AQW 20698/22-27

Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 16/01/2025
Answered On Date: 28/01/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education when the formulation of information sharing with the Department of Health and the Department for the Economy in relation to supporting children's educational journeys will be complete.

Answer:

On 13 January 2025, I announced my programme for reforming the provision of support for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and intend to bring the SEN Reform Agenda and Delivery Plan to the Education Committee in the coming weeks.

The SEN Reform Agenda will introduce agreed data-sharing arrangements between my department, and the departments for Health, Economy and Communities as part of a number of actions within the five year Delivery Plan.

In the interim, officials from my department will continue to work with colleagues across the departments to identify improvements and synergies to create better ways of working and sharing of information.

The capturing of data to monitor improved outcomes for children and young people with SEN will be critical and I will be engaging with Executive colleagues to formalise a more comprehensive, coordinated approach to sharing information once this work has progressed.