Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People RCOT Conference Belfast 13.6.18

History of Children’s Disability Health Services Teams of health professionals, developed often for a specific group of children e.g. children with an intellectual disability only In some areas many different service providers each have their own criteria for access Excellent services for some children and little or none for others

Aims of the Progressing Disability Services (PDS)programme Consistent structure of services throughout the country Needs based services rather than diagnostic based Equity of access to services One clear pathway to services for all children according to their needs

Children with disability or developmental delay and their families Services pathway Children with disability or developmental delay and their families Primary Care Services Children’s Disability Network Teams Specialist support as needed by Primary Care and Children’s Disability Network Teams Child with complex needs Direct individual assessment and short term intervention Support and consultation Transfer between services if and when child’s needs change Child with non-complex needs

How is this being achieved? National Children’s Programme Oversight Group and 25 Local Implementation Groups Reconfigure existing staff working in children’s disability services (HSE and voluntary organisations) to form new teams called Children’s Disability Network Teams, which will provide services for all children in a given area regardless of their diagnosis or category of disability

Principles and values for teams Bio-psychosocial model Equity of access Accessibility Family Centred Practice Interdisciplinary Team Working Accountability Inclusion Early Identification and Referral Evidence Based Practice and Clinical Governance Evaluation of Outcomes Cultural Competence Staff and valued and respected

Why is PDS taking so long? Bringing many separate organisations together, winning hearts and minds Agreeing structures, governance Lack of accommodation for teams IT system for team operation and admin Grade and job description of team manager Lack of investment