Review of the Children’s Disability Network Team Service Model

Reconfiguring Children’s Services

As part of Transforming Lives, a national programme of social and health care reform to improve disability services in Ireland, the HSE’s Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People programme has reconfigured children’s disability services into CDNTs which provide specialised health and social care services for children who have complex needs arising from their disability. The programme is based on the recommendations of the 2009 Report of the Reference Group on Multi-disciplinary Services for Children aged 5-18 Years.

CDNTs services are based on children’s needs and where children live. This reconfigure took place to deliver more equitable access to family-centred services for disabled children with complex needs in every part of Ireland. This reconfiguration is now complete.

Review of CDNT Service Model

We have been commissioned by the HSE to conduct a review of the CDNT service model. This is action 2.17 in the Roadmap for Service Improvement 2023-2026.

Our review will consist of three parts:

• Part 1: a review of the CDNT service model
• Part 2: a project to determine the optimal staffing for CDNTs
• Part 3: an evaluation of a pilot of enhanced in-school therapy supports provided in certain special schools.

Part 1

An important element of our review of the operation of the CDNT service model is our invitation to families, and CDNT staff and managers, to share their experiences and opinions with us through online surveys.

Families with children who are receiving a CDNT service or who are on a waiting list for a service from a CDNT are invited to complete our family survey by April 30, 2025. We encourage families to read the Participant Information Leaflet before deciding to take part.

You can read more about Part 1 in our overview of our review.

• Take our family survey
• Read our Participant Information Leaflet