Joint Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration & Youth publishes report on the Assessment of Need for Children.

Launching the report, Deputy Kathleen Funchion, Cathaoirleach of the Committee said “This report is a result of our Committee examining the Ombudsman for Children’s report entitled ‘Unmet Needs’ which details the challenges faced by children in Ireland who require an assessment of their needs and supports and interventions that flow from that assessment.”

Deputy Funchion said “It became clear during the Committee’s deliberations that the same problems have existed for over a decade. They have been consistently highlighted by those working in the sector and by parents. Successful solutions have either not been found or else not been implemented. The damage done to children and their families is enormous.”

The Deputy added “The Committee wish to assure both children and adults with disabilities, parents, carers and those working in the sector that the publication of this report does not mark an end to its consideration of these issues. The Committee will be watching closely to see what next steps are taken and will continue to do what it can to highlight the issues and make constructive recommendations.”

Read the full Report

Some of the key recommendations include:

Input from disabled people, families, carers and therapists should be central to the design of any new procedures for carrying out assessments of needs.

Input from disabled people, families, carers and therapists should be central to the work of the National Clinical Programme for People with Disabilities generally.  

The Disability Act and ESPEN Act must be reviewed in tandem and under specific conditions, as detailed in the report. There should be no dilution of rights on foot of its reform.

The recruitment process for hiring staff involved in providing interventions and assessments must reformed to ensure a quicker, more efficient system.

The panel-based system of recruitment should be replaced with a new system, which should be developed by working in conjunction with health and social care professionals. This should not impact on or pause hiring in the meantime.

The audit of Progressing Disability Services must begin now and report back in quarter one of 2023. Independent experts must be involved. It should report to the Minister of State for Disability, the Minister for Health, an Taoiseach and the Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth simultaneously.

Student therapists must receive remuneration for their internship and placement work.

The Progressing Disability Services audit should assess how the National Clinical Programme for People with Disabilities is working, including analysing how many people with lived experience of having a disability are involved, whether that amount is enough, and whether they are being enabled to provide meaningful input into the relevant fora and policies.

The UNCRPD Optional Protocol should be ratified without any further delay.

The UNCRC should be incorporated into domestic law as a matter of priority.

Read more about the work carried out by The Joint Committee on Children,Equality, Disability, Integration & Youth