Mike Nesbitt
Strangford · Ulster Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“Think public service, wisdom, generosity and courtesy. Think integrity, insight and curiosity, the lack of which is a key criticism of the two public inquiry reports of recent days.”
“I spoke during Members' statements earlier about the untimely passing of the Western Trust's chair, Dr Tom Frawley CBE. I repeat my condolences to his family, his friends and his many admirers.”
“I absolutely share the Member's ambition to see people living in the community. The trusts provide a range of evidence-informed programmes for individuals who are awaiting assessment. For children and young people, early intervention teams deliver proactive needs-led programmes that are neurodiversity-affirming and trauma-informed.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Western Trust has assured me that it has undertaken a comprehensive early engagement exercise with stakeholders, involving all political parties, local businesses, service users, community groups, the Patient and Client Council (PCC), local media, community planning partners and Departments, including mine and D…”
“The role played by social workers in delivering safeguarding and family support interventions is complex and challenging. The work frequently pivots on multidisciplinary collaboration, with parents and carers positioned as partners in the formulation and delivery of safeguarding and support plans.”
“I fully recognise the impact of the current delays on individuals and families. The situation has arisen due to a combination of factors, including funding that falls short of objectively assessed need and previously missed opportunities to reform health and social care delivery.”
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“Many of PHE's functions have been transferred to the United Kingdom Health Security Agency, an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). The proposed amendments will ensure that legislation reflects recent changes in the healthcare systems in England and Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />My officials attended the Health Committee on 12 September to outline the full policy intent of the draft SI and to respond to any questions that the Committee might have had prior to its possibly being debated in the Assembly. I am pleased to confirm that the Committee raised no issues on the policy intent. The Committee also indicated that it was content, following further consideration of the regulations, when the SI was laid in draft form at the Northern Ireland Assembly Business Office on 24 September.”
“PHA has mandatory training in opioid overdose awareness, naloxone administration and supplier training, which all naloxone suppliers must complete initially and refresh every two years. In preparation for expansion of the scheme, PHA will transfer that training to an online option to target larger numbers. <BR /> <BR />There are technical amendments in the SI in relation to the transfer of functions following the dissolution of Public Health England in 2020 and the regional Health and Social Care Board here in 2022. In Northern Ireland, as part of our programme of work to transform our health and social care system, the regional HSCB closed on the 31 March 2022, and functions migrated to a newly formed strategic planning and performance group in my Department.”
“<BR /> <BR />There are safeguards in the proposals, including the establishment of mandatory training requirements for new services and professionals who wish to take on the role. That training would give participants an understanding of appropriate practices around storing and supplying naloxone, and how to support an individual being supplied with the drug. <BR /> <BR />The Assembly should be assured to note that the infrastructure is already in place in Northern Ireland to deal with an expansion in the number of those who can supply naloxone. Since 2012, the Public Health Agency (PHA) has commissioned and operated a take-home naloxone programme. Naloxone was supplied 1,861 times in the financial year 2022-23. Since the take-home naloxone scheme was put in place in 2012, it has successfully reversed an overdose in over 1,765 cases.”
“That will mean easier access to naloxone for people at risk and for their loved ones. In short, the legislation will save lives. <BR /> <BR />It will not be a mandatory requirement for services or professionals listed in the legislation to supply naloxone. The powers in the draft legislation are enabling, simply allowing the supply of naloxone without a prescription. The intention is not to create new burdens for services but instead to provide an opportunity for provision based on local need. UK-wide consultations on the proposals have taken place, and the proposals received significant support across the United Kingdom. In Northern Ireland, 100% strongly agreed or agreed with the proposed list of named services and professionals that could supply naloxone without a prescription.”
“That will enable all other services and professionals that were unable to be named in the legislation, including housing and homelessness services, to register and to procure naloxone.”
“<BR /> <BR />Currently, however, exemptions in the HMRs allow only drug and alcohol treatment services to supply naloxone to individuals for future use — usually called "take-home naloxone" — which limits the reach of that life-saving medicine. The draft amending statutory instrument that is being debated proposes two key changes. The first is to expand the list of services and professionals named in the regulations that can give out naloxone without a prescription. It means that professionals such as registered nurses and probation officers will be able to provide take-home supplies of naloxone, where appropriate, should they wish to do so. The second proposed change is to establish national registration services across the whole United Kingdom.”
“The impact of synthetic opioids on opioid-related deaths is yet to be fully understood. In 2022, opioids were involved in 60% of drug misuse deaths in Northern Ireland. Such deaths are avoidable. <BR /> <BR />Through their substance use strategy, 'Preventing Harm, Empowering Recovery', the Northern Ireland Executive have prioritised reducing alcohol- and drug-related deaths. Naloxone is a highly effective antidote to opioid overdose and, in an emergency, can be administered quickly and safely by anyone. It is considered a very safe medicine for the recipient and the person administering the drug, and it is already widely used in the United Kingdom and worldwide.”
“Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. I seek the Assembly's approval for the making of a draft statutory instrument that will amend the Human Medicines Regulations (HMRs) 2012 to lawfully expand access to naloxone, which is a life-saving medication that reverses the effects of an overdose of opioid drugs. In addition, it makes amendments to keep the regulations current by updating references to Public Health England (PHE) and the Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) in Northern Ireland, following the dissolution of those two bodies. <BR /> <BR />I will start with naloxone. We are all aware of the devastating impact that illicit drugs can have. Drugs destroy lives, tear families apart and make our streets less safe. Drug misuse deaths have doubled since 2012.”
“The match is in places such as North Belfast, and I am committed and determined to do something about that.”
“<BR /> <BR />The key issues that I want to address are particularly, for example, the composition of social work caseloads in relation to the levels of staff experience. As I said, there are acceptable levels of stress in any job, but there are also unacceptable levels of stress. If social workers feel that they are not competent, well-trained and experienced enough to tackle the caseload that they are being asked to take on, that is counter-strategic. It is not good for the delivery or the individual. <BR /> <BR />Finally, I was in North Belfast earlier today. I started the day at the Girdwood hub where I again made the point that, if you take a map of the Troubles hotspots and overlap it with a contemporaneous map of health issues, particularly mental health and well-being, you have a match.”
“I am afraid that I do not have the information that the Member is seeking, but we will certainly try to get that for him in the days ahead. <BR /> <BR />In the limited time that I have remaining, I will move on to the issue of industrial action, which some Members referred to. Productive discussions have been ongoing, but some issues remain unresolved. I recognise the workforce and the workload pressures in social work services, which, as Carál Ní Chuilín suggested, may be connected to safe staffing. The Chief Social Worker has published an initial report, 'Safe Staffing in Social Work Research and Policy Development', and, between September and November, discussions are taking place about that.”
“In 2023, the Belfast Trust recruited 59 of the overall cohort of newly qualified social workers: 36 went to posts in children's services, 26 of whom went to children's teams in North Belfast and West Belfast. This year, the total intake in Belfast was slightly lower, with 50 newly qualified social workers: 34 went into children's services, with 28 of those going into children's teams in North Belfast and West Belfast. So, in the past two years, the Belfast Trust has managed to attract 109 newly qualified social workers into post: 70 are employed in children's services, of whom 54 have gone into vacancies in North Belfast and West Belfast.”
“I am glad to say that no social workers in the trusts are now employed by a recruitment agency, which has been key to allowing the other reform measures to go ahead. <BR /> <BR />At the same time, early in 2023, the Department sought to introduce a much more streamlined approach to recruiting the 240 to 250 newly qualified social workers who graduate from our universities each year. I am pleased to say that, in 2023, that resulted in 208 newly qualified social workers joining the trusts. So far this year, 206 have taken up permanent contracts in trusts. A further 14 newly qualified social workers are going through pre-employment checks, and I hope that they will start in the coming weeks.”
“In December 2022, as a first and highly significant step towards reform, the Department, in collaboration with the trusts, took the decision to cease the use of recruitment agencies to fill trust vacancies by the end of June 2023. At that point, there were in excess of 200 recruitment agency social workers employed in the trusts, some of whom had been working that way for years. That growing trend of agency usage caused a degree of instability in the workforce. It also hampered the building of meaningful relationships, which, of course, is the essence of good social work. All the social workers who were employed by recruitment agencies were then given the opportunity to apply for substantive posts, and the vast majority did so.”
“Reform plans in place for social work include, for example, the production of a 10-year attract, recruit and retain plan that is aimed at maximising attraction into social work training; the implementation of an effective recruitment process; the development of strategies to improve the rates of retention; a growth in the number of social work training places by as much as funding allows; a continuation of the fast-track recruitment route for future cohorts of newly qualified social workers; and the establishment of an evidence base for safer staffing to develop regional guidance. <BR /> <BR />The social work workforce review made several key recommendations that are now being actioned.”
“<BR /> <BR />That brings me to the actions that have been, and are being, taken to stabilise the social work workforce, which is as important as increasing overall capacity. In 2020, the Department commissioned a review of the social work workforce in Northern Ireland, which reported in 2022. The Department now has in place a social work workforce implementation board, which was established following the publication of the social work workforce review. Led by the Chief Social Worker, the membership of the board includes key stakeholders in social work, and its aim is to provide the leadership and accountability that is needed to ensure the development and stabilisation of the social work workforce.”
“I am assured by the Belfast Trust that it is actively seeking to fill all its current vacancies. However, we know that there is a limited pool of potential candidates available. My Department recognises that we need to train more social workers in Northern Ireland, and, to that end, we have been steadily increasing the number of commissioned student places in recent years. The baseline in 2021 was 260 places. That went to 285 in 2023 and to 325 this year. I secured the funding for those additional 40 places this year in response to the need for more social workers, but I should say that that increase is for one additional cohort only. So, given the increasing demand for social workers, particularly as new services develop and legislation is introduced, I hope that I can make a strong case for recurrent funding.”
“They do not want people to pay tribute: they want people to pay them and give them the correct terms and conditions of employment, which include a certain work-life balance and a recognition that there are appropriate and inappropriate stress levels, and that we ask too much of people. As I have said repeatedly, our health and social care services are delivered by dedicated and committed staff, and we should be proud of them. <BR /> <BR />With regard to Belfast in particular, I can inform Members that there are currently 41 vacant social work posts in the trust, of which 32 are in children's services and a further nine in adult services. That is for the trust in particular. There are also 21 social work posts in teams providing services to children with a disability, and six of these are vacant.”
“Members have correctly identified the chief reasons for that. However, due to a range of actions taken already, some of which I will outline, the regional vacancy rate for all social worker posts has, thankfully, been falling, but that does not mean that the problem is resolved. I will set out the context, because it is important to note that, due to the way in which social work services are delivered, which is mostly in small local teams, any absences from those teams, whether through illness or long-term leave or because of vacancies, mean that there is a much greater burden on the staff who remain at work. I acknowledge that fact and pay tribute to all our social workers who deliver services to adults, families and children every day, but I also accept what Carál was saying.”
“It is about a response on the number of vacant social worker posts for child and family, disability and mental health for North Belfast and West Belfast. In band 6 social worker vacancies, the Belfast Trust says that — it is very specific — in mental health, there is one; in disability, there is one; in children's community services, in whole-time equivalents, there are 19·3; and in children's homes, there are 13. My maths suggests that that is 24, and if we take that off the 81, it suggests that 57 vacancies have been filled. However, I accept that I might not be comparing like with like, and I am very happy to discuss it in a moment. <BR /> <BR />I understand and very much appreciate that all the trusts have been experiencing high levels of vacancies and other types of absences in recent years.”
“Deputy Speaker, thank you very much. I thank Carál Ní Chuilín for bringing forward this matter. It is important, particularly for that geographical area. She challenged me about the 81 vacancies and 60 being put in place. I am going to try to meet it, but we might need to speak off-line because I might not be comparing like with like. <BR /> <BR />First, by way of context or background, there are around 6,600 registered social workers in Northern Ireland. The trusts are, of course, by far the largest employers: they have 4,800. The Belfast Trust has the highest number in post, and that is around 1,120 more generally. To come to the question that Carál Ní Chuilín has put to me: I signed off a letter to her earlier today.”
“As part of that work, consideration is being given to the regional tariff, third-party top-up fees and enhanced care rates. The group will also consider the inclusion of clauses provided for enhanced care within the tariff.”
“It is important to note that, separate to establishing the regional tariff rate, independent care providers are responsible for setting their own care home fees. Top-up fees, also known as third-party charges, are set by the independent care home providers at a level that they deem to be appropriate to reflect market prices. Neither my Department nor the health and social care trusts have any role in setting or calculating those fees. I do, however, recognise that the tariff rates may not be fully reflective of the true cost of care, and work is under way within the social care collaborative forum to consider how the commissioning and contracting of care home provision across Northern Ireland is currently delivered. Finally, a finance task and finish group has been established within that work stream to review existing finance issues.”
“<BR /> <BR />As we move forward, I remain committed to tackling health inequalities and ensuring that social care reform remains a priority. By addressing these iniquities, we can build a system that not only provides high-quality care but does so in a way that is fair and equitable, ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their circumstances, have access to the services that they need when they need them. <BR /> <BR />My Department annually reviews the regional tariff rate for residents placed in residential care and in nursing home care, and the regional tariff rate is compiled on the basis of a breakdown of the costs of care. The amount that the rates are uplifted by each year takes account of increases to statutory uplifts to the national living wage and a range of other factors.”
“Concerns have also been raised about the potential impact on smaller care homes, which may not be in a position to reclaim VAT, and that is being considered as part of the review. Officials also continue to liaise with counterparts in Great Britain, at departmental and local authority level, to gain a better understanding of the implementation and outworking of the VAT reclamation. It is paramount that any changes to the contractual arrangements between trusts and providers be reflected in the HSC care homes contract. The current HSC care homes contract that sets out the terms and conditions under which trusts commission services from care home providers has been in place for several years now and requires substantial revision.”
“Those revised standards will require consultation, and Members will have the opportunity to consider them in due course. <BR /> <BR />Members have also raised the issue of VAT recovery, and, as I have said previously, significant work is under way to consider the nature of that change, any potential operational, legal and regulatory implications and associated resources that may be required to allow for the recovery of VAT by independent care homes in Northern Ireland. A project manager and dedicated legal resources have now been appointed to drive that work forward as part of the wider review of the care homes contract. Legal colleagues have advised that it is not going to be possible to separate the issues of VAT reclamation from the wider review of the contract.”
“<BR /> <BR />I accept that the standards need a comprehensive review to ensure that they are fully reflective of best practice, learning and guidance and that they are relevant to the current environment in which the care sector operates. A working group, chaired by my officials, has been established to undertake a review of those standards. That review will involve ongoing collaboration and engagement with relevant social care stakeholders to ensure that there is clarity between what is considered to be best practice and what will be measured under the inspection frameworks. An initial exercise has been completed to identify potential gaps and revisions that may be necessary. My officials are considering next steps to revise the standards.”
“The current 'Care Standards for Nursing Homes' and the 'Residential Care Homes Minimum Standards' documents set out the requirements for registration and inspection of providers by the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) to ensure that there is a consistency of approach and that residents, families and providers have a clear understanding of the standards that they can expect to receive or provide. People living in nursing homes have specific and sometimes complex needs, which usually arise from their own healthcare requirements. It is therefore important that the standards reflect the most recent developments, guidance, policy and procedures in order to ensure the provision of a safe and effective service with the appropriate quality of care.”
“Although significant challenges remain, the collaborative work involving the Department of Health, the social care collaborative forum and workforce representatives has been instrumental in bringing us closer to a more sustainable workforce model. The forum's supporting carers work stream is currently commissioning a regional evaluation of the outcomes of the implementation of the Caring for Carers strategy from 2006. Work is due to begin shortly, and, on completion, my officials will identify relevant learning and key findings to inform the future strategic direction. <BR /> <BR />Cross-departmental work is also ongoing to consider how we can work collaboratively across government to address the issues identified in 'A New Deal for unpaid carers in Northern Ireland' from 2023.”
“<BR /> <BR />Some Members have said that not enough is being done on delivery and that we continue to consult rather than implement. The implementation of the workforce strategy will commence by the beginning of next year, and I am confident that the strategy will address many of the concerns that Members have raised about recruitment, retention, recognition and, indeed, remuneration. Additionally, initiatives to improve staff well-being and to ensure fair pay are ongoing, and those initiatives will undoubtedly have a positive impact on addressing staff shortages over time. <BR /> <BR />Work is ongoing through the social care fair work forum to build a case for change that seeks to highlight the potential impacts and benefits to be realised by raising wages in the social care sector to a real living wage.”
“The development of the social care workforce strategy also marks a considerable achievement by laying the foundations for addressing recruitment and retention issues in the sector. The strategy is central to resolving many of the workforce challenges that we face. It sets out a clear path to attract, train and retain the skilled staff necessary to deliver high-quality social care. The strategy focuses not just on immediate recruitment but on long-term development, offering a framework that recognises the importance of ongoing development and career progression for social care staff. Those measures are crucial, given the critical role that the workforce plays in delivering front-line care and in supporting those in need across the health and social care spectrum.”
“We have sought to better promote social care as a valuable career choice by delivering the Making a Difference promotional campaign to showcase the value and diversity of social care, which includes the podcast series, 'Care to chat?', video stories showcasing the value of social care and digital posts about social care. Work in 2024-25 will focus on building a sustainable workforce, on improving commissioning and contracting arrangements and on developing improved partnership working. <BR /> <BR />One of the critical recommendations in 'Power to People' was the urgent need to address the social care workforce crisis, and significant steps have been taken to prioritise that. Although we continue to experience challenges, the sector has been prioritised for funding in recent years.”
“The vast majority will require additional and sustained investment to ensure that they make the transformational changes envisaged by the 'Power to People' report. <BR /> <BR />Through the work of the forum in 2023-24, we have implemented early review teams in the trusts, with a view to developing a regional model to monitor and review service users' home care needs and packages of home care, with almost 1,100 home care hours being recovered and allocated to cases of unmet need. We have also implemented improved digital solutions in trusts to more effectively manage the change in home care packages.”
“The forum has provided a vital space to bring together a wide range of stakeholders, including front-line staff, care providers, policymakers, union representatives, regulators, representative bodies and service users. The forum's aim is to develop short-term solutions to alleviate immediate pressures and longer-term strategies for sustainable reform. Through that collaborative effort, key policy development priorities have been identified, and work is under way to address some of the most pressing challenges. <BR /> <BR />One of the first actions taken forward by the forum was to map the reform of adult social care consultation proposals against the forum work streams to ensure that, where we can, the reforms are delivered. Some of them will be delivered more quickly than others. Some will require legislative change.”
“First, my predecessor, Robin Swann, consulted on proposals to deliver the vision outlined in 'Power to People'. The public consultation took place during 2022. It set out proposals to address the issues facing social care and to put in place tangible actions to create change that would significantly improve services. The post-consultation report was published last year. That consultation was by no means the end point; rather, it represented the groundwork necessary to ensure that the reform process was both sustainable and transformative in the longer term. <BR /> <BR />As Members have noted, one of the most significant developments since that consultation has been the establishment of the social care collaborative forum.”
“Thank you very much, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate. I thank the mover of the motion and the mover of the amendment. <BR /> <BR />I understand the frustration that many have expressed regarding the pace of reform in our social care system since 'Power to People' was published in 2017. I take this moment to emphasise that progress has been made, particularly in the context of significant external pressures and challenges that have impacted on the pace of reform. <BR /> <BR />Since the publication of the report, there has been sustained commitment to transforming our social care system. Several initiatives to address the systemic issues identified in the 'Power to People' report have moved forward.”
“I just want to clarify that I said that I will bring a paper to the Executive "in the coming weeks" rather than in the next couple of weeks.”
“To do a whole-system reform, including the implementation of the review recommendations, will take not months; it will take years. I say that to be honest and practical about the timescales that are needed. One of the Members said that we should be boosting Sure Start. That belongs with the Department of Education. The Gillen review belongs with Justice, so, as I said, it is not just me. <BR /> <BR />Finally, I commend the BBC and Tara Mills for the excellent programme 'I Am Not Okay', which was a wonderful piece of journalism that has had a huge impact on my thinking.”
“A paper that we prepared for the Health Committee, which was issued last week, gives a better sense of the ongoing work and the progress that is being made. <BR /> <BR />The reform programme and the implementation of the review recommendations are now firmly interconnected. Other programmes of work are also relevant, principally work related to the reform of the social work workforce, which is being led by the Chief Social Worker in the Department. The number of social work training places funded by the Department increased from 260 in 2020 to 325 in 2024, which is the highest number on record. <BR /> <BR />As I begin to run out of time, I want to touch on a couple of things. Mr Robinson was keen to know about the implementation programme.”
“We need to plan for and develop a wider range of accommodation options for children and young people, but I assure the Member that the private sector is not top of my list. <BR /> <BR />Policy and legislative reform under the programme includes the continued implementation of the Adoption and Children Act and the A Life Deserved: Caring for Children and Young People in Northern Ireland strategy. Care-experienced children and young people are central to ongoing work to review care planning and looked-after child review arrangements, and a care pilot that aims to improve the quality and responsiveness of care planning is due to commence this month. Those are only examples; the time available does not permit me to do justice to the breadth of activity that is being undertaken.”
“I thank the Member for her intervention. Professor Jones raised concerns about the private sector beginning to infiltrate the provision of residential care for children in Northern Ireland. The absence of the private provision of children's social care was identified by him in that review as a strength. We have a small number of independent sector providers of residential homes. At 11 April this year, there were 55 registered children's homes in Northern Ireland, seven of which — 12·7% — were run by independent sector providers. Only two of the seven were operated by for-profit providers. That having been said, the pressure on statutory sector provision points to the need to work differently to fill placement gaps.”
“A children's residential care strategy is being developed and work is under way to enhance residential capacity in the immediate term, including looking to new models of residential care to enable trusts to respond more flexibly to meet need and to enable children with complex needs to remain in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />We are also looking at the potential of introducing multi-site children's homes: homes with one manager and staff team that have the capacity to use space across multiple sites in order to better meet the needs of children by, for example, supporting time out or enabling children with acute needs to live in a smaller home environment.”
“I express my gratitude to the collective for the leadership that it has shown. <BR /> <BR />Among other things, the reform programme identifies effective practice in Northern Ireland and beyond, and plans to replicate that practice, where appropriate, to ensure that the best use is made of existing resources in order to achieve consistency across the region. For example, work is ongoing to identify the root causes of waiting lists across children's social care services and to test solutions. Models of best multi-agency, front door practice in children's services across the UK and internationally have also been reviewed.”
“<BR /> <BR />Work is in train to deliver against the 34 accepted recommendations, of which 27 have formally been assigned to the children's social care services strategic reform programme, including eight that we categorise as being guiding principles. The remaining seven recommendations are the responsibility of my Department to progress. That reform programme was established in April of last year and is overseen by senior leaders in children's social care within the Department, by the health and social care trusts and by other departmental arm's-length bodies. The Department of Education, the Department of Justice and trade union side are also represented. The voluntary and community sector is embedded at all levels of the reform programme, including in a dedicated work stream built around the Reimagine Children's Collective.”
“I thank the Member for his question. There was an opening Budget position, and then there was the June monitoring round, which released significant funds to the Department. We are optimistic that we will receive Barnett consequentials between now and year end. That is not to say, however, that that will ease our budgetary pressures. We are finding it extremely difficult to balance the books, and that is without considering pay pressures, which will need to be met in some form. There is no easy answer or good news on the budget for this year, and I anticipate that the same may well be the case in the next financial year.”
“However, I know that we cannot ponder forever, and I do not intend to. It is my intention to bring a paper to the Executive in the coming weeks to seek their consideration of the recommendation that calls for a children and families arm's-length body. I also intend to seek Executive support for additional funding to enable a shift away from statutory intervention in family life. I totally agree with Professor Jones that greater and earlier support for families is needed in order to keep them together. I also agree with him that making that shift will require additional funding, at least in the short to medium term. Once the Executive process concludes, I will make a statement to the Assembly.”
“My view is that a new ALB has to be more than the drawing together of children's social care from the five trusts. While Professor Jones proposed that the ALB should have a local footprint aligned to trust areas, I believe that we need to look at the regionalisation of some services, with them being provided in one place rather than five. That is consistent with my view that we must identify best practice where it exists and turn it into common practice across the five geographical trusts. <BR /> <BR />The decision on the arm's-length body will mostly impact on the Department of Education and the Department of Justice, so, as I said, I have asked those Ministers for their views. These are not minor decisions, and I appreciate that the Education Minister wants to consider this very carefully, as I do.”
“I have not received a definitive response from the First Minister and the deputy First Minister on the issue of a Minister for children and families. I will say this to the Member: the appointment of a Minister for children and families could be repercussive. For example, why not then have a Minister for older people? Those are the considerations that I imagine are being discussed in the Executive Office. <BR /> <BR />There is scope for a new arm's-length body to be central to the implementation of the Children's Services Co-operation Act (Northern Ireland) 2015: a lead "children's authority", to use that Act's terminology. I pause at this point to pay tribute to former Member Steven Agnew, the man who brought the private Member's Bill to the Assembly that became that Act.”
“I thank the Member for her intervention. To answer the direct question in a strict sense, I have not brought those issues to the Executive. I have taken the issue of the arm's-length body to the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Education, because they would be most involved with Health were an arm's-length body to be established. I took the issue of a Minister for children and families directly to the Executive Office, to the First Minister and the deputy First Minister. For clarity, the Minister of Justice is supportive of the establishment of an arm's-length body. The Department of Education has engaged with my departmental officials to seek further clarification and to explore further the implications of an arm's-length body.”
“It remains his view that the crisis needs to be addressed through changes in governance and organisational arrangements and through a renewed focus on supporting families, in line with the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995. Members have mentioned that he deemed us to be heavy on activity and rather light on action. I agree with him that, as I have said often, government is not about inputs and outputs but about outcomes and whether we deliver better ones. <BR /> <BR />Members will understand that decision-making on those recommendations extends beyond my Department's remit. What is proposed is an arm's-length body that would incorporate not only children's social care services but potentially education welfare services, youth services and youth justice services.”