Brendan Smith backs therapy assistants to reduce children's delays

Thank you very much, Cancord. As I mentioned earlier, Minister, I have tabled this parliamentary question in the context of shortage of occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and physiotherapists, and my concerns about the delays in children getting assessments and follow-up treatment. I understand that in Britain, much more extensive use is made of therapy assistance, not just in general hospitals, but in the provision of services for children with a disability as well. I also understand that our colleges of further education provide necessary courses, to enable people to gain those necessary skills, or to upskill. Thank you, Deputy Minister, please. I would hope that the Minister could... Thank you, Minister. Thank you very much, Deputy, for giving me the chance to answer this particular question. You're quite right. Therapy assistance work with and report to therapy managers, children's disability network managers, and work under the supervision and direction of nominated supervisors, as appropriate to the healthcare area and role. While a FETEC level 5 qualification or equivalent qualification from another jurisdiction is desirable, some staff are employed in therapy assistant roles and are undertaking further training to develop therapy assistance skills and a FETEC level 5 qualification. And as part of the ongoing development of the team, all staff, including healthcare and therapy assistants, should participate in ongoing training and development. Within the HSE services, there are many staff that benefit from education and training from on-the-job and HSE courses. So, in relation to the question you've asked me there, absolutely, there's total and utter opportunities for care assistants, therapy assistants, to make up the complement of the teams within the disability network teams. In actual fact, what we want to do within our disability network teams is create a pathway for employment and career progression, and training people as well on the job, coming in at a base level. That it doesn't always have to be that senior clinician post. There is actually various opportunities right along the way, and therapy assistant post is one of them for under consideration. Thank you. Thank you. I very much welcome your response, because you will recall that in a meeting that I attended, along with other colleagues, with yourself, with the Kavan Monaghan Parents Committee, one of the very strong demands that they outlined that day was the need for us, due to the shortage of therapists, that the HSE implied therapy assistance, and Minister, you took it upon yourself at that meeting that you would follow up on this particular matter, and I'm very glad that you're indicating to us here tonight that there will be that there will be progress, and the additional services will be provided. Again, I cannot emphasise enough the desire of all of us to ensure that delays are eliminated in children getting assessments and getting follow-up treatment. Minister, that day, and in meetings in County Kavanagh Monaghan as well, you listened to the passion and the concern and the worry of so many parents, parents who are doing everything possible to give the best possible chance chance to children with a disability, and sadly today, too many children don't get their appropriate school setting because of delays and getting assessments and treatment, so hopefully that could be reversed. Thank you very much Deputy, and as I say again, it is a whole of Department of Health response here, and I'm ably supported by Minister Donnelly and Minister Butler in trying to find those solutions, and putting proposals to the Department of Health, putting proposals to the HSE, to take on board, and that's why we would have met with Paul Reid a number of weeks back, as in trying to redesign the PDS, that transition piece, the gaps that are there, trying to work it all out, as to the various complements to ensure that children get a timely access to service, and get a timely access to assessment, and most importantly, that intervention, and having the proper clinical oversight, and supporting the therapist, therapist, assistant levels, whether it be in psychology, whether it be in OTE, or in physio, so we're totally open to that. Thank you very much. Again, I thank the Minister. Minister, you mentioned in your introductory answer, you referred to on-the-job learning, continuous training, up-skilling, and I very much welcome that, because there are a huge amount of very talented people within the General Health Service, who could benefit from up-skilling and on-the-job training, and who would be able then to provide additional services to people, and enhance the overall delivery of services. So, I think that would be a win for everybody, and particularly for the people who need the services, and they are the most important people in the discussions we have here tonight, both with Minister Donnelly and yourself. Thank you. I can call that. Thank you, Deputy. Thank you, Deputy. Deputy, what I have to say to you here is there is a clear desire within Government to ensure that all our teams are filled. There is a clear desire within your colleagues here within Government to ensure to attract as many staff into the service as possible, and it should not be just in urban areas. In urban areas, we need to ensure that we can get staff out to rural areas. So, by creating a career pathway, ensuring that people have the abilities to engage with these teams, support the families, and most importantly, deliver intervention, that's what we want to achieve. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.