Cavan children wait on average two years for assessment of needs
VACANCIES Lack of therapists causing delays in assessments
The high vacancy rate within Cavan Children’s Disability Network Team (CDNT) has worsened significantly since the start of the year, with the average waiting time for a child receiving therapeutic intervention now stretched out to two years.
According to the latest figures obtained by The Anglo-Celt, vacant posts in the Enable Ireland Cavan Children’s Disability Network Team now total 16.
They include 1.8 WTE (Whole Time Equivalent) staff grade speech and language therapists; three senior speech and language therapists; and five clinical nurse specialists.
They are also missing one WTE staff grade psychologist; 0.5 senior psychologist; 0.7 senior occupational therapist; one physiotherapy assistant; one staff grade physiotherapist; and two senior physiotherapists.
The vacancies, the Celt understands, are due to unfilled maternity leave posts, vacancies arising due to resignations and additional posts allocated to the service that are yet to be filled.
Back in January of this year the HSE detailed that there were at that time 10.64 WTE vacant posts on the Enable Ireland’s CDNT. The vacancies were across a range of disciplines similar to now, including nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, psychology and speech and language therapy.
The figures were shared shortly before a new Children’s Disability Network Manager commenced in January 2023.
It was added at the time that two Occupational Therapists were due to return from long term leave in February 2023. It is not known if that has happened.
Another Occupational Therapist it was said had accepted a post, and was to join the CDNT team in June.
Other posts meanwhile had been advertised, including two additional approved new posts, and if the recruitment campaign was unsuccessful, the posts would be re-advertised “without delay”.
A challenge
A spokesperson for the HSE said back in January that the “high level of vacant posts poses a challenge” in meeting the demands, but blamed a “national shortage” of healthcare staff in many disciplines to fill vacancies.
“Workforce challenges across the disability sector are being addressed by the HSE in conjunction with service providers at national and local levels.”
Current national policy states that once the HSE receives an application for assessment it must be carried out within three months, and the assessment must be completed within a further three months. An Assessment of Need starts when the assessment officer arranges the referral.
Thereafter CDNTs have a responsibility to make contact with families every six months to review needs. A spokesperson for the HSE confirmed that the average waiting time, at present, for intervention is “two years”.