Debate contribution: Respite Provision: South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust
Debate contribution by Mr Harry Harvey on .
- MLA
- Mr Harry Harvey
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 8 April 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Adjournment
- Heading
- Respite Provision: South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4920015
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I thank the Member for Lagan Valley for securing this afternoon's Adjournment debate on what is a very emotive subject, particularly for the families who are impacted on by the continued lack of respite provision in the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust area. Anyone who has watched Tara Mills's 'Spotlight' documentary, 'I am Not Okay', or who has heard the evidence provided to the Health Committee by some of the women who feature in it will have been deeply moved by their lived experiences of life with a child who has severe autism and behavioural problems. My constituency office team has been navigating that system on behalf of families in Strangford who are crying out for respite. Sadly, those challenges are being faced by growing numbers of families. In 2020, the number of children with autism or a learning disability was 4,500. Today, it is more than 5,600. Despite the ever-growing need for services in that area, it appears that, in some trust areas, provision has stood still; in others, it appears to have diminished. The 'Spotlight' programme highlighted a societal shame that cannot be allowed to continue. That travesty has been particularly acute in the South Eastern Trust, where 499 children are on a waiting list for disability services. Of that number, 118 are awaiting family support services and 71 are awaiting gateway services. Whilst efforts are being made across all trusts to tackle that crisis in provision, it is unclear, as yet, what impact will be felt among the families who are desperately in need of respite support.
There is an onus, particularly on the South Eastern Trust, to ensure that complex needs cases are given the attention that they deserve and that those families receive appropriate care. Funding has been allocated: it is critical that it is directed to front-line services and to the provision of respite beds and fully trained and professional social services for the families of children with complex needs. Regular overnight respite is paramount for a family to properly function whilst caring for a child. I found the comments of the late Geraldine O'Hagan particularly harrowing as I watched the 'Spotlight' programme. That the provision of children's disability respite care services did not look much different throughout her 30 years of social work should be deeply troubling to us all. One thing is abundantly clear: the system has failed those children and their families. I applaud those who had the courage to tell their story and bring that travesty to light. That should not have been required. It now falls to the Department and individual trusts to make good on their promises and ensure that other families will not have to endure the pain that has been evident in the lives of those families.
463 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.03 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.95).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.03 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.03 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.95 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.03 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 1.00 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.00 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:22 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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