By Dionne Meehan
A NEW group made up of parents with children who have a disability and/or additional needs based in Donegal are uniting together in a bid to get their children’s voices heard.
Special Needs Parents Network Donegal was set up so parents can provide peer to peer support whilst effectively advocating for their children and their needs with a unified voice.
Established just three weeks ago, the group has over 560 members.
Working as a community, they are advocating on behalf of parents and children on the caseload of the CNDTs (Childrens Network Disablity Teams) which they believe are in crisis.
This come after parents in East Donegal received a letter from the HSE confirming there were no services available for the 432 children on the case load.
The letter also warned how, despite actively engaging with HR, the HSE have been unable to recruit additional staff to fill the vacancies.
In respect of Speech Therapy, they have only one of three full time therapists currently in post and have to prioritise only those children with the “highest degree of complexity”.
With many children now having to attend private therapy, parents feel something has to be done.
While recruitment is a solution to this crisis, it is a long term solution and affected parents are now saying their children cannot wait any longer for the therapy they so desperately need.
Becoming aware of an upcoming meeting on the issue in Letterkenny on October 16 between HSE management and local TDs, the parents knew this was the perfect opportunity for their children’s voices to be heard.
Demanding answers at the meeting, a survey asking group members what would help them now and in the short to medium term was rolled out.
With over 300 responses so far, the group is in the midst of preparing a report which is to be presented to the HSE CHO 1 Disability team and Donegal’s local representatives on October 16.
This data will include children’s needs in each area, what services they are being provided with from the CDNT and if in the case that services are lacking, what interim measures would help their children in the short – medium term.
Their view is that action needs to be taken now to support children, families, schools and other stakeholders.
They are also actively following up with other stakeholders including schools, preschools, GP’s and paediatrics in Letterkenny University Hospital who are also impacted by the current service provision.
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