prevention and early intervention in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
3. Creativity
We tried innovative ways of communicating evidence, including animation, video and social media. We worked with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to produce ‘Fairer Futures’ - a high-quality series of webcasts showcasing international and national thinking about prevention and early intervention and its role in tackling disadvantage.
4. Evidence
We engaged with evidence in many forms – from synthesising robust research on suicide prevention, to capturing the expertise of practitioners and policy makers. We recognise the experience of people living in our communities as an essential form of evidence and commit to strengthening our knowledge in this area.
5. Equity
During our showcase event ‘Rethinking Family Support’ we highlighted six years of work and achievements of community and voluntary sector organisations in Northern Ireland who support families to deal with extraordinary challenges. We also secured new work with organisations working to support families experiencing adversity.
Best wishes for a safe and peaceful Christmas, from all of us at CES.
