Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 December 2017
474. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the payroll costs, overhead costs, travel and subsistence costs and management costs for the Better Start access and inclusion model, AIM; the outputs from this model of delivery to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53004/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAIM supports children with disabilities to reap the full benefits of free pre-school education. Its goal is to empower pre-school providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience. AIM is a child-centred and evidence-based model, involving seven levels of progressive support, moving from the universal to the targeted, based on the needs of the child and the pre-school setting. AIM was launched in June 2016 and is administered by Pobal on behalf of my Department.
The oversight and delivery of all seven levels of AIM supports require input from staff across the Departments of Children and Youth Affairs, Education and Skills and Health and from a range of agencies/organisations (including City/County Childcare Committees (CCCs), Early Years Specialist Services, Health Services Executive, Mary Immaculate College Consortium, National Council for Special Education, National Disability Authority and Pobal). Many of these staff perform this role as part of their core work. Therefore, it is not possible to separate the AIM-related payroll, overhead, travel and subsistence and management costs from the core costs for many of these staff.
- €1.065m has been allocated to CCCs in 2017 for operational costs associated with AIM Levels 1 and 3 (An Inclusive Culture and Information for Parents and Providers). This allocation includes provision for payroll costs, overhead costs, travel and subsistence and management costs. The bulk of the allocation is to cover the cost of the national roll-out of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Training Programme, the roll-out of AIM information sessions and the provision of AIM-related supports (information or otherwise) to parents and providers.
- €5.890m has been allocated to Pobal in 2017 for operational costs associated with AIM Level 4 (Provision of Expert Early Years Educational Advice and Support). This allocation includes provision for payroll costs, overhead costs, travel and subsistence and management costs. The bulk of the allocation is to cover the cost of employing 60 (WTE) Early Years Specialists, 7 coordinators as well as providing management and administrative support.
- €1.736m has been allocated to Pobal in 2017 for operational costs associated with AIM Levels 1 (An Inclusive Culture), 5 (Equipment, Appliances and Minor Alteration Grants) and 7 (Additional Assistance in the Pre-School Room). The bulk of the allocation is to cover the cost of employing 17.1 (WTE) staff: 1 team leader, 5 coordinators, 7.1 (WTE) administrators and 4 support officers.
Some of the key AIM outputs to date across all seven levels of support include:
Level 1 (An Inclusive Culture)
- A new Inclusion Charter for the Early Years Sector has been developed and updated Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Guidelines have been published. A nationwide training programme on these Guidelines is currently being rolled out. By end November, a total of 203 courses on the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Training Programme have been completed by 2,554 pre-school practitioners from 1,500 pre-school settings. A further 26 courses will be completed by end 2017.
- A new higher education programme, Leadership for Inclusion for Early Years (LINC). 847 pre-school practitioners have graduated from the LINC Programme 2016/17 and 857 pre-school practitioners are participating on the LINC Programme 2017/2018.
- Graduates from the LINC Programme go on to work as Inclusion Coordinators in their pre-school setting. Pre-school settings employing an Inclusion Co-ordinator (who has graduated from LINC Programme and has agreed to take on the role and responsibilities of an Inclusion Coordinator) will receive an increase of €2 per child per week in the rate of ECCE capitation payable to that setting. By 12th December, 755 pre-school settings were approved for additional capitation under Level 1 (i.e. these settings have nominated Inclusions Coordinators in place).
Level 2 (Information for Parents and Providers)
- A dedicated AIM website has been developed (www.aim.gov.ie).
Level 3 (A Qualified and Confident Workforce)
- A baseline survey of existing qualifications and training supports has been completed to identify training needs and skills gaps among pre-school practitioners and a national programme of training supports has been agreed. The roll-out of the national programme of training supports will commence in 2018.
Level 4 (Provision of Expert Early Years Educational Advice and Support)
- For the 2016/2017 ECCE programme year, 2,530 applications were received for Level 4 support, of which 2,462 were approved. The Early Years Specialists made 7,900 visits to pre-school settings.
- For the 2017/2018 ECCE programme year (to date), 1,844 applications were received for Level 4 supports, of which 1,586 were approved. The Early Years Specialist have made 3,474 visits to date with a further 238 scheduled.
Level 5 (Equipment, Appliances and Minor Alteration Grants)
- For 2016/2017 ECCE Programme, 299 applications for equipment were received of which 221 were approved. A further 48 applications for minor alterations were received of which 32 were approved.
- For the 2017/2018 ECCE Programme (to date), 197 applications for equipment were received with 147 approved. A further 35 applications for minor alterations were received of which 22 were approved.
Level 6 (Therapeutic Intervention)
- For 2016/2017 ECCE Programme, 75 referrals were made to the HSE by the Early Years Specialist Service.
- For 2017/2018 ECCE Programme (to date), 17 referrals have been made to the HSE by the Early Years Specialist Service.
- HSE therapists also supported applications for AIM Levels 5 and 7.
Level 7 (Additional Assistance in the Pre-School Room)
- For 2016/2017 ECCE Programme, 2,555 applications for Level 7 support were received, of which 2,045 were approved.
- For 2017/2018 ECCE Programme (to date), 1,836 applications for Level 7 supports were received, of which 1,317 were approved. A further 738 applications rolled over from the 2016/2017 ECCE Programme Year, of which 652 were approved.
