AQW 28111/22-27

Mrs Michelle Guy
Alliance Party
Lagan Valley

Tabled Date: 03/06/2025
Answered On Date: 10/06/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to detail why the Education Authority's Special Educational Needs Digital Request for Involvement Portal is currently closed to new referrals.

Answer:

The Education Authority (EA) has advised that:

The Request for Involvement Portal closed for new requests at 4pm on 16 May 2025 and will re-open in Term 1/September 2025. The portal was closed to allow support packages for referred children and young people to be completed by the end of June 2025. This will also facilitate transitioning the system architecture from the current Special Educational Needs and Disability service destinations to the 28 new Local IMPACT Team destinations for September 2025.

Those requests where support has been recommended but could not commence before the end of June will be supported in the next academic year.

In the case of critical situations, Special Educational Needs Coordinators and schools have been provided with an alternative contact method to access support.