APPENDIX 9
Memorandum from Choice for Disabled People
(NICOD)
ENQUIRY INTO PUBLIC EXPENDITURE IN NORTHERN
IRELAND—SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION
NICOD unfortunately is not in a position to
give specific response to issues around expenditure in relation
to children with special needs as we have no direct input into
this process. We do however have direct contact with parents supporting
children with special needs and have worked with a range of professionals
and therefore would be in a position to formulate a response on
the basis of evidence from this source.
— Our current understanding is that
Targeting Social Need (TSN) funding allocation is made on the
basis of Free School Meals places. Our experience is that many
children with special needs, in particular those with physical
disability such as Cerebral Palsy and Hemiplegia, are not necessarily
in receipt of this benefit.
— NICOD are of the view that funding
made available within their school environment should be ring-fenced
to be specifically targeted for the provision of children with
special needs.
— NICOD have a close working relationship
with the Northern Ireland Cerebral Palsy Register. The Register
has been in operation for approximately five years, assimilating
evidence on the prevalence of Cerebral Palsy within Northern Ireland.
Information from the Register gives a clear indication that there
are between 66 and 70 cases of children with Cerebral Palsy born
each year. Therefore it seems reasonable to assume that there
would be in the region of 70 children with Cerebral Palsy coming
forward each year who will have a requirement for some form of
special educational support, either in the mainstream or special
school environment.
— With regard to the waiting list on
assessment time within various Board areas, we are not aware of
the current waiting time because this information is not released
into the public domain by the Education and Library Boards. We
are however aware of specific instances where parents have had
to wait up to two years for a full assessment of their child's
needs.
— NICOD are of the view that there
are deficits in the information and support available to parents
under the assessment process. It is our view that many parents
do not know the range of support that is available within the
Special Education system or support that might be made available
within a mainstream school environment. We are of the view that
a greater range of information should be made available and specific
support be made available to parents assisting them through this
process.
— In relation to the costs associated
with Health and Social Services provision within the educational
environment, we are not privy to those specific issues. However,
we are aware of the fact that under the non-educational provision
aspect of the child's statement, therapy input is often determined
on the basis of the availability of resources within Health and
Social Services rather than a direct determination of the child's
needs.
— There is some anecdotal evidence
to indicate that while the recommended therapy input is provided
by local H & SS Trusts, any recommendations they make regarding
the child's needs has to be resourced by the local ELB's. These
are not always taken on board because of resource limitations.
Therefore the impact of the therapist's recommendations depends
on the budget of the ELB, e.g., Occupational Therapist may recommend
a special type of table—The ELB has to fund this.
I hope you found the above information of some
use. It is based on our direct experience of working with approximately
200 children with Cerebral Palsy throughout Northern Ireland and
a close working relationship that we have established with a variety
of professionals in health, education and related fields.
9 April 1998
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