To ask the Minister of Health to detail any investment being made in specialist learning disability social workers.

The Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) is responsible for the regulation of Social Work education and training in Northern Ireland. NISCC are responsible for ensuring that there is sufficient, high quality qualifying and post-qualifying training in place to meet the range of needs of the Social Work workforce.

The Social Work degree in Northern Ireland equips the workforce to work in a range of settings, including Learning Disability Services. On completion of the degree, all Social Workers in Northern Ireland are required to complete an Assessed Year in Employment. They are then expected to further complete a Consolidation Award in Social Work, this means that those who work in Learning Disability Services will have extended knowledge and skills with regards to supporting people with Learning Disability and their families.

Some Social Workers choose to progress into specialist practice areas within their programmes of care such as Adult Safeguarding or Palliative Care Social Work. Currently there is no specialist Learning Disability Social Work qualification.

In addition to regional Social Work training courses, Social Workers within Learning Disability Services have access to a range of in-house training within their own Trusts. This training enables them to robustly support people with Learning Disabilities and their families.

My Department has no current plans to make further additional investment in specialist Learning Disability Social Workers. The current training available to Social Workers is sufficient to equip them with the knowledge and skills to meet the needs of the Learning Disability population.