To ask the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety an update on the review of Day Opportunities for people with learning disabilities.

Since the regional consultation on the proposed Model for Day Opportunities for People with Learning Disabilities was carried out in 2013/2014, work is progressing to implement the Model across all HSC Trust areas to ensure the range and quality of post-19 opportunities for those with a learning disability across NI is more consistent. It is important to note that the Day Opportunities programme of change could take up to five years to complete and its success is highly dependent on the cooperation of relevant government departments and their agencies, the new local government Councils and voluntary and community organisations. A summary of progress is as follows:-

a post Consultation Report was developed in 2014;

a Regional Day Opportunities Inter-departmental (and cross-sectoral) Implementation Group was established in October 2014;

Local Implementation Groups were established in the five Health and Social Care Trust localities in 2015 and these Groups have measured themselves against the Model Phase 1;

a Carers’ Regional Sub Group was established in September 2015;

engagement events have been undertaken with staff, users, carers and providers;

person-centred reviews for service users in day care continue to identify those who would benefit from access to day opportunities;

a scoping exercise of current daycare/day opportunities and profile of current service users has been completed;

a review is currently being carried out on building-based services to identify requirements for the future;

the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has recently awarded a contract to fund the ‘Rural Support’ post for the development of Social Farming;

a Regional Integrated Passenger Transport Group was set up and led by the Department for Regional Development to look at efficient and sustainable passenger transport arrangements.