Written answers

Wednesday, 14 January 2015

Department of Education and Skills

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Photo of Joe CareyJoe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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771. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will report on advances her Department has made with respect to policy on physical restraint intervention from a health and safety perspective as it pertains to primary schools especially those that run an ASD unit in parallel; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49641/14]

Photo of Jan O'SullivanJan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the well-being and safety of children should be at the centre of all policy and practices in schools.

The Board of Management of each school is responsible for the care and safety of all of the pupils in their school and is required to prepare a code of behaviour in accordance with Section 23 of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000.

Section 23 (4) of the Act states that the principal of a recognised school shall, before registering a child as a student at that school, provide the parents of such child with a copy of the school's code of behaviour.

Schools may seek advice from their local National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) psychologist, from their NCSE Special Educational Needs Organiser, or from the National Behavioural Support Services, as to how children with behavioural needs can best be supported in school.

Published guidelines which are available to schools include Supporting Students with Behavioural, Emotional, and Social difficulties, which is available on the Department's website www.education.ie; the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) guidelines for schools on Developing a Code of Behaviour and the National Educational Psychological Services document Behavioural Emotional and Social Difficulties- a Continuum of Support: Guidelines for Teachers.

Finally, I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department, through the Special Education Support Service (SESS), provides continuing professional development (CPD) for teachers working with students with special educational needs, including training for teachers in the area of Challenging Behaviour and Autism.

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