IPPN

Published: 06 March 2015

“The Department is seeking submissions on the co-ordination of services and future working arrangements between NCSE (including its Inclusion Support Service) and NEPS.

The Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O’Sullivan T.D., has announced the establishment within the National Council for Special Education of a new Inclusion Support Service to assist schools in supporting children with special educational needs. This service will include the Special Education Support Service (SESS), the National Behaviour Support Service (NBSS) and the Visiting Teacher Service for children who are deaf/hard of hearing and for children who are blind/visually impaired (VTSVHI) which until now have been managed by the Department. The Minister has also asked the Department to consider the potential for enhanced levels of coordination between the expanded NCSE and the National Educational Psychological Service. To this end submissions are sought from any interested stakeholders in relation to the issues by Friday, 13th of March. It should be borne in mind, when preparing a submission, that suggestions should be cost neutral.

Questions which submissions may wish to address include the following:

• What co-ordination, structural or organisational changes – within existing resources – could be put in place to deliver a better service for students and schools?
• From the point of view of the best service for students and schools, what do you consider to be the optimal working arrangements between the NCSE and NEPS at: (i) local level and/or (ii) at national level”