To ask the Minister of Health to outline what measures he is taking to increase respite provision for children.

Mr Nesbitt

I thank the Member. I fully recognise that the current situation is unsustainable. I am determined to see urgent improvements in the area. I am aware that, unfortunately, a significant number of families are on waiting lists to access support services and an increasing number of children with disability are on the edge of care. I am also aware that, regionally, the limited availability of residential care for children with disability has resulted in a decimated residential short-break service, with a number of residential short-break units being repurposed to provide longer-term care to children with disability. A children with disability summit was convened by my officials last month to consider potential options in respect of improving access. The summit was also attended by senior representatives from each of the five geographic trusts and senior representatives from the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA). It was agreed at the meeting that each trust would develop a proposed children with a disability short-term action plan that it would submit to my Department for active consideration in terms of suggestions and estimated costings regarding what is needed to imminently attempt to alleviate some of the significant pressures experienced with children's access to overnight short breaks. I want to fully acknowledge that, in the very near future, active consideration will also need to be given to the medium- and long-term plans that each trust will need to consider to fully address the long-standing issues that have existed in the children with a disability service. It is important to recognise that overnight residential short breaks are only a part of the continuum of services needed for children with disabilities, and the opportunities to expand support services that can be provided in the community are also being actively considered.

Mr Nesbitt

There are two issues that we need to address. One is the physical infrastructure — the houses and residential places that we need — because we do not have enough. Professor Ray Jones has some thoughts about how we should reconfigure. There is also the appropriately trained staff. Even if we had the money and the physical infrastructure, do we have the staff to undertake a major increase in provision? The answer to that, I am afraid, is, "No, not in the immediate term". There will have to be training and recruitment. Also, we are concerned, as we are with all areas of the workforce, about the retention of staff. Can I give the Member an answer to that? I am afraid that I cannot give you a timeline. I can say that, this week — hopefully, as early as tomorrow — I will be presented with proposals by my officials, who are working tirelessly on the issue. If it is as early as tomorrow, that is something that we might be able to discuss at this week's meeting of the Health Committee, and I would welcome that very much.

Ms Hunter

The SDLP recently met the families in the hard-hitting documentary about their lives and how lack of respite services has impacted on them. They referenced facilities that have capacity yet are not fully used. I was going to ask you, Minister, whether money was the simple issue here, but you referred to staffing issues. Will you talk us through a little more on that and where we go from here?

Mr Nesbitt

I thank the Member for her question. When Professor Bengoa was here last week, in the morning we visited a residential social care site in north Belfast where the point was made to us that there were five beds in the unit but only two were being funded by the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. It would be lovely to say that we can find the money to say that the trust could now fund all five, but the point was made that, even if that money was available, the staff are not available. That then becomes a workforce challenge on top of the financial challenge, and solving either of those is not something that can be done in the short term. I want to be realistic, but I also want to be optimistic. I want to give a little hope and say, not least because of that devastating but brilliant documentary, 'I Am Not Okay', that it is very much on the radar of the Department and I am determined to do something about it.

Mr Crawford

Minister, the recent BBC 'Spotlight' programme was incredibly effective and impactful in driving home the challenges and pressures that some families face. Will the Minister commit to leaving no stone unturned in finding a resolution, and does he agree that it is essential for his Department to continue to work with key stakeholders, including families and even new independent voices such as the recently appointed autism reviewer?

Mr Nesbitt

I thank the Member for his comments. Yes, I agree with everything that he said. It is a difficult challenge that does not easily lend itself to short-term fixes, but, as I said, hopefully this week and potentially tomorrow, we will start the process by looking at options. I am pleased to see Ema Cubitt in place as the autism adviser. She has got off to a great start. I heard her on the radio not long after she was appointed, and she is clearly determined to be independent, which is exactly what she should be, holding people's feet to the fire, including those of the Department and mine.