Seán Sherlock
Question:265. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education the number of SENO vacancies currently in north Cork. [24688/24]
View answerTuesday, 11 June 2024
Questions (265, 266)
Seán Sherlock
Question:266. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education the number of SENOs in north Cork and their allocated caseload, by SENO. [24689/24]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 265 and 266 together.
It is a priority that the NCSE is properly resourced to have a visible and effective presence in our schools and to guide and support our parents and children on their educational journey. In Budget 2023, the government provided an additional €13 million for the expansion of services within the NCSE. This will mean an increase of up to 161 additional staff in the organisation, a workforce increase of 50%.
As a result of the additional funding allocated to the NCSE, it is intended to increase the number of SENOs to approximately 120, from the previously sanctioned 73, an additional 47. As the NCSE recruits additional SENOs, they are progressively altering the current team structure, from a regional to a county basis with an assigned number of SENOs for each county.
Recruitment is ongoing across a range of grades and there are now 88 SENOs and 17 team managers in place nationally, more than ever before in the NCSE, with a further 32 SENOs starting in the coming months.
The NCSE transition from a regional team-based structure to a county-based structure means an increase from 10 SENO teams to 20 SENO teams. These are multidisciplinary teams which also include, team managers, therapists, and specialist leads. Under this new structure Cork County will have 18 SENOs, with 9 in place, a further 8 commencing and an active recruitment competition currently underway for the final 1 SENO. SENOs operate on a team basis and services are maintained through cover provided from available staffing resources. Should any vacancy arise, a SENO point of contact is assigned to the area to assist schools, parents, and local services. The regional contact list of SENOs is available on the NCSE website to provide the details of SENOs covering their area.
The distribution of the 496 schools in Cork is allocated to the existing teams and caseloads are based on the number of schools and their special education needs requirements. The recruitment process allows for training, induction, back-filling, and the equitable distribution of cases on a county basis to new SENOs, without disrupting existing service to schools and children.
The new localised structure, which will see SENOs being assigned on a county basis, will be fully operational for the start of the new school year in September. In the meantime, it is a priority that new SENOs who are arriving to the NCSE will be getting out to meet their local schools as soon as possible to start working with school and families collaboratively so that children with special educational needs are supported. The NCSE will be communicating details of the new structure to schools and parents over the coming weeks.
Question No. 266 answered with Question No. 265.