AQW 42422/22-27
Miss Nuala McAllister
Alliance Party
North Belfast
Tabled Date: 12/03/2026
Answered On Date: 08/05/2026
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail any steps his Department and the Health and Social Care Trusts are taking to communicate with families who are awaiting respite provision, or waiting to have their assessed respite provision hours met.
Answer:
The five Health and Social Care Trusts have provided the below responses: Belfast HSC Trust (BHSCT): Once an assessment of need is completed by the Children with Disability Service, any request for respite is presented to the BHSCT Allocation and Resource Panel. If approved, families are provided with support to establish and review respite options through their social worker or family support worker within the Community Social Work Team. Respite options can vary dependent on the specific family circumstances. Respite can include in house services such as the Children’s In Reach Support Service, day respite support through contracted services, such as Kids Together and 174 Trust, and/or overnight respite support via Trust/ contracted services facilities. Families are also supported using direct payments to access respite support for community services and/or personal assistants. If families are placed on a waiting list for any overnight respite provision, regular communication is maintained with the family through their social worker and other support services involved with the family. Overnight respite provision is often one part of a combination of services and supports being provided to a family. These can be, but not exclusive to. Social Work Support Children Nursing Learning Disability Service Carers Support Service. Workshops/Training Day Short Breaks Direct Payments Financial Support Community and Voluntary Services Advocacy Support. The assessed need for overnight respite provision and any supports provided to families, remains under review in partnership with families. Northern HSC Trust (NHSCT): Northern HSC Trust (NHSCT) have communicated with families via written correspondence advising of the challenges associated with respite. Families are offered where appropriate alternative forms of support through SDC framework such as Direct Payments, alternative Trust led resources (i.e. Summer Schemes, Sharing The Care Day Respite Supports to include Saturday Club), and access to commissioned services where appropriate through voluntary and community partnerships (e.g. Cedar Foundation). Northern HSC Trust also initiated cash grants to parents of children previously on waiting list for respite / or in receipt of Direct Payments. The NHSCT has just processed updated communication regarding: ongoing limited capacity in respite provision and a further cash grant support. Families of children on waiting list for respite will also be known to the local Children with Disability Social Work Service, who will continue to assess and update parents in terms of progressing the waiting list. South Eastern HSC Trust (SEHSCT): Children’s Disability Service’s work with children within the context of family support, child protection or looked after children processes. Each of the different engagement processes involve both the assessment and review of the families and children’s needs. Should families have an identified need for either residential or community short breaks this will be conveyed to the families on a regular basis within the established review processes. South Eastern HSC Trust has also had a number of public community engagements detailing the progress in relation to service development arising from the ministerial investment. The SEHSCT’s Children’s Disability Service is planning a further public consultation during the summer of 2026 to engage with the community in relation to service developments arising from the ministerial investment, as well as detailing future service developmental priorities - particularly in relation to residential, community, fostering and short breaks. Southern HSC Trust (SHSCT): Allocated Social Workers have ongoing contact with families to review support plans and provide other services where possible. Social Workers will also escalate any concerns and/or deterioration in family circumstances to senior management. The social work service strives to maintain contact with families, and if assessed as meeting the criteria for short breaks (respite provision), the family will be kept informed regarding potential timeframe, and based on assessment of need, additional supports will be explored. Western HSC Trust (WHSCT): The Western HSC Trust recognises the importance of respite and short break services for children with disabilities and their families. Due to current service pressures, short break residential provision is currently closed for new admissions, which has resulted in unmet need for some families. Families awaiting respite provision, or whose assessed respite hours cannot currently be met, are being kept informed through contact with their allocated social worker. In addition, parent engagement workshops were held during the week beginning 17th February in Derry/Londonderry, Omagh and Enniskillen led by the Head of Service for Children’s Disability. These sessions provided families with an update on the current position regarding Short Break provision and an opportunity to raise questions and concerns directly. Where families have been assessed as requiring a residential short break, and this cannot currently be provided, the Trust is offering Direct Payments to support families to arrange alternative respite. The Western HSC Trust is also progressing the development of a Short Break Fostering Service, which will provide additional respite options and greater choice for families in the future.
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