Department of Education and Youth’s Consultation for 2026-2030 Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice

This focus group will take place on Tuesday the 7th of July,

 

Participant Information Sheet

You are being invited to take part in a consultation that will inform the Department of Education and Youth’s development of the 2026-2030 Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice, which supports the wellbeing of primary and post-primary students. Before you decide whether to participate, please read the following information carefully, and feel free to discuss it with others if you wish.

To view a video version of this information sheet, click on this link: https://canva.link/xf9ykmseel0rn0f

Purpose of the Consultation

This consultation aims to gather meaningful insights from a broad range of stakeholders – including parents, education professionals, support organisations, and marginalised communities – to inform the continued, adapted, or new areas of focus in the next implementation plan of the Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice.

This consultation is part of a broader review process being undertaken by the Department of Education and Youth. An internal review of the 2019–2025 Wellbeing Implementation Plan has already been completed, along with a literature review of current evidence on wellbeing in schools. This consultation is the next step – an opportunity for people with direct experience and expertise to shape what comes next.

Why Have I Been Invited?

You have been invited because you are a Parent of a student in primary or post-primary school. Your experiences and insights are valuable for informing a revised policy statement that promotes wellbeing for young people and will be at the core of every school. Your participation is entirely voluntary. It is up to you to decide whether to take part.

If you do decide to participate, we will go through this information at the beginning of the session and you will be asked again if you are happy to take part.

What Will Taking Part Involve?

Participation will involve:

• Attending a group discussion with other parents at an agreed date and time
• The group discussion will be approximately 1.5 hours long and will focus on how student wellbeing can be prioritised and improved in schools
• Participants not in a professional role, like parents of young people, will receive a compensation of €30 paid in easy-to-use gift card, to recognise their time and input and ensure that socio-economic factors do not limit engagement.

The discussion will be audio-recorded to ensure we get what was said right. We may use your words as quotes to illustrate particular points in our report – but your name and any identifying information will never be recorded, so no one will be able to tell who said what or so you can be identified by your comments.

Also, we will share notes from the group discussion with participants for review for a time-limited period – we encourage you to let us know if you want to add, remove, or change something.

Will My Privacy be Protected?

Yes, all information collected will be kept strictly confidential. Your responses will be anonymised in any publications resulting from this consultation. Your name will not be linked to your responses. The facilitation team will be very careful about data protection. All data will be stored securely, and only the facilitation team will have access to raw data. Audio recordings will be deleted once they have been transcribed.

All other data (notes and anonymised transcripts) will be securely deleted within 12 months of the project completing. If you wish to withdraw your data after the session, you may do so within two weeks by contacting Farheen Zeeshan at farheen@qualitymatters.ie.

 

Are There any Risks to Taking Part?

We do not anticipate any risks to taking part in this consultation. Quality Matters, the organisation conducting this consultation, will take a trauma-informed approach to the discussion and is well-versed in engaging with diverse stakeholder groups. You will be free to decline to answer any questions that make you uncomfortable.

Who Is Organising and Funding the Consultation?

The Department of Education and Youth as part of ongoing development of the 2026-2030 Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice.

How Do I Sign-Up as a Participant?

If you are interested in participating, please visit the registation link here********. Afterwards, information and details about the session will be shared with you when it’s confirmed. Also, you can review the informed consent form attached to this information sheet – please contact us with any questions you might have.