Children's services: The North Eastern Health Board is to provide pre-school developmental assessments for children under a new strategy aimed at delivering services as early as possible rather than responding to crisis situations. Carl O'Brien, Social Affairs Correspondent, reports.
A report, Leaps & Bounds: A Strategy for Children and Families in the North-East 2005-2010, is set to change the way services are provided to young people and their families.
The preventative approach would be delivered through pre-school assessments, provision of outreach services and expanding family support services.
The strategy will be published by the health board this week, along with long-terms plans for disability services which would see more services delivered in the community or people's homes.
Mr Leo Kinsella of the North-Eastern Health Board said the plans were based on consultation with the public, local organisations and healthcare staff.
"We have to take a long-range approach to planning to ensure that the right mix of services, the appropriate infrastructures, facilities and resources are in place to sustain quality healthcare for our next generation. This is a mammoth undertaking which will roll out over the next several years," he said.
While health boards are due to be abolished under health reforms next year, the NEHB said the plans could be used as a "road map" for health authorities in the years ahead.
The changes in disability services would see the appointment of teams who would deliver home support services and nursing care. A carer or "lifetime development planner" would be appointed to each team working with six- to 18-year-olds to plan and anticipate the person's needs. The number of residential respite places would also be increased, while more local rehabilitation services would be developed.
Mr Kinsella, the NEHB's director of governance, planning and evaluation for disability services, said the plans were aimed at maximising the potential, promoting independence and achieving mainstream inclusion for people with disabilities.
"When this is completed we would like to be able to say that services are more focused on people's needs, and that end-users are getting services closer to home and that travelling is done by professionals rather than by end-users," he said.
The strategy for children and families, meanwhile, stresses the importance of the needs of children in policy development and resource allocation.
It aims to support families to provide the best environment for their children by involving them in the planning of services designed for their use. "Children are at the centre and heart of all our work and we have made a commitment to provide services in a joined up way for children and families," said Nuala Doherty, co-author of the report.