Northern Ireland Assembly

The four Members who have already spoken have highlighted most of the major points, and I congratulate them on that. Members are not here to make party political points; they are here because there is an underlying humanity which cries out that young people who cannot help themselves need to be given the help of those who are able-bodied.

The situation in Carraigfoyle not only affects those little people who need that help but also the parents who, from the birth of their child and through the early years, have looked after and suffered with them through their disabilities. The points that would call from us the deep emotions of our hearts are not only that the children need help but that the parents need respite. It means a lot to parents to get a full night's sleep in the knowledge that their child whom they dearly love is being professionally cared for in Apple Lodge. In supporting the continuation of the facilities at Carraigfoyle and Apple Lodge, Members are assisting in some way to continue that help which the parents are calling for.

Design teams may be up and running, but most of the parents - and I have talked to some of them and have been deeply impressed by their sincerity - have little faith and feel that they are nothing more than a cosmetic exercise. I am interested in what the response of the Eastern Health Board will be regarding the provision of alternatives for users of Carraigfoyle. As yet - and perhaps it is my fault - I have been unable to lay hands upon that information. Perhaps the Minister will enlighten the Assembly.

Many questions have been asked about the attitude of Barnardo's, and I pay tribute to its work over the years. No one can point the finger and say that Barnardo's has been short on its care. However, when I look at the situation in Carraigfoyle, I wonder, like the other Members who have already spoken, what the motive behind it is. Is it generated by finance? The service is being wound down and there have recently been a number of voluntary redundancies, including the social worker who was made redundant. Family support services are no longer available. It is being run down to such an extent that the future of the unit is not viable. It generates questions in our minds and makes us ask why Barnardo's is doing this. Those questions must be answered.

My Colleague Dr Adamson, the Lord Mayor of Belfast; the Chairperson of the Health, Social Services and Public Safety Committee, Dr Hendron and David Ervine have covered a lot of ground on this subject, but all of us are together on one point. We need answers to the questions. Why is this being done now, and what is being put in its place?

Everyone who has been involved in this case understands that the professionals in the public sector and in Barnardo's are in the profession for the good of those who are suffering, to alleviate that suffering and to assist the families in a compassionate way. However, having attended some meetings with parents - as Colleagues have also done - I could not fail to be moved by the situation in which these families found themselves and by the emotion that was being expressed. I felt that the professionals, and perhaps even Barnardo's, did not fully appreciate that the service that they were providing was such a benefit to the families concerned. Anyone who attended those meetings and listened to people's concerns and distress would naturally turn to see why this is happening and how it can be alleviated. It is a natural human emotion. My Colleagues will confirm that everyone approached the matter with that in mind.

We understand that there are economics and that there are different ways in which these matters are dealt with nowadays. Things move on. Methods of assisting, such as care in the community, have been introduced, and there have been many good ideas. However, with the greatest respect to Barnardo's - which has a reputation throughout the country which is second to none - I must place on record that I did not consider the methodology that it adopted in handling this issue to have been the best possible practice. That is not meant to denigrate in any way any person involved in Barnardo's. I think that Barnardo's would admit that the way in which the matter was handled was not necessarily best practice in this day and age, and it could have been better dealt with.

There is one other matter that we need to clear up. There is a perception in the community that there is a financial issue surrounding the site - that it is an extremely valuable site for housing redevelopment. That perception may be true or false, but I hope that there is no suggestion that that financial aspect is one of the motives behind the closure. Barnardo's has advised us that that is not the case. It believes that there are better ways of delivering a service to the families than the current method, although it has to be said that that service, the professionals who work in the home, the help and the caring atmosphere are greatly appreciated and have impacted indelibly on these families. It will be hard to replace that in any new system, however well-intentioned. Nevertheless, I hope that it is possible to get that issue out of the way. The response will involve the health boards, the trusts and the charity itself.

There appears to be the potential for crossed lines and for overlap. Very often the danger in these cases is that the people for whom the service is to be provided sometimes fall between the crevices of such a situation. I hope that that will not happen in this case. We want to do our very best for these families and for the children so that they can have the best possible quality of life. I repeat that nothing that we are saying is in any way intended to denigrate, criticise or do anything to harm the reputations of any of the people involved.

We are working from the assumption that everybody is doing their best. However, I believe that the methodology adopted has left some families feeling that things have not been done by the best method or that the solution put forward as an alternative to the services provided is not necessarily one that they want.

Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Is seirbhís riachtanach í an cúram faoisimh do chúramóirí má tá siad le leanstan ar aghaidh ina rólanna cúraim.

Tá Carraig Feabhail á reachtáil ag Barnardo's chan ag na SSSP. Is faoi atá an cinneadh faoi dhruidim le déanamh. I ndiaidh 20 bliain de sheirbhís dhílis rinne Barnardo's aithbhreithniú ar oiriúnacht an chineáil faoisimh chónaithe a thairgeann sé i gCarraig Feabhail do pháistí an-óga faoi mhíchumas foghlama. Gan amhras, bhí neamhfhóinteacht an áitribh chun a chríche ar cheann de na cúiseanna a spreag Barnardo's aithbhreithniú a dhéanamh, ach ba léir ó ráiteas coimisiúnaithe Bhord an Oirthir i 1998 ar sheirbhísí faoisimh do pháistí faoi mhíchumas foghlama go raibh rún ag an bhord scéimeanna bunaithe ar theaghlaigh a leathnú ar fud a cheantair agus iad a dhíriú ar pháistí óga. Ba é freagra Barnardo's go raibh rún aige a aird a bhogadh ó sholáthar sainseirbhíse don ghrúpa seo páistí agus an iomad seirbhís uilíoch eile a fhorbairt do pháistí uilig, seirbhísí a bhéas á ndíriú agus á soláthar i gcomhphobail áitiúla.

Tá seo ag cur le polasaí na Roinne gur chóir do scéimeanna faoisimh a bheith samhlaíoch, freagrach, solúbtha, ionrochtain go háitiúil agus oiriúnaithe le riar ar riachtanais cúramóirí.

Cúis aiféala é nuair a tharraingtear siar seirbhís ar bith, agus tuigim imní tuismitheoirí faoi dhruidim ar feitheamh Charraig Feabhail. Ní hionann sin agus a rá, áfach, go bhfágfar na páistí atá ag baint leasa as na seirbhísí reatha agus a dtuismitheoirí gan a athrach de sholáthar. Aonad trí leaba é Carraig Feabhail agus den 21 pháiste atá á úsáid faoi láthair tá seisear le himeacht idir anois agus mí Dheireadh Fómhair ós rud é go bhfuil siad os cionn 10 mbliana d'aois anois. Dearbhaítear domh go bhfuil Bord an Oirthir, ag cur lena ráiteas coimisiúnaithe de 1998, gníomhach ag taiscéaladh socruithe eile don 15 a bhéas fágtha.

Tuigim go bhfuil rún ag an bhord cur lena bhuiséad chúram faoisimh le réimse roghanna eile a chur ar fáil. Do na páistí sin a ba mhó a bhainfeadh tairbhe as an chineál seo cúraim, tá aonaid faoisimh thar oíche eile ann cheana féin. Ar na moltaí forbartha reatha tá méadú ar sheirbhís ionchomórtais in Aonad Faoisimh Pháirc na bhFeá ó cheithre oíche sa tseachtain go seacht n-oíche sa tseachtain. Mar sin féin, dúirt an bord go bhfuil fonn air, agus é ag iarraidh géilleadh do mhianta cúramóirí, réimse níos leithne tacaíochta a sholáthar lena n-áirítear an soláthar a b'fhearr le cúramóirí iad féin, is é sin soláthar ina dtithe féin.

Ar ndóigh, caithfear scéimeanna mar seo a riar go cúramach. Os rud go bhfuil caidreamh duine le duine i gceist, caithfear coimircí a chur in áit, chan amháin le húsáideoirí na seirbhíse a chosaint ach le cosaint, tacaíocht agus oiliúint na foirne agus na n-oibrithe deonacha a chinntiú. Tabharfar aghaidh ar shaincheisteanna den chineál seo mar chuid den phróiseas i bhforbairt na straitéise do chúramóirí atá ar siúl faoi láthair.

Deirtear liom go bhfuil súil ag an bhord, arís ag géilleadh do mhianta cúramóirí, soláthar faoisimh fóillíochta agus saoire a mhéadú, rud a rachas chomh mór chun sochair do pháistí agus a rachas sé chun sochair do chúramóirí.

Ó thaobh airgid de, ó rinneadh Aire díom d'éirigh liom cuid maoinithe bhreise a bhaint amach do sheirbhísí mhíchumas foghlama. Soláthraíonn an Clár do Rialtas do fhoirne comhphobail feabhsaithe a éascóidh daoine a athshocrú ón áit ina bhfuil siad go dtí an cúram sa chomphobal. Níl mé ag maíomh gur leor sin agus leanfaidh mé ar aghaidh ag déanamh tairisceana ar acmhainní breise agus cuirfidh mé ar fáil a dtig liom le cuidiú le boird agus iontaobhais riar ar na tosaíochtaí seirbhíse.

Respite care is an essential service for carers if they are to continue undertaking their caring roles. The Carraigfoyle unit is operated by Barnardo's and not by the health and social services. The decision about closure is for Barnardo's to make. Therefore, some of the questions relate specifically to that organisation, but I will address some of the points that Members have raised during the debate.

Barnardo's has, after some 20 years of devoted service, reviewed the appropriateness of the form of residential respite services that it offers at Carraigfoyle for young children with learning disabilities. Although the inadequacy of the premises for that purpose was doubtless a contributing factor in prompting Barnardo's review, the Eastern Board's 1998 commissioning statement on respite services for children with learning disabilities signalled the board's intention to extend family-based schemes across its area and to target these at younger children.

The question raised about the value of the site is a matter for Barnardo's. But, as I have said in relation to the inadequacy of the present premises, in addition to the revenue costs there would have been significant capital costs in bringing Carraigfoyle up to proper standards.

Barnardo's did not approach the health and social services for additional funding. Indeed, the Eastern Board has earmarked an additional £275,000 to expand respite services in its area. Therefore, the Board has made it very clear that it is willing to incur extra expenditure on respite services in its area.

However, I referred to the Eastern Board's commissioning statement on respite services for children with learning disabilities. In response to that statement, Barnardo's indicated its intention to move its focus from the provision of a specialist service for this group of children to developing many other universal services for children, targeted and delivered in a local community context. That would be in keeping with departmental policy that respite schemes should be imaginative, responsive, flexible, locally accessible and tailored to meet the needs of carers.

The withdrawal of any service is to be regretted, and I can understand parents' concerns about the pending closure of Carraigfoyle. I agree with the points made by many Members about the value of the services that have been provided by Barnardo's at Carraigfoyle over the years. However, I do not agree with suggestions that the children and parents currently benefiting from Carraigfoyle's services will be left without alternative provision. I have been assured, by the boards and by Barnardo's - and I know that this will have been indicated in some of the briefings to Members - that they do not intend to leave people without alternative provision.

Carraigfoyle is a three-bed facility, and of the 21 children currently using it, six are due to leave between now and October as they are over 10 years of age. I have been assured that the Eastern Board is actively exploring alternative arrangements for the remaining 15 children, in keeping with its 1998 commissioning statement. I understand that it intends to increase its respite care budget, as I have said, to provide a range of alternative options. For those children who would benefit most from this type of care, there are already other overnight respite facilities.

Current development proposals include the build-up of a comparable service at Beechfield respite unit from four nights per week to seven nights per week. However, I have been told that the board is anxious to provide a more diverse range of support including - and Members have referred to this - the preferred provision in the service users' own homes.

Such schemes do need careful management. Given the one-to-one relationships that they entail, safeguards must be put in place not only for the protection of service users, but for the protection, support and training of staff and volunteers to ensure the highest possible standards for this service. Such issues will be addressed as part of the process of developing the strategy for carers which is currently under way.

With regard to what will happen to children using the day therapy services when these are withdrawn, the Eastern Board is looking at alternative provision. The paramedic input is funded by the Ulster Community and Hospitals Trust. It is hoped that the trust will be able to find a suitable local arrangement to accommodate the needs of children who avail of these services at Carraigfoyle. I am informed that the board wishes to increase leisure and holiday respite provision, which is as much to the benefit of the children as the carers. There is also a wish to ensure that alternatives are provided which will be acceptable to those who wish to see those services.

On the wider question of funding, I have, since becoming Minister, managed to secure some additional funding for learning disability services, and the Programme for Government provides for enhanced community teams with regard to learning disability generally, which will facilitate the resettlement of patients.

I do not pretend that this is enough, but I will continue to bid for additional resources and provide whatever I can to help boards and trusts meet the service priorities. I am absolutely assured that the boards, the trusts and the voluntary agencies caring for this particularly vulnerable group of children are planning their services with the needs of both the children and their families in mind.

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