Work ongoingon projects tohelp deprived

The First and Deputy First Ministers said “lead departments” and “Senior responsible Owners” have been identified to work on the six Signature Programmes.

They were announced as part of the Delivering Social Change delivery framework on October 12.

The Ministers say they will “stimulate economic growth and tackle dereliction through encouraging social enterprise in communities.”

They stated: “Departments were asked to urgently develop Outline Delivery Plans and Projected Expenditure Profiles, for each Programme, with the aim of having work rolled out at the earliest possible opportunity. This work is currently underway.”

As part of the plans: “an additional 230 recent graduate teachers who are not currently in work will be employed to deliver one to one tuition for children in primary and post primary schools who are currently struggling to achieve even basic educational standards.”

Ten family support hubs will act as “coalitions of community and voluntary organisations and agencies to provide early intervention services locally in order to enhance awareness, accessibility, co-ordination and provision of Family Support resources in local areas.”

Fifty additional health workers will also be engaged on a two year basis to support new and existing parents in deprived areas and to provide guidance, training and information for up to 1200 families.

Twenty extra nurture units will also be rolled out across Northern Ireland in addition to seven nurture units already being rolled out by DSD.

These units are based within schools with specialists that work with targeted children to provide support, encouragement and help.

Ten Social Enterprise Incubation Hubs will tackle dereliction and community eyesores and the lack of local employment by encouraging social enterprise business start up within local communities.

A DEL project to support young people Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEETs) will also be extended from 44 target families currently to 500.