AQW 41808/22-27

Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 04/03/2026
Answered On Date: 20/03/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail any engagement he has had with the Department of Education in relation to the draft We Matter Learning Disability Service Model For Northern Ireland.

Answer:

Officials in my department have engaged with a range of stakeholders during the development of the draft ‘We Matter’ Learning Disability Service Model (LDSM) and associated Service Delivery Plan (SDP), including engagement with the Department of Education (DE) relevant to the role of education services.

In particular, work relating to transitions from children’s services and education settings into adult Learning Disability services has involved engagement with education stakeholders to help inform policy development. Effective transitions require engagement and co-ordination between health, education and other services to support young people with a Learning Disability as they move from school into adult life.

The public consultation on the draft LDSM and SDP closed on 25 November 2025 and my officials are currently analysing the responses received. Engagement with other relevant Departments, including DE, will continue as part of the process to refine and finalise the Model and to support consideration of its future implementation.