In 2011, €10 million was allocated to address demography pressures in the following areas: day services, including services for young people leaving school and graduating from rehabilitative (Life Skills) training (RT); residential places; respite services; and personal assistance hours. The funding was allocated across the 4 Health Service Executive (HSE) regions based on their percentage of population.
HSE Region
|
Allocation 2011
|
No. of Day Places
|
No. of Residential
Places
|
No. of Residential Enhanced
Places
|
Personal Assistance Hours
|
No. of Respite
Service places
|
No. of Respite Centre
Places
|
DML
|
€2,838,000
|
158.00
|
6
|
0
|
7,339
|
0
|
0
|
DNE
|
€2,272,000
|
141.37
|
2
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
South
|
€2,559,000
|
82.92
|
9.26
|
3.357
|
8,276.86
|
3.3429
|
3.357
|
West
|
€2,331,000
|
132.00
|
6.27
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
Total
|
€10,000,000
|
514.29
|
23.53
|
6.357
|
15,616
|
3.3429
|
6.357
|
In 2012, disability services are required to cater for demographic pressures, such as new services for school leavers and emergency residential placements, from within their existing budgets.
Service providers and the HSE have come together under the auspices of National Consultative Forum to identify how the needs of young people leaving school or exiting RT this year can be responded to within available resources. Significant progress has been made and there are many excellent examples of collaborative working between providers, and between providers and the HSE, in responding innovatively to the needs of individuals. The HSE has received requests for 695 places for school leavers and 392 places in respect of RT graduates in 2012. To date 641 school leavers (92%) and 377 RT graduates (96%) have been accommodated with an appropriate service.
The health service as a whole has to operate within the parameters of funding available to it and given the current economic environment, this has become a major challenge for all stakeholders, including the HSE, voluntary service providers, services users and their families. HSE Managers and disability agencies continue to work collaboratively in identifying solutions for the remaining 54 school leavers and the 15 individuals progressing from RT who still require a suitable service.