To ask the Minister of Health for an update on the Public Health Agency review of health needs in special schools.

I am committed to working with colleagues in Health and Education to ensure that those children with additional healthcare needs can safely be supported to attend school and be enabled to meet their full potential. Alongside the Education Minister, I met with a number of Special School Principals and alongside the Chief Nursing Officer I visited some of those schools to explore their concerns about the provision of healthcare services. I was moved and impressed by their commitment to ensuring pupils can access the benefits of a school environment as part of their ongoing development.

Following that engagement, my Department’s Chief Nursing Officer commissioned the Public Health Agency to work in partnership with the Education Authority and other key stakeholders to undertake a comprehensive needs assessment to scope the healthcare needs of children attending mainstream and special education schools. Our priority remains ensuring that all children have safe access to education, supported by the necessary clinical support.

The complexity of the review requires in depth data gathering and stakeholder engagement which is currently progressing. Once complete, it will allow us to identify the specific health challenges faced by this population, evaluate the complexity of their needs, and determine the support systems necessary to ensure timely, child-specific care within the school environment. This will include an assessment of service provision requirements for children with additional healthcare needs in schools across Northern Ireland.

With priority collaboration across Departments and other key stakeholders, including ongoing engagement with the NI Commissioner for Children & Young People, I anticipate that a final report will be delivered to me for consideration by the end of May 2025.