Dr. Michelle Kelly:

Yes. In terms of the delivery of the service in general, many of our colleagues already consult with the HSE but there is no clear definition of what the qualifications of the individual should be. It is worth noting that there is a certain level of qualification. The majority of people who work as behaviour analysts or provide behavioural support have completed a masters in behavioural analysis. There are four courses across the island of Ireland in Trinity College, University College Galway, the University of Ulster and in Queen's University. Those individuals have a certain level of training and qualification but the regulation piece is missing. Companies and the HSE have contacted us saying that they want to hire behavioural support individuals but they do not know what pay scale to use. We have all of these concerns and issues. I agree that regulation would help to streamline all of that. Regulation would ensure safety and ethical practice. Practitioners must reach a certain standard for their own practice but regulation would ensure things like ease of access to roles within the HSE or the education system, where behavioural analysts are needed the most. Behavioural support provision is not for everybody but those who really do need it should be able to access it more easily than they can now.