Children with Disabilities: Short Breaks

Oral Answers to Questions — Health – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 2:45 pm on 9 December 2024.

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Photo of Ciara Ferguson Ciara Ferguson Sinn Féin 2:45, 9 December 2024

2. Ms Ferguson asked the Minister of Health, further to his announcement on funding to increase short breaks capacity and expand support in the community, to outline any consultations that have been undertaken to determine the services most needed for families of children with disabilities. (AQO 1288/22-27)

Photo of Mike Nesbitt Mike Nesbitt UUP

On 23 October this year, I was pleased to be able to approve additional regional funding for the children with disabilities service. That funding is intended to assist with increasing short-break capacity and with expanding family, therapeutic and behavioural supports. Following that announcement, the strategic planning and performance group (SPPG) met trust directors as a collective and individually to robustly assess their proposals and delivery time frames. On 7 November, there was a workshop to review the progress of the children with disabilities work stream. Representatives of the Children's Law Centre and Parent Action attended and participated in the children with disabilities work stream as part of the children's social care strategic reform programme.

My officials have established a monitoring framework for children's disability. It monitors capacity, workforce and need and supports accountability discussions with health and social care trusts. It will be expanded to ensure that the additional funds deliver their intended outcomes.

My Department recognises the importance of co-design and the value that it adds. The framework for children with disabilities has been developed with the views of families and providers to set the priorities for my Department and the trusts. However, it is recognised that further work will continue to be needed to ensure that those who use the services are better involved. Meaningful co-design requires capacity and relationship building with families. As that process takes time, it will be challenging to ensure that co-design is meaningfully built into the allocation of the recently announced additional funds this year, but I hope to see better as we move forward.

Photo of Ciara Ferguson Ciara Ferguson Sinn Féin

I thank the Minister for his answer. Minister, will you throw some light on how the health and social care trusts will continue to work collectively to maximise service delivery across the whole of the North?

Photo of Mike Nesbitt Mike Nesbitt UUP

I thank the Member for her supplementary question. It takes me to a point that I came to early in my tenure as Minister. We have five geographical trusts for what is a relatively small geographical area and, indeed, a relatively small population, at just under two million people. Rather than introduce what might be the distraction of a major reform to create one geographical trust for the whole of Northern Ireland, I have told the chairs and chief execs that, in my mind, I look at the five trusts as one, so I want an end to competition and to see more collaboration and cooperation. That is particularly important in this area, where resources and the very buildings where respite care may take place are in such short supply.

Photo of Phillip Brett Phillip Brett DUP

I thank the Minister for announcing the funding increase. It is a vital service. One of the main providers of respite care in my constituency is the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice. I was delighted that the Minister recently visited it to hear of the funding difficulties that it has had. Will the Minister provide an update on his engagement and on what further funding he may be able to provide to that vital service?

Photo of Mike Nesbitt Mike Nesbitt UUP

I thank the Member for his question, and, indeed, I applaud his continued interest in and support for the Children's Hospice. As he said, I visited that facility, as well as the Northern Ireland Hospice, a few weeks ago. I was impressed with the facilities. I was impressed with the level of joy at the Children's Hospice in particular. That may seem an odd statement to make when there are children there who are suffering from life-limiting and life-threatening conditions. However, there was pure joy in the air, and I came away with a determination to do what I can in coming years to increase the funding for the hospice. That is before we look at the increase in costs that will develop for hospices, not least with the national living wage and the increases in National Insurance. Also, I was taken by the fact that there is a potential for some form of match funding, should I be able to find funds to increase what the Northern Ireland Executive put into the hospice through the Department of Health. While I can make no absolute promises to the Member, I will say to him that it is very much on my radar, and, if I can, I am determined to do so.

Photo of Danny Donnelly Danny Donnelly Alliance

Has the Minister had any engagement with disability organisations such as the Centre for Independent Living to determine how we can best support people with disabilities to live independently in their own homes?

Photo of Mike Nesbitt Mike Nesbitt UUP

I thank the Member for his question. Directly, the answer is no, I have not personally been involved. I would be more than happy to meet, but the Member will be aware that my officials meet all sorts of groups every day, and, if there were proposals, I would expect them to come to me in the normal course of work.

Photo of Diana Armstrong Diana Armstrong UUP

I welcome the additional funding, which has come as a lifeline for a system and a service that are under real strain. We must remember, of course, the families and young people at the heart of all of this. How important a partner is the community and voluntary sector in the delivery of the additional actions?

Photo of Mike Nesbitt Mike Nesbitt UUP

I thank the Member for her question. I believe very much in the power of the community and voluntary sector to deliver. That goes back to my time as a victims' commissioner, when dozens of community and voluntary groups were providing day-to-day assistance to victims and survivors of our long, 30-year conflict. Certainly, in the provision of health, if the community and voluntary sector were to collapse, it would have a profound impact on our ability to deliver healthcare in Northern Ireland.

The Member may be aware that I worked with the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA) on a redesign of the core grant scheme. That is a scheme that had basically been closed to new organisations that had come on stream in the past 20 years. We now have a new scheme, and, in the next financial year, I hope to find a little more money to go into that. Currently, it sits at £1·8 million per annum. I would like to see that increased in the years ahead.

Photo of Justin McNulty Justin McNulty Social Democratic and Labour Party

Minister, a welcome £13 million funding package has been identified for respite services for children with a learning disability. Will you provide more detail on how and when that money will be rolled out? Also, further to the previous question, will you outline whether those in the community and voluntary sector can avail themselves of that funding? You will know of organisations, such as the wonderful Newry Gateway Club, that are willing and able to step up to the plate in that regard.

Photo of Mike Nesbitt Mike Nesbitt UUP

I thank the Member for his question. The additional funding of £13 million begins in the next financial year. This financial year, the quantum is more in the order of £2 million. As I have said, it is intended not just for short-break respite for families but for expanding family therapeutic and behavioural support across the community and all five geographical health and social care trusts. On the Member's specific interest, which is aligned with his geographical representation, he should ask the Southern Trust about supporting the likes of Gateway and about exactly where that money will be spent.