Debate contribution: Special Educational Needs Provision: North Antrim

Debate contribution by Ms Sian Mulholland on 19 November 2024.

MLA

Ms Sian Mulholland

Party at the time

Alliance Party

Date

19 November 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Adjournment

Heading

Special Educational Needs Provision: North Antrim

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4666462

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I thank my constituency colleague Colin for bringing the debate before us. Most of us will have had some of the families in our offices, explaining the situations that they have been in. Special educational needs provision in North Antrim needs to be looked at through a rural lens. Members have already spoken about some of the key issues, but, when you look at North Antrim and see some of the villages, particularly in the Causeway coast and glens area, where children have to travel for a long time and distance to get to the like of Castle Tower — there are brilliant SEN provision units in some of our schools — you see that there is an issue of spread in the more rural areas. Despite the countless reviews and recommendations, the system continues to fail children and families across Northern Ireland, but North Antrim, with its dedicated schools, educators and voluntary organisations, reflects the struggles within the system and the possibilities of what we can achieve when we work together. For over a decade, report after report has painted a picture of a SEN system that is unable to meet the needs of our children. That is clear to see. The Minister and the Department have acknowledged the failure. As many have said, the lack of provision has been inherited — it has not happened overnight — but the Department remains overwhelmed when it comes to our SEN provision and is consumed by statutory processes rather than being able to focus fully on the needs of children. Families and schools have faced a labyrinth of delays and miscommunication, and that has left children waiting for far too long for diagnoses, support and intervention. I do not think that that is because of a crisis of resource; sometimes, it is a crisis of priorities. There is a bit of bureaucracy taking precedence over outcomes, and the families would say that that is simply unacceptable. One of the most significant barriers to reform is the lack of effective cooperation between education and health services, as mentioned by my colleague Philip McGuigan. SEN provision often relies on health professionals, such as speech therapists and occupational therapists, yet those services remain disjointed. I have just received a text message from the parent of a five-year-old child who attends Castle Tower saying that an incredible weight has been lifted off her shoulders by Castle Tower bringing those therapists into the school system, meaning that they do not have to look elsewhere. However, we are not seeing that for all families. That siloed system results in delays in diagnosis, in statements and in the provision of vital support. Those are delays that could cause harm to the children whom we should be helping. I am particularly passionate about the Children's Services Co-operation Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (CSCA), which was designed to address the silo mentality across Departments. The Public Accounts Committee and the obligatory statutory review of the CSCA have made it abundantly clear that that legislation is not being utilised to its full potential. I have communicated that to the Finance Minister and, through many Assembly questions, to the Education Minister, because it is a useful tool if used to its fullest potential. It is a missed opportunity: it could and should be the foundation of a joined-up system that places children at its centre. Instead, it remains an untapped resource that is gathering dust while children continue to fall through the cracks. Agencies must embrace the cooperative ethos of the CSCA to align efforts across education, health and social care. An actionable transformation plan — one that emerges from the end-to-end review of SEN provision — is desperately needed. The review cannot be another one that gathers dust: it must result in clear actions, measurable outcomes and time-bound goals. Only then will we begin to rebuild trust with families, educators and, most importantly, the children who depend on the system. The system should also identify needs early, as we know that early intervention is absolutely key to the most positive outcomes. The challenges in North Antrim remain stark. I spoke to a SEN teaching assistant in Dunclug Primary School who shared some of the struggles faced by staff and asked me to share them today. If children wait years for a diagnosis, that delays their access to crucial resources like one-to-one assistance. If schools lack funding for essential resources, such as their sensory equipment, that can transform learning environments for the children they work with. She said that staff were overworked and were often responsible for multiple children with complex needs, despite being assigned to provide one-to-one support. That is just the nature of what they have to deal with. Training is sometimes inadequate, which leaves staff unprepared to handle the significant challenges that they face daily and were not necessarily expecting. She put it best when she said that earlier intervention can help a child so much more than letting them struggle for the next few years. The issues are compounded by pay disparities. SEN teaching assistants in mainstream schools earn significantly less than their counterparts in special schools such as the fabulous Castle Tower, despite doing the same work. That inequity undermines morale and staff retention in what are already challenging roles. That is what I have heard. I also want to cheer on the voluntary and community sector, which is stepping up and stepping in when the statutory sector fails. I have the privilege of engaging directly with the amazing efforts of the Compass Advocacy Network (CAN) in Ballymoney. That organisation exemplifies what can be achieved through grassroots initiatives to enhance lives and create change for individuals with learning disabilities, autism and mental health challenges. Every delay and missed opportunity represents a child whose potential is going unfulfilled. Hopefully, we can see a full implementation of the CSCA, address funding gaps in the interim, invest in staff training in the interim and, in the longer term, get a transformation action plan and identify needs early. At the point of identification, we can look at early intervention.

1,017 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:38 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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