James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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91. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to detail the speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and behaviour therapy supports which have been put in place to support Waterford primary schools from 2021 to 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40437/24]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Since 2021 the Government has sought to reinstate the pre-existing on-site health and social care supports to special schools. Between 2021 and 2022 the Government provided funding for the reinstatement of 223 posts that had been historically provided. While some services have been reinstated it is acknowledged that progress has been affected by the shortage of health and social care professionals.

Supporting the provision of appropriate education for children with additional needs is a key priority for the Department of Education. While the provision of therapies for those with disabilities is the responsibility of my colleague, Minister Rabbitte and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, I am very keen, as Minister for Special Education, to ensure that all children have access to the right supports at the right time.

For that reason, on 20 June last and in conjunction with Minister Foley, I announced the establishment of the Educational Therapy Support Service, a nationally available service designed to build the capacity of teachers (and other school personnel as relevant) to provide as effectively as possible for the needs of students. This will mean that therapists will work in classrooms with teachers to provide, for example, language programmes which have been co-designed by teachers and speech and language therapists.

The overarching purpose of the ETSS will be to improve learning outcomes for students, ensure teachers are better equipped to support all students and reduce the demand for additional resources in schools including applications for additional SNAs.

The establishment of the Educational Therapy Support Service (ETSS) within the National Council for Special Education will see the commencement of a nationally available therapy service in schools. The ETSS is designed to build the capacity of teachers (and other school personnel as relevant) to provide as effectively as possible for the needs of students. This will mean that therapists will work in classrooms with teachers to provide, for example, language programmes which have been co-designed by teachers and speech and language therapists.

The service will be available to schools, initially, in the NCSE’s Western and Eastern regions and it is intended to scale the service as more therapists are appointed to the service.

The expansion of therapy services within the NCSE is expected to build on the achievements and impacts of the in-school therapy supports services in the School Inclusion Model or ‘SIM’ pilot programme. SIM provided speech and language and occupational therapists with an opportunity to systematically build the capacity of school communities to meet the needs of students.

Data collected in SIM Pilot Schools in 2022 reported positive outcomes in the areas of teaching confidence, changes to practice, the learning environment and student educational outcomes. In line with international educational research, it is anticipated that positive intervention outcomes reported in the areas of academic achievement and independence will continue to have long term positive impact on other educational outcomes including student well-being, attendance, and end of school outcomes.

ETSS therapists will work with teachers in schools to collaboratively design and deliver educationally relevant interventions. They will also work in partnership with school communities, NCSE colleagues and where appropriate NEPS and HSE professionals to promote the participation and inclusion of all students and particularly those with special education needs across all levels of a multi-tiered system of support, providing individualised/intensive educational support for students with the greatest level of need. The NCSE will maintain oversight of clinical governance and professional development requirements of all therapists. The model of service is designed to be complementary to that provided by the HSE and should, over time, facilitate the HSE to target its resources at those with the greatest clinical needs.

The ETSS will also see the appointment of Behaviour Practitioners in the NCSE on a permanent basis, who will support schools to promote engagement and participation for all students. Their scope of work will be defined by NCSE Relate, a behaviour resource launching later in the year.