SELB Education Welfare Officers Grace Black and Sean Monaghan along with Chief Education Welfare Officer Alex Barr display the newly produced leaflets.

The Southern Education & Library Board (SELB) is distributing 10,000 leaflets, primarily for parents and young people, to raise awareness of the service provided by local education welfare officers in the southern board area. The leaflet entitled R U 4 to 16 and Need 2 talk is being distributed to schools, libraries, youth centres, other statutory and voluntary agencies and education welfare offices from March onwards.

The Education Welfare Service works in partnership with parents and school staff to enable young people to be given the best opportunity to achieve their potential, mainly dealing in issues such as attendance, bullying, suspension and expulsions, changing schools or other school related concerns. .

SELB Chief Education Welfare Officer, Alex Barr and her staff are behind the production of the leaflets, which aims to raise awareness of the service and what it can provide for parents and young people, she said, “The leaflet is a result of feedback from young people and parents. It was felt a simple leaflet with a brief synopsis of what we do, with contact details for local education welfare offices is what was required.” .Alex continued, “Each leaflet contains a credit card style card with contact details for our local offices in Armagh/Banbridge, Craigavon, Dungannon and Newry & Mourne, which can be contacted directly. We wanted to produce something suitable and user friendly for young people and the simple pocket style card means it can be easily slipped in to a wallet, school bag or jacket pocket.”