Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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336. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there are plans to draw up a fully-costed plan for the provision of therapeutic supports within schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45704/22]

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 evaluated over the course of the 2018/19 school year and this was positively evaluated.

In February 2019, the Government approved the trialling of the Model for the 2019/20 school year. Initially designed as a one year pilot involving up to 75 participating schools in the CH07 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 Taoiseach, Heath and Children.

In relation to psychological therapeutic supports, the provision of child and adolescent mental health services lies specifically within the remit of the Department of Health and the HSE. HSE Primary Care Psychology Services and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) provide a range of clinical support to children and young people with mental health needs. However, the Department of Education also plays an important role 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. The approach set out in the Wellbeing Policy is a whole school and preventative approach which has multiple components that include providing children and young people with opportunities to build core social and emotional skills and competencies, experience supportive relationships within the school setting and be part of a school environment and culture that feels both physically and psychologically safe.

It is important that all children and young people feel a sense of belonging and connectedness, that their voice is heard, and they feel supported. Schools are encouraged to use a reflective, school self-evaluation approach to identify and prioritise the needs of its own school community in relation to the promotion of wellbeing and mental health, and to respond to meeting those needs. Embedded in the whole-school approach is the recognition that members of the school community may have different needs at different times and that a continuum of support in relation to wellbeing should be made available.

A broad range of supports, resources and professional learning opportunities are being provided to support schools to promote and support wellbeing and resilience. My Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides a comprehensive psychological service to all primary and post primary schools. NEPS is a school-based service which means that all its psychologists work in schools with children, young people, teachers and parents, and are involved with school-related work, every day. The NEPS psychologist provides a range of services that may include supporting the wellbeing and inclusion of an individual pupil, through assessment and intervention. NEPS supports approximately 8000 individual children annually through this type of work. NEPS work also supports teachers in their work through providing professional learning opportunities, such as about trauma informed approaches, supporting autistic children, or delivering the Friends for Life programmes to help reduce anxiety. NEPS supports an estimated 25,000 teachers annually in this way.

The Department – through NEPS, Student Support Teams, Guidance Counsellors and other services - will also continue to signpost schools and students to the HSE/HSE-funded e-mental health services. The Department has built strong links with the Department of Health and both Departments are exploring ways to improve supports for young people, including around increased awareness, promoting help-seeking behaviour and sign-posting to the wide range of available services.

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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337. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will support the provision of comprehensive, rights-based training for teachers and SNAs which focuses on understanding the child as an individual and the supports that they require to access their rights (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45705/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides a wide range of supports to all schools to ensure that all students have their educational needs met, to support the inclusion of all students, and to address barriers to students achieving their potential.

The Primary School Curriculum (1999) provides the following vision for primary education under the sub-heading ‘The uniqueness of the child’:

The Primary School Curriculum celebrates the uniqueness of the child, as it is expressed in each child’s personality, intelligence and potential for development. It is designed to nurture the child in all dimensions of his or her life—spiritual, moral, cognitive, emotional, imaginative, aesthetic, social and physical. The curriculum recognises the integrity of the child’s life as a child and aims to cater for his or her needs and potential as they evolve day by day. By meeting these needs, the curriculum enriches the child’s life and the foundations are laid for happiness and fulfilment in later education and in adult life. (DES, 1999, p. 6)

In 2020 the Teaching Council published Céim: Standards for Initial Teacher Education to support the development of student teachers to provide for the learning needs of all pupils.Céím: Standards for Initial Teacher Education outlines Inclusive Education as a core element that underpins all aspects of the ITE programme, and the student teachers must demonstrate an understanding of inclusive education through reflection on their professional learning and practice, as appropriate to their stage of learning.

All new and existing programmes of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) will be aligned with Céim.

All Continuous Professional Development(CPD) opportunities and supporting frameworks included in Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) suite of teacher professional development supports prioritise the pupil/student as learner at the centre of its key messages, participant outcomes and associated activities. This mirrors that message which is evident within key governmental and Department of Education documents and strategies.

In addition to the above, currently within the primary context, teacher professional learning opportunities draw a lens to curricular reform which further centralises the rights of the child.

The Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme is designed to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs. 

SNAs are recruited specifically to assist in the care needs of pupils with disabilities in an educational context. The classroom teacher is responsible for educating all pupils in his/her class, including any pupil with a special educational need, and for the progress and care of all pupils.

When a pupil with significant and complex care needs has access to support from a SNA the classroom teacher will work closely with the SNA. However the class teacher continues to have primary responsibility for teaching and learning and for the social and emotional development and progress of the pupil.

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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338. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on the review of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45706/22]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, as announced in December 2021, I have sought a review of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act, 2004, which provides for the education of children aged under 18 years with special educational needs. The EPSEN Act 2004, is now in place for more than 18 years and there have been many significant changes and developments to policy relating to the education of children with special needs in that time.

The purpose of the review is to ensure that legislation on education for students with additional needs is up-to-date, fully operational, and reflective of the lived experiences of students and families.

A number of steps have been taken by my Department in relation to this important review of legislation. Establishment of a Steering Group, Working Group and Advisory Group have been completed and the all groups have held initial meetings.

A full stakeholder engagement took place on the 21st June last, to discuss concerns and proposals in relation to this review, which was very positive. A large amount of work has occurred over the summer months to prepare categories of public surveys and a consultation paper to inform members of the public of the review. It is intended to launch the public survey within the coming weeks. Focus groups will be organised at the conclusion of the public survey to explore key themes that arise as result of the survey analysis.

In depth engagement has also occurred with the NCSE in relation to specific research that shall assist with this review.

Open collaboration and consultation will be at the heart of the review and all stakeholders will be invited to engage with the process.

I wish to reassure the Deputy that the Government is committed to ensure that every child receives an education to help him/her achieve his/her potential. To this end, the state has made very significant investment in a range of education supports for these children. The state has also put in place a comprehensive legislative framework to protect and support the educational rights of these children and their families.

I wish to assure the Deputy that the purpose of the review is to ensure that there is an adequate legislative basis for the educational provision, both current and planned, for children with special educational needs in order to protect the interests of the children concerned and their families and those of the state.