Meitheal

What is Meitheal?

Meitheal is a Tusla-led early intervention national practice model. It identifies a child’s and their families needs and strengths and brings together a team around the child to deliver preventative support.

Meitheal is an old Irish term that “describes how neighbours would come together to assist in the saving of crops or other tasks.”In this context, Meitheal is a National Practice Model to ensure that the needs and strengths of children and their families are effectively identified and understood and responded to in a timely way so that children and families get the help and support needed to improve children’s outcomes and realise their rights

Meitheal and the Area Based Approach

Tusla – Child and Family Agency

“It is a coordinated, multi-agency approach which aims to ensure that interventions maximise families’ dignity, autonomy and self-determination. Meitheal is a strengths-based tool that is used to identify the strengths of families and provide coordinated multi-agency support to families and children.”

The Killarney Child and Family Support Network (CFSN) in collaboration with the Prevention, Partnership & Family Support (PPFS) Service within Tusla facilitate local services to support families through the Meitheal Process.

In Ballyspillane CFRC, our family support workers are trained as lead practitioners of Meitheal. This means

• They can support you and your child or young person in identifying their strengths and needs.
• They will facilitate Meitheal support meetings with relevant practitioners of the services who can support your child or young person.
• They will all support you and your child to follow your plan to make the changes you and your child or young person want.

The aim of Meitheal

is to achieve better outcomes for your family and your child or young person.

Meitheal can support families with a range of challenges, such as

• Additional needs,
• Illness or bereavement
• Difficult behaviour
• Challenges at school or school attendance
• Feeling down
• Supporting your relationship with your child

You may already be receiving support from various services but can find it difficult to manage it all at once, Meitheal can support you to coordinate services and bring everyone together.

Meitheal is a voluntary service and is led by you and your child or young person and you decide how long you want to receive this support.

Read our guides for more information