Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 December 2022
261. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education if a person (details supplied) will be awarded special and close observation in school given their propensity to collapse due to ongoing health issues, who is currently attending a special school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60132/22]
View answerI would like to thank the Deputy for the question raised and would advise the following.
The Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme is designed to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs. Such support is provided in order to facilitate the attendance of those pupils at school and also to minimise disruption to class or teaching time for the pupils concerned, or for their peers, and with a view to developing their independent living skills.
For a child to require or qualify for access to SNA support, a child must have an assessed disability. The care needs outlined must be of such significance that they are beyond that which would normally be expected to be provided to a child by the child’s class teacher, support teacher, or other school teachers, or beyond the level of assistance which could be offered to the student by his/ or her fellow pupils in school. The care needs must also be those beyond which could normally be provided for by alternative supportive approaches or modifications of the classroom environment, teaching approaches and/or assistive technology or specialist equipment.
Circular 30/2014 provides examples of the primary care needs which would be considered significant, and which might require SNA support, these include non-nursing care needs associated with specific medical conditions: such as frequent epileptic seizures or for pupils who have fragile health.
SNAs are not allocated to individual children but to schools as a school based resource. The deployment of SNAs within schools is a matter for the individual Principal/Board of Management of the school. SNAs should be deployed by the school in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school for whom SNA support has been allocated.
The NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews, my Department does not have a role in making individual school determinations.
Additional SNA support may also be sanctioned by the NCSE where there are individual children who have significant care needs which require support above the level of support already sanctioned to the school. In such circumstances, the school may apply to the NCSE for access to additional care supports, clearly outlining the reason why the additional support is necessary.
All schools have the contact details of their local SENO, and the SENO is available to offer assistance and advice to the school. The school should contact the SENO when it considers that additional SNA support is required, the SENO will clarify to the school the information that is required for a review its SNA allocation. Further information on the application process is published on the NCSE website ncse.ie/guidelines-and-applications-forms-for-special-schools.
Nursing support for children with complex needs in school is provided directly by the HSE or through a HSE funded provider. A few schools employ nurses funded from their own resources. There is currently no national standardised process for the allocation of nursing supports in schools for children with complex needs. Where a school has identified children with complex needs who require nursing support, they are directed to the HSE. Please contact the HSE direct for further information in this regard.
Separately the National Nursing Programme Pilot for Children with Complex Healthcare Needs is a nationwide pilot scheme to be run in partnership between HSE and NCSE. It will run for the 2022/23 school year. The pilot is to be evaluated and the outcome will inform the provision of nursing support for students with complex healthcare needs into the future.
HSE Primary Care currently funds Paediatric Home Care Packages (PHCPs), through which preferred private healthcare providers deliver nursing care in the home environment to children with complex healthcare needs.
The pilot nursing scheme will, for eligible students, extend the PHCP from their home into the school setting. This will allow an agency nurse attend school with the student for an agreed number of hours per week, and travel to and from school with them, if necessary. There are other eligibility criteria for students and schools.
An application and assessment process will confirm the eligibility of the student for the scheme, determine the number of hours to support the student, assess any necessary environmental changes, and confirm whether funding is available for their nursing support hours. A transition and ongoing review process will facilitate the student’s transition into school and monitor their progress.
For further information on this scheme can be accessed on the NCSE’s website at the following page: ncse.ie/national-nursing-programme-pilot-for-children-with-complex-healthcare-needs alternatively the school can contact the NCSE direct.
