AQW 35523/22-27

Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 14/11/2025
Answered On Date: 20/11/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education, pursuant to AQW 27511/22-27, to detail whether any further consideration has been given to undertaking a review of the effectiveness of the Education Authority's Specialist Settings Support Team, as recommended in the November 2024 Education and Training Inspectorate report on Specialist Provision in Mainstream Schools.

Answer:

The Education Authority has advised that:

The Specialist Provisions’ Service (previously named SSST) is currently subject to a full audit. All information has been submitted to EA Internal Audit and Assurance in Nov 2025 and the Service awaits the final audit report.

The audit focused on the effectiveness of the service in key areas, including:

1.Training Programme Development

2.Programme Design

3.Monitoring and Feedback

4.Record Keeping

5.Performance Measurement

Please note that support from the service has also, from this academic year, been extended to include all Specialist Provisions (including legacy) as recommended in the November 2024 Education and Training Inspectorate report on Specialist Provision in Mainstream Schools.