Special needs plan hits capacity glitch
by Bernard Harbor
 
Under the education department’s plan, HSCPs have been tasked with ‘guiding and directing’ around 2,000 special needs assistants (SNAs) temporarily reallocated to the HSE.
Under the education department’s plan, HSCPs have been tasked with ‘guiding and directing’ around 2,000 special needs assistants (SNAs) temporarily reallocated to the HSE.

The Government’s proposed summer education programme for children with special educational needs cannot be delivered in full until issues over the availability of health and social care professionals (HSCPs) are resolved, according to Fórsa.

 

Under the education department’s plan, HSCPs have been tasked with ‘guiding and directing’ around 2,000 special needs assistants (SNAs) temporarily reallocated to the HSE.

 

But Fórsa says the HSE does not have enough staff to fulfil this new and additional role. The union is meeting HSE management on the issue today (Friday 26th June).

 

The head of Fórsa’s Health and Welfare Division, Éamonn Donnelly, said HSCPs wanted to play their part in ensuring that children with special needs, and their parents, get a service over the summer. But he said there was no spare capacity available in the health service for the guidance and supervision of SNAs.

 

“Fórsa fully supports efforts to provide enhanced services to children with special needs over the summer. The problem is that health and social care professionals are fully engaged on the response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the anticipated and much-needed reactivation of normal health services.

 

“Even before the coronavirus crisis, most of these professional groups were already understaffed because of recruitment and retention problems,” he said.

 

The union will today ask HSE management to give details of how additional capacity can be put in place.

 

“One of two things will occur unless this happens. Either the summer education programme will fall short of what’s been promised, or the much-needed reboot of normal health service delivery will suffer,” he said.

 

Fórsa has also reminded management that many HSCP grades are subject to statutory regulation, with staff vulnerable to ‘fitness to practise’ proceedings if they are accused of professional shortcomings. 

 

"HSCPs will need to be assured that they will not be stretched to the point that service quality is undermined as this could have serious implications for patients, clients and the professionals themselves,” said Mr Donnelly.

 

Fórsa members get full support, guidance and professional legal advice, at no extra cost, if they receive a CORU complaint and are subject to ‘fitness to practise’ procedures. Find out more HERE.

 

It’s never been more important – or more easy – to get the protections and benefits of union membership. Join Fórsa HERE or contact the union HERE.

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