CHILDREN in Northern Ireland (CiNI), the regional umbrella body for the children’s sector, has launched training to enhance childcare for children with disabilities.
The latest programme of training will include courses on deaf awareness, Makaton language, austism, structured play, and epilepsy awareness and has been designed to increase the confidence of childcare providers in meeting the needs of disabled children.
Training will be open to childminders, day care, after school staff and extended family members.
Pauline Leeson, chief executive of CiNI said there where increasing numbers of children with complex health needs.
“Often these young people tend to fall between disability services and children’s services and therefore their unique and specific circumstances and needs as children with disabilities are often overlooked,” she said.
“Over the summer period we offered a similar programme of training and more than 400 individuals took part in the various courses.
Feedback from the participants has been very positive and encouraging.
“CiNI firmly believes that if additional training could be provided in locations across Northern Ireland this would assist in helping to maintain a level of consistency when it comes to service provision.”
Ms Leeson added: “Children with disabilities are more likely to experience exclusion from mainstream support services due to he perceived risks and lack of appropriate training for staff in this area, so it is extremely important that we work to equip individuals with relevant skills and training.”
The training, which is funded through the DHSSPS via the Executive’s Childcare Fund, will help establish and sustain an increase in childcare providers who are able to understand and respond to local need, are accessible for families and are able to integrate with other childcare providers.
Some of the subjects that will be covered in courses over the next several months include managing challenging behaviour, music therapy, epilepsy awareness, safeguarding children with a disability, multi-sensory play, Down’s Syndrome and also understanding childhood acquired brain injury.