Evaluating the Implementation and Impact of Integrated Services in Finglas, North Dublin
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Author
Haran, Neil
Butler, Paul
Scott, Tara
Date
2025
Citation
Haren, N., Butler, P. & Scott, T. (2025). Evaluating the Implementation and Impact of Integrated Services in Finglas, North Dublin. https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13085/1388
Abstract
This independent evaluation, commissioned by Barnardos Ireland, examines the implementation and impact of integrated service delivery and interagency collaboration in Finglas, an urban area of north Dublin marked by entrenched socio-economic disadvantage. The study focuses on two community-led, prevention and early intervention (PEI) initiatives—the Better Finglas Area-Based Childhood (ABC) Programme and the Finglas West Family Resource Centre (FWFRC)—both coordinated by Barnardos in partnership with a broad network of local, statutory, and voluntary stakeholders.
Finglas faces multiple intergenerational challenges, including high deprivation levels, educational disadvantage, poor health outcomes, and elevated rates of lone parenthood and child protection referrals. In this context, the evaluation explores how the Finglas interagency model supports more cohesive, accessible, and responsive service delivery for children and families. The study adopts a mixed-methods, participatory approach encompassing desk research, stakeholder interviews, focus groups, surveys, and service-user feedback. It does not assess individual programmes, but instead investigates how collaboration shapes local service planning, coordination, and outcomes.
The Finglas model integrates statutory, community, and voluntary agencies under structured governance arrangements comprising steering groups and multi-tiered partnership networks. Its core principles include holistic, trauma-informed, and evidence-based responses; proactive early intervention; shared resources; and strong community trust and participation. A central conceptual tool—the Continuum of Collaboration—maps the varying levels of partnership, from networking to full integration, illustrating how collaboration adapts to local complexity, capacity, and need.
Findings indicate that the collaborative framework has yielded tangible benefits across several domains. Families report improved access to early years and family supports, seamless service experiences, and positive relationships with practitioners. Service providers highlight strengthened referral pathways, reduced duplication, and greater efficiency through shared planning and resource alignment. Interagency hubs such as Better Finglas and FWFRC have also enhanced community reputation, becoming trusted, inclusive spaces attracting families from beyond the immediate catchment. However, challenges persist, including limited resources, inconsistent participation, and administrative barriers to formalising collaboration through memoranda of understanding. Gaps in male engagement also signal the need for targeted outreach and broader inclusion strategies.
Overall, the evaluation concludes that the Finglas interagency model represents an effective, adaptable framework for delivering integrated, community-based PEI services in contexts of deep disadvantage. The report recommends consolidating governance and data systems, strengthening community involvement, and embedding sustained funding mechanisms to secure long-term viability. As a replicable model, Finglas demonstrates that well-supported collaboration can transform local service ecosystems, enhance equity, and build more resilient systems of care for vulnerable children and families.