Over a third of approved posts in network of services for children with disabilities are unfilled

Over one-third of the approved posts in a nationwide network of services for children with disabilities are unfilled, according to an unpublished HSE report. In 2022 there were over 700 vacancies across the country’s 91 Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs), according to the leaked 35-page document.

The total number of approved WTE (whole-time equivalent) posts last year was 2,102.62, an increase of 11 per cent since 2021. But of these 707 were unfilled .The number of filled posts was 1,395, of which 1,183 were in a therapy or clinical role. while the remainder were in administrative or management roles.

The data, based on a workforce audit carried out by the HSE on October 12th, 2022, also shows that the number of therapy hours available to children across the 91 CDNTs dropped by 5 per cent or 60,000 hours in 2022. The total therapy hours available nationally in 2022 was 1,135,334. The number of therapy hours decreased in eight of the nine Community Healthcare Organisation (CHO) areas.

One advocacy group FUSS (Families Unite For Services and Support), which got sight of the report this week, said it was appalled to learn that over one-third of the approved posts within the service were unfilled at the end of last year – up from 28 per cent to 34 per cent since 2021.

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Rachel Martin, a founder member of FUSS, said that the approval of 210 extra posts last year was meaningless given that so many posts from 2021 had yet to be filled.

The largest employer of CDNT staff is the HSE, which manage 41 teams and had 572 filled WTE positions (61 per cent) and 359 vacant WTE positions (39 per cent) in 2022.

There are 17 other employers in the sector including Enable Ireland which had 140 of its 413 approved posts unfilled (34 per cent). The Central Remedial Clinic with 108 approved WTE posts across its CDNTs had 42 or 39 per cent unfilled.

FUSS said it was seeking an urgent meeting with Minister for Children Equality and Disability Roderic O’Gorman and Minister of State Anne Rabbitte to discuss the " truly shocking” findings and to ensure progress is made.

The HSE said on Thursday night that it was “not acceptable” for families to have to wait an extended time for either an assessment of their child’s needs or for therapy. A spokesman said national and international recruitment campaigns had been launched.