Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People

A National Coordinating Group has been established for the HSE-led ‘Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People’. Inclusion Ireland was asked to put forward a parent representative and Dublin-based Aoife Thornton is now part of this Group. The ‘Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People’ Project came about as a result of the ‘Report of the Reference Group on Multidisciplinary Disability Services for Children aged 5-18’, that was published in December 2009. The Coordinating Group is charged with implementing the recommendations of that Report. The recommendations of the Report aim to change how services for children with disabilities are provided. The crux of this is that services will be based on geographic area and will be based as close to the home as possible. If possible, services will be met by the local primary care team. If the child’s needs are more complex early intervention and school age teams in each network area will assist with the appropriate support of specialist teams.