AQW 33484/22-27


Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford


Tabled Date: 14/10/2025
Answered On Date: 27/10/2025
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to detail the current roles within each of the Education Authority's local IMPACT teams, including a breakdown of (i) each specific job role; (ii) the number of each role within a team; and (iii) current vacancies for these roles.


Answer:
The Education Authority (EA) has advised that:
Each school age Local Impact Team (LIT) needs to be able to deploy Teacher grade specialist staff across each of the following specialisms: Cognition & Learning (C&L), Language & Communication (L&C), Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Post-Primary Social Behavioural and Emotional Wellbeing (PPSBEW) and Primary Social Behavioural and Emotional Wellbeing (PPSBEW). Each Early Years Local IMPACT Teams needs to be able to deploy at least four Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Early Years specialist Teachers.
The formation of the 28 LITs had to respect the existing contractual terms and conditions of the staff coming from eight different services placing some limitations on the geographic area which staff could work across. As a result, the number of each job role within a LIT currently varies.
The below table details the distribution of existing Teacher grade staff by specialism across all 28 LITs as of 30 September 2025. In addition to the below, a further seven FTE SBEW Assistant Advisory Officers are deployed flexibly across the LIT areas to carry caseload as required.
LITS / Specialism
ASD
C & L
L & C
PSBEW
PPSBEW
Total FTE
NHSCT
1. Antrim
1.8
4.6
1.0
1.16
0.4
8.96
2. Ballymena, Larne
0.6
6.0
0.8
0.4
0.97
8.77
3. Coleraine, Glens
0.6
6.2
0.8
2.4
0.5
10.5
4. Cookstown, Magherafelt
1.8
6.6
0.8
1.0
0.1
10.3
5. Newtownabbey
2.0
5.0
1.0
1.4
2.4
11.8
BHSCT
6. Belfast East
0
1.4
1.0
0
2.6
5.0
7. Belfast North
1.0
1.0
0
0.32
1.4
3.72
8. Belfast South-west
2.0
2.4
1.0
0.4
1.2
7.0
9. Belfast West
1.0
3.8
0
1.4
1.12
7.32
SEHSCT
10. Ballynahinch, Downpatrick
3.0
3.4
0
0
0
6.4
11. Bangor, Ards
1.0
5.0
1.0
1.6
1.0
9.6
12. Lisburn
1.6
1.6
0
1.0
1.0
5.2
SHSCT
13. Armagh
1.0
5.7
1.0
0
0.6
8.3
14. Craigavon, Portadown, Lurgan
2.0
5.4
0.8
0.8
0
9.0
15. Dungannon
1.0
5.6
0
0
0
6.6
16. Newry
2.0
5.6
1.0
1.4
0
10.0
WHSCT
17. Derry City
1.0
3.0
1.0
4.84
2.2
12.04
18. Enniskillen
0
3.8
0.6
0
1.0
5.4
19. Omagh
2.0
7.2
0.6
1.4
0.8
12.0
20. Waterside, Limavady, Dungiven
1.0
5.2
0.8
1.3
0.4
8.7
School Age Total (FTE)
26.4
88.5
13.2
20.82
17.69
166.61
Early Years
1. EYBHSCT
3.0
2.0
0
0
0
5.0
2. EYNHSCT East
1.0
3.0
1.0
0
0
5.0
3. EYNHSCT West
1.0
2.8
0
0
0
3.8
4. EYSEHSCT
1.0
3.0
1.0
0
0
5.0
5. EYSHSCT East
0
2.86
0.6
0
0
3.46
6. EYSHSCT West
0
4.4
0
0
0
4.4
7. EYWHSCT North
0.8
2.6
0
0
0
3.4
8. EYWHSCT South
0.8
2.4
0
0
0
3.2
Early Years Total (FTE)
7.6
23.06
2.6
0
0
33.26
Grand Total (FTE)
34.0
111.56
15.8
20.82
17.69
199.87
A total of 29.4 FTE Teacher grade specialist posts are currently authorised for recruitment.