Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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62. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to reinstate and expand the in-school and early years therapy support demonstration project in view of the fact that referrals to CAMHS and other mental health services have risen by 40% for primary school pupils as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34908/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The School Inclusion Model (SIM) is based on policy advice from the National Council for Special Education based on the principle of providing the right support at the right time delivered by a range of personnel with relevant qualifications and skill-sets. Its purpose is to help students achieve better outcomes. Independent evaluation is a central part of the project and the outcome will inform future policy on extending the SIM. The project includes a number of elements:

- Provision of in-school therapies (speech and language, occupational)

- Allocation of SNAs on a frontloaded basis

- Training of SNAs

A demonstration project to provide in-school and pre-school therapy services took place over the course of the 2018/19 school year.

The project was developed by the Department, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Department of Health, and the Health Service Executive and managed and co-ordinated by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).

The purpose of the project was to test a model of tailored therapeutic supports by providing speech and language and occupational therapy within ‘educational settings’. This innovative pilot complemented existing HSE funded provision of essential therapy services. 

The project took place in the Health Service Executive (HSE) Community Healthcare Organisation (CHO) 7 Region of South West Dublin, Kildare and West Wicklow. 75 schools (of which includes 22 schools that are in the DEIS programme), including a representative sample of primary, post-primary, and special schools took part. 75 pre-school settings associated with primary schools participating in the project were included. In total 150 settings participated in the demonstration project.

Children who require speech and language therapy services on a one-to-one basis continue to access services from the Health Service Executive. The in-school therapy model was designed to supplement, not to replace existing services.

The aim of the Demonstration Project was to design a therapeutic support model for the school setting that would lead to better outcomes for the children.  It involved the development of a continuum of support, specialist, targeted and universal supports, in line with best practice for students.   

The project was positively evaluated over the course of the 2018/19 school year.

In February 2019, the Government approved the trialing of the Model for the 2019/20 school year. Initially designed as a one year pilot involving up to 75 participating schools in the CHO 7 region, it was interrupted by Covid-19 with the closure of schools and the diversion of HSE therapists from the project to Covid-19 related work. It was then extended to the 2020/21 school year which has also been interrupted by Covid-19.

Progress has been made on aspects of the Model but much remains to be done in terms of in-school implementation and evaluation. 

The Pilot has now recommenced in CHO7 and therapists are working within these schools and are providing ongoing support on a responsive basis to deliver therapy-based strategies and tools. Overall there is good engagement by the schools in CHO7. Planning for an expansion is underway. The Department is consulting with relevant Departments including the Department of An Taoiseach, Department of Health and the Department of  Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.

The provision of counselling and therapeutic services in Ireland for children and young people is led by the Department of Health, through HSE Primary Care Psychology for low to moderate mental health difficulties and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) for more severe mental health difficulties. My Department signposts schools and students to the HSE-funded mental health services. The Department of Education also has an important role to play in supporting the wellbeing and mental health of our young people. The Department’s Wellbeing Policy and Framework for practice has given recognition to the importance of promoting wellbeing in education.  It outlines a comprehensive, whole-school approach to the promotion of wellbeing and positive mental health. It focuses on the whole school community, as well as groups and individual young people with identified needs.

The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) of the Department provides a comprehensive, school-based psychological service to all primary and post primary schools through the application of psychological theory and practice to support the wellbeing, academic, social and emotional development of all learners. NEPS provides its service to schools through casework and through support and development work for schools. This includes guidance for teachers in the provision of universal and targeted evidence-informed approaches and early intervention to promote children’s wellbeing, social, emotional and academic development. Initiatives such as the Incredible Years Social Emotional learning Programmes and the FRIENDS Resilience Programmes. These programmes have been welcomed by schools and their impact positively evaluated. 

NEPS has developed a range of workshops on the promotion of wellbeing and resilience in schools which includes trauma informed approaches.  The approaches outlined in the workshops are based on research findings, on the experience of experts in their fields and on the experience of practising psychologists working in schools. The workshops are available to build the capability of school staff in both primary and post-primary settings, including for school leaders, teachers and SNAs.

I will continue to engage with my colleague Minister Butler who has responsibility for Mental Health to explore how to support the wellbeing and mental health of children and young people.