AQW 27272/17-22

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 13/12/2021
Answered On Date: 09/02/2022
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health what steps he is taking to ensure school leavers with special educational needs are able to access, and be provided travel to, follow-on day-care facilities in an area close to that in which they attended school.

Answer:

School leavers are identified in advance of them reaching transition age so that an assessment of need can be undertaken to ensure that care and supports plan are put in place. The Transition Officer from Adult Learning Disability discusses the range of options and refers each school leaver on to their chosen pathway. This may be a Trust Arranged Service, which includes Day Care facilities. In the main, Day Care is able to accommodate most of the requests made, where needs will be met as identified within the care and support plans. However, the Trust has seen an increasing need and demand for bespoke, individualized day care provision that can respond to those young people who present with behaviours that challenge.

Transport for day care, which is defined as being delivered in day centres, is provided by the Trust in line with assessed need.

Service users receiving day opportunities will independently access transport in line with the ethos of this model. The Trust will signpost individuals to community providers where there is not a family support network in place.