Mr Roy Beggs asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, pursuant to AQW 495/01, to detail the actual time taken to commence an Occupational Therapy priority assessment in each Health Trust area.

(AQW 691/01)

The Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (Ms de Brún): The time between referral and commencement of Occupational Therapy assessments for priority cases is dependent on the individual circumstances of each case. Key factors include: whether the person referred for assessment is already known to occupational therapists; clinical need, and the risk to the individual.

Braitheann an t-am idir atreorú agus tosú mheasúnuithe Teiripe Saothair ar chásanna tosaíochta ar thosca indibhidiúla gach cás. I measc na n-eochairfhachtóirí tá: cé acu atá a fhios ag teiripithe saothair cheana féin ar an duine atreoraithe le haghaidh measúnaithe nó nach bhfuil; riachtanas cliniciúil, agus an baol don duine aonair.

Mr Boyd Douglas asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to give her assessment of the level of consultant haematologist cover in Altnagelvin Hospital over the past six months, and to make a statement on the impact this has made on the provision of haematology service in the North West for this period.

(AQW 707/01)

Ms de Brún: I am aware of the difficulties caused by the current lack of an on-site Haematologist at Altnagelvin hospital. However, I am advised that measures, involving support from Belfast Haematologists, have been put in place to ensure that patients continue to receive the high standard of care to which they are entitled.

I have asked officials to continue to liaise with the Boards and Trusts to seek an effective and speedy resolution to the situation.

Tá na deacrachtaí arbh iad an easpa Haemaiteolaithe ar an láithreán faoi láthair in Otharlann Alt na nGealbhán ba chúis leo ar eolas agam. Cuireadh in iúl dom, áfach, gur cuireadh bearta ar thacaigh Haemaiteolaithe Bhéal Feirste leo, cuireadh i bhfeidhm iad le cinntiú go bhfaighidh othair an caighdeán is airde den chúram ar a bhfuil siad i dteideal go fóill.

D’iarr mé ar m’oifigigh comhoibriú go fóill le Boird agus le hIontaobhais chun teacht ar réiteach éifeachtach agus gasta ar an cheist.

Mr Mark Robinson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety what plans she has to address any shortage in foster carers.

(AQW 857/01)

Ms de Brún: I have set a target in "Priorities for Action" for Boards and Trusts to increase the number of foster care places by 40 by March 2002 and, to help secure these additional places, I have made available an extra £500,000. However, I am also aware of the difficulties in recruiting and retaining foster carers and I therefore plan to meet the Foster Care Association next month to hear the carer’s views on these issues and how they might be tackled.

Tá sprioc leagtha amach i ‘Tosaíochtaí le hAghaidh Gnímh’ do Bhoird agus d’Iontaobhais líon áiteanna cúram altramais a mhéadú le 40 roimh Mhárta 2002, chuige seo, chuir mé £500,000 breise ar fáil. Tuigim, áfach, na deacreachtaí cúramóirí altramais a earcú agus choinneáil agus mar sin de tá sé de rún agam bualadh le Cumann Cúraim Altramais an mhí seo chugainn chun dearcadh an chúramóra a chluinstin ar na ceisteanna seo agus an dóigh ar féidir dul i ngleic leo.

Mr Séamus Close asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, pursuant to AQW 550/01, to outline (a) the expenditure incurred by the Board to date (b) the objectives of the training scheme and (c) the method of evaluation.

(AQW 859/01)

Ms de Brún: The Northern Health and Social Services Board has incurred £70,000 to date implementing the Northern TARGET pilot training scheme. TARGET stands for Time for Audit, Review Guidelines, Education and Training. The objectives of the scheme are to provide comprehensive professional development and training programmes in protected time for primary care professionals to equip them to deliver better patient care. The scheme will be evaluated by monitoring feedback from the participants, by comparison of the effectiveness of the course against conventional education courses, and by quality assurance assessment against similar schemes elsewhere.

Chosain sé £70,000 go dtí seo do Bhord Thuaisceart Éireann agus do Bhord Seirbhís Sóisialta treoirscéim treanála TARGET an Tuaiscirt a chur i gcrích. Seasann TARGET do ‘Time for Audit, Review Guidelines, Education and Training’. Is iad cuspóirí na scéime cláir forbartha ghairmúla chuimsitheacha a sholáthar in am cosanta do ghairmithe le cur ar a gcumas cúram othair níos fearr a sholáthar. Déanfar measúnú trí mhonatóireacht aiseolais ó rannpháirtithe, trí chomparáid éifeacht an chúrsa a dhéanamh le gnáthchúrsa oideachais, agus trí mheasúnú dearbhaithe cailíochtaí le scéimeanna cosúil leo in áiteanna eile.

Mr Ken Robinson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety what steps is she taking to maintain a high level of staff morale in the local HSS Trusts.

(AQW 875/01)

Ms de Brún: The staff of the HPSS are a vital resource and I am taking a number of steps to maintain a high level of staff morale.

My Department has recently worked in partnership with HPSS employers and staff organisations to develop proposals for a comprehensive Human Resources Strategy aimed at delivering a better and fairer workplace for staff. Comments on the consultative document, which was issued in August 2001, are currently under consideration by my officials. The emphasis on the proposals in the document is on positive actions to recruit and retain staff, to encourage former staff back into the service and to develop flexible and fair employment practices which will help staff to realise their full potential.

Proposals for modernising NHS pay were published in February 1999 as "Agenda for Change – Modernising the NHS Pay System". They represent a blueprint for a new pay system based on principles of efficiency, fairness, flexibility and partnership. This will give better career progression, less incrementalism and modern conditions of service. My Department is participating along with the Health Departments in England, Scotland and Wales in negotiations with staff organisations on the development of the new arrangements.

My Department also recognises that the threat of violence is a problem for staff, particularly those working in Accident and Emergency Departments and in the community. A number of documents aimed at assisting staff to deal with violence have been issued to HPSS employers. As part of the "Campaign to Stop Violence Against Staff Working in the NHS", the NHS Zero Tolerance Zone Resource Pack was commended to all employers. My Department is currently undertaking a review of the action taken by individual employers to implement the components of Zero Tolerance and is giving consideration to the issue of further guidance.

The health and wellbeing of staff is also important. To ensure that there is a healthy workforce HPSS employers provide an Occupational Health Service to staff in accordance with guidance issued by my Department. The Department is at present embarking on an extensive review of this service to determine its effectiveness and to examine possible arrangements for improvement.

Is acmhainn ríthábhachtach iad foireann SSSP agus tá mé ag glacadh roinnt céimeanna le meanma na foirne a choinneáil go hard.

Ar na mallaibh bhí an Roinn s’agamsa ag obair i bpáirtíocht le fostaitheoirí agus le heagraíochtaí foirne SSSP le moltaí a fhorbairt do Straitéis chuimsitheach Acmhainní Daonna a bhfuil d’aidhm aici áit oibre níos fearr agus níos cothroime a chur ar fáil don fhoireann. Tá tuairimí ar an Doiciméad Comhairleach, a d’eisíodh i Lúnasa 2001, á machnamh ag m’oifigigh faoi láthair. Tá béim na moltaí sa doiciméad ar ghníomhaíochtaí deimhneacha le baill fhoirne a earcú agus a choinneáil, le hiarbhaill fhoirne a spreagadh ar ais sa tseirbhís agus le cleachtais fhostaíochta sholúbtha chothroime a fhorbairt a chuideoidh le baill fhoirne beart a dhéanamh de réir a gcumais.

Foilsíodh moltaí chun pá SNS a nuachóiriú i Feabhra 1999 mar "Clár Oibre don Athrú – ag Nuachóiriú Chóras Pá na SNS." Is é atá iontu ná bunphlean do chóras nua pá bunaithe ar phrionsabail na héifeachtachta, na cothromachta, na solúbthachta agus na páirtíochta. Tabharfaidh seo forchéimniú níos fearr, níos lú incriminteachta agus coinníollacha nua-aoiseacha seirbhíse. Tá an Roinn s’agamsa ag glacadh páirte maraon le Ranna i Sasana, in Albain agus sa Bhreatain Bheag in idirbheartaíochtaí le heagraíochtaí foirne ar na socruithe nua a fhorbairt.

Aithníonn mo Roinn chomh maith go bhfuil bagairt an fhoréigin ina fadhb do bhaill fhoirne, go háirithe iad siúd atá ag obair i Ranna Timpistí agus Éigeandálaí agus sa phobal. Eisíodh roinnt doiciméad d’fhostaitheoirí SSSP dírithe ar chuidiú a thabhairt don fhoireann déileáil le foréigean. Mar chuid de "Feachtas le Foréigean i gCoinne Foirne ag Obair sa SNS a Stopadh," moladh Pacáiste na SNS Caoinfhulaingt ar Bith do na fostaitheoirí go léir. Faoi láthair tá mo Roinn ag tabhairt faoi athbhreithniú ar an ghníomhaíocht atá á déanamh ag fostaitheoirí aonair chun comhpháirteanna Chaoinfhulaingt ar Bith a chur i bhfeidhm agus tá sí ag déanamh machnaimh ar cheist na treorach a théann níos faide.

Tá sláinte agus dea-bhail na foirne tábhachtach chomh maith. Le cinntiú go bhfuil meitheal shláintiúil oibre ann, cuireann fostaitheoirí SSSP Seirbhís Sláinte Gairme ar fáil don fhoireann de réir treoracha a d’eisigh mo Roinn. Faoi láthair tá an Roinn ag tosú ar athbhreithniú leathan ar an tseirbhís seo lena héifeachtacht a chinntiú agus leis na socruithe a dtiocfadh leo í a fheabhsú a fhiosrú.

Mr David Hilditch asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail (a) the number of requests for community care direct payments; (b) the number which have been successful; (c) what appeal procedure is available; and (d) what budget provision has been made.

(AQW 891/01)

Ms de Brún: There have been 84 requests for direct payments and of these, 48 have been successful.

There is no formal appeal procedure but anyone who disagrees with a Trust’s decision may seek to have the decision reviewed under the Trust Complaints Procedure.

There is no specific budget allocation for Direct Payments. The costs fall to the overall provision for community care services with direct payments another way of providing the service and providing additional choice in how the service is delivered.

Bhí 84 iarratas ann le haghaidh íocaíochtaí díreacha agus díobh seo, d’éirigh le 48 iarratas.

Níl gnáthamh foirmiúil achomhairc ar bith ann ach is féidir le duine ar bith nach n-aontaíonn le cinneadh Iontaobhais iarraidh go ndéantar athbhreithniú ar an chinneadh de réir Ghnáthamh Gearán an Iontaobhais.

Níl dáileadh buiséid áirithe ar bith d’Íocaíochtaí Díreacha. Tá na costais mar chuid den sholáthar iomlán do sheirbhísí cúraim phobail mar gur dóigh eile iad íocaíochtaí díreacha leis an tseirbhís a chur ar fáil agus le rogha eile a thabhairt faoin dóigh a soláthraítear an tseirbhís.

Mr David Hilditch asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the procedure for foreign adoption applications including the estimated timescale to process an application.

(AQW 894/01)

Ms de Brún: In order to safeguard the interests of the children involved in intercountry adoptions, the procedure is necessarily thorough. The main steps, which are common to most applications, are as follows:

• Prospective adopters are counselled and have their suitability assessed by their HSS Trust.
• If approved, the application and supporting documents are sent to the appropriate authority in the foreign country. If the application is accepted, the prospective adopters are ‘matched’ with a child.
• The child is adopted abroad and the adopters apply for ‘entry clearance’ to bring the child into this country.
• An adoption order is applied for under our legislation.

Trusts aim to complete the first stage of the process within 6 months. However, ‘matching’ and adoption in the foreign country can take from 8 months to 2 years depending on the availability of suitable children and the legal process. Under our legislation, an adoption order cannot be made until the child has been living here for 12 months.

Chun sábháilteacht na bpáistí bainteach le huchtú idirtíre a chosaint, tá sé riachtanach go mbíonn an córas cuimsitheach. Seo mar a leanas na príomhchéimeanna, atá coitianta le cuid mhaith de na hiarratais:

• Cuirtear comhairle ar uchtathóirí ionchasacha agus déanann a nIontaobhas SSS measúnú ar a n-oiriúnacht
• Má cheadaítear é cuirtear na doiciméid agus an t-iarratas a thacaíonn leis ag an údarás cuí sa tír iasachta. Má ghlactar leis an iarratas, déantar ‘meaitseáil’ idir uchtathóirí ionchasacha agus páiste.
• Uchtaítear an páiste thar lear agus iarrann na huchtathóirí ‘cead iontrála’ chun an pháiste a thabhairt chun na tíre seo.
• Iarrtar ordú uchtaithe faoinár reachtaíocht.

Tá sé mar aidhm ag Iontaobhais an chéad chéim den phroiséas a chríochnú laistigh de 6 mí. Is féidir le meaitseáil agus uchtú idir 8 mí agus 2 bliain a ghlacadh sa tír iasachta ag brath ar infaighteacht páistí oiriúnachta agus an próisis dhleathaigh. Faoinár reachtaíocht, ní féidir ordú uchtaithe a dhéanamh go dtí go mbíonn an páiste ina chónaí anseo le 12 mí.

Mr Mark Robinson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety what steps are being taken to reduce the number of neglected and abused children and to improve services offered to those children.

(AQW 909/01)

Ms de Brún: Child protection agencies have placed Family Support services high on the child protection agenda. Many agencies now recognise the importance of preventative strategies to balance and complement other intervention strategies and services for children.

There are many examples of family support initiatives in operation. For example, Family Centres play a crucial role in prevention. They target children and families who are in greatest need. The Centres provide a range of services including assessment work, individual work, group work, crèche and playgroup activities. Particular themes include communication, language and play skills, active learning, self-reliance and self-esteem, self-protection and keep safe skills, bullying and problem solving skills. This work involves close collaboration with other professionals such as Health Visitors, Community Psychiatric Nurses, Speech and Language Therapists and, on occasions, other professionals involved in working with children.

My Department has consistently promoted the need for parental support and the promotion of good parenting. This is demonstrated by the funding of a number of organisations, programmes and initiatives, including the Sure Start programme and the Parents Advice Centre which provides a confidential advice and counselling service to parents. Alongside the four Boards, my Department provides funds to Gingerbread, Homestart and Lifestart all of which provide support for parents.

Chuir gníomhaireachtaí chosaint an pháiste seirbhísí Tacaíochta Teaghlaigh go mór chun tosaigh ar chlár oibre chosaint an pháiste. Glacann cuid mhór gníomhaireachtaí le tábhacht straitéisí coisctheacha anois chun straitéisí agus seirbhísí eile idirghabhála do pháistí a chothromú agus le cur leo.

Tá cuid mhór eiseamláirí de scéimeanna tacaíochta teaghlaigh ann ag feidhmiú. Mar shampla, tá ról barrthábhachtach ag Ionaid Teaghlaigh i gcosc. Díríonn siad ar pháistí agus ar theaghlaigh is mó anás. Soláthraíonn na hIonaid réimse seirbhísí, obair mheasúnaithe, obair indibhidiúil, obair ghrúpa agus gníomhaíochtaí naíolainne san áireamh. I measc na dtéamaí ar leith tá scileanna cumarsáide, teanga agus súgartha mar aon le foghlaim ghníomhach, féinmhuinín agus féinmheas, scileanna féinchosanta agus sábháilteachta, agus bulaíocht agus scileanna réitigh. San obair seo tá comhoibriú dlúth le gairmithe eile amhail Cuairteoirí Sláinte, Altraí Síciatracha Pobail agus Teiripithe Labhartha agus Teanga i gceist chomh maith le comhoibriú anois agus arís le gairmithe eile a oibríonn le páistí.

Chuir an Roinn s’agamsa an gá le tacaíocht do thuismitheoirí agus le tuismitheoirí maithe a chur chun cinn i gcónaí. Léirítear seo trí mhaoiniú roinnt eagras, clár agus scéimeanna, an scéim Sure Start agus an tIonad Comhairle Tuismitheoirí, a thugann comhairle rúnda do thuismitheoirí agus a sholáthraíonn seirbhís chomhairle dóibh, san áireamh. Chomh maith leis na ceithre Bhord, tugann an Roinn s’agamsa maoinithe do na scéimeanna Gingerbread, Homestart agus Lifestart a dtugann tacaíocht do thuismitheoirí.

Mrs Iris Robinson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail (a) the number of patients in each Health Trust who are registered for the Care in the Community Programme; and (b) the amount of finance allocated to each Health Trust, for the Care in the Community Programme, over the past year.

(AQW 925/01)

Ms de Brún: The Care in the Community Programme does not apply here. However, information on the numbers of community care packages in care management in effect in each Trust is detailed in the table below.

Community care services are funded from Boards’ baseline resources.

Níl Clár Cúraim sa Phobal i bhfeidhm anseo. Tá eolas ar líon na bpacáistí cúraim pobail ar bhainistíocht chúraim atá i bhfeidhm i ngach Iontaobhas léirithe sa tábla thíos, áfach.