Written answers

Thursday, 29 March 2018

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Departmental Staff Training

Photo of Willie O'DeaWillie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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426. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if all Intreo staff have received disability awareness training; the estimated cost of training staff which have not yet undergone such training; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14746/18]

Photo of Regina DohertyRegina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection fully recognises the need to support staff and promote disability awareness and has been very proactive in the provision of training and supports in this area in recent years, with a very positive response from staff.

The Department supports its staff by offering a suite of disability awareness training including Mental Health and Deaf Awareness, Dealing with Blind Customers and general Disability Awareness. The Department also offers courses in SafeTALK suicide awareness, ASIST suicide prevention and Stress Awareness. These are available to all staff in the Department, including staff in Intreo Centres. Since 2013, over 2,900 staff have attended training courses in these areas. In addition, e-learning courses developed for front line public servants by the National Disability Authority (NDA) and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) are freely available online to all staff via the Department’s Staff Development intranet site. Bespoke, ad hoc training can also be procured where required utilising an External Training Budget.

In conjunction with Mental Health Ireland (MHI) and the Civil Service Employee Assistance Service (CSEAS), Mental Health Awareness workshops have been held in a variety of locations since 2013. The workshops provided tools and strategies to enhance mental health and well-being, increase awareness and understanding, and promote the range of formal and informal supports and resources available.

My Department has a dedicated Disability Liaison Officer (DLO) to support our staff with disabilities and their managers. The DLO offers support and promotes awareness of disability issues and services amongst staff, while also facilitating the Department’s active participation in the Irish Association for Supported Employment’s Job Shadow Initiative and AHEAD's Willing Able Mentoring Programme. This Officer has attended AsIAm Public Sector Training Programme on Autism-Friendly Practices, NDA Seminar on “Alternative & Inclusive Routes to Employment for People with Disabilities” and NCBI Seminar on “Bridging the Information Gap” and has disseminated information from these sources to Departmental staff. The Department also provides translation, interpretive and Irish Sign Language services as required and is committed to the provision of information in alternative formats where feasible, as outlined in our Customer Charter.

Induction and Orientation training highlights the range of Departmental supports and grant-aid available for both staff and clients with disabilities. These include employment supports for jobseekers with disabilities such as the Wage Subsidy Scheme, EmployAbility Services and the Reasonable Accommodation Fund, in addition to the Civil Service Employee Assistance Service (CSEAS).

During 2016, in the context of Departmental commitments under Pathways to Work 2016-2020 to extend and intensify proactive engagement with people with a disability, 67 dedicated Case Officers were nominated across the Intreo network. My Department’s Staff Development Unit provided a Disability Awareness Seminar in March 2016 for these Case Officers, with speakers from the National Disability Authority and Epilepsy Ireland. This was supplemented by tailored instructor-led training nationally in Employment Supports for People with Disabilities and this curriculum is now incorporated as standard into an accredited programme for Case Officers, Level 8 Certificate in Professional Practice in Employability Services, in conjunction with the National College of Ireland (NCI).

Ongoing liaison, via the Department’s Disability & Illness Policy Unit, with the National Disability Authority (NDA) and the Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI) ensures that information on relevant events and seminars is communicated to Departmental staff.

The Department will continue with its extensive training and awareness in this area. It is estimated that the cost of providing disability awareness training to all staff in Intreo Centres in the Department would be approximately €90,000.

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