To ask the Minister of Health to outline any consideration he has given to implementing lifelong care and support plans for disabled people.

Mr Nesbitt

Lifelong care and support planning for people with disabilities requires all professionals involved in the process to adopt a proactive, person-centred and adaptable approach as required. That constitutes a shift from reactive, service-led interventions. Our integrated Health and Social Care (HSC) system places the formal assessment of an individual's specific needs at the centre of the care planning process. The plans are co-produced with people who use our services to ensure that they are person-centred. Each care plan becomes the foundation for future reviews, potentially across the full lifespan. They consider changes to an individual's circumstances, the impact of lifelong conditions or disabilities and future planning. Individuals' plans are reassessed following a significant change of circumstances such as transitioning from children's service to adult services. The introduction of the neighbourhood model will enhance integrated models of care at community level, focusing on preventative approaches and forms of support that are tailored to individual need from the point of earliest contact with our services.

Mr Nesbitt

I will answer the Member's direct question directly: I am not considering introducing legislation in this mandate, because we have run out of time. There are several pieces of legislation that I would love to see going through the Assembly between now and purdah, in March 2027, of which that is one. We are certainly not ignoring the issues or trying to scope out what legislation might look like in the next mandate, but I cannot be untruthful with the Member: there is no plan, because we are being told that there is no legislative space between now and purdah.

Mrs Dillon

Minister, as you will be well aware, it is well documented that many disabled young people experience a sharp drop-off in support at the age of 18. Given that you have just said that we will have not have legislation in that space in this mandate, what specific conversations are ongoing with other Ministers to address the post-18 cliff edge and ensure that there is continuity of care into adulthood in every aspect of the lives of disabled young people?

Mr Nesbitt

The Department's children's learning disability services have implemented the learning disability service model and the children's disability framework, putting in place a regional transitions protocol, including an easy-read version, that has been informed and influenced through engagement with young people, families and stakeholders. The template aims to improve transition planning and secure greater regional consistency. An addendum will be agreed for education and health needs, and consideration will be given to developing a protocol for young people with physical disabilities and complex needs. My focus in recent times has been more on working with the Department of Education for children's services, particularly in terms of special schools and the provision of community children's nurses, but I am aware that the transition from children's services to adult services is one of many that represent a cliff edge and that more work needs to be done to make that transition more person- and family-centred.

Mrs Dodds

My colleagues have rightly focused on the issue of children transferring to adult services, but, for many adults with disabilities, there is a real issue with care packages. In a recent answer that you, Minister, gave to my colleague Diane Forsythe, the position as of 1 December 2025 in relation to care packages that you detailed was startling: over 2,000 people were waiting for a full care package, and over 1,000 people were waiting for a partial care package. The largest number of waits was in the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, in which 764 people were waiting for a full care package. Minister, what will be done about that situation? It impacts on adults with disabilities in particular, but it also impacts —

Mr Speaker

Minister.

Mrs Dodds

— on the flow of patients through our hospitals.

Mr Nesbitt

We will implement the learning disability service model. That has been greeted positively, by and large, across the interested parties. The Member will also be aware that we are moving at pace to try to introduce the neighbourhood model of care. The fabled shift left will happen in the coming financial year: 2026-27. I envisage that that model will directly benefit people with disabilities in the community, providing a more joined-up, accessible, proactive and personalised source of support that will lead to the better coordination of Health and Social Care services. It will reduce duplication and give faster access to the right support. It will also bring investment that will strengthen the support that the community, voluntary and social enterprise sector can provide to people living in our communities, including people with disabilities.