Written Answers. - Intellectual Disability Services.
Richard Bruton
Ceist:
626
Mr. R. Bruton
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
if, in relation to the database of persons with an intellectual disability, he has been able to project needs in relation to psychologists, speech therapists and other specialist services necessary to support these children during their school going years; the extent to which there is a shortfall in current provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[2106/99]
The National Intellectual Disability Database is used to project overall service needs by providing information on the total number of people with a mental handicap, including children of schoolgoing age, and their main service requirements. The dataset in use at present provides information on a broad range of services as outlined in the following appendix of the codes for main day and residential services. The National Database Committee has now decided to add an additional code to the dataset in respect of multi-disciplinary support services for children and adults. This additional code will be in use from May next, once the 1999 export of data to the national database has been completed. However the demographic information already available from the database is of assistance both to the Department and the health boards in establishing, in general terms, an indication of the future demand for such services for this population group.
With regard to multi-disciplinary services provided by paramedical grades, following the strike in 1997 by certain paramedical groups, Labour Court Recommendation 15515 recommended the setting up of an expert group to look at issues which the court could not address at the time. In this context, my Department will be participating in a working group to look at issues of manpower planning in the paramedical grades. It is hoped that the group will be in a position to report later this year.
Responsibility for the provision of routine educational psychological assessments for school children is a matter in the first instance for the Department of Education and Science. As the psychological services provided by the Depart ment of Education and Science to primary schools are still in the development stage and are at present limited to a small number of schools, health boards currently provide some services for school children on behalf of the Department of Education and Science. The primary concern, however, of the health funded psychological services is to provide assessment and therapeutic treatment to children, adolescents and their families who present with a wide range of emotional, behavioural and psychological difficulties and developmental delay.
The Minister for Education and Science proposes, subject to Government approval, to establish a national educational psychological service to provide services for all primary and secondary schools. Fifteen additional psychologists were appointed last year. The development of this service will also assist the health funded psychological services to focus more closely the resources available to them on the areas of assessment and therapeutic treatment.
Appendix B
Day Programme
0.Not applicable.
1.No day service.
2.Home support.
5.Ordinary pre-school.
6.Special pre-school for intellectual disability.
7.Ordinary school.
8.Special class – primary level.
9.Special class – secondary level.
10.Special school.
11.Child Education and Development Centre (Programme for Children with Severe or Profound Intellectual Disability).
12.Generic vocational training (e.g. FÁS., Work Experience, VEC, CERT).
13.Special vocational training centre – such as short-term training.
14.Activation Centre/Adult Day Centre.
15.Programme for the Elderly.
16.Special high support day service (e.g. relating to challenging behaviour) less than 1:1 staff ratio.
17.Special intensive day service (e.g. relating to challenging behaviour) 1:1 staff ratio contact or greater.
*18.Sheltered work centre – may include long-term training schemes.
19.Sheltered employment centre (receives pay and pays PRSI).
20.Enclave with open employment.
21.Supported employment.
22.Open employment.
23.Other.
24.Resource Teacher.
25.Early Intervention Services.
26.Generic Day Services.
27.Home Help.
28.Annual Review.
Residential Circumstances
000.Not applicable.
100.No residential service.
101.At home, with both parents.
102.At home, with one parent.
103.At home, with sibling.
104.At home with relative.
105.Lives with non-relative (e.g. neighbour or family friend).
106.Adoption.
107.Foster Care (includes ‘boarding-out' arrangements).
108.Living independently.
109.Living semi-independently – maximum 2 hours supervision daily.
110.Vagrant or homeless.
115.5-day community group home – goes home for holidays.
120.7-day community group home – goes home for holidays.
125.7-day x 52-week community group home.
130.5-day village-type/residential centre – goes home for holidays.
140.7-day village-type/residential centre – goes home for holidays.
145.7-day x 52-week village-type/residential centre.
146.Nursing Home.
147.De-designated Unit.
170.Psychiatric Hospital.
171.Other intensive placement with special requirements due to challenging behaviour.
172.Other intensive placement with special requirements due to profound or multiple handicap.
173.Holiday residential placement.
174.Crisis and relief centre.
175.Occasional respite care with a host family in a scheme such as Home Sharing or Share-a-Break.
176.Shared care of guardianship (usually 5 or 7 days per week).
177.Regular part-time care – 2-3 days per week.
178.Regular part-time care – every weekend.
179.Regular part-time care – alternative weeks.
180.Other.
*Values 18-22 Distinguish between ‘employment' which has real wages appropriate to the work done and ‘work' for which real wages are not paid.
