To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning for an update on the progress of the post-19 Special Schools Transition Focus Group Action Plan.

In May 2015, the Bamford Inter Ministerial Group on Mental Health and Learning Disability agreed a cross Departmental Action Plan which seeks to offer improved support and services to help young people with severe learning disabilities to make the transition from school to adult services.

The Action Plan sets out a range of actions across government that aim to deliver improved support for this group of young people throughout Northern Ireland. These actions represent a snapshot of Departments’ existing commitments and associated scope for change. However, the Action Plan is also intended as a dynamic document that will be continuously amended and updated over time to take account of changes in Departments’ commitments and priorities.

The Action Plan was published on my Department’s website on 23 November 2015 (www.delni.gov.uk/publications/transitions-action-plan). Progress on the Action Plan will be monitored on an ongoing basis by the Inter Ministerial Group on Mental Health and Learning Disability, with my Department monitoring progress on all the actions in the Plan from relevant Executive Departments and reporting on this through the Bamford Ministerial Group reporting mechanisms to help keep Ministers informed of progress.

This monitoring process has begun and an update on progress will become available after the next meeting of the Inter Ministerial Group.