AQW 21031/22-27


Miss Nuala McAllister
Alliance Party
North Belfast


Tabled Date: 21/01/2025
Answered On Date: 19/02/2025
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Health for a breakdown of how the £13 million multi-year funding for children’s respite services, announced in October 2024, will be spent by each Health and Social Care Trust.


Answer:
On 23 October 2024, I was pleased to be able to approve additional regional funding for the Children with Disability service across all HSC Trusts of up to £13m a year in multi-year funding, including up to £2m for the rest of the current financial year.
It is intended that this additional funding will assist with increasing short breaks capacity and expanding family, therapeutic and behavioural supports in the community across all HSC Trusts.
In terms of the distribution of funding this has been agreed that it would be split per a capitation model based on population size.
At this time, the DoH SPPG has reviewed Trusts Prioritisation Proposals, in terms of their proposed Action plans to assist with alleviating some of the pressures experienced within the Children with Disability Service.
Each Trust is currently in the process of working with the DoH SPPG to complete the Business Cases for the Final Prioritisation Proposals, in order to allow the allocation of funding.
My Department and HSC Trusts continue to work collaboratively in terms of progressing matters.
In relation to the short-term action plans – there are various initiatives across multiple Trusts to improve family and community support services for Children with Disability, enhance short break provision and expand targeted care programs. Collectively, Trusts aim to meet the short-term priorities, such as increasing short break provision and delivering tailored family support services. In addition, the Trusts do have plans to increase contracts with a range of voluntary and community services to provide additional family support, or breaks from caring through youth club type provision, after school clubs and enhanced opportunities for socialisation and personal development.
Until the procurement process is completed and matters finalised – it would not be appropriate to provide all detail regarding the proposed organisations that the Trusts intend to use to provide support.