The Health and Social Care Sector jointly hosted a Regional Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Conference in November 2017 that set a platform for the regional roll out of the ACE agenda across Northern Ireland.
An Adverse Childhood Experience can be defined as:
| An increasing body of international research identifies the long-term harms that can result from chronic stress during childhood.Such stress arises when children are routinely exposed to issues such as domestic violence, parental separation or divorce, mental ill health, alcohol and other substance misuse problems in their homes. Collectively, such childhood stressors are called ACEs (Adverse childhood Experiences) and the research shows that exposure to ACEs is associated with poorer outcomes for children including in educational attainment, employment, involvement in crime, family breakdown, and a range of health and wellbeing measures. |
During the closing remarks of the Regional ACE Conference, Sean Holland, Department of Health announced that £1.5 million will be invested through the Early Intervention Transformation Programme that will be led through the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland.
Since the conference a Regional ACE Reference Group has been established to support continued momentum and integration of the ACE agenda in Northern Ireland and support the Early Intervention Transformation Programme (EITP) ACE Workstream Projects.
Contact Us
For further information about the Regional ACE Reference Group please contact Sharon McMinn by email at sharon.mcminn@hscni.net or telephone (028) 95 363 188
Latest News & Events
Trainer Programme Dates - Final Level One ACE Awareness, Level Two Trauma Sensitive Approaches to Practice and Train the Trainer programme dates are available on the SBNI website at https://tinyurl.com/y3djyxko
NI ACE Conference 2020 – Presentations and Conference Report - The third annual ACE Conference was held on in March 2020 and brought together 136 delegates in the Hilton Hotel, Templepatrick, to share learning from the journey so far, hear examples Continue Reading →
Trauma | ACES | Resilience – Resources - In response to requests for further information following screenings of the ‘Resilience’ documentary, the attached resource document has been produced to help raise awareness of existing information, research, multi-media information Continue Reading →
ASCERT Commissioned by Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland to Deliver ACEs Training - ASCERT has been commissioned by the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland (SBNI), to provide training for staff and volunteers working in the community and voluntary sector in Northern Ireland Continue Reading →
Level 1 ACE Training – May/June 2019 - ASCERT are delivering a Level One ACE and Trauma Informed Practice Training Programme across the community/voluntary sector in Northern Ireland. ASCERT welcome all staff and volunteers working across the Continue Reading →
Action Plan/Papers/Presentations
- Logic Model for ACES in Northern Ireland
- Strategic ACE overview Presentation (November 2018)
- Regional ACE Reference Group Strategic Workshop Report, August 2018
- Regional ACE Reference Group Terms of Reference, August 2018
- Regional ACE Conference Video Recording, November 2017
- Tackling Childhood Adversity in Northern Ireland – Regional ACE Conference Press Release, November 2017
ReportCards
- Regional ACE Conference Full Evaluation Report, November 2017
- Regional ACE Conference Report Card, November 2017
Membership
- NI Strategic Steering Group for Trauma Informed Practice Membership – November 2020 (formerly the Regional ACEs Reference Group)
Links to Useful Information
- What helps to support people affected by Adverse Childhood Experiences? A review of evidence
- Life course health consequences and associated annual costs of adverse childhood experiences across Europe and North America: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- House of Commons – First 1000 days of life
- Identifying the trauma recovery needs of maltreated children – An examination of child welfare workers effectiveness in screening for traumatic stress
- House of Commons – Evidence based early years interventions report, 2017-19
- A new framework for addressing ACEs and community experiences: The building community resilience model, Ellis et al (2017)
- Towards a Better Future: The trans-generational impact of the Troubles on mental health. Belfast: CVSNI
- The mediating role of various types of social networks on psychopathology following adverse childhood experiences. Journal of Affective Disorders
- The moderating impact of childhood adversity profiles and conflict on psychological health and suicidal behaviour in the Northern Ireland population. Psychiatry Research
- Population attributable fractions of psychopathology and suicidal behaviour associated with childhood adversities in Northern Ireland. Child Abuse & Neglect
- Suicidality and profiles of childhood adversities, conflict related trauma and psychopathology in the Northern Ireland population. Journal of Affective Disorders
- Childhood adversity profiles and adult psychopathology in a representative Northern Ireland
- Early Intervention Foundation: Why reducing parental conflict matters for local government E-briefing, September 2018
- Public Health Wales: A source of resilience and their moderating relationships with harms from adverse childhood experiences 2018
- Adverse childhood experiences and sources of childhood resilience: A retrospective study of their combined relationships with child health and educational attendance
- NICVA – Investing in Resilience, August 2018
- Home Office Boost for Vulnerable Children through Trusted Relationships Fund Projects
- English Children’s Commissioner’s Vulnerability Report, July 2018
- Safeguarding Board NI
- Public Health Scotland – ACE Documentary (short version)
- Public Health Wales – ACE Documentary (short version)
- Liverpool John Moores University Public Health Institute: Routine Enquiry about Adverse Childhood Experiences. Implementation Pilot Evaluation Report 2018